All Grain Brewing Process in 20 Simple Steps

[Yooper]

I've openly changed the original post with all suggestions given but thank you. The information is for pure process as requested. When you tell someone first starting to look at the chemical make up of their water, its a huge barrier to entry. I've brew 30+ batches. My current procedure is a lot more complicated than the one I provided (this is a beginners forum). Negativity is unwanted. Suggestions are. Check your tone before someone else does. All threads stray from their original meaning on this website which you are progressively assisting. Please just suggestions on the original post and no more breakdown of how this conversation has developed or judgement of me (PM me if you really feel the need). Thank you.

Oh, no, we won't do challenging via PM. That's not the way it works in a forum.

It's wonderful that you took time and effort to put together a step-by-step. But in order for it to be a quality resource, it needs to be correct and easy to implement and understand. If you don't want criticism, then don't create a "how to", as you'll definitely be challenged on information that may not be correct.

You are not being judged. We all grow as brewers by helping each other. None of us know it all, and we have expert and well-known brewers on this forum. They are still learning new things as well. For example, Denny. He practically "invented" batch sparging, and he's a well known member of the AHA governing committee. He's open to learning and hearing new ideas. There are several other experts who are known to have written books on brewing, and water. They are open to new ideas.

Anybody who "knows it all" generally doesn't know much at all, so it's always worthwhile to keep an open mind, for all of us!

Beginners shouldn't be taught incorrectly, as then they build on misinformation. It's always good to keep it simple, of course, but not at the expense of poor results!

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

Originally Posted by MorrisBrewingCo View Post
Equipment:
- 6+ Gallon Stainless Steel Boil Pot with spigot Good but 9 - 10 gallon is preferred

Agreed, I use a 9 Gal myself, I figured 6 is a good monetary wise for beginners, i can clarify more than 6+ if you think it would help

- 5 or 6 Gallon Glass Carboy ---- Glass, Better bottle, bucket, does not matter

I will add this

- Immersion Wort Chiller ---- Good (There are other options as well for cooling)[/qutoe]true I will note

My particular critique with your set up is the additional 5-gallon cooler. Frankly, it's unnecessary. You can heat your strike water in your brew kettle, transfer to the 10-gallon mash tun, heat your sparge water, drain your mash runnings to a bucket, transfer your sparge water to the 10-gallon cooler, transfer the mash runnings to the brew kettle and start the boil, drain sparge runnings to the brew kettle, and you're off.

I personally suggest a more showering the grain and keeping the water level slightly above the grains which requires another water container when the mash tun still has wort and the boil pot is collecting the drain. I guess I am missing how you sparge while you're collecting?

I'd suggest telling someone to blindy use "5.2"

Telling and letting them know of another possible option is different. I will clarify that I do not use it and to read up on PH levels for information. Thanks

I didn't see anybody getting nasty with you, OP, until you opened that pandora's box yourself. So chill.

I'll admit it was I was a little more defensive than I like to be but it was caused by people simply stating "No" "False" "Pointless" providing no suggestions which is pointless and rude. If you say "I've read otherwise and this is what I've know and use" is so much more productive.

 

[Yooper]

Agreed, I use a 9 Gal myself, I figured 6 is a good monetary wise for beginners, i can clarify more than 6+ if you think it would help I will add this

I don't know if you've edited that yet (I'm having internet issues and am "lagging") but I would definitely do that. Since most 5 gallon batches start with 6.25-6.5 gallons of wort (sometimes more!), a minimum pot size would be 30 quarts.

When I first started, I got a turkey fryer with a 30 quart pot, and it was just big enough. I avoided boilovers, most of the time. It works well for beginners, because while it's not ideally large enough, aluminum turkey fryers are cheap and the minimum size for a 5 gallon batch.

I would also recommend moving step #2 down the line a lot, to step #14, to be done either while the wort is chilling, or after, as having it sanitized hours before using it means contamination can occur since grain is a bit source of contamination for lactobacillus. Most homebrewers use "wet contact" sanitizers, which means that it's "good" as long as the surface is wet with sanitizer, so it needs to be done just before using it.

 

[mmb]

I personally suggest a more showering the grain and keeping the water level slightly above the grains which requires another water container when the mash tun still has wort and the boil pot is collecting the drain. I guess I am missing how you sparge while you're collecting?

Batch sparge is just that, you pour a batch of water on the grain, vorlof a few quarts and then let it run till empty. Then do another batch, rinse, and repeat if necessary.

