AG equipment advice, please

After a grand total of two extract batches (one was an AHS kit with specialty grains, the other was a recipe from this site containing specialty grains), I am already getting the itch to "move up" in my brewing. I want to experiment. I want to create.

I have decided to do a BIAB partial mash for my next batch... but I am very much of an "in for a penny, in for a pound" kind of guy. It's obvious to me that I'm not going to be truly happy until I am doing all grain brewing.

I've done a lot of reading and research, and have a fair idea of what I will need... but honestly, I am still very much a newbie, and all grain is fairly daunting. There are so many potential setups out there.

I'd love some advice as to what equipment I truly need.

Note that I would love to save some money in the process... but I don't want to settle for junk. For that reason, my current brewpot is 18/10 stainless, my cargoys are glass, etc. However, I am not at all opposed to some DIY if called for.

My current gear:

24 quart stainless brewpot
6.5 gallon glass carboy
5 gallon glass carboy (used to be two of these until I dropped one...)
immersion wort chiller
bottling bucket
assorted stuff (floating thermometer, hydrometer, thief, bottling wand, etc)

In other words, a nice extract setup.

For the time being, I don't see me doing batches larger than five gallons (I honestly don't drink a lot of beer). I would like to be able to do a wide range of beers, including some bigger ones (I'm fermenting an imperial nut brown ale with an OG over 1.081).

What do I absolutely need? Where can I get some good bang for my buck? Thanks a million for the advice.

Get a 10-gallon round cooler from Lowe's to use as a mash tun. A second 5-gallon one for a hot liquor tank (sparge water) is helpful, but not necessary. I'd recommend against a 5-gallon mash tun, as you'll need more space to do anything over 15 pounds or so. I have used the picnic coolers, but I would go with a round one in a second for ease of use. There are some great DIY threads about how to set up a manifold or false bottom and ball valve. You will probably want a larger kettle as well, though you could finagle the one you have for most things.

All-grain is not that hard. I started straight in with it. If you have the gear and are able to plug in some numbers to a few online calculators (strike temp and volumes, etc) you can do it. Just gotta try!

Depending on the tools you have. a 1/2 barrel can turn into a nice cooker for up to 10 gal batches.

I've read articles multiple times now and am finally starting to really grasp what is going on with the mash tun.

Looks like a manifold is the way to go here, and I am handy enough to do this.

Can you tell me why copper is superior to CPVC? I do hate soldering pipe.

Also, I see some people championing stainless hoses (with the inner vinyl removed) instead of the traditional manifold. This looks almost criminally easy... what is the downside?

homebrewdad said:

I've read articles multiple times now and am finally starting to really grasp what is going on with the mash tun.

Looks like a manifold is the way to go here, and I am handy enough to do this.

Can you tell me why copper is superior to CPVC? I do hate soldering pipe.

Also, I see some people championing stainless hoses (with the inner vinyl removed) instead of the traditional manifold. This looks almost criminally easy... what is the downside?

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Not really a downside to the hose braid over the manifold if you plan to batch sparge. It is criminally easy.

BBL_Brewer said:

Not really a downside to the hose braid over the manifold if you plan to batch sparge. It is criminally easy.

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Okay. So, another question or two (realizing that I am the ignorant newb): batch sparging seems like what I should be doing. Why would another method be better?

My pot won't handle full five gallon boils, I know. Still, I ought to be able to do a smaller boil and top off, right? Is there a reason why this is a bad thing?

BBL_Brewer said:

Not really a downside to the hose braid over the manifold if you plan to batch sparge. It is criminally easy.

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I use a kettle screen after my braid attempt collapsed. Never had a problem with it and very easy to install. I had a stuck sparge once but it was a decoction mash.

homebrewdad said:

Okay. So, another question or two (realizing that I am the ignorant newb): batch sparging seems like what I should be doing. Why would another method be better?

My pot won't handle full five gallon boils, I know. Still, I ought to be able to do a smaller boil and top off, right? Is there a reason why this is a bad thing?

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Well you have two choices, fly sparge or batch sparge. When fly sparging you add the sparge water continuously throughout the sparge and rinse the grains. When you batch sparge you just dump in all the sparge water and mix really good to dissolve as much sugar as possible and then drain the mash tun. If you fly sparge you are better off with a false bottom or a good manifold.

As for the full boil question, doing a smaller boil when mashing and then topping off isn't very optimal. To get a descent efficiency, you will need to collect enough wort for a full volume boil. I think a better option would be to use another smaller pot if you have one and do two boils then combine at the end. If that's not an option, then just sparge until you hit your kettle limit. Or you could just scale down the batch size to get a better efficiency until you get a bigger kettle.

BBL_Brewer said:

As for the full boil question, doing a smaller boil when mashing and then topping off isn't very optimal. To get a descent efficiency, you will need to collect enough wort for a full volume boil. I think a better option would be to use another smaller pot if you have one and do two boils then combine at the end. If that's not an option, then just sparge until you hit your kettle limit. Or you could just scale down the batch size to get a better efficiency until you get a bigger kettle.

