Easy Stovetop All-Grain Brewing (with pics)

[borden]

I would say it leads me strongly in the right direction. Since I plan on doing 3 gallon batches, I figured I could just do 3/4 tsp. and have my bases covered. I think the people complaining about a protein layer above the trub were usually lacking irish moss, so I figured it would settle out with it. I can't do a cold crash, so I was a little worried with the few reports of it in this thread.

My experience is that a good, fast cold break will influence final clarity more than the clarity of the wort as you start fermentation (even without cold crashing). I'm stuck doing an cold water and ice bath for the time being, and I get hazier beers than when I was using a wort chiller -- I had pretty clear beers then, stovetop BIAB and all.

 

[smrosendahl]

I did recently invest in a copper wort chiller, so thanks for the info.

 

[PuppetmanInBC]

Thanks for the tutorial - brewing my first batch (2.5 gallons of Denny's Rye IPA). I figure my efficiency was around 75%, so I'm pretty happy. My AG efficiencies doing a full mash and batch sparge were not as good -this is a nice way to perfect the technique.

 

[mintyfresh]

i used your method last night for a Brown Derby Day Ale..... i'm a beginner and this was incredibly easy. Used 6 lbs of grain at 1.25g/lb in a four gallon kettle, wrapped in towels during mash, totally stable temps. i'd projected losing about a gallon to the mash but with less grain and good drainage that didnt happen. so after dunking was just short of 4G when all the wort was together..... think i hit the max capacity for my small apartment stove. eventually got a good boil going, hopped, cooled and pitched..... this morning the yeast is roiling away and the kitchen is in pretty good shape! this method is very streamlined and will be easy to do again (and again) thanks DeathBrewer for a great tutorial and continuing guidance.... this is truly a terrific adaptation of the method for a small space brewer and it opens up unlimited possibilities.
happy! yeast is rockin' away

 

[woozy]

I really think this ought to be a sticky. The BIAB that *is* a sticky is fine once you actually read it, but the fancy equipment that it uses immediately sends the incorrect message that it is going to be well beyond the means of beginning amateur.

But, hey! What happened to the pics?

 

[walcotteric]

How would one do FWH with this method? Would you just add the hops after the sparge and before you start the boil? Anyone tried that?

 

[Mike37]

I've done it a few times. I toss the hops in the pot right after I lift out the bag. Seems to work just fine.

 

[walcotteric]

I've done it a few times. I toss the hops in the pot right after I lift out the bag. Seems to work just fine.

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[srehal]

I am planning on my first BIAB. I have a 9 gallon kettle and 10 lb grain bill. I would like to do a full boil single infusion mash. The recipe calls for 6.5 pre boil volume, How much water should I start the mash with to get there?

I am think 7-7.5 gallon should be OK and hopefully once the grain goes in the kettle won't overfill.

Any advice would be helpful?

 

[carlk47]

Is there any problems with heating the 1st runnings in your brew kettle while you are sparging? I'm thinking it will help to streamline and shorten the brewday if I have these almost to boiling prior to adding the 2nd runnings.

 

[NewWestBrewer]

Just wondering if there is anything wrong with heating up sparge water in a couple of pots then putting the water and grains in plastic ferment pale for 10 mins..sanitized of course.

Total BIAB newb here.

 

[Hopelesst]

That sounds fine. I've been doing side-by-side small batches recently and I heat my water on the stove, and BIAB mash in a bucket while I work on cleanup and the next batch.

The beauty of this system is that it will work with whatever equipment you have available. You just have to find the process that works best for you and your space.

 

[Yrogerg1089]

Is there any problems with heating the 1st runnings in your brew kettle while you are sparging? I'm thinking it will help to streamline and shorten the brewday if I have these almost to boiling prior to adding the 2nd runnings.

+1 bump. I too have been wondering this

 

[bovineblitz]

Is there any problems with heating the 1st runnings in your brew kettle while you are sparging? I'm thinking it will help to streamline and shorten the brewday if I have these almost to boiling prior to adding the 2nd runnings.

Nope, go for it. Saves time and hurts nothing.

