Advice/Opinions Welcome!

[kjackson82]

Wanting to ease into all grain and wanted to see what options I had with my equipment. I can do most anything from welding stainless fittings to automation so what may not be feasible to you possibly might not apply to me.

I've got 2) 5g stainless kettles and want to know what can be done, if anything, with these to go 5g AG.

 

[BlackGoat]

you'll need to boil the full volume if doing AG, so you'd need at least about 7+ gallon capacity in your brew kettle to do a 5G batch. I suppose you could go side-by-side with the kettles on two burners and do BIAB, but that hardly seems worth the effort vs. investing in an appropriate sized pot.

 

[kjackson82]

So all I would need to purchase is a 7.5g + pot for the boil and it could be done? Would I have to batch sparge or be able to continuos or ???

 

[BlackGoat]

yeah, basically. I do BIAB brewing - with just a 7.5 (bigger is recommended) pot and a paint strainer bag from home depot you can go all grain. Here's one of many tutorials: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f244/biab-brewing-pics-233289/

 

[BlackGoat]

This is actually the tutorial that lead me down this road, this is closer to my technique: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-stovetop-all-grain-brewing-pics-90132/

 

[CA_Mouse]

I believe that the advice to get a larger kettle is only the first part. Getting a larger kettle allows you to do the full boil, as opposed to a partial boil. You can then do BIAB in the larger kettle by using the kettle as your mash tun and one of the 5 gallon kettles for sparging into and adding that to your large kettle. This will, also, give you a better understanding of how to use a standard mash tun when you are ready to take your next step.

Alternately, you can try partial mash. You can use your bottling bucket and a large mesh bag/paint strainer bag (same as for BIAB) and mash only a part of your grain bill and then add LME/DME to your 5 gallon kettle to get your Starting Gravity where it needs to be. Partial Mash is where I went from Extract with Specialty Grain batches. I built a 5 gallon mash ton from a Lowe's cooler and was able to mash grain bills up to 10lbs. I think it cost me about $35 to build, so it was a reasonable way to push myself towards all grain.

 

[kjackson82]

I believe that the advice to get a larger kettle is only the first part. Getting a larger kettle allows you to do the full boil, as opposed to a partial boil. You can then do BIAB in the larger kettle by using the kettle as your mash tun and one of the 5 gallon kettles for sparging into and adding that to your large kettle. This will, also, give you a better understanding of how to use a standard mash tun when you are ready to take your next step.

Alternately, you can try partial mash. You can use your bottling bucket and a large mesh bag/paint strainer bag (same as for BIAB) and mash only a part of your grain bill and then add LME/DME to your 5 gallon kettle to get your Starting Gravity where it needs to be. Partial Mash is where I went from Extract with Specialty Grain batches. I built a 5 gallon mash ton from a Lowe's cooler and was able to mash grain bills up to 10lbs. I think it cost me about $35 to build, so it was a reasonable way to push myself towards all grain.

This is kind of what I'm trying to avoid, buying stuff that won't get used on down the road. I would like to purchase things that will work towards my end goal of an automated herms setup.

@blackgoat.. I've read a lot on BIAB and since I have the space and a strong desire for DIY projects, I would like to avoid the BIAB if possible. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means turning my nose up to BIAB, I just want to start getting setup equipment and knowledge wise to build a herms system. Being an electrician that works on a lot of process controls stuff, I kind of get joy out of building stuff like this!

 

[kjackson82]

Ok, after doing some reading I can't seem to find anyone "easing" into AG. So if I bought a 10g boil kettle and a 10g igloo cooler and made a MT, I could then use the two 5g to heat my strike and sparge wit a small HERMS?

So I could install a coil in my 10g kettle and heat the water in the kettle along with circulating water from the two 5g kettles. Not sure exactly how much total volume of water I would need but surely this could give me enough? Then add my grains and strike water to MT.

Now I'm not sure about the sparge yet but is there any flaws y'all see so far?

 

[Ramitt]

Smart getting a 10 gal brew kettle, I have a 9 and fight boil overs all the time, I always recommend 10+.,

 

[mikescooling]

You want JonW brew stand (he gives a steel cut list) and to use keggel's as pots. To start you'll need one pump and a some kind of filter for the MLT. All you have to do is make this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/single-tier-3-pump-bcs-462-automated-rig-204705/

 

[CA_Mouse]

This is kind of what I'm trying to avoid, buying stuff that won't get used on down the road. I would like to purchase things that will work towards my end goal of an automated herms setup.

@blackgoat.. I've read a lot on BIAB and since I have the space and a strong desire for DIY projects, I would like to avoid the BIAB if possible. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means turning my nose up to BIAB, I just want to start getting setup equipment and knowledge wise to build a herms system. Being an electrician that works on a lot of process controls stuff, I kind of get joy out of building stuff like this!

You asked what you can do to ease into All Grain. You never mentioned anything about a goal of a HERMS system. You asked for opinions and options and several people offered you similar opinions and options. If you knew that you were going to build a HERMS system, why did you even bother asking for a way to ease into All Grain?

Next time you want opinions or options, just be upfront and say that you have a goal already. You basically wasted all the time and effort everyone of us spent trying to help you 'ease into all grain'.

 

[kjackson82]

You asked what you can do to ease into All Grain. You never mentioned anything about a goal of a HERMS system. You asked for opinions and options and several people offered you similar opinions and options. If you knew that you were going to build a HERMS system, why did you even bother asking for a way to ease into All Grain? Next time you want opinions or options, just be upfront and say that you have a goal already. You basically wasted all the time and effort everyone of us spent trying to help you 'ease into all grain'.

My apologies, after rereading I did leave out pertinent info and apologize for wasting your time giving me options/opinions. So let me try and lay out some goals/restrictions/info and again, my apologies to everyone.

1) I can't afford more than one big kettle right now.

2) I have access to a lot of parts such as stainless fittings (tri clover as well), welder, rtd's, temp controllers, etc.. being that I work in a food plant that already uses a lot of these things.

3) I don't want to buy anything that I will not be able to use once I make it to 5g all grain.

4) This system will require hose changing and be pretty manual but have the beginnings of an automated setup with the possibility of having an electric element and pid to help maintain mash temps. I can use my gas burner to boil if needed.

So with that said, I will be getting a 10g kettle (probably be my Christmas). I can justify spending the little bit to make a MT out of an igloo, although I will engineer everything in th MT as to not put any new holes in it so it can still be used for other purposes in the future. As for the other stuff I will have to purchase, I can buy a little as I go. As of right now, I know I will need one pump and some stainless tubing for the coil.

Please keep in mind that I am still researching HERMS, electric and automated systems so if this doesn't seem like it is possible or a waste of your time helping then I am sorry. I am also trying to get this done with little to no sleep while raising a 7 month old baby girl!

 

[kjackson82]

Ok, so here is my beginning layout. I am working on instructions/steps for it and will post them when i get them done, or to a point where i don't know where to go.

I have also asked this be moved to the DIY section since it has taken a turn in that direction.

 

[kjackson82]

Ok, due to my lack of giving all info needed, the end goal and capabilities i will start a new thread with a better title and do a better job of asking the right questions.