Looking to go all grain, but what equipment?

[archer75]

I don't know why i'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around this but it's just not quite clicking.

Currently I do extract brewing and I have everything I need to do that. I boil 2 gallons and then add that to the carboy and fill the remaining balance with water until I have 5 gallons. I have bottles, caps and can even keg the beer. I have a bottling bucket and a 6.5gallon fermenter. I use the gas stove in the house now but if that's not powerful enough to heat 5 gallons I do also have a 60,000 BTU propane burner in the garage. Just don't have a propane tank. I also have a natural gas line in the backyard I use for a BBQ.

With all grain I need to be able to boil all 5 gallons. I'm having a hard time figuring out the equipment I will need.

I'm guess I need a larger pot that can function as a mash tun? I'm guessing I can just bring the temp up there to where it needs to be and then mash in for the hour or so required by the recipe. And this pot should have a false bottom so I can just then drain out the wort into a kettle? Then boil in the kettle where the hops are also added at the appropriate times, cool and transfer to carboy?

What about sparging? Do I do that in the mash tun as well after I drained the wort into the kettle? I see in recipes you are supposed to sparge with water at a certain temperature but do I start more water heating in another kettle for this?
And 5 gallons of hot liquid is a lot to lift so I won't be pouring it. Will I need some sort of pumps to move it all around?

I have about $500 or so for additional equipment. Basically trying to figure out the equipment I will need and how to move that liquid all around. Any help would be appreciated. Pictures are a plus!

 

[NWMOBrewer]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/going-all-grain-my-equipment-list-172743/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/all-grain-brewing-wish-list-43055/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/all-grain-shopping-list-help-me-out-132941/

You equipment needs can be as small as a 10 (or so) gallon pot, a mesh bag, a wort chiller. I am going to start with a propane burner, a cooler Mash Tun, a 10 gallon pot, and a wort chiller.

 

[Kaz]

I went all grain doing Brew in a Bag (BIAB). I added a 10 gallon kettle and a ball valve, and a $5.00 bag. So far I'm more than happy with the results. Very easy to do, the only thing I can see adding in the future is a larger kettle to do some higher gravity brews. Right now I mash in the 10 gallon kettle with about 34qt water and 12lb of grain gets very close to the top.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/biab-brewing-pics-233289/

 

[BainbridgeBrewer]

There are a lot of choices for you to make. I converted a cooler I had in my garage to use as a mash tun by taking out the drain plug and putting in a ball valve. There are many ways to convert these, just search cooler conversion in the threads, or just by one thats already converted from you LHBS or an online shop.

You can also do whats called brew in a bag.

Those are probably the quickest and easiest way I can think of off the top of my head to change. Either way you'll want a larger pot than you probably have. I use a 7.5 gallon kettle and I'm usually wishing I had at least another gallon or two for more room to prevent boil overs and what not. I use my old 5 gallon kettle for heating sparge water. You'll want to research the different techniques used depending on whether you are doing a normal mash and lauter system, or a BIAB system. After you've mashed your grain and removed the wort the rest of the brewing process is just like you'd have done for extract or partial mashes.

 

[birvine]

I was in your position a short bit ago and have decided to go BIAB. I don't want to have to store the extra apparatus so this seems to be the best way.

B

 

[Jud]

Very simple and cheap if you look for deals. Check garage sales and your local good will store for items. 10 gallon stock pot can be bought at military surplus store cheap also.

 

[archer75]

How do you get 5 gallons of hot water from the kettle into a cooler for the mash? Could I just get a kettle to heat the water, mash and then lauter and sparge it all in one pot?

 

[arturo7]

A couple questions:

How big is your current boil pot?

What is your budget?

I assume that you want to do 5 gallon batches?

How are your DIY skills?


The most popular way to mash tun is by converting a 10 gallon Igloo cooler. There are multiple ways to do this. A pump is nice, but with a little creativity, you don't need it.

First things first, what is your budget? There are many ways to skin this cat...

 

[ArcaneXor]

How do you get 5 gallons of hot water from the kettle into a cooler for the mash? Could I just get a kettle to heat the water, mash and then lauter and sparge it all in one pot?

I pick it up and pour it in, or let gravity do the job via the kettle's ball valve. Using a single kettle could work if you use a bucket or other container to collect all the runnings until the kettle is cleaned and available for boiling.

 

[arturo7]

How do you get 5 gallons of hot water from the kettle into a cooler for the mash? Could I just get a kettle to heat the water, mash and then lauter and sparge it all in one pot?

Q1 By hand, by gravity of by a pump.

Q2 You will need a second vessel to heat the mashout/sparge water.

 

[archer75]

A couple questions:

How big is your current boil pot?

