EDIT: Modifications will be made to these pages over time. If you find anything confusing or would like clarification, please post your questions here. I'll be searching through the thread periodically to include all the information from answered questions within the tutorial itself.
Due to my bad back, the limits of brewing inside a carpeted apartment, and time constraints i have working tons of overtime at my job, i've often tried to find a quick, cheap and easy method of brewing.
Brewing with extract limits the type of beers you can make and the character you can get in certain beers. Some of my favorite grains, including vienna, rye, maize, oats etc. need to be mashed to get the right character out of them. I want to use them quickly with a minimum amount of equipment to clean.
The method i found works best in my situation involves a few pieces of equipment I already had, it uses a short amount of time, and I can brew any type of beer i want. I use this method to do 5 gallon partial mashes and 2.5 gallon all grains several times a week.
i thought i would post this to help some of the newer people easily do partial mashes, as i know passing the extract barrier can often be difficult.
I use the following equipment for the brewing process:
2 - 5 gallon stockpots (different sizes will work, this is just what i use)
1 - Lid (to cover one of the stockpots)
1 - Floating Thermometer
1 - Stirring Rod (you can use anything from a wooden spoon to a mash paddle)
1 - 24" x 24" Hop/Grain Bag
In this thread, i will explain how i made a 5 gallon batch using pictures from the brew night. This batch took less than three hours.
Step 1:
Place the bag inside your stockpot, folded around the sides, and fill with the desired amount of strike water (i use 2 gallons of water for 5-6 lbs of grain.) Place the thermometer in the pot and heat the water to the desired strike temp. i experience a loss of about 12°F when i add my grains with this equipment, so i shoot for 162°F water which will drop to 150°F mash temp when I add the grain.
EDIT: Using 162°F water is no guarantee you will get the right temp. It depends what the temperature of your grain is, how much water you use and your equipment. I would suggest using the Green Bay Rackers Mash Calculator and then finding out what works on your system.
Also, the binder clips are not necessary...the bag holds itself in the pot quite nicely, as long as you have the right size. JUST MAKE SURE YOU DON'T BURN IT
I always have all my ingredients ready to go to make everything nice and smooth:
Due to my bad back, the limits of brewing inside a carpeted apartment, and time constraints i have working tons of overtime at my job, i've often tried to find a quick, cheap and easy method of brewing.
Brewing with extract limits the type of beers you can make and the character you can get in certain beers. Some of my favorite grains, including vienna, rye, maize, oats etc. need to be mashed to get the right character out of them. I want to use them quickly with a minimum amount of equipment to clean.
The method i found works best in my situation involves a few pieces of equipment I already had, it uses a short amount of time, and I can brew any type of beer i want. I use this method to do 5 gallon partial mashes and 2.5 gallon all grains several times a week.
i thought i would post this to help some of the newer people easily do partial mashes, as i know passing the extract barrier can often be difficult.
I use the following equipment for the brewing process:
2 - 5 gallon stockpots (different sizes will work, this is just what i use)
1 - Lid (to cover one of the stockpots)
1 - Floating Thermometer
1 - Stirring Rod (you can use anything from a wooden spoon to a mash paddle)
1 - 24" x 24" Hop/Grain Bag
In this thread, i will explain how i made a 5 gallon batch using pictures from the brew night. This batch took less than three hours.
Step 1:
Place the bag inside your stockpot, folded around the sides, and fill with the desired amount of strike water (i use 2 gallons of water for 5-6 lbs of grain.) Place the thermometer in the pot and heat the water to the desired strike temp. i experience a loss of about 12°F when i add my grains with this equipment, so i shoot for 162°F water which will drop to 150°F mash temp when I add the grain.
EDIT: Using 162°F water is no guarantee you will get the right temp. It depends what the temperature of your grain is, how much water you use and your equipment. I would suggest using the Green Bay Rackers Mash Calculator and then finding out what works on your system.
Also, the binder clips are not necessary...the bag holds itself in the pot quite nicely, as long as you have the right size. JUST MAKE SURE YOU DON'T BURN IT
I always have all my ingredients ready to go to make everything nice and smooth: