Easy Stovetop All-Grain Brewing (with pics)

[dogma9]

what does all grain mean? something different than using malt? or that the malt is already shelled and your just using the grain from it?

 

[osagedr]

what does all grain mean? something different than using malt? or that the malt is already shelled and your just using the grain from it?

You can make beer from malt (aka "grain") or extracts.

"All grain" just means you don't use any extracts.

 

[osagedr]

I'm glad I took a look at this thread; I have just moved to AG and will be doing most of my brewing outside. Of course, being in Winnipeg we have mighty cold winters and it could be pretty nasty to brew outside from November to March.

So I will use some of DB's hints to do a bunch of the work during the winter months inside, while still doing the main boil outside (glasstop stove that can't generate enough heat to boil 6.5 gallons). Should work well!

 

[djt17]

what does all grain mean? something different than using malt? or that the malt is already shelled and your just using the grain from it?

http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/index.html

 

[dogma9]

You can make beer from malt (aka "grain") or extracts.

"All grain" just means you don't use any extracts.

okay i see. i found a website that has partial and all grain kits that kinda gave me that idea after i asked.

http://www.homebrewers.com/product/AG1004/American-Pale-Ale-All-Grain-Beer-Kit.html

now i would do a partial kit first but just so i'll know, if i bought this all grain kit, it would have everything i need to make the actual wort ingrendient wise? i would just mash the grain then add the hops at the right time during the 60 min boil correct?

 

[osagedr]

okay i see. i found a website that has partial and all grain kits that kinda gave me that idea after i asked.

http://www.homebrewers.com/product/AG1004/American-Pale-Ale-All-Grain-Beer-Kit.html

now i would do a partial kit first but just so i'll know, if i bought this all grain kit, it would have everything i need to make the actual wort ingrendient wise? i would just mash the grain then add the hops at the right time during the 60 min boil correct?

I think it would be a really good idea for you to spend some time reading here to get your legs under you before you take the plunge into all grain (or any) brewing. An extract kit may be a good way to start before you get to all grain just because there are a huge number of things you need to learn about, so make brew day as simple as you can for now.

This site has all the information you will need, but probably the most widely read brewing resource in the world is John Palmer's "How to Brew." The first edition can be read for free at http://www.howtobrew.com/

Good luck!

 

[dogma9]

oh yea, it will be a while before i even do partial kit cuz i would need bigger pot sizes. i've done 3 extract kits so far. i might like to step up to the partial kits sometime if its really that easy to do on the stove top i really don't see any difference in partial and whole grain kits than boiling more grains and not using any extract at all. seems easy as long as you have the proper pot sizes

 

[jfr1111]

You also have to account for your stove. Many home ranges are wimpy. I know mine is, so doing 5 gallon batches is impossible. You can't just put an 8 gallon kettle and expect it to boil

 

[dogma9]

You also have to account for your stove. Many home ranges are wimpy. I know mine is, so doing 5 gallon batches is impossible. You can't just put an 8 gallon kettle and expect it to boil

what about something like this, and sitting the pot on both eyes?

http://www.hotplates.com/Aroma-AHP-311-ARO1069.html?cv=

 

[electronjunkie]

what about something like this, and sitting the pot on both eyes?

http://www.hotplates.com/Aroma-AHP-311-ARO1069.html?cv=

These are really cheap and much faster because they are so much more efficient than burners. I use 2, one straight, one rightangled. You can still use a burner too.

http://www.cedarcreeknetworks.com/heatstick.htm

 

[dogma9]

These are really cheap and much faster because they are so much more efficient than burners. I use 2, one straight, one rightangled. You can still use a burner too.

http://www.cedarcreeknetworks.com/heatstick.htm

all the cautions it gives on the website about overloading your circuits with them, i think i'll pass. or i'll be outside brewing for sure if i burn my house down lol

 

[jfr1111]

what about something like this, and sitting the pot on both eyes?

http://www.hotplates.com/Aroma-AHP-311-ARO1069.html?cv=

There's no mention of wattage, so there is no way to know how this thing performs, but most home ranges have a burner that is at least 12000-1800 watts, wich I very much doubt this can touch at 29,99$.