Just wondering if there is anything wrong with heating up sparge water in a couple of pots then putting the water and grains in plastic ferment pale for 10 mins..sanitized of course.

Total BIAB newb here.

As long as the water/grains aren't much hotter than mash temp there's no problem with this. There's also no need to sanitize it, you're going to boil the wort anyways. Just make sure it's clean.

 

[ChefBrew]

This post has me riveted. I can' wait to get a 6 gallon pot. This is just what I needed. I learned today that AG is much cheaper than PM. With that being said, I thought I wouldn't be able to get to AG for a very long time considering my resources at home. Now that I have found this thread, the prospect of doing all grain are great!

 

[RM-MN]

This post has me riveted. I can' wait to get a 6 gallon pot. This is just what I needed. I learned today that AG is much cheaper than PM. With that being said, I thought I wouldn't be able to get to AG for a very long time considering my resources at home. Now that I have found this thread, the prospect of doing all grain are great!

I hope you just mistyped that because with a 6 gallon pot you will be limited to slightly less than 4 gallons of beer in a batch. An 8 gallon pot would give you room for the amount needed to account for boil off in the hour long boil plus headroom for the hot break foam but just barely. Bigger would be better.

Or am I misunderstanding what your 6 gallon pot would be used for?

 

[borden]

I hope you just mistyped that because with a 6 gallon pot you will be limited to slightly less than 4 gallons of beer in a batch. An 8 gallon pot would give you room for the amount needed to account for boil off in the hour long boil plus headroom for the hot break foam but just barely. Bigger would be better.

Or am I misunderstanding what your 6 gallon pot would be used for?

Yeah, I did 5 gallon batches in a 7.5 gallon pot and it was a little nerve-wracking sometimes due to pre-boil volume and the potential for boilovers. Doable for sure, but the bigger the better.

 

[ChefBrew]

I hope you just mistyped that because with a 6 gallon pot you will be limited to slightly less than 4 gallons of beer in a batch. An 8 gallon pot would give you room for the amount needed to account for boil off in the hour long boil plus headroom for the hot break foam but just barely. Bigger would be better.

Or am I misunderstanding what your 6 gallon pot would be used for?

Yeah, I did 5 gallon batches in a 7.5 gallon pot and it was a little nerve-wracking sometimes due to pre-boil volume and the potential for boilovers. Doable for sure, but the bigger the better.

Well, according to the original post, Death Brewer says that you can brew an All Grain batch using at minimum, one 5 gallon pot (which I already have) and one 6 gallon pot. I realize that the bigger your pot, the better, but I am limited on space.

The mash happens with about 3 gallons in the 5 gallon pot with about a gallon of loss from the grains absorbing it. The sparge happens in the 6 gallon pot. After all the wort is combined, it totals about 5 gallons. Just enough to have a full boil in a 6 gallon pot.

Although I'm paraphrasing Death Brewer here (I'm sure you read the original post), I know that I really won't understand how it works until I try it. Hopefully that will be soon.

Anyone else have a go at this method with a 6 gal pot?

 

[borden]

Well, according to the original post, Death Brewer says that you can brew an All Grain batch using at minimum, one 5 gallon pot (which I already have) and one 6 gallon pot. I realize that the bigger your pot, the better, but I am limited on space.

I suppose he does say 6+ gallon pot, but having done this method of BIAB for a couple dozen batches, I know I couldn't do a 5 gallon batch with a 6 gallon pot. Mashing and sparging would work, but the boil would be trouble.

I was brewing 4.25 gallon batches and would need a pre-boil volume of about 5.5 gallons. Boil-off will vary a bit by setup, of course, and deadspace varies, too. But you get the idea. If I were doing 5 gallons into the fermenter, I would've been at the brim or over a 6 gallon pot.

FWIW, I boiled in a very cheap aluminum 7.5 gallon pot. Got mine for $28 with shipping. It's the same diameter as my 5 gallon pot, just taller.

Not trying to be a buzzkill, just want to share another BIAB stovetop brewer's experience and perspective!

