So I'm trying to cost effectively switch to all grain and I want to know what all I need. I have everything that comes with a 5 gallon extract beer kit. I'm just wondering how many additional items I would need or should need to make good beer. Thanks!
Things I need.
- Thread starter foley178
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TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
What size boil kettle? Budget? Brew kits are different so as many details as possible will help.
A 6.5 gallon kettle is very small to yield a 5 gallon batch. There are work arounds, sparging, topping with water etc.
Long term you would likely be better served with a 10-15 gallon pot.
Short term you could easily try a 3 or 4 gallon batch using a paint strainer bag.
Sorta like training wheels. Lol
Long term you would likely be better served with a 10-15 gallon pot.
Short term you could easily try a 3 or 4 gallon batch using a paint strainer bag.
Sorta like training wheels. Lol
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
A bigger kettle would be nice for full boil, but check out BIAB, all you would really need is a mesh bag for the grains. Well within $150. Want to spend more, buy a 10+ gallon pot to go with the bag and a propane burner.
TX_Brewing
Well-Known Member
10-15 gallon. Used an 8 gallon for years, but I now have a 15 gallon. If I wanted I could do a 10 gallon batch, but I really like it for 5-6 gallon batches
Definitely go 10+. 15 if you can justify it. I tried to go quality over quantity and ended up with a 9 gallon. It's a nice kettle, but I wish I had bought bigger. Max preboil volume is 7.75 gals. Any more and it boils over too easily.
I too came from an extract brewing kit. I bought a 25L pot, a grain bag and a thermometer. That's pretty much all you need to start with BIAB. I built an immersion chiller and hop spider to go with it, but that's not exclusive to BIAB.
Murphys_Law
Well-Known Member
Just to echo the other posts - I bought a starter kit and just bought a bag to transition. That's it!
Now since then I have upgraded equipment - pot, chiller, etc but it was just that - an upgrade.
Now since then I have upgraded equipment - pot, chiller, etc but it was just that - an upgrade.
A few links I've saved.
cheapest way to go 15g would be a converted keg.
http://www.homebrewing.org/Used-155-Keggle-with-Coupling_p_4840.html?AffId=160
The AMCYL's are nice. They also make a 10g.
http://www.homebrewsupply.com/amcyl-15-gallon-brew-kettle-w-3-piece-ball-valve.html
The new Spike V3 is state of the art - and you pay for it!
http://spikebrewing.com/
These are also nice at a good price:
http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/Stainless-Brewing-Kettle-10-gallon_p_225.html
Enjoy!
I bought an 8 gallon, but I wish I had spent the extra for a 10. The 8 is really too small for a 5 gallon batch. Worked OK for a 4 gallon, though.
With a budget of 150, I would seriously look at the ebay concord kettles...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Polishe...hash=item20db1df439:m:m8EyLxjTPmNFGUnsgfOeL4w
50 qt 75 dollars, 60 qt 90 dollars shipped....much better than a keggle IMHO
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Polishe...hash=item20db1df439:m:m8EyLxjTPmNFGUnsgfOeL4w
50 qt 75 dollars, 60 qt 90 dollars shipped....much better than a keggle IMHO
Given your budget, you might want to look at this over that ebay kettle.
http://www.homebrewing.org/10-gal-Marked-Pot-with-One-Weld_p_6065.html
Only a couple dollars more, already has a welded coupling, has volume markings (very helpful!) and is thicker steel. (1.2mm vs 1.0mm) I bought my kettle, and a lot of other stuff from AIH. Good customer service and easy to work with. I would not personally recommend a 1.0mm kettle. They're kinda flimsy.
I will admit that one advantage of the ebay kettle is 12.5g vs. 10g.
http://www.homebrewing.org/10-gal-Marked-Pot-with-One-Weld_p_6065.html
Only a couple dollars more, already has a welded coupling, has volume markings (very helpful!) and is thicker steel. (1.2mm vs 1.0mm) I bought my kettle, and a lot of other stuff from AIH. Good customer service and easy to work with. I would not personally recommend a 1.0mm kettle. They're kinda flimsy.