Just search for a turkey fryer if you want to do bigger batches. Or stick to partial boils or smaller batches. You can experiment/brew more if you stick to 3 gal batches. The downside is that if you produce something great, you'll have less of it, you have to bottle more often and you probably lose more % of the finished beer to trub than if you went for 5 gal+ batches. You're also limited in the amount of grain you can mash if the max liquor you can use if 4 gallons, so high ABV styles are tricky or outright impossible unless you brew a sixer of it.

 

[electronjunkie]

all the cautions it gives on the website about overloading your circuits with them, i think i'll pass. or i'll be outside brewing for sure if i burn my house down lol

Are you serious? You are much more likely to burn your house down with propane burners. He doesn't say anything about burning your house down. Just that you can wear out your breakers ie they will pop under less of a loadafter being stressed. Unless your wiring in your house or appt is totally screwed up you can plug in 2 1500 watt heat sticks into 2 circuits with no worries. If you are that worried about overloading your circuits don't plug in a toaster or vacuum cleaner either. The warning to take away from him is that you should use gfi outlets or gfi extension cords.

 

[bryston]

After some batches with DB partial mash method, I've brew my first batch all-grain yesterday evening! Yeah! The transition went smooth since both methods are somehow alike.

I struggled a bit to hold my temp during the mashing and sparging, but at the end, after some doubts, I end up having a wort that is currently fermenting!

Thanks for those great methods DB!

 

[Hannable1975]

I am sitting in the parking lot of the LHBS, like a kid on Christmas morning, waiting to get me some Vienna and hops - gonna step into AG with this method for the first time tomorrow morning. Doing the SMaSH APA in the OP.

Only Difference - with the last experiece I had with Nottingham, I'mma either get some US-05 ( i try to keep some on hand anyway ) - or may grab a smack pack of some Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale yeast...

Here's Hoping.

 

[jfr1111]

Go with US-05, you will already have your hand fulls, no need to mess with starters on top of that

 

[Twofox]

I've just gotta say (again?), that I used this method to get into AG brewing and my life has changed! I can play violin and gosh darn it! People like me!

Ok, maybe not that great, but I've brewed 5-6 batches this way, and each time gets easier and goes smoother. This is a really easy way to AG brew.

Thanks again DB!

 

[lastsecondapex]

absolutely. any recipe with less than 13 lbs of grain will work.

Why is 13lbs the limit? I used your stovetop method for my first AG today. It was a recipe, based on this Rochefort 8 clone: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f73/rochefort-8-clone-close-you-can-get-158933/

I added a half pound of oatmeal to the recipe and the total bill was over 15lbs... For my first AG it worked great and I was still able to bring a 24 qt pot to a rolling boil on an electric stove.

 

[Hannable1975]

Man - my airlock is gonna break from all that work - thing is going awesomely well! Either the second best or best all time activity for me - I must have done something right!

I'd like to say to anyone who has read this thread and thought they would like to try it, but are undecided : DO IT!

It was super easy, the directions are great.

A wonderful confidence building intro to AG brewing. My hats off to DeathBrewer!

 

[Hannable1975]

Go with US-05, you will already have your hand fulls, no need to mess with starters on top of that

I ended up with a smackpack of the 1275. I smacked it when I started to get all my gear together - by the time to pitch it was swollen fully - and here at 26 hours later that thing is rockin!

( Now I just gotta bone up on washing yeast - at $7 I gotta stretch that yeast out ! )

 

[jfr1111]

I'm planning on washing/pitching slurry from dry yeast, so I'm with you on stretching the $. It's just that I don't want to mess with starters - yet. It's strange that I felt "ready" for AG the moment I started brewing but I can't see myself messing with starters anytime soon, dry yeast is just too convenient.

If the time comes I want to brew a Belgian, I might start bothering. For now, Fermentis does the job.

