[B]AG System Selection Help[/B]

[AK_Phil]

Alright, I'm officially admitting that my head is spinning. Not because I've had too much to drink but, rather, I don't know which way to go. You see, it seems as though there are a variety of AG systems. You've got stovetop with a cooler for a mashtun, propane fired gravity systems, propane fired pump fed systems, low pressure electronic controlled propane pump fed systems, electric systems, some weird german company that does an all in one, ....

And all the combinations in between. Someone help me out here. I've got budgetary limitations in that I live in Hawaii and don't want to pay 8k to get a Sabco type system shipped to my front door. I looked at using a rubbermaid for a mashtun but that doesn't seem precise enough. I looked at those braumeisters but they can't do higher OG.

Some of you veterans have some pretty sweet setups. Why the hell can't I live next to one of you?

 

[kcross13]

Just started AGl myself and am using the BIAG system, but I am going to construct a tun with a water cooler and a few parts from Home depot. It seems the most efficient and cheapest way, I have a similar problem living on and island , just not so far as yours. Good luck

 

[Northcalais40]

Get yourself a 10 gallon rubbermaid, or a rectangular if you wish. They are as precise as can be. Go for a false bottom in the Rubbermaid if you want precision (though I'm not sure what you actually mean by this). It will do what you want, the majority of homebrewers use cooler mashtuns.

Get a turkey fryer with a 32 qt min. pot. This will be used outdoors and is a cut above stove top boiling. You can use the pot to begin with, but you need another pot for sparge water.

Get a large pot, 8 to 10 gallons. This will be your boiling pot. I use a converted half keg.

You will want a diy chiller or buy a fancy cfc.

This plus some tubing is all you will need (plus a bucket).

Gravity will do the work, no pumps needed. Get an auto siphon to start siphons.

You can add all the fancy stuff to this basic kit.

 

[TopherM]

I BIAB with an 11 gallon SS pot ($79.99) that I fitted with a ball valve from Bargain Fittings ($55.00) and paint strainer bags from Home Depot ($4.00 for 2).

If you already have the pot, then you could get away with just the paint strainer bags and go AG for $4.00.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Alright, I'm officially admitting that my head is spinning. Not because I've had too much to drink but, rather, I don't know which way to go. You see, it seems as though there are a variety of AG systems. You've got stovetop with a cooler for a mashtun, propane fired gravity systems, propane fired pump fed systems, low pressure electronic controlled propane pump fed systems, electric systems, some weird german company that does an all in one, ....

And all the combinations in between. Someone help me out here. I've got budgetary limitations in that I live in Hawaii and don't want to pay 8k to get a Sabco type system shipped to my front door. I looked at using a rubbermaid for a mashtun but that doesn't seem precise enough. I looked at those braumeisters but they can't do higher OG.

Some of you veterans have some pretty sweet setups. Why the hell can't I live next to one of you?

Don't sweat it, man. Yes, there are a lot of ways to get to the same end product.

I don't know what you mean by "precise enough." Systems are only as precise as your processes are.

If you're extremely budget limited, then the brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) method is worth looking into. All you need is a big nylon bag, the pre-crushed grains and other ingredients, a boil kettle and some various other equipment too numerous to list. This might be all you ever need, since the BIAB method may be able to provide you with any type of mashing you'll ever need to do. I'm not sure about that since I haven't studied the method too much.

If you're a little less budget limited than that and the BIAB is too unconventional for you, then get a 10+ gallon cooler and a SS braided hose and some fittings and look into batch sparging.

Some people just starting out start with a small pot that they already had in their kitchen, boil up the wort in that and then add distilled water or pre-boiled water to that in their carboy to get to their target volume. That works, and I'm sure a lot of people make great beer with that method. Personally, I enjoy sitting around a propane burner outside with my brew partners with a used keg for our brew kettle. We like to make 10 gallon batches so there's plenty of beer for all.

If you're budget limited, then electric brewing is probably not for you at this time, so don't even bother wondering about it.

 

[solbes]

Love the BIAB. Just need a big pot, a small pot, a $2 paint strainer bag, and a propane burner. Nice to haves are an inner pot w/ holes and legs so that the bag never touches the inside of the kettle, and a rope pulley system for allowing the bag to drip into kettle for 10-15 minutes.

I went from extract to AG for about $12 in materials (paint strainer bag at HD, SS leg extensions for the inner pot, and 2 eyebolts for mounting my pulley and tieing my rope off with. Really big beers might be a problem with existing kettle space, but I would just add 3 lbs of LME if needed. Should keep me happy for quite some time.

 

[AK_Phil]

So the cooler doesn't have any temperature problems while mashing?

I was under the impression it would.

 

[Bradinator]

I love my BIAB. I do stove top full boils using ducting insulation wrapped around a 6.5G pot to assist getting the water and wort up to temperature. It can take a bit of time (around 20-30 min) to get the boil going, but it works. I take the lid off after I reach temp and keep the oven element on max.

I also mash in a smaller pot, using said ducting insulation. It can hold a temp for an hour easily.

(Sorry for the huge pics)

 

[addis29]

I started all grain about 3 years ago. Spent quite a bit of money continuously upgrading the system and was producing some nice beers. I recently had a baby and time was a problem. Decided to do BIAB to see if I could save some time. I wish I wouldn't have spent all that money early on because my beers from recipes from 3 years ago taste the same today while doing BIAB. I will BIAB from here on out.

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

So the cooler doesn't have any temperature problems while mashing?

I was under the impression it would.

I use a couple of different coolers and I don't lose more that 1* in a 60 minutes mash. I insulated the lids on both of them with Great stuff & I lay a blanket over the top for good measure. Some day I will builit a single tier HERMS with one pump, but I need to build a brewhouse first.

Just remember that process is more important than gear.

 

[AK_Phil]

I use a couple of different coolers and I don't lose more that 1* in a 60 minutes mash. I insulated the lids on both of them with Great stuff & I lay a blanket over the top for good measure. Some day I will builit a single tier HERMS with one pump, but I need to build a brewhouse first.

Just remember that process is more important than gear.

Thanks man, appreciate the advice.