 

[ChefBrew]

I suppose he does say 6+ gallon pot, but having done this method of BIAB for a couple dozen batches, I know I couldn't do a 5 gallon batch with a 6 gallon pot. Mashing and sparging would work, but the boil would be trouble. I was brewing 4.25 gallon batches and would need a pre-boil volume of about 5.5 gallons. Boil-off will vary a bit by setup, of course, and deadspace varies, too. But you get the idea. If I were doing 5 gallons into the fermenter, I would've been at the brim or over a 6 gallon pot. FWIW, I boiled in a very cheap aluminum 7.5 gallon pot. Got mine for $28 with shipping. It's the same diameter as my 5 gallon pot, just taller. Not trying to be a buzzkill, just want to share another BIAB stovetop brewer's experience and perspective!

I really appreciate the advice. I definitely do not want things to go wrong. Your feedback is just the kind of thing I need. I do not plan on rushing in to this. The first step for me is getting a bigger pot. My 5 gallon is aluminum, I never even considered that the bigger pot would be aluminum too. I guess I'm being too particular. If I got a 7.5 or 8 gallon aluminum, it would be much cheaper and it would happen a lot sooner.

Thanks for the insight. I could use more of it.

 

[scottsaxman]

You can boil a slightly lesser volume and use top up water to get to a 5 gallon batch size. But yes, at least a 7 gallon pot would be preferred.

 

[ChefBrew]

I suppose he does say 6+ gallon pot, but having done this method of BIAB for a couple dozen batches, I know I couldn't do a 5 gallon batch with a 6 gallon pot. Mashing and sparging would work, but the boil would be trouble. I was brewing 4.25 gallon batches and would need a pre-boil volume of about 5.5 gallons. Boil-off will vary a bit by setup, of course, and deadspace varies, too. But you get the idea. If I were doing 5 gallons into the fermenter, I would've been at the brim or over a 6 gallon pot. FWIW, I boiled in a very cheap aluminum 7.5 gallon pot. Got mine for $28 with shipping. It's the same diameter as my 5 gallon pot, just taller. Not trying to be a buzzkill, just want to share another BIAB stovetop brewer's experience and perspective!

Thanks for the idea. I realized I could get an 8 gal pot at the local Latin grocery. $25 and I'm good to go. Just going to research the method a little more and maybe I'll be BIAB by a week or two.

 

[bionara]

This looks fantastic, thank you for the time and effort that's gone into its documentation. Going to give it a go over the weekend (first all grain brew). Exciting times indeed.

 

[fugazzi]

I've been doing this method for four years. In order to do a full mash, around 1.25 qt/lb for 10lb of grain, and a full boil of 6.5 gallons, I'd highly recommend a 6g pot for the mash and at least a 8g pot for the boil, but that would be stretching it. I use a 10g pot and it's zero worries on boilovers. This 10g pot is the cheapest 10g pot I've found, and it works great. I bought my 6g from a local restaurant supply store. It may have been more expensive than the 10g.

 

[rockharrier]

I've done five partial mashes using DB's partial mashing thread, and I'm going to step up to this all-grain method for my next brew...very excited to try it!

My question is related to which of my available equipment I should use for mashing, knowing that a big key to retaining temperature is to reduce headspace.

I've got a 34 qt kettle and a 40 qt kettle, as well as a 5-gal insulated plastic Coleman drink cooler at my disposal. My brew has 9.25 lb grain, and according to Brewsmith I will need about 3.6 gallons of space for my mash (water volume + grain). Given that my two brew kettles are so large, would it be better for me to throw my grain bag in the 5-gal cooler, screw on the lid, and call it good? And then I would sparge and boil in the 40 qt kettle, which is what I usually use for the boil (I use an outdoor burner).

Sorry if this has already come up (I'm only 52 pages into this thread)...

 

[markowe]

Also sorry if this has come up before, but with this method, isn't it a tad tricky pouring 3 or 4 gallons of wort from one pot into another? Is there any trick here or is it just a case of drafting someone in to help you pour?