Glad you found it easy. It really is, especially if you have brewing software to help you. My first two batches, I did the claculations by hand just to prove myself I could do them (and actually understand about all the fun stuff). Now I just let Beersmith take me by the hand

 

[Mermaid]

Just wanted to chime in and say that BIAB is awesome, and very easy. I have to stick with smaller batches because the max I can boil is 5 gallons unless I split the batch into 2 kettles, but mashing in a 5 ga. kettle (kept in the oven) was super easy, as was the rest of the process.
Much preferred over wrangling with DME.
Plus, making smaller batches is nice because I can brew more often, and don't have to worry about where to store "all that beer"

 

[jfr1111]

I just store the beer in my belly, so it's not a problem. But yeah, BIAB is awesome. I had to mess with LME last brew and it was a sticky mess (that also scorched). The price you pay to up your OG.

 

[sportscrazed2]

I think I will try this. Was thinking of building a mlt but this seems easier. I just ordered a turkey fryer so I can do full boils. will probably do the mash on my stove then carry the pot to my deck for the boil. maybe i should heat the sparge water on the burner then sparge and then pour the wort on top?

 

[Marc]

Hey all, I'm new here. I didn't read this entire thread so forgive me if this has already been suggested-

On the issue of temp loss and lack of head space being conducive to heat retention...

If you're using a bigger pot or doing a partial mash maybe with less water, or for whatever other reason... has anyone thought of using a floating lid of sorts? I'm thinking even just a bit of al. foil shaped roughly to match the round shape of the pot floating on the mash water. My other thought was to cut a polyethylene bucket lid to the right diameter to nest in the pot and float on the mash to retain heat. Or maybe even make one out of wood? I'm thinking since wooden mash paddles are ok, that'd be as well.

 

[Marc]

If you went with the wood floating lid that fit well, you could even drill a hole in the middle and connect the beater of a hand mixer there and leave it there for the duration of the mash... and then turn the beater on periodically to agitate and maybe improve the efficiency.

 

[7mmSTW]

I have been using a method similar to this for BIAB. I bought an 8 Gal aluminum tamale steamer from wal mart for 22 bucks so I use it for my mash as it has a false bottom in it so I can use heat to maintain mash tems without burning the bag. I have found my stovetop has a hard time boiling 6.5 gallons of wort to a boil so once I'm done I transfer everything outside to my coleman camp stove which gets the job done very fast. My last batch I got 75% out of so I'm pretty happy with the results so far. Thanks DB

 

[Justibone]

... will probably do the mash on my stove then carry the pot to my deck for the boil. maybe i should heat the sparge water on the burner then sparge and then pour the wort on top?

Yeah. If you sparge, the sparge water should definitely go on the boil. Heating it on the stove is convenient, but slow. If you are mashing inside, then heat your sparge water inside as well, but if you are mashing outside the water heats up faster on the flame.

 

[BrewDocND]

I just did my first BIAB this weekend. Used a paint strainer bag (5-gal.), which cost $5 for 2. Used the rack from my slow cooker to make sure the bag didn't touch the bottom of the pot. Made a 1.75 gal batch of a very basic APA. It really was no harder than using malt extract. Just a little more sitting around during the mash, but a lot less hassle as far as stirring in extract, etc.

I'm pretty stoked about doing this just about weekly from now on and having complete creative control over the process.

 

[sportscrazed2]

Yeah. If you sparge, the sparge water should definitely go on the boil. Heating it on the stove is convenient, but slow. If you are mashing inside, then heat your sparge water inside as well, but if you are mashing outside the water heats up faster on the flame.

was thinking of mashing inside and sparging outside. save the propane for the boil by doing mash on stove. then mixing it with sparge water on the burner. will that work? probably do the entire thing indoors until winter is over unless i can get in a batch soon. my primary is tied up. will leaving the flame on low prevent most heat loss? also will i be alright doing a 5 gallon boil in a 7.5 gallon pot?