Absolute minimum equipment and effort for all grain?

[spiffcow]

I'm trying to put together instructions for brewing a very small (1-2 gallon) all-grain batch, for someone who has never brewed before. The goal is to show someone how beer is made from start to finish, all using only equipment found in the average kitchen.

Right now I'm thinking BIAB for the mash, and fermenting and serving all within a few half-gallon growlers having to eliminate the need for bottling. Also, I was thinking of using plastic wrap and a rubber band as a make-shift airlock.

Anyone have any suggestions? Do you think that serving from the primary is a terrible idea? Any better suggestions for how to go about this?

 

[Revvy]

You really shouldn't be recommenting carbing in a growler, they're really not meant to withstand the rigors of bottle carbing, they've meant to hold already carbonated beer, not carboNATING beer. There's an explanation of why from Rukus, that I posted here.

And serving from a fermenter just means yeasty cloudy beer.

What bag could you use that can be found in the average kitchen? Nothing that I can think of....even my using a 2 gallon unmodified cooler with a steamer in the bottom to lift the grainbag method that I've posted, requires a cooler and something for a grainbag....Grainbags aren't exactly common items.....Maybe pantyhose? But that's a household item, not a kitchen item.

 

[spiffcow]

You really shouldn't be recommenting carbing in a growler, they're really not meant to withstand the rigors of bottle carbing, they've meant to hold already carbonated beer, not carboNATING beer. There's an explanation of why from Rukus, that I posted here.

And serving from a fermenter just means yeasty cloudy beer.

What bag could you use that can be found in the average kitchen? Nothing that I can think of....even my using a 2 gallon unmodified cooler with a steamer in the bottom to lift the grainbag method that I've posted, requires a cooler and something for a grainbag....Grainbags aren't exactly common items.....Maybe pantyhose? But that's a household item, not a kitchen item.

I was just going to use a disposable muslin bag, thus treating it like an "ingredient" rather than a piece of equipment. I know growlers aren't really a good way to carbonate beer, but I've used them for years with no problems -- I just carbonate at lower than 2 volumes. Is there anything else that might work well for a fermentation/carbonation/serving vessel? Maybe a 2L soda bottle? I could use S-04 so as to pack the yeast tightly at the bottom

 

[eastoak]

mash in a crock pot, sparge with a colander/muslin combo. ferment in whatever you can = caveman beer.

 

[Germelli1]

I think the best solution for the amount of effort you want to put in would be to drive to a store and buy a case or keg...

 

[Hex]

You could mash in a kettle, and lauter through your muslin bag into another kettle, pouring the sparge water over the grain in the sack. That way you wouldn't risk burning the bag with direct fire BIAB. I ferment small batches in one gallon cider bottles.