Moving to all grain - equipment check

I've been successfully doing full boil 5 gallon batches for a little while now and have all the equipment necessary to make that happen. I'd like to move into all grain brewing and I think all I would want is a 10 gallon mash tun like this http://www.midwestsupplies.com/thermo-mash-tun.html (yes I want to buy not diy).

Sanity check please - is there anything else I would need or will soon really, really want to have?

Thanks

Congrats on your decision. I was doing full boil 5gal batches, made the same mash tun for $60 and thats all I needed.

You need to make sure you have someway to heat up your sparge water. A second pot is needed. But the only thing I could think of that you might need is your own grain mill. You can get by using your LHBS mill for your first couple batches, but cranking all that grain by hand gets old.

If you have a way to heat your 3+gal of sparge water in something other then your brewpot, I would say if you can get a grain mill.

I just made the jump to AG about a month ago. I have a 10 gallon mash tun and an 11 gallon kettle.

You do not need a second kettle or lauter tun but they are extremely helpful. My process currently involves running my wort into a spare fermenter while I heat my sparge water in my kettle. Once I have my first running I do a batch sparge and move the wort to the kettle.

I am currently looking to get a 7 gallon kettle or a 7 gallon cooler to convert into a lauter tun to make life easier.

So all you really need to make the jump is a 10 gallon mash tun but having a separate kettle or tun for sparge water is helpful. I just did the one tun because money is tight.

I use a second cooler as a HLT to store my heated sparge water. That lets me lauter directly into the brew kettle.

Looks like you're good. I Lauter into bottling bucket then transfer to the boil kettle after I add the sparge water to the MLT. I batch sparge.

I won't try to convince you to DIY... but your really should DIY it.

As the above said I wont try and convince you to make a MLT but its cheaper and takes about 15 minutes on the floor to get it put together . That said I would also urge you to buy or make a wort chiller and pick up a solid paddle or something sturdy and easily cleaned to stir with.

I typically use...

Boil kettle to get my strike water heated
MLT
Lauter into bottling bucket/empty fermenter
Turkey fryer base for the propane (you seem to have this covered since you are already boiling 5g batches)
Copper wort chiller
Also depending on how big of beers or style of beers you plan on making, I would recommend a spare micro fridge for lagering or potentiall storing yeast.

I am working on that last step myself at the moment! Smack packs get expensive when you are brewing 10%+ABV beers

Finally if your LHBS allows you to mill there that is one less thing to worry about. If not, then you will need to build/buy some sort of grain mill.

rayfound said:

I won't try to convince you to DIY... but your really should DIY it.

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I agree. I converted a 12.5 gallon cooler to a mash tun last night for a total cost of right at $60. This was my second mash tun conversion. I was scared to death to try it at first but then saw a YouTube video showing how easy it is.

Honestly though, $150 for what he linked is not a bad price. A cooler is 40-50, a false bottom is 40-50, and those SS fittings aren't cheap.

I DIY'd mine.

$12 Stainless Steel mesh hose for me. Never had an issue with my 5 gallong MLT, and 3 HG batches of mash through my 10g MLT have gone nice and smooth. I definitely thought of getting a false bottom but the cost was a bit much and limited my "savings" on the project.

tenbrew said:

I've been successfully doing full boil 5 gallon batches for a little while now and have all the equipment necessary to make that happen. I'd like to move into all grain brewing and I think all I would want is a 10 gallon mash tun like this http://www.midwestsupplies.com/thermo-mash-tun.html (yes I want to buy not diy).

Sanity check please - is there anything else I would need or will soon really, really want to have?

Thanks

Click to expand...

The only other thing you'll really need is a spare bucket to drain your wort into, or a second brew pot that can hold the water you'll need for sparging.

Also, I'd consider at least a DIY mash paddle. You can get away with a large spoon, but if you get a lot of grain in there, mixing it in that 10 gallon cooler could be a challenge and at the very least, a lot more work that could easily be saved by even a simple mash paddle.

You'll want a barb and hose for the MLT (based on the picture)

My brew station only cost 60, but needed some to weld

You don't need a false bottom. You can use SS hose. My 12.5 gallon cooler is rectangular so I made a PVC manifold for $4. Nipple, nut, and ball valve were about $15 total. With a $45 cooler that's $64.

To keep my cost down, I used 2 calibrated plastic buckets to collect my runnings. I heated my sparge water with my one burner and pot.

I made a DIY cooler you can see in my link below, but then, you didn't want to make anything.

Welcome to AG!!!

BrewLou said:

$12 Stainless Steel mesh hose for me.

Click to expand...

I used the same for a long time. Eventually the coolness of the false bottom won out.

Wow, thanks for the great suggestions guys. I think I missed some of the small things like a mash paddle (though I have a giant SS spoon) and the barb/hose. I already have some of the other suggestions like 14cft fermentation chamber, wort chiller, etc.

I do have to admit now I'm tempted to just build it myself and use the extra money on another keg. Thanks again and happy brewing.

Building the MLT is VERY easy and there are a ton of videos with actual part #s from select home improvement stores listed. I spent maybe $65 to build my 10g MLT. This time of year (here in NC at least) coolers are dirt cheap .

Agreed on the DIY I just got a 52qt coleman xtreme rectangular cooler and the weldless bulkhead and screen all for about $65, took some fiddling with the bulkhead but got it tight and water proof... I already had a ball valve so I did save money there