Just Finished my 9th batch - ready for ALL GRAIN?

I'm ready to go all grain, or at least partial mash. Been doing the extract/steeping grains thing, but I want to do all grain and take ownership of my recipes. The savings in ingredients is a bonus, even if the initial investment is more.

What's the best book for learning the properties of grain, etc.

I'm thinking about doing partial mash in a 2 gallon cooler. Should I skip it and go all grain?

The only thing that's stopping me is the full 5 gallon boil. I might get a turkey fryer, but I don't have an outdoor area to boil (apartment living). Is it possible to use those things inside or is that dangerous?

Any advice is appreciated.

batches_brew said:

Is it possible to use those things inside or is that dangerous?

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Caution! DO NOT use your propane burner indoors! You WILL DIE from it!


Having said that....I boil inside all the time. Have since first AG...no problems. You just have to take some common sense measures.

re Books for Allgrain:
John Palmer: "How to Brew"
Dave Miller's "Homebrewing Guide"
Gregory Noonan: "(New) Brewing Lager Beer"

If I had to pick one I'd go with Palmer's...But they are all good and offer different insites.

I'm assuming you already have, "Complete Joy Of Homebrewing", if not get that too but not before Palmer's.

BigKahuna said:

Caution! DO NOT use your propane burner i You just have to take some common sense measures.

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So make sure all the windows are closed and leave it unattended as much as possible? :cross:

What's a good book for an all grain beginner, but not too beginner? opps, posted too quick, just saw teles post. Thanks.

BigKahuna said:

Caution! DO NOT use your propane burner indoors! You WILL DIE from it!

Click to expand...

very true and hilarious

Do a Mini Mash - mostly like steeping but longer - no need for a cooler yet.

I went straight from extract to all grain. If you're going to be mashing, you may as well mash it all and not bother with the extract, IMHO.

If you already have a two-gallon cooler and want to do a partial mash, go for it, but don't go out and buy a two-gallon cooler just to do a partial mash. That ain't worth it.

No matter what you do, be sure and have a good amount of pale DME on hand. Most folks doing their first mash usually have very poor efficiency, usually around 50-65%. It's nice to have a little OG insurance. That poor efficiency usually goes away after another batch or two, by the way. If you don't need it for OG, you can always just use that DME for starters.


TL

I would stick with Partial Mashes. The second problem with using a propane burner inside is stability and the flammability of the surrounding area. My brewery has a concrete floor, a drain and there is nothing that will burn within ten feet of the flame.

Apartments tend to be totally flammable.

I've decided that boiling inside is a no no. I'll do it outside my door if I have to. I'll probably wait till after the holidays to find a deal on a fryer.

So it's not worth buying a 2 gallon cooler, huh? I guess I should do stovetop partial mash till I go all grain.

In the mean time, go to youtube and search "all grain brewing" lots of info there.

YouTube can teach you the technique, and Palmer really gets into the nitty gritty: How to Brew - By John Palmer - Introduction

basic brewing radio has what appears to be a nice book and video for sale. I have not checked it out, but it looks like a good beginner set. They also have podcasts and downloadable video casts that are interesting and entertaining as well.

The other recommendations are top-notch too, so check them out.

I just picked up a copy of Palmer's book since I heard that he clears up some of the vagueness of the online version.

I decided to hold off on the AG aspirations till after the holidays. For my next recipe I'm doing a pale ale, extract w/ steeping grains, but I'm gonna throw another pound of 2 row to, stovetop mash style, to see if I can get an extra 5-10 points out of it.

There's a lot of great info, here, there, etc. Makes learning so much esier. Props to the trailblazers before the world wide web. You guys laid down the foundation.