AG using available kitchen equipment

[rgonzale]

I made a wiki page based on my (recent) experience with the BBS AG kits, which you can brew in a small kitchen with standard size pots. As long as you don't mind making 1-2 gallon batches instead of 5-gallon, this is a manageable, inexpensive, and satisfying way to get into all grain brewing.

Any feedback, edits, or alternative techniques would be greatly appreciated!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Homebrewing_Nano_Scale

Thanks,
Ralph

 

[djfriesen]

You could mention using a grain bag and nested collander instead of the strainer and second pot. That way, you pull the full grainbag out of the mash, set the collander in there, and either sparge or no-sparge and sqeeze the bag. In fact, you only need 1 pot if you want to do it this way. That's how I adapted my 1 gallon brewing process.

 

[Calichusetts]

Pretty similar to my system...I dump the grains into a rather large strainer over a pot and let it sit for a few minutes (I even lift of the strainer and tilt it four different ways to make sure work is running through different areas), then transfer strainer to another pot and recirculate wort through it, then I repeat it again.

After that, I put my grains back into the mash pot and add sparge water, then once again repeat the three "washing" system. I hit 76% last weekend.

I think that you definitely need to pass the wort (mash and sparge) through the grain bed several times to mimic a vorlauf effect.

Finally, I got a strainer that perfect fits my pots (my pots are all the same diameter) and this reduced so much hassle from the process...I can get almost 5 pounds of grain in the strainer with no chance of spilling

Nicely done though...but 6 quart pots? Doesn't the grains sit in the wort when you strain? I use a 12 and two 10 quart pots. I usually boil 1.85 gallons to start and that is even pushing it with a vigorous boil

 

[rgonzale]

Excellent suggestions djfriesen and Calichusetts, thank you! I'm a bit of a nubie so the wiki page is really a work in progress. I'll incorporate your notes. -- And I have to buy myself a much larger strainer...

 

[cockybitz]

I've been doing this for a number of batches now. I already had a 5 gallon canning pot that I mash in. I also had a 4 and 2-3 gallon pots. I did, however buy another 5-gallon pot. I do all of this indoors on an electric (but newer) range. A MLT, was a great addition, but not necessary.