dinertime
Well-Known Member
I'm looking to start all grain brewing in my apartment, and my only equipment for mashing/boiling are a 5 gallon pot and my gas range. I have successfully done a number of partial mash recipes using the large grain-bag method and have gotten good efficiencies (>70%). I plan on adapting it to AG.
My plan right now is to halve a 5 gal AG recipe (with the help of BeerSmith) and brew a 2.5 gal batch as my first AG. I figure this will allow me to get it done with my equipment and also learn the ropes without spending so much money on grains.
What I am worried about is fermenters and oxygen. I have a 5 gal and a 6.5 gal glass carboy. I assume in the primary all of the oxygen will get used up by the yeast and replaced with CO2, but if I want to rack it into a secondary, I would have a LOT of headspace (2.5 gal or so). Would this be a problem for oxidation? Should I just leave it in the primary and deal with the cloudy beer? Does it seem possible to use my CO2 tank to displace all the air in a secondary with carbon dioxide? And I guess if anyone has any tips or suggestions regarding AG on the stovetop (besides the common threads), they would be appreciated!
My plan right now is to halve a 5 gal AG recipe (with the help of BeerSmith) and brew a 2.5 gal batch as my first AG. I figure this will allow me to get it done with my equipment and also learn the ropes without spending so much money on grains.
What I am worried about is fermenters and oxygen. I have a 5 gal and a 6.5 gal glass carboy. I assume in the primary all of the oxygen will get used up by the yeast and replaced with CO2, but if I want to rack it into a secondary, I would have a LOT of headspace (2.5 gal or so). Would this be a problem for oxidation? Should I just leave it in the primary and deal with the cloudy beer? Does it seem possible to use my CO2 tank to displace all the air in a secondary with carbon dioxide? And I guess if anyone has any tips or suggestions regarding AG on the stovetop (besides the common threads), they would be appreciated!