All Grain Set-up

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Tomo87

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Hello All

I have been brewing for nearly 2 years now started off with Kit cans and bottling them then to kegging them and now since tasting one of my mates beers (which was all grain) and many batches of the Kit cans I have made (some not tasting that great way to malty) I've decided to give all grain brewing a go.

I have attached photos of my keg set-up and also my fermenting fridge which is temp controlled via the fridge and the 100 watt globe in there.

I have also attached photos of my set up so far of my esky Vessel that I plan to use to do the mash. You will also see a stainless steel keg in the photo's that i plan to use as my boiling vessel which I plan to weld up this weekend and plan to do my first all grain batch next weekend.

If any one has any tips please let me know that would be greatly appreciated.

I'll keep everyone posted on how it all goes and if it all works out.

Cheers Thomas

Esky - Brass Filter.jpg


Esky - Outlet.jpg


Uncompleted Set-up.jpg


Keg Set up No.1.jpg


Fermenting Fridge.jpg
 
Looks good to me- I've had nothing but good luck with the cooler conversion with a braid filter since I started brewing all-grain. The kegging stuff looks fine, too, although I just stick with the bottles......
 
I had a cooler/braid setup, but I found the braid would collapse and after having two mashes with draining issues, I looked for an alternative. I found these stainless steel mesh for anchor bolts work really well. Granted, the mesh is a little wide and some finer bits of grain may get through, but after a vorlauf, it's fine.
 
I have a cooler/braid setup. The only problem is when I accidentally pick it up with stirring spoon-it's hard to get it back to the bottom of the tun.

For some reason, after I had used my braid for about 2 years, I started to get "float" and had the same trouble trying to make it lie down. I got a big SS bolt about an inch log at the hardware store, put it in the end of the braid and put a hose clamp on it. Been fine ever since- that bold holds the braid flat against the bottom of the cooler.
 
Well did my first all grain brew today, all was going smoothly until I went to pour the mash out and nothing! Seemed to just get block up so we made some bigger holes and all was a little better (might get some copper and put some hack saw cuts in it that may work better all trial and error!) temp keep very well in the mash only drop 1 degree in whole hour! My real problem was the amount of water I used and the end hydro meter reading I got which was 1.040 I was chasing something around 1.048. I mash 5kg of pilsner malt with 17 liters @ 66 and then fly sparge around 26 liters @ 75! It come to around 37 liters I boiled it for an hour and ended up with around 27 liters however I only wanted around 23 I guess there was to much water in the fly sparge?

Any tips would be handy I'll see what it gets down to but my guess is I'll only get around 4.2% at the best!! :( :(

image-2701436429.jpg
 
Oh one other thing I tried using an air stone to aerate the the wort however it just foam up so I only got around 30 seconds in I hope that's enough?

Any way I can get around it foaming up or is this just how it is?
 
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