New equipment

[thrlskr]

I have the deluxe brewing kit from NB plus a 32 quart pot, an immersion cooler, and couple of burners. What else do I need to go from extract to AG? I searched but "extract to all grain" and the like pulled up recipe conversions etc.

 

[duboman]

You basically need another kettle to heat up your mash water, size dependent upon size of your batches and a beverage cooler/regular cooler to use as a mash tun, either 5 gallon or 10 gallon. A 10 gallon will get you beers in excess of 1.060 at around 20-25lbs of grain for a 5 gallon batch. A 5gallon will max out at about 11lbs grain and up to 1.060 beers for 5 gallon batches. Midwest supplies, Austin hombrew and other sites have what they call All Grain conversion kits that basically add what you need to make the switch. Congratulations on making the move!

 

[ipso]

You only need the one kettle. What you can do is get a much cheaper used cooler to serve as your Hot Liquor Tank. Spend another $15 at Home Depot and add a bulkhead valve to it if you want to fly-sparge.

My Hot Liquor Tank (cooler) is only 5gal; a deposed mash tun. That and my "new" 10gal Rubbermaid mash tun are guns blazing!

(Full Disclosure: probably adding boiling water to an old polycarbonate cooler isn’t such a great idea, if you’re hip to the BPA issue. Before someone asks – I use boiling water in HLT and helicopter into mash tun which results in 167° sparge water sitting on top of my grain bed.)

 

[ArcLight]

You need NOTHING other than a nylon bag. (wilserbrewer)
Search for BIAB (Brew in a Bag).
Its an All Grain method that precludes the need for a mash tun and liquor tank.

 

[RM-MN]

You need NOTHING other than a nylon bag. (wilserbrewer)
Search for BIAB (Brew in a Bag).
Its an All Grain method that precludes the need for a mash tun and liquor tank.

And it takes less time and makes the same quality of beer.

 

[ipso]

Nylon bag? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. That cost money boy. All we need is a 2 cen’ balloon.

I jest. BIAB is of course totally valid, nifty even, and I see zero reason why it can’t make “the same quality of beer.” It’s just whenever someone mentions it I think jailhouse (and/or Navy Seaman) using stolen Grape Nuts to make some secret low-profile concoction, hidden from the authorities. It is – after all - an Australian thing. ..But, you know, no disrespect or anything.

That and “no chill” are both, to my mind, Australian to the bone.

(go-go Casey Stoner!!)

 

[TopherM]

60% of my brewclub does BIAB.
At least 40% of my old brewclub did BIAB.
A good 30-40% of this forum does BIAB.

I'm not sure it is an Austrailian thing any more. I understand that is the origin, but it's been in the American mainstream of brewing for about a decade at this point.

I think all you other guys are doing the European brewing method, or possibly the Egyptian!!

 

[ipso]

60% of my brewclub does BIAB.
At least 40% of my old brewclub did BIAB.
A good 30-40% of this forum does BIAB.

You may be dead Grape Nuts correct, but I question your use of “does”/”did”.

Or do you mean “have tried”? Because then I’m part of your 30-40%.

And I am “doing the European method”!! I just use frickin’ loads of US developed hops and Cali yeast!

In any case, cheers!