How long did it take you to go all grain?

i'm on my 5th batch. first 3 were extract, the latest 2 are PM. I love the taste of the grain, and I agree with people when they say it's more fun. Adds more of a challenge and a lot of more options to the whole process. The more I read about AG the more I want to switch to it. Once I get my technique down and learn more about AG i'll be making the switch. Oh yeah, I also need money. lol

It didn't take me long at all considering I started all grain. I recently did a couple extract batches though,

I started out doing AG. I lurked here for a month or so and read "How to Brew" to educate myself, built my MLT and IC, and went from there.

Four strainght weekends of Extrat with grains (at an average cost of $35 per 5-gallons).

Then to AG.

Then to kegging...

Then to 10-gallon batches...

That was about 450 gallons ago.

Took me about a year but I also took about six months off due to separation and getting settled in my own place. Only one AG so far but as time permits I'm getting there......

Only 18 years. No looking back now. Then again, I brewed a extract Porter with steeping grains that was mighty tasty. Did a 90 minute boil though.

Picked up the 5gal cooler from Target and a piece of copper pipe and SS braid from the local hardware and rubber stopper with my HBS order to make my MLT for a large partial mash. Then I borrowed a turkey fryer from my parents and my next beer was an AG.
Since then I have purchased my own turkey fryer and added a wort chiller and real bulkhead. I did 2 extract beers, a partial mash and everything since has been AG.

I did my first AG 2 months after starting brewing.

Craig

I spent so much time researching before my first batch that it was too easy. Two weeks later I was brewing all grain. My first AG batch was a Stone IPA clone and it came out amazing!

I was pushing it at the beginning, but then I chickened out. We didn't make the leap until my roommate started pushing it in October. After that, it was just a matter of waiting until we had some money.

It was a goal of mine from the beginning, but I was in an apartment at the time, and only had basic equipment. After about a year and 7 brews I went partial mash, and another 4 months I was all grain. Brew #13 was the last time I used extract, and that was November 05.

Once I decided to actually do AG it took me 1 or 2 days to get ingredients and some very rudimentary equipment. (palstic buket with mesh screen and a spigot as a MT)

I've since spent way to damn much money on equipment and still want to spend more. Next purchase I think will be a pump.

Denny's Evil Concoctions said:

I've since spent way to damn much money on equipment and still want to spend more. Next purchase I think will be a pump.

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I'm with you on the pump. I've got a system planned, at least in my head. My back is tired of lifting full pots of hot water, wort and other brewing related stuff.

I have a beer tree but it's so damn tall. Plus being able just pump things around seems so much easier.

Brewsmith said:

I'm with you on the pump. I've got a system planned, at least in my head. My back is tired of lifting full pots of hot water, wort and other brewing related stuff.

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+ 1 on the pump. I just built a RIMS system and not having to lift a finger to lift Wort or water during the whole process is way cool. So the pump thing, rocks.

Until I started reading this forum, I thought AG was too complicated and expensive to think about. I have brewed extract off and on for 15 years. I got some ideas about how to do it with less expensive equipement, and thanks to this forum, I think I understand the process.

This weekend I bought a turkey fryer for $38 at Home Depot, and would have bought the cooler if I had remembered what size I needed. I won't be brewing AG until it warms up a bit, but if I end up building all of my equipment before then, I might break in the new garage no mater how much snow is out there!!

Honestly, if it weren't for weather, I'd probably be able to go from Extract to AG in about 2 weeks time. (Gather the equipment I need, make mods, and purchase ingredients). If I lived closer to a homebrew store, it would probalby take like 3 days!

First batch I did was liquid extract + steeping grains. I recall remarking in my blog, which I did about hours after the batch, that adding syrup made me feel like making CountryTime Lemonade compared to fresh squeezed and to look into all-grain.

My second batch was DME + steeping grains which was only marginally better in feeling that I did it myself.

My third batch was all-grain, Ed's Haus Pale Ale. All grain is MUCH more enjoyable to brew and I won't do extract if the choice is mine. I did get an extract kit as a gift, which I brewed and will age for the next year but I'd not buy that for myself.