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And now that you explain that, I feel like an utter moron. Of course. Extract/partial mash is okay to top off, as you know how much DME is there to make up the OG. If doing AG, the sugars simply won't be there. Duh.


Thanks.

homebrewdad said:

And now that you explain that, I feel like an utter moron. Of course. Extract/partial mash is okay to top off, as you know how much DME is there to make up the OG. If doing AG, the sugars simply won't be there. Duh.


Thanks.

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You're not a moron, just new to AG. The only stupid questions are the ones never asked

Well, thanks. So the pot will be an issue. I hate that - I had specifically asked for the 24 quart size as a great starter pot.

If you don't want to spend a ton on a new SS boil kettle you can always buy an aluminum one. I got mine for I think $30 or $35 for a 40 qt.

Also, since your are in a big city you might be able to find a used one cheap at a thrift store, garage sale, or craigslist. That goes for your coolers too, I found mine on craigslist.

homebrewdad said:

Well, thanks. So the pot will be an issue. I hate that - I had specifically asked for the 24 quart size as a great starter pot.

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That probably was a great starter pot. But you're moving on up.

SilverZero said:

That probably was a great starter pot. But you're moving on up.

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So, good uses for a 24 quart pot?

homebrewdad said:

So, good uses for a 24 quart pot?

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I batch sparge so I use my old 28qt kettle to heat the strike water and then while mashing I refill and then use it for the sparge water and the wort goes into my larger kettle, works out well

I just having finished my 1st solo AG today and will never go back. Get a 10gallon round cooler and retrofit with a false bottom. I used a 5 and it didn't hold the 10lbs of grain and water that my recipe called for. Look into a aluminium turkey fryer pot or retrofit a keg from your liquor store (30.00) if money is an issue. I purchases a spike kettle and it works well, very reasonable in cost, justices don't get his thermometer, it has a plastic lenses. You can use your existing pot for smaller batches or for heating sparge water. Bigger pot is a must. Good luck

Thanks for the continued advice, folks.

I saw a 48 quart rectangular cooler at Wal Mart today for $19. What's the downside?

I knew when I bought my brew pot 1 year ago that I would want to do AG eventually, so I popped for a 10 gal pot. I've since been doing AG for a few months now. It's awesome for 5 gal batches, I've never come close to a boilover (knock on wood).

I have the polarware version, I highly recommend it!

PS - I batch-sparge with a 52 quart coleman extreme cooler plus a copper manifold I made myself. Highly recommend it as well. I've done about a half dozen batches with no major hiccups at all.

If that 48 quart cooler from walmart has a nicely located port for installing a valve then I'd go for it! 19 bucks is a sweet deal.

duboman said:

I batch sparge so I use my old 28qt kettle to heat the strike water and then while mashing I refill and then use it for the sparge water and the wort goes into my larger kettle, works out well

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+1

Save your old equipment, it always comes in handy for something. When I upgraded my friends thought they'd get a good price on my old gear but I kept and still use most of it.

I started all grain a few months ago... and i had a 24 qt pot. I got a 40 qt aluminum pot on ebay for $40.00... works great, just make sure you boil as much water as you can in it for about an hour to build up an oxide (or whatever the hell it is) layer before you brew. I have a 48 qt rectangular cooler, I love it. I use the stainless braid with the vinyl tubing removed, works great. This setup was very cost effective, and I LOVE it. Lastly, you may want to crush your own grains. Search "Ugly Junk Corona Mill" on this site, you can make your own grain mill for around 30 bucks if you already have a power drill (or are willing to hand crush 10 pounds of grain). I got the Victoria Mill from Discount Tommy on Amazon for 20 bucks, but it looks like that may be gone... just look around for a victoria or corona mill, and mess with it a bit, great crush for little $.

EDIT: I use my 24 qt. pot for heating my mash/sparge water, I've never thrown brewing equipment away, it always comes in handy later!

periwinkle1239 said:

PS - I batch-sparge with a 52 quart coleman extreme cooler plus a copper manifold I made myself. Highly recommend it as well. I've done about a half dozen batches with no major hiccups at all.

If that 48 quart cooler from walmart has a nicely located port for installing a valve then I'd go for it! 19 bucks is a sweet deal.

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+1

My tun is a coleman extreme... I love it. Check where the ports are when looking for a cooler, too. There is so much info on this site for converting a cooler to a tun, you shouldn't have an issue if you know how to google.

The port doesn't concern me terribly much; I can always drill and grommet, right?

homebrewdad said:

The port doesn't concern me terribly much; I can always drill and grommet, right?

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Sure you can. It's just easier if the cooler you buy has one. Plus mine has the port located on a pitch so I have practically no dead liquid when I go to drain it.