All-Grain Setup Help

[Cantaloupe]

This is a pretty common question but I've been brewing extract for about a year and am ready for all-grain, but I need to get the right equipment. I just went to a class where we did some all grain and we were on a single level MoreBeer H.E.R.M.S awesome system with the automated controls, stainless steel quick disconnects and everything else glorious and wonderful. I don't have the money for something like this, but I think made me a little spoiled. I was rather amazed at how relaxed everyone appeared brewing because the equipment was so nice. It is certainly a far cry from the frantic pace of my brew days. I've probably got about $1000 to spend on a setup and I'm pretty sure I'm obsessed with this hobby, so I'd like to buy things (brewpots, etc) that are of high enough quality I only need to buy them once, and can incorporate them into a more advanced system later on. So basically what I want to know from the experienced guys out there is what should buy so that I have a functional system now, that I can also build upon and make more awesome later? Also, I have some basic welding skills for frames etc. Wow longest post ever.

 

[Frodo]

I just did the switch earlier this year. I went with a 10-gal setup and am very happy I did - I only did two 5 gal batches before I realized I could do 10 gallons just as easy and in only a little more time. 15 gal megapot with a temp probe is great and just big enough for a 10 gal batch of about an OG 1.050 brew (so go even bigger if you want higher OG than that, scale the batch down, or add DME, yatta yatta), 10 gal round rubbermaid cooler works great as a mash tun, and I use a rectangular cooler for a hot liquor tank. I fly sparge, seting the HLT up on something about 5 feet tall, the MLT about 3-4 feet up, and the kettle sits on a King Kooker burner stand. So I gravity feed the sparge water through and it works great - efficiency 80 to 85. Then I have a copper immersion chiller to cool down.

The two things that take the most time with my setup is heating water and cooling it. These two things take an incredible amount of time... If I could I would spend more money on a better burner (or multiple burner setup), and a better cooling system. Other than that I like the gear I went with.

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to mention the false bottom in the MLT - think it was from Northern Brewer maybe - worth every penny! One more thing that would be nice would be a temp gauge on the MLT. Oh... and I think my post is now even longer than yours!

 

[maida7]

I would forget herms for now. The big advantage of herms or rims is that you can do a step mash. I really don't think a step mash is that important in the grand scheme. With most malts a single infusion mash is all you need to make top notch beer.

Get 2 pots and 2 burners. Outfit your pots with valves and thermometers. Make a mash ton in a cooler. Get a good immersion chiller. Get a grain mill and a scale.

Then spend whatever you have left over on the fermentation equipment. Any monkey can make wort. Managing fermentation is where great beer is made. Get a used fridge and set it up with a 2 stage digital controller. Get a stir plate and a flask.

Then think about kegging.

Then think about buying in bulk.

Last think about a HERMS system.

 

[Cantaloupe]

2 nice outfitted pots and 1 more burner is the way I was leaning since I already have 1 burner. With the mash tun would you say get a false bottom or does a copper manifold work pretty well? Also, what is the best equipment for sparging??

 

[maida7]

2 nice outfitted pots and 1 more burner is the way I was leaning since I already have 1 burner. With the mash tun would you say get a false bottom or does a copper manifold work pretty well? Also, what is the best equipment for sparging??

The blichmann pots are very nice but also very pricey. More beer has some nice pots at OK price. The HLT does not need to be so fancy. A heavy duty aluminum stock pot would make a very good HLT. The brew pot should be heavy stainless and have the bells and whistles. Make sure you get a good size. 8-10 gallon pots are good for 5-6 gallon batches. a 15-17 gallon pot would be good for 10-12 gallon batches

The manifold design depends on how you sparge and what shape your cooler is. If you fly sparge then you will want a tall narrow cooler with a false bottom or a well designed pipe manifold. If you batch sparge (much easier IMHO) then just about any cooler shape with a SS braid will work great.

 

[samc]

More often than not, it's being experienced that makes it go smoothly. Having nice equipment helps, but learning to use what you have efficiently is the key.

Try to focus on where you see your brewing in a year or two. I started with one burner outside and did the strike/sparge water on the stove. Pretty soon I had to have 10 gallons going so I did keggles, stand, automation, RIMS, etc. Now that I am pretty comfortable with that set up I've decided that 10 gallons is too much, doesn't allow me to brew as often as I like nor have the variation of beer that I want. So I will most likely downsize to 5 gallons and all electric this time. Point is I've spent $$$ and time chasing things that I should have planned out first, except it is hard to do that if you don't experience it.

Good luck whatever direction you take.

 

[DrawTap88]

A good pot, about 5 gallons more than you need, is what I recommend. It dosen't even have to be a super blinged out awesome pot. I know you said that you have some welding experience (assuming you're good with other aspects of DIY) so you can always add those bells and whistles later on, should you decide you need them.

I use a 10 gal Home Depot round cooler with a cooper manifold that works great. I don't have a seperate cooler or HLT for fly sparging (yet), but it will be very easy to upgrade eventually.