Homebrewers historically have fly sparged because that's what the big guys use, but in our volumes it just introduces more complexity to the process. Large brewers can't cost effectively batch sparge because of the time and effort it would take, fly sparging is much more cost effective in volume. Our 5-10 gallon batch sizes negate that need.

Honestly, a BIAB system is the best way to get into all grain brewing and avoids all the other issues involved with liquid transfer in sparging and has a decent efficiency for our size batches. A difference between 65% efficiency and 80% efficiency is going to be measure in lb and half lbs of grain, not hundreds and thousands of pounds like a large brewery.

 

[Yooper]

One other correction I'd make is on the fly sparge process. I wouldn't add 185 degree water to the HLT and let it cool. That doesn't make logical sense to me. First, the mash out is done. That addition is missing in these steps. THEN the sparge starts with 170 degree water. If not doing a mash out, batch sparging would probably be a better way to go or at least increasing the sparge water temperature to denature the enzymes and stop further conversion.

 

[bob1852]

I'd suggest a larger fermentation vessel than a 5 or 6 gallon glass carboy, bucket, etc.

Your typical 5 gallon batch is going to have ~5.2-5.4 gallons of volume (if you want a packaged volume of 5 gallons).

At least a 6.5 gallon carboy, or better yet, a ~7 gallon bucket. No sense losing any beer through the blowoff tube.

 

[kombat]

I'd suggest a larger fermentation vessel than a 5 or 6 gallon glass carboy, bucket, etc.

Your typical 5 gallon batch is going to have ~5.2-5.4 gallons of volume (if you want a packaged volume of 5 gallons).

Good point. Also consider how you'll be aerating. I use a Fizz-X rod on a drill, and it works up quite a lather of foamy head on the wort, sometimes even coming all the way up to the neck of the carboy.

Then consider that you need to leave room for adding the yeast itself. Probably not a concern if you're just rehydrating a packet of dry yeast (200 mL?), but if you're using liquid yeast and have done a starter, and it's a high-gravity lager, you could have upwards of a quart of yeast to fit into the carboy.

I wouldn't even consider anything other than a 6.5 gallon carboy as a primary fermenter.

 

[Homercidal]

Personally, I would list the batch sparge process for beginners.

IMO there are way too many variables and personal process options to make a simple step-by-step listing. No matter what you show, someone will have a very good reason why that is wrong and you should do it differently.

In fact, now that I think about it, even batch sparging isn't the simplest way. Brew in a bag is way simpler and cheaper.

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

I don't know if you've edited that yet.

forgot but its up now

turkey fryer with a 30 quart pot

I opted out of aluminum because I had the money but I agree a great cheap beginner option. Can you go in to prepping the aluminum for brewing (heard from a LHBS one time boil water for 2 hours)

I would also recommend moving step #2 to step #14

good point

Batch sparge is just that.....
Honestly, a BIAB system.....

Can someone whose is much more knowledgeable on those two topics go in to your process/methods for both, I can simplify in the original post and then you can make sure it checks out because I would like beginners to know the various sparging methods but I do not want this to become a comparison of which one is better, they can decide that.

I'd suggest a larger fermentation vessel than a 5 or 6 gallon

I will add this

Also consider how you'll be aerating. I use a Fizz-X rod on a drill, and it works up quite a lather of foamy head on the wort.

I will add an aerator to the list of upgrades. Can you go in to a more basic way for aerating as well?

yeast starter

I use them but that pictorial thread does a better job, I'll throw that link down at the botton, I did add the yeast pitching calculator so beginners refrain from under-pitching

Thank you all for input. This thread has become very productive and it is all thanks to a community effort.

 

[babelfish]

Thanks to the OP!! He/She put lots of time into their post, and I for one found it helpful.

 

[Yooper]

forgot but its up now
I opted out of aluminum because I had the money but I agree a great cheap beginner option. Can you go in to prepping the aluminum for brewing (heard from a LHBS one time boil water for 2 hours)
good point

Can someone whose is much more knowledgeable on those two topics go in to your process/methods for both, I can simplify in the original post and then you can make sure it checks out because I would like beginners to know the various sparging methods but I do not want this to become a comparison of which one is better, they can decide that.I will add this I will add an aerator to the list of upgrades. Can you go in to a more basic way for aerating as well?
I use them but that pictorial thread does a better job, I'll throw that link down at the botton, I did add the yeast pitching calculator so beginners refrain from under-pitching

Thank you all for input. This thread has become very productive and it is all thanks to a community effort.