I was thinking to make this step a little easier, and also save on the need for TWO pots - once the mash is finished I would place a bucket on the floor (or stool or something) - it could just be the clean fermentor - and syphon the wort down into it and then use the pot for the sparge. Then there would just be one lift - of the bucket with the main wort in, up onto something higher in the kitchen, and I would syphon back into the sparge water for the final boil (and wash the fermentor - though I expect some would insist on sanitising it again - before syphoning the final wort back into it for pitching and fermenting).

Sound like a plan? Only I don't feel like buying TWO pots right now!

 

[rockharrier]

In answer to my own question, yes, the cooler works great. I ended up with 71% efficiency the first try. Got the first beer bottled, and it tasted pretty good at bottling time. Kind of a slippery slope...it's not much harder to do a partial mash than extract + specialty grains...and then not much harder to do this all grain method compared to partial mash. Really no good reason NOT to be doing this, as long as you have two pots. Good stuff.

In answer to markowe, I don't have any problem pouring from one pot to another. I do the mashing and sparge on the floor though, which may help. That, and I have the strength of 10 men.

 

[chuckalhashib]

Is it just me, or are all the pictures from the original posts missing?

 

[Balog]

Is it just me, or are all the pictures from the original posts missing?

It is not just you.

 

[puttster]

it is irritating. A sticky thread with 100 pages based on a post that has the pics deleted.

 

[DeathBrewer]

Another thread updated!

 

[Matt_man]

I already have a 30qt turkey fryer pot and I was wondering which pot I should get to go along with it to make this method work the best? I have access to a restaurant supply store so any size is obtainable. I just fear of going too big. Maybe a 40qt?

 

[Frilock]

I don't know about anyone else, but the list of things needed isn't showing up for me.

 

[DeathBrewer]

Fixed. Stupid links were dead so I just removed them.

 

[MikeMellon]

Really awesome tutorial! I am a fairly new home brewer getting ready to move on from the brew recipe box kits to using raw ingredients. I was wondering if you could tell me how I can calculate how much grain to use to replace a liquid malt extract in a recipe? For instance, if the recipe calls for 6 lbs. of malt extract, how many pounds of grain do I need to use in the mash? What if the recipe calls for 7 lbs. malt extract syrup? There is a different between the malt extract and malt extract syrup, so I am assuming there is a difference in the amount of grain used, correct? Sorry if this question has been answered earlier in the thread, there are just so many responses

 

[DeathBrewer]

Your formula is:

lbs of grain * points per pound per gallon / volume in gallons * efficiency = specific gravity points

Grain amounts are determined by efficiency, but your can assume you will get pretty low efficiency with this method. Assuming 60% efficiency, you could go like this...find the specific gravity you would get from the extract:

6 lbs of dry malt extract at 45PPG (points per pound per gallon) in five gallons is:
6 x 45 / 5 = 54 gravity points

7 lbs of liquid malt extract at 37.5PPG in five gallons is:
7 x 37.5 / 5 = 52.5 gravity points

So grain uses the same formula with an addition for efficiency. For most base malts, you get about 36PPG at 100% efficiency, so for 60% efficiency...this is the backwards formula if you wanted to get 53 gravity points:

53 / 0.60 * 5 / 36 = 12.26 lbs of grain

Or if you start with pounds, you can find the gravity the same way as the top two formulas (with the efficiency addition):

12.25 * 36 / 5 * 0.60 = 52.92 (53) gravity points

EDIT NOTE: I get these numbers from my LHBS. We sell Briess malt extract. The DME tends to be about 45PPG, the LME between 37 & 38 PPG. 36PPG is a very general number for base malt.

 

[MikeMellon]

Ok great. Ill put it to use. Thanks!!!

 

[maxtpower]

Thx DeathBrewer! I did my first all grain BIAG today based on your post. It was a Belgian Wit.

My arms are sore from lifting the 12# of wet grains.

Cheers.
Max

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I've been doing 2.5 and 3 gallon batches in a granite ware canning pot.

 

[fizzix]

This is the most intriguing post I've read here so far.
Ordered a 35-quart stainless pot from Amazon and I'm going to tackle all-grains with this method.
First all-grain recipe is going to be Yooper's House Pale Ale:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/da-yoopers-house-pale-ale.100304/

Excellent, excellent post!