Maida7 gave some really good advice as to what aspects of brewing to upgrade first. Great beer is made in the fermenter, not the mashing set up.

 

[Cantaloupe]

Ok I'm pretty sure ill be staying with 5 gallons because I love tasting and drinking the different beers but I'm not a huge quantity drinker. Ok here's what I'm thinking now. Converted 10 gallon cooler mash tun with false bottom. Blichmann 15 gallon brew pot with the works. Then cheaper and smaller (maybe 8 gallon) hot liquor tank with ss ball valve and sight glass (seems like it might come in handy if I have it up high for gravity flow. Then build a 3 tier steel frame and mount the burners. Opinions??

 

[Cantaloupe]

I'll start batch sparring but will have the option to change.

 

[DrawTap88]

In my opinion...you're going to have a good brewing rig. One that some folks on here will be jealous of.

 

[zymurgy101]

Ok I'm pretty sure ill be staying with 5 gallons because I love tasting and drinking the different beers but I'm not a huge quantity drinker. Ok here's what I'm thinking now. Converted 10 gallon cooler mash tun with false bottom. Blichmann 15 gallon brew pot with the works. Then cheaper and smaller (maybe 8 gallon) hot liquor tank with ss ball valve and sight glass (seems like it might come in handy if I have it up high for gravity flow. Then build a 3 tier steel frame and mount the burners. Opinions??

My only thought is to go with a larger HLT (15g instesad of 8) so that if you wanted to do a 10gal batch, you could and without buying another pot.

 

[maida7]

Ok I'm pretty sure ill be staying with 5 gallons because I love tasting and drinking the different beers but I'm not a huge quantity drinker. Ok here's what I'm thinking now. Converted 10 gallon cooler mash tun with false bottom. Blichmann 15 gallon brew pot with the works. Then cheaper and smaller (maybe 8 gallon) hot liquor tank with ss ball valve and sight glass (seems like it might come in handy if I have it up high for gravity flow. Then build a 3 tier steel frame and mount the burners. Opinions??

the 15 gallon blichmann is too big for 5 gallon batches. Yes there is such a thing as too big. I'd recomend an 8-10 gallon brew pot for 5-6 gallon batches.

 

[Cantaloupe]

Does anyone have any suggestions for the best tubing and fittings?

 

[Cantaloupe]

Maida-

Is the 15 gallon Blichmann too big because the evaporation rate would be too high?

 

[Sherpa FE]

the 15 gallon blichmann is too big for 5 gallon batches. Yes there is such a thing as too big. I'd recomend an 8-10 gallon brew pot for 5-6 gallon batches.

Sorry I disagree, I have (3) 20 gallon Blichman pots, and when I brew with my Dad, we brew 5 gallon batches for him, I do 10-15 gallons in the same pots when I brew for me.

So a 15 gallon would be just fine for 5 gallon batches, and would still allow for upgrades in the future.

 

[maida7]

Maida-

Is the 15 gallon Blichmann too big because the evaporation rate would be too high?

No, I would not expect boil off would be so bad that you could not compensate with a little extra water.

There is a great sizing guide on the Blichmann website http://www.blichmannengineering.com/boilermaker/boilermaker.html

The thermometer will not work with less than 6.5 gallons in the pot. Also you'd have make a very low and wide immersion chiller. Assuming your gonna use an IC. It's not impossible. Sherpa seams to have it figured out. But it's not ideal. The 10 gallon is probably a better fit for 5 gallon batches.

 

[Frodo]

The thermometer will not work with less than 6.5 gallons in the pot.

Good point - same with a 15g MegaPot with factory installed thermometer.

 

[tunoffun]

I use a 15 gallon ss pot, and two 10 gallon coolers for the mash tun and HLT, respectively. The tun has a ss false bottom. Using a few ball valves & QD fittings, I'm able to use one march pump for all liquid transfers, as well as recirculating in the tun and pot. This allows me to brew up to 10 gallon batches, and only requires one burner, since all heating is done w/ the brewpot. The only limitation of my system is that I can't do multi-step mashes as-is w/o a little hassle. But if & when I do, I can always use the kitchen stove w/ my older (smaller) brewpot.

For tubing I use norprene hot food & beverage tubing. It's food-safe to something like 275 degrees, can be sanitized in-place, and doesn't impart any odors/tastes I can detect.

Stainless on all fittings/valves that contact the wort (my preference). But I do use brass for the valve & fittings on the HLT where they're only exposed to water.

 

[DrawTap88]

Bargain fittings has the fittings you'll need for your mash tun. (Buying all the necessary parts from them cuts down the time and effort it takes to hunt them down from the local hardware stores.) For tubing, get the high temp stuff like tunoffun suggested.

For a chiller, there are a couple routes you can take. Blichman plate chiller, which will work since you have a pot with a valve. Big wide immersion chiller to stick inside the brewpot. Or you can use an immersion chiller in a bucket filled with ice and run a tube from your boil kettle through the ice bath immersion chiller to the fermenter (may require a pump). Or you can use a counter-flow chiller. All of these chillers, except the plate chiller can be made from things found at home depot.