To prepare aluminum for boiling wort, all it needs is an "oxide layer". You don't have to boil for 2 hours- just a few minutes is all it takes. Instead of beautifully shiny inside, it will turn gray-ish and faded.

As far as BIAB/batch sparge/fly sparging, that'd be more difficult to put in 1,2,3 format. Perhaps just put the proper technique for one of them, and give the others as options. If there is a good thread on the options, we could include that link. Otherwise, it could get more confusing than ever, and the whole point of this "simple steps" thread that that you started is to try to help alleviate that! At least, that's in my opinion.

 

[mmb]

Aluminum will oxidize with the moisture in the air, just not as thick/dark a layer as water will provide.

Leaves our "But it's a dry heat" brothers and sisters in the cold, as it were.

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

As far as BIAB/batch sparge/fly sparging, that'd be more difficult to put in 1,2,3 format. Perhaps just put the proper technique for one of them, and give the others as options. If there is a good thread on the options, we could include that link. Otherwise, it could get more confusing than ever, and the whole point of this "simple steps" thread that that you started is to try to help alleviate that! At least, that's in my opinion.

Agreed

 

[AZBeerNut]

Hope this doesn't offend...

... but if I were a total noob, this original post (and ensuing thread) would confuse me to the point I'd just want to stick with extract brewing...... particularly had I read it two days ago and then just checked in again to find it wholly different.

My advice? Kill this thread. Start again later.

My .01 (not always worth .02)...

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

if I were a total noob, this original post (and ensuing thread) would confuse me to the point I'd just want to stick with extract brewing...... particularly had I read it two days ago and then just checked in again to find it wholly different.

Thanks for your input. If you would like to suggest something that in your opinion is unnecessary to beginners I will happily consider but some deemed the initail(edit) post too basic for success.

 

[nutty_gnome]

I would suggest a step at about 15 mins where you evaluate whether you need to add some clean, dechlorinated water to make up for unexpected evaporation during the boil or boil longer to reach your final boil volume. In any event, the newb should reserve a gallon or two of clean, dechorinated water to add as make up water when needed.

You can retort that this info is calculated using calculators located elsewhere... but when it comes down to a brew day, at that 15 mark, who knows whats going on in the newbs kettle... certainly not the newb.

 

[AnOldUR]

Thanks for your input. If you would like to suggest something that in your opinion is unnecessary to beginners I will happily consider but some deemed the previous post too basic for success.

Just curious. By "previous post too basic for for success" are you referring to your original post at the top of this thread before the edits?

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

I would suggest a step at about 15 mins where you evaluate whether you need to add some clean, dechlorinated water to make up for unexpected evaporation during the boil or boil longer to reach your final boil volume. In any event, the newb should reserve a gallon or two of clean, dechorinated water to add as make up water when needed.

You can retort that this info is calculated using calculators located elsewhere...

I agree that the boil temp for beginners is going to be off causing the pct/hr boil to change from the calculated. I wish I could suggest a temp but altitude fights back. I hoped the rolling boil description would help but that depends on how the user interprets it. I can note to ensure the boiling wort is near final boil volume if people agree.

but when it comes down to a brew day, at that 15 mark, who knows whats going on in the newbs kettle... certainly not the newb.

haha true.

 

[Homercidal]

It might be helpful to make sure people know that the grains need to be crushed. It's kind of obvious, but we've had some posters on here buy their grains and not crush it, leading to something that is not very beer-like.

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

It might be helpful to make sure people know that the grains need to be crushed. It's kind of obvious, but we've had some posters on here buy their grains and not crush it, leading to something that is not very beer-like.

Good observation. I will add that and a grain mill to suggested upgrades although my LHBS still mills mine for free close to brew day. I will add about storage too.

 

[LovesIPA]

I think that part of the reason for some of the tension in this thread is OP's username. When your username contains or alludes to the words "brewing company", people tend to think you're in some way affiliated with a brewery. Generally people who work at breweries have a solid understanding of the brewing process, which OP is clearly still getting a grasp on himself. I'm not attacking. I'm still pretty new to this too. I make mistakes and have a lot to learn - see my thread from yesterday in this forum for a stellar example of that.

 

[MorrisBrewingCo]

I think that part of the reason for some of the tension in this thread is OP's username.

I see that. I am not a brewing company and never claimed to be. My friend made me a sign for my brew room in memory of someone. When I registered, I chose to use it. I put a disclaimer at the bottom of the OP.