Another new brewer set of questions :)

[ryoko]

I'm still very new and have not moved to all grain yet. I understand why you all have elaborate setups for it, but I'm not certain why you MUST have so much equipment. Would it work to simply get a ~8 gallon cooler for a 5 gallon batch, add strike water and then grains and let sit for the appropriate amount of time. From there sparge right into the boil bucket. Seems to me I would only need to add a cooler + false bottom to my existing setup. It would take a bit longer to have several pots on the stove to get all the water at the right temps, but sounds doable. Am I missing something?

Also for the boil, Any reason not to simply use 2 kettles and split the inserts (hopes and stuff) evenly between them?

I'm thinking I'm still a ways away from an all grain, but I'd like to learn as much as I can before hand. I could stick with the partial mash, but this seems like it eventually will be more fun.

Thanks all.

 

[GrogNerd]

I'm still very new and have not moved to all grain yet. I understand why you all have elaborate setups for it, but I'm not certain why you MUST have so much equipment. Would it work to simply get a ~8 gallon cooler for a 5 gallon batch, add strike water and then grains and let sit for the appropriate amount of time. From there sparge right into the boil bucket. Seems to me I would only need to add a cooler + false bottom to my existing setup. It would take a bit longer to have several pots on the stove to get all the water at the right temps, but sounds doable. Am I missing something?

Also for the boil, Any reason not to simply use 2 kettles and split the inserts (hopes and stuff) evenly between them?

I'm thinking I'm still a ways away from an all grain, but I'd like to learn as much as I can before hand. I could stick with the partial mash, but this seems like it eventually will be more fun.

Thanks all.

if by cooler + false bottom you mean reusable mesh bag, then yes... that's all you need to add to your existing system to go all-grain BIAB (Brew In A Bag)

 

[NickTheGreat]

You need a way to heat sparge water and a way to boil. I personally use the same pot for both. Heat the sparge water, dump into another pot (my old smaller boil pot). And then collect in the bigger boil pot. And go to town on that.

I've never divided my wort boil. Did you mean 2 pots? Or do you have half a dozen stoves around?

 

[Marc77]

I'm still very new and have not moved to all grain yet. I understand why you all have elaborate setups for it, but I'm not certain why you MUST have so much equipment. Would it work to simply get a ~8 gallon cooler for a 5 gallon batch, add strike water and then grains and let sit for the appropriate amount of time. From there sparge right into the boil bucket. Seems to me I would only need to add a cooler + false bottom to my existing setup. It would take a bit longer to have several pots on the stove to get all the water at the right temps, but sounds doable. Am I missing something?

Also for the boil, Any reason not to simply use 2 kettles and split the inserts (hopes and stuff) evenly between them?

I'm thinking I'm still a ways away from an all grain, but I'd like to learn as much as I can before hand. I could stick with the partial mash, but this seems like it eventually will be more fun.

Thanks all.

It sounds like a "bit" of what I'm going to end up doing. I'm in the process of trying to get a 15 gallon mash tun and then a 20 gallon(ish) kettle for my boil. In the mean time I'd just keep my 5 gallon pot I used for extract full of water on the stove and then just use that for sparging.

I'd say go for it, partial extract brewing will help you slide into all grain instead of making a massive leap. That's how I did it.

 

[troglodytes]

I don't think there is a NEED for all the additional stuff, but once you do your first all-grain, I think you'll see why having certain additional equipment will make your life a lot easier.

I just went in on my first AG 5 gallon batch as a convert from extract brewing and all in did was make a 10 gallon sports cooler MLT with a copper mainfold (which could have been the cheaper PVC but I opted for the look over price). As far as equipment goes I had a 10 gallon brew kettle, 5 gallon pot to heat sparge water, 10 gallon MLT, thermometer, homemade immersion chiller and a carboy... that's it. I didn't even buy a digital thermometer and used only the one that came with my original Northern Brewer starter kit. Everything worked fine, I got about 70-72% efficiency and the beer was the best I've ever made.

However, I quickly learned that cooling 6.5 gallons of wort is a lot different than cooling 3-4 gallons as I was with extract brewing. Also the hot break that I was unused to seeing made it look like me carboy was filled with egg drop soup.

Needless to say, my AG setup only cost me just over $70 in additional equipment over what I already had on hand. But as I look back, the extra time cooling, filtering, transferring, etc. can be a real bear and I completely understand why buying extra equipment, while not necessary, can really make you life easier come brew day.

My suggestion is to do what I did and live in the DIY forum. Homebrewing will bring the engineer out of you and its real nice to make some of the equipment for very low cost while not skimping on quality. Also, go for it. Don't just jump into AG without research, but you won't really find out what works best for you by reading in forums no matter how much research you do. I think I learned way more on here after doing my batch and retroactively researching things I came across on brew day.

TL;DR Go for it, you don't need tons of equipment. Once you get a batch under your belt you'll have a good idea of what's necessary equipment for you and your brew process.

 

[ryoko]

You need a way to heat sparge water and a way to boil. I personally use the same pot for both. Heat the sparge water, dump into another pot (my old smaller boil pot). And then collect in the bigger boil pot. And go to town on that.

I've never divided my wort boil. Did you mean 2 pots? Or do you have half a dozen stoves around?

I knew someone was going to read the original post before I could fix it.
Yes I was thinking of 2 pots, not 20 hehe.

GrogNerd, I was not thinking of a boil in a bag, but that might work out well also. I saw some places selling a metal bottom plate that fits certain diameter coolers, and some wire mesh to keep stuff from clogging the spout. I guess in the end there is little difference between that and the way I was thinking.

The more I think of it the more I want to give this a try. I have nothing against using extract, or partial extract, but it would be neat to make something completely from grain.

 

[skitamofo]

This is basically my whole set up... Just sayin.

 

[ryoko]

Thanks Troglodytes,

Some Great advice there. You are right about the DIY forum, I'm waiting for a sale on copper tubing to make my wort cooler. It actually looks pretty easy to make.

 

[GrogNerd]

my first all-grain was using a ZAPAP setup. 2 fermenter buckets set inside each other, the outside one had a spigot and the inside one had about 1000 holes drilled into the bottom

couldn't hold temperatures worth a sh*t, but it worked. works better as just a lauter tun. mash in your kettle without a bag, at the end of the mash empty the pot into the Zapap and fly sparge

 

[01TRV]

Thanks Troglodytes,

Some Great advice there. You are right about the DIY forum, I'm waiting for a sale on copper tubing to make my wort cooler. It actually looks pretty easy to make.

Check your local Home Depot. They have been moving a bunch of copper tubing for stupid cheap. They may be cleaned out of the stuff they are getting rid of though. I was able to snag 3 rolls of 60' 1/2" I.D. for $35 marked down from $157

 

[shadows69]

I use two pots on my stove all the time to collect 6 gals of wort. So, yes, two pots work. I split the hops ...etc. between the two pots.

 

[AerationStation]

It'll probably make chilling to pitching temp a giant pain in the rear but there's no reason you can't use two smaller pots.

One nice thing about getting a full sized kettle imo is the ability to whirlpool w/ an immersion chiller and run out through a ball valve. Saves some back ache and burns