All grain with coolers vs stovetop

[pendragon]

Are there many pros or cons to all grain brewing with igloo coolers vs the stoptop method posted by DeathBrewer? https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-stovetop-all-grain-brewing-pics-90132/

I'm looking to start into allgrain soon and reading alot of posts on it to get how its done. The stovetop method looks much simpler to me than alot of the AG descriptions and videos I've seen.

 

[permo]

I don't know about the stovetop method, but the 48Q cooler with single infusion and double batch sparge is so very easy. I have mine dialed in to 80+ percent efficiency now as well.

I reccomend a cooler conversion, a digital therm and a big pot or two. You will be brewing awesome all grain batches of beer in no time.

 

[mordantly]

lots of pot. check!

 

[wilserbrewer]

Either way will work well if you develop a bit of technique. One is based on grain bags, rather than a cooler. Coleman makes a nice little 28 quart job that would be well suited to 5 gallon kitchen brewing.

 

[Dubcut]

I like the bag method myself doing partial mashes, but for big/all grain bills I lug out the 10 gallon mash cooler. After a while you decide what's worth the extra lugging.

 

[eriktlupus]

^+1^ i however offer up an extra wrinkle in these systems,

i use a 100 cup (4g) coffee maker urn for my hlt sitting on my counter. this drains into a 5g round rubbermaid false bottomed cooler sitting on a dining chair. the outflow from this either goes thru a march pump and up to the stove top with the turkey fryer pot or drains directly into said pot which is then lifted to the stove to commence the boil.

 

[RichBenn]

I don't know about the stovetop method, but the 48Q cooler with single infusion and double batch sparge is so very easy. I have mine dialed in to 80+ percent efficiency now as well.

I reccomend a cooler conversion, a digital therm and a big pot or two. You will be brewing awesome all grain batches of beer in no time.

+1

Use an old cooler or buy a cheap one. Works great!

Rich

 

[permo]

+1

Use an old cooler or buy a cheap one. Works great!

Rich

I bought a cheap $20 coleman.....today it was 35 degrees in my garage where I brew...it held 154 degrees for an hour....no need to go super spendy. If you have all the gear to brew extract and a big pot...you are all set...$40 bucks and a little construction and you are all set. You most certainly don't need a spendy setup to brew great, commercial or better quality beer. The move to AG was by far and away the best move I made in brewing.

 

[Wino24]

I use a 5-gallon Igloo cooler also, but I easily lose 10 degrees over the hour mash. Right now I only do small 2-3 gallon AG batches, so there really isn't alot in the tun. Can all that headspace be the reason for the temp. drop?
Thanks

 

[wilserbrewer]

I use a 5-gallon Igloo cooler also, but I easily lose 10 degrees over the hour mash. Right now I only do small 2-3 gallon AG batches, so there really isn't alot in the tun. Can all that headspace be the reason for the temp. drop?
Thanks

Headspace will result in losses, but if you are getting 10 degree drops, most likely you are not preheating the tun adequately. Add your strike water 10 - 15 degrees hotter than strike temp. Wait say 20 min for it to drop to strike temp.

Preheat!

 

[Bobby_M]

It's set and forget with a cooler. Dough in, check temp, walk away for an hour. With the pot method, it won't hold the heat so you'll have to check up on it and apply heat, stir, etc over the course of a hour mash.