All Grain but Partial Boil 5 gallon batches

[beargrylls]

So I've been doing partial mashes and boiling about 4 gallons of wort in my 5 gallon pot, but I would like to switch to AG. I'm thinking of converting a 5 gallon cooler to a mash tun.
However, I can't boil more than 4 gallons on my small stove, and I would rather not do a split boil. I'm thinking of sparging until I get 4 gallons in my pot and then topping off with water in my fermenter to get to 5 gallons. I know that I will have terrible efficiency with only sparging this much, so I was wondering if I could just compensate for this by using more grain in my mash tun. Is this realistic? And could a 5 gallon MT hold enough grain for what I'm talking about? It'd be nice if I could do ~1.065 beers by doing this

 

[Odin_Brews]

I would probably just buy a bigger pot, but I think you could do it. Of course for a 1.065 OG you need your 4 gallons of wort to be 1.080, then that'll dilute to 65 pts. This of course means you need more grain and therefore a larger mashtun as well. So take the mashtun size into consideration before making it. I personally get decreased effeciency as well with higher SG worts.

Alternatively you could just do 4 gallon batches. You also need to compensate for your boil off, boiling 4 gallons would probably get you 3.5 in the fermenter (or maybe a bit less).

hmmm....you also need to up your IBU's to compensate, and with the higher SG wort you need even more hops.

 

[beargrylls]

I'd like to get a bigger pot but my stove is really too small and I don't have the option to boil anywhere else right now.

Do you think I'd end up saving money on batches with the extra grain I'd need to buy to compensate for efficiency? Right now I usually use about 4 pounds malt extract plus the partial mash. So I guess it's a question of if I can make up for the 4 pounds of extract with extra grain and if that would be cheaper than just buying the extract.

 

[InLimbo]

I'd like to get a bigger pot but my stove is really too small and I don't have the option to boil anywhere else right now.

Do you think I'd end up saving money on batches with the extra grain I'd need to buy to compensate for efficiency? Right now I usually use about 4 pounds malt extract plus the partial mash. So I guess it's a question of if I can make up for the 4 pounds of extract with extra grain and if that would be cheaper than just buying the extract.

While you'd possibly save money in the short term, in the long term you may now because you're essentially just going to be boiling the higher concentrated first runnings and by not sparging you're going to be leaving a ton of sugar behind. Also, we don't know where you are sourcing your grain and/or extract from. Since you're going to have a higher OG boil, you're also going to have to use a greater quantity of hops to account for when you dilute it down when you add it to your fermenter (hop utilization or "efficiency" if you will is lower for higher OG worts). But in the long run, all-grain basemalt is definitely cheaper. Especially when you buy it in bulk, and especially when you mill it yourself. But again, you have to drop money on a grain mill, and drop money on a sack of grain.

 

[beargrylls]

i guess i just want to know if i get a big enough mash tun and enough grains to compensate for the little/no sparging, would it be possible to do a partial boil and just top off with water to get to 5 g?

tastewise is this gonna come out weird?

Grain is like $1.30/lb and extract is about $5/lb at my LHBS so I don't know if I'd actually be saving money by doing this...

 

[Odin_Brews]

I would make it easy on yourself and do all grain batches that fit in your kettle with normal sparge etc and no top up. Your batches will be smaller but that'll just give you another reason to brew more often. But, There's no reason why you couldn't just go partial boil like you're thinking.

As to saving money, I suspect you might come out about even with all the extra grain you'd need and hops, etc. But you'd have to do the math to see.

 

[beargrylls]

I would make it easy on yourself and do all grain batches that fit in your kettle with normal sparge etc and no top up. Your batches will be smaller but that'll just give you another reason to brew more often. But, There's no reason why you couldn't just go partial boil like you're thinking.

As to saving money, I suspect you might come out about even with all the extra grain you'd need and hops, etc. But you'd have to do the math to see.

I think I'm starting to like this idea of smaller batches. Brewing more often is pretty tempting .
If I were to boil around 4 gallons for an hour, what would that boil down to (batch size)?

 

[nickharbour]

Don't let your stove bring you down. I brew in a small NYC apartment and I do full AG batches. I use two bucket heaters to aid the stove in delivering heat. I think the bucket heaters alone would actually be able to boil it but you want a really good vigorous boil if you have the means.

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[jcam91]

I think I'm starting to like this idea of smaller batches. Brewing more often is pretty tempting .
If I were to boil around 4 gallons for an hour, what would that boil down to (batch size)?

I do 3 gallon all grain BIAB. I'm just starting pretty much so I'm no expert yet. Still trying to get my mash process down. But I start with about 4.3 gallons for my 3 gallon batch. I'm still very new to it but smaller batches are way more fun if your just trying to get a process down.

 

[Captain Damage]

My first couple of AG batches were done as partial boils. It was just simpler to switch to 3 gallon batches. How much you lose to evaporation will depend on your stove and kettle. It's easy enough to test and measure.