What is your budget?

I assume that you want to do 5 gallon batches?

How are your DIY skills?


The most popular way to mash tun is by converting a 10 gallon Igloo cooler. There are multiple ways to do this. A pump is nice, but with a little creativity, you don't need it.

First things first, what is your budget? There are many ways to skin this cat...

Current pot can only do about 2 gallons of liquid. Maybe 3 without boiling over. I have another pot that came with a burner intended for deep frying a turkey. I don't know what size that is, i'll have to measure it.

Yes, 5 gallon batches.

Budget is $500

With a parts list and a little bit of directions I can DIY most anything. But I don't necessarily have an issue with just buying something ready to go.

My goal is to get as close to what breweries are doing with my 5 gallon batches and budget will allow.

Are you heating 5 gallons of water at once for the mash? 5 gallons of hot water is pretty damn heavy and I can see a trip to the hospital in my future after trying to lift and then pour that! Edit - Answered my own question, watched some videos on youtube of the process. I see he's not using all 5 gallons for the mash. Looks like he's starting with 3 gallons and then sparging with 2 gallons. Roughly.

 

[arturo7]

For $500 you can set yourself right! With this you can have a lauter tun, mash tun, and BK if you need it.

You can add the strike water by hand, a pitcher at a time. The critical point in the process as far as equipment is concerned, is doing the sparge. You need to meter water into your mash tun at the same time you meter the wort into your BK. A three-tier gravity system does this, a two-tier with one pump does this, a single tier with 2 pumps does this. A March pump is about $150.

Do a search on "brewstand', this should give you more than a few ideas.

Good luck!

Almost any project you could think of is in here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/project-locator-69953/

Mash Tun https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/

 

[cravej]

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

I did my first couple all grain batches using gravity to transfer, just have the HLT higher than the mash tun and the mash tun higher than the boil kettle. I even used the same 'keggle' as both the HLT and Kettle, by sparging into buckets, until I've collected enough wort, then empty the HLT and dump the wort back into that pot. It wasn't long before I got a second keggle and pump to make it all easier.

One of my favorite additions was a sight glass, to see the level inside the pot:

 

[archer75]

So I can get this setup on amazon for $130

Comes with everything except the boil pot on the bottom. Mash tun has a built in sparge in the lid. May cost a little bit more than assembling them myself but i'm ok with that. Includes a thermometer.

They also have a 32qt stainless boil kettle with a built in temp guage and valve for $115. Will 32qt be large enough to not have to worry too much about boil over?
And their immersion wort chiller is $71

Will that work well? I can spend a little bit more if it will improve quality. All that and a stainless paddle comes to $342 shipped.

Another question, do you think a gas stove top will be able to boil 5+ gallons of wort?

 

[arturo7]

Looks OK, but it's kinda hard to tell from the pic.

I think you can pick up some copper tubing at the Depot and twist up an IC for less than $70.

If you straddle the pot over 2 burners you can probably get a boil. Didn't you say you had a burner?

 

[NWMOBrewer]

gas stove boiling 5 gallons. It may be able to, but you'll be much happier if you go ahead and brew outside on a turkey fryer burner. Will that picture work? Yes, will you be happy with it? Depends on the person. I'd be happy with it. Where in that on amazon? Link?

I'm getting this kettle from ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/10-Gallon-Hot-L...ultDomain_0&hash=item19c3db8038#ht_500wt_1156
it has a sight glass, temp, and ball valve

 

[archer75]

Looks OK, but it's kinda hard to tell from the pic.

I think you can pick up some copper tubing at the Depot and twist up an IC for less than $70.

If you straddle the pot over 2 burners you can probably get a boil. Didn't you say you had a burner?

I do have a burner. Just no propane tank. I'd prefer to boil inside the house on the stove top if possible but if it doesn't make sense I can use the burner from that turkey fryer kit I have. I'd hate to run out of propane during. And i'd probably use the stove top to hit the strike/sparge water. But whatever works best is what i'll do.

Parts are from homebrewstuff.com, you can buy direct from them or on amazon.
This is the kettle http://www.homebrewstuff.com/servlet/the-376/8-gallon-32-qt/Detail
And the mashtun/HLT: http://www.homebrewstuff.com/servlet/the-136/5-gallon-20-qt/Detail
Wort chiller: http://www.homebrewstuff.com/servlet/the-417/Copper-immersion-wort-chiller/Detail

Prices are a little bit different than on amazon.
Then the next question is should I also do a secondary fermentation? I've never done that with my extract brewing. But if it results in a better product i'll do it.

 

[NWMOBrewer]

A way to tell is get as much water as you can in a pot, you have the pot from the fryer, fill with 5+ gallons or the 6-7 gallons and try it.

