I was really gung-ho to progress my brewing for the past 9 months. I did a few partial boil extracts, stepped up to full boils to practice for AG. I made some good beers with only one batch being sub-par. I brewed my first all grain two weeks ago and it's about to go into the keg. On that batch, I used my turkey fryer pot on my grill just like my previous 5 extact batches, cooled with an IC, and used either a hop bag or strained as I poured.
Today was the big day. I brewed my second AG batch but tried a few new things. The first was to use a keggle and a natural gas burner. Next, I put my DIY counterflow chiller to use.
Maybe it's just a combination of too many new things at once but I'm just exhausted from all the setup and cleanup. So, I'm kinda just venting, but I think I need someone to tell me that all grain is definitely worth the effort.
Some things I've noticed was cleaning a keggle is nothing like washing a pot in the kitchen sink. Also sanitizing prior to use, and cleaning afterwards makes CFCs a PIA. Not to mention regulating wort output temp is really tough when the tap is 50degrees.
I suspect this will get easier if I build a dedicated brew stand and start using a pump, but woah... long day.
Today was the big day. I brewed my second AG batch but tried a few new things. The first was to use a keggle and a natural gas burner. Next, I put my DIY counterflow chiller to use.
Maybe it's just a combination of too many new things at once but I'm just exhausted from all the setup and cleanup. So, I'm kinda just venting, but I think I need someone to tell me that all grain is definitely worth the effort.
Some things I've noticed was cleaning a keggle is nothing like washing a pot in the kitchen sink. Also sanitizing prior to use, and cleaning afterwards makes CFCs a PIA. Not to mention regulating wort output temp is really tough when the tap is 50degrees.
I suspect this will get easier if I build a dedicated brew stand and start using a pump, but woah... long day.