I will admit that one advantage of the ebay kettle is 12.5g vs. 10g.
If you're not adverse to aluminum, then Staples (yes, the office supply store) carries a nice 10g pot. You buy the pot and lid separately for a total of about $45 or so... Less if you can find a coupon code. Might even be free shipping
.. Or maybe free ship to store. I can't recall the details. I don't have the link handy on my phone, but if you're interested, I can find it when I next get in front of a computer...
.. Or maybe free ship to store. I can't recall the details. I don't have the link handy on my phone, but if you're interested, I can find it when I next get in front of a computer...
$39, but then ya gotta buy the lid.
http://m.staples.com/Update-International-40-Qt-Aluminum-Stock-Pot/product_461372
How are you going to heat that kettle?
I was impressed with this value until I noticed..."Not currently for sale"
dstockwell
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Sure glad I took the training wheels off. My first dozen brews were with 5G paint strainer bags, but no longer. First brew with wilserbag was so much better...
I"m going to go a bit against the grain a bit, and suggest that you can pick up a 7.5 or 8 gallon turkey fryer kit for about $50 (AL pot) and do a 5.5 gallon in-the-fermenter BIAB batch just fine. You will need to watch your wort level closely and might have to hold out a 1/2 gallon in boiled ice to use to cool it down, but I think you'll get more mileage out of that, Plus a $100 (or about) grain mill.
My opinion.
My opinion.
How can you justify him spending 2/3 of his limited budget on a grain mill, without knowing if he has any issues with his grain crush? I have thousands of dollars worth of equipment on my want list prioritized above a grain mill because I do not buy grain in bulk and I'm completely satisfied with the crush I get at my LHBS. He may or may not be in the same position. We don't know because he hasn't said. He has only asked about stuff he must have to make good beer. A mill seems to me to be a luxury or a nice to have, not a requirement. Especially when the trade-off is a less than ideal (small) kettle.
normonster
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Bah!! I boil 14.5 in a 15...yes, it's horrifyingly suspenseful but I watch it closely.
I looked at my receipt. I bought the pot & lid plus fillers to reach $60 then used a $30 off $60 coupon. I also got free shipping.
I had been eyeing it for a while to replace the flimsy 10G tamale steamer the I was using as a kettle. When the $30 off $60 coupon popped up, I pulled the trigger. It's a much better kettle than the tamale steamer, and with coupon, only $30 + tax for kettle and lid (+ filler).
I guess the point is, you can score a decent kettle for not much $$$ if you don't mind Aluminum, and if you're not in a hurry/willing to wait for a coupon code.
You must like paying quite a bit more for your grain if you aren't buying in bulk. Are you completely satisfied with the crush you are getting because you have compared it to another crush or have you just never made a comparison. I'm expecting a brewhouse efficiency upwards of 85% every batch because I mill my own to my specifications and my mash period is 30 minutes or less.
I didn't spend $100 on a mill either. I've found that a cheap Corona mill does a great job for BIAB and can easily be motorized if you don't want the exercise of cranking. 5 minutes with my grinder turned the 3 flats on the shaft of the mill into 6 which will accept a socket. An adapter made it fit my drill chuck and away I went.
Honestly, with a $150 budget, Craigslist and used equipment would be your best bet. Lots of deals on C'list, just may take some time and patience. I have a collection of equipment, kettles, kegerators, fridges, freezer, CO2 tanks. Way more than I need, but I can't pass up a steal.
An old 15 gallon stainless kettle looks damn good after 30 minutes and $0.50 worth of BKF.
30 bucks for kettle, lid and paddle. Had years of filth and a couple little dings but polished up pretty...the bottom is just wet.
For the amount I brew, the savings on bulk grain would not be material. Plus I would have to deal with storage. And yes, I have compared the crush I get currently to other crushes and also get over 80% efficiency. The LHBS I use is very conscious of his crush and responsive to his customers needs. But that's me. We have no idea whether the OP is in the same situation or not. He hasn't told us. And this thread is about him, not me.