 

[arturo7]

I do have a burner. Just no propane tank. I'd prefer to boil inside the house on the stove top if possible but if it doesn't make sense I can use the burner from that turkey fryer kit I have. I'd hate to run out of propane during. And i'd probably use the stove top to hit the strike/sparge water. But whatever works best is what i'll do.

A 5 gallon tank easily gets me through a 10 gallon brew day. Your kitchen stove will take forever to heat your strike water and even longer get your wort to a boil.

 

[arturo7]

Parts are from homebrewstuff.com, you can buy direct from them or on amazon.
This is the kettle http://www.homebrewstuff.com/servlet/the-376/8-gallon-32-qt/Detail
And the mashtun/HLT: http://www.homebrewstuff.com/servlet/the-136/5-gallon-20-qt/Detail
Wort chiller: http://www.homebrewstuff.com/servlet/the-417/Copper-immersion-wort-chiller/Detail

Looks good from here!

 

[Crucial-BBQ]

With all grain I need to be able to boil all 5 gallons. I'm having a hard time figuring out the equipment I will need.

When I went from extract to all-grain, I bought zero new equipment. Yup, I just used the same pots as I had before.....and a water cooler I already had.

What I do is use two pots on the stove. I use one (or both depending on if I'm doing more than 3 gallons), measure out the strike, heat to desired temp, then pick up the pot and pour it into the cooler (that already contains the grains). Close lid. With around 30 minutes to go, I begin to heat sparge water. When everything is set to sparge, I "scoop" out sparge water with a measuring cup and gently pour it over the grain bed in a circular motion--trying to cover as much of the surface as possible. If I am doing 3 gallons or less, I sparge into 4 gallon pot. If I am doing 5 gallons, I sparge into an Ale Pail. The bucket is marked at every 1 gallon increment, so I just sparge until I roughly get 5. 75 gallons. Then, I split that between the two pots, fire them up at the same time, and divide the hops evenly between the two pots.

I don't bother with a wort chiller. I've intended to build one over the last five years, and since I have yet to do so, my goal is to finally accomplish this task within another another five year's time.

I'm sure my method made some of the more "seasoned" AG brewers cringe, and perhaps inspired a few new to the game into seeing how simple AG can be, but my method works for me. I'd invest in better, more specialized equipment if I had the space. But I live in a small Boston apartment with a galley kitchen. I make do with what I have and it works fine.

Of course it took a few batches to figure out how to properly work my system, though.

What about sparging?

I just scoop and pour. Sometimes I lay a sheet of foil w/numerous holes punched on top of the grain bed. I just use around 10 to 15% more grain to make up for the bad sparge.

 

[hops2it]

I went through this same situation not long ago and did a bunch of research beforehand. As you can already see, there's a lot of acceptable answers so I'll just post what I ended up doing and leave it at that. I'm listing my LHBS prices to ballpark, YMMV.

10.5 gallon stainless pot (Bayou). Using a step bit (aka Uni-Bit), drilled 2 holes, one for a kettle valve and the other for a temp gauge. I use this first to heat strike and sparge water, then later as my boil kettle. I have other pots but this is the only one I use now which keeps it simple. ($90 pot + 10 valve + 25 thermo + a few $$ for s/s nuts/O-rings)

50 qt Igloo cooler for the mash tun. Installed ball valve, fabricated a 1/2" copper manifold. I batch sparge. ($30 cooler, maybe $10 valve, copper/fittings for manifold would be a little pricey but I had spare parts for that. Some make theirs out of CPVC instead, and still others use braided s/s tubes.)

Chiller. Once you go to full boils, ice baths become even less fun than they were before since you no longer have cold top-up water helping the situation. I went with 50 ft 1/2" OD refrigeration tubing from Lowes ($60). It was bordering on tricky to build due to it's size/rigidity, 3/8" would be easier. Or you could buy one and be done with it.

Propane burner which you aleady have.

Later in the game, I bought my own mill because my very first batch had some uncrushed grains and my efficiency suffered. I ended up with a JSP Maltmill ($132). I think this a probably one of the last things a lot of people buy, yet it saves more money in the long run than most any other item plus you ensure quality.

You probably have most everything else from your earlier efforts but just in case, a shortlist of other items I always have around:

-Hydrometer/graduated cylinder. Refractometer is another option or both.
-Quality thermometer. I prefer instant read digital but anything just so it's accurate. Key item IMO.
-Long handled spoon/mash paddle.
-Buckets and cleaner/sanitizer.
-Brewing software. There's free, there's paid. Whatever you like. Many threads on this large subtopic.