What I asked you to do is justify a beginning all grain brewer spending 2/3 of his budget on a grain mill when he has many other things which I would think most brewers would prioritize higher. Not saying a grain mill isn't desireable and not saying that you personally might not prioritize it, but just asking for a bit more justification to recommend someone else prioritize it higher than an appropriate sized kettle.
Honestly, with a $150 budget, Craigslist and used equipment would be your best bet. Lots of deals on C'list, just may take some time and patience. I have a collection of equipment, kettles, kegerators, fridges, freezer, CO2 tanks. Way more than I need, but I can't pass up a steal.
An old 15 gallon stainless kettle looks damn good after 30 minutes and $0.50 worth of BKF.
30 bucks for kettle, lid and paddle. Had years of filth and a couple little dings but polished up pretty...the bottom is just wet.
Great find! There is some truly helpful advice! Love that paddle.
You are so fortunate. The nearest LHBS that has a crusher is 150 miles away and if I buy grains I want to buy in bulk to save on transportation. I apologize for questioning you but so may have shown that the majority of LHBS's crush way too coarse so that people are asking here on how to improve their efficiency. Some have reported 50% and at that rate a cheap mill will pay for itself quickly.
That's quite understandable. I am fortunate to be in a major metropolitan area and have two excellent Home brew stores that I drive past every day to and from work. Maybe OP will weigh in and let us know where he lives? Regardless, we have given him a lot of options, so he will have a difficult decision to make. He's soon going to learn that with this hobby, there is always another piece of shiny equipment that he just can't possibly live without!
Could have been yours
I'm a wood paddle guy, so I sold it for 10 bucks in 10 minutes in the classifieds here...so I have $20 into a "made in USA" Volrath 15 gal SS kettle w/ lid...not bad I find these boards kinda fun and funny...TxBigHops takes exception to a $100 mill being exceptionally expensive with regards to the $150 budget, yet posts links for $200 - $300 kettles several posts above...all good - we are all just trying to help.
Respectfully submitted,
cheers!
wilser
with a $150 budget, a good hard look at a corona mill for $26 is a good idea...
Firewalker11
Brewer
15 gallon for sure! 60 quart kettles can be had for $60.00, aluminum of course but dont fear aluminum, its sealed once you boil in it for a while. I created the oxidizing coating by filling it with water and boiled it for two hours. EZPZ.
He was asking for opinions. I gave him one. Justfied!
I offered up a possibility and planted the seed that he might want to consider a mill. I brew in a 7.5 gallon pot and have no problems obtaining 5 -1/2 gallons in my fermentor. Especially with BIAB, since we tend to mill finer than traditional AG brewing, a mill at home would be dandy. Dandy I say!
I quite like wilser's suggestion that you start watching craigs list for supplies. But be picky in what you buy, or you'll end up with a bunch of useful items that you actually never use. (Ask me how I know!)
Honestly, none of us can tell you how "best" to spend your money. We could easily spend $150 on equipment, or more. (or pretend to spend) Honestly, maybe your 6.5 gallon pot will produce enough 4 or 4.5 gallon batches for you to enjoy some variety. Sounds like first thing, if you're going BIAB, is to get a decent bag, and a vessel that you can boil things in. Lots of questions: are you going to brew outside/inside? Electric/propane/stovetop? bottle/keg? Lots of good ideas in this thread so far.
A 44 quart Bayou Classic (with basket) will run you about $70. I find it a great size for most of my 5 gal batches, although I would likely top out doing a really strong DIPA or barleywine.
The basket has its advantages too. I keeps the bag off the bottom of the kettle if you need to hit it with heat and provides easy lifting after the mash-out.
If you want stainless, look at the Concord kettles on Amazon. Very reasonably priced and well-built. I think the 60 qt. version is around $100.
Otherwise, nothing wrong with aluminum if you want to save some $$$. Boil some water in it for an hour to create the protective passivation layer prior to first use.
Otherwise, nothing wrong with aluminum if you want to save some $$$. Boil some water in it for an hour to create the protective passivation layer prior to first use.
