Going all grain...Lot's of Questions

[daveooph131]

I'm putting together my Christmas list for my wife to get me as I am about to take the plunge from Partial to AG. All the advice and answers to these questions are much appreciated.


1)For the cost and quality is this a good setup from Northern Brewer?
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...equipment/deluxe-ags/deluxe-ags-5-gallon.html

2)How powerful of a burner do I need?

3)I still live in an apartment so what will be the most effective way to cool the wort quickly? I've been looking into the pond pumps and IC method. However, even after doing a search on here I'm not 100% clear on how this process works.

4)With the kit from Northern Brewer is this considered "fly sparging" when it is a 3 tier system?

5)And finally on the process...do you fill the HLT and sparge with the amount of water needed to achieve your desired boil amount assuming the loss of what the grains absorb?

 

[Cimerian]

I'm going all grain too. Going to do my first AG brew tomorrow. I just built a mash tun out of a cooler for about 60 bucks total and i really hope the burner I have been using for extracts is just as good at boiling AG. As for cooling wort. I have a brew pot with no valve on it. I use a large tupperware container that I drop the pot in and then pack ice around it. I can get my wort from 212 to <70 in under 15 min. 4 and 5 I have no clue. I'm just going to sparge to get enough to boil and if I need more I will strike more.

 

[enkamania]

For #2, If your doing partial mashes, AG is basically the same process. So if you can achieve a boil now, then you should be good. If you have the ability to brew outside, a turkey fryer is the way to go. I use this one and it has plenty off power, but you can get bigger http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000291GBQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[IffyG]

1) Consider making your own cooler mashtun and you'll save a bunch of money. I think I have a total of 60 bucks invested in my 5 gallon MLT using this write up: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/. Start with batch sparging as you don't need any additional investment (plus it's pretty idiot proof).

2) I use a Bayou SQ-14 for 5 gallon batches and it works just fine

3) When you do a pond pump with an immersion chiller you start using your tap water until you get the wort down to a reasonable temperature, the you switch to the pump recirculating through an ice bath. I should be brewing this weekend and can snap a few pictures of my set up for you if you'd like.

4). Three tier is related to how many levels you have in your rig. This example has a hot liquor tank on top, a mashtun in the middle and a brew pot on the bottom. Benefits of this kind of set up are using gravity to move your liquid around, so you don't need a a pump ($$$).

 

[subliminalurge]

That looks like a good setup, but this one is a little less money and includes a rotating sparge arm instead of the little plastic siphon sprayer.

Or, as others mentioned, you can pick up the coolers at Home Depot and get the parts from bargainfittings and put it together a good deal cheaper.

 

[steelersrbrun]

I'm putting together my Christmas list for my wife to get me as I am about to take the plunge from Partial to AG. All the advice and answers to these questions are much appreciated.

1)For the cost and quality is this a good setup from Northern Brewer?
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-equipment/all-grain-equipment/deluxe-ags/deluxe-ags-5-gallon.html

2)How powerful of a burner do I need?

3)I still live in an apartment so what will be the most effective way to cool the wort quickly? I've been looking into the pond pumps and IC method. However, even after doing a search on here I'm not 100% clear on how this process works.

4)With the kit from Northern Brewer is this considered "fly sparging" when it is a 3 tier system?

5)And finally on the process...do you fill the HLT and sparge with the amount of water needed to achieve your desired boil amount assuming the loss of what the grains absorb?

1) I would suggest looking into building your own....it will cost a lot less an you can get a 10 gallon mash tun....not to mention use that other money on your wort chiller. Here is mine...on the left is the pot I use as my HLT...works fine for batch sparge.







2) I am confined to stove top in my condo. I would love a more vigorous boil but I gotta go with what I can do.

3). You live in Texas, I live in south fl and cooling is a pain the ass. My ground water rarely goes below 75&bull;. I personally use two immersion chillers, one in the wort and one in a bucket of ice water not to mention my kettle gets an ice bath once it gets down to around 80. If you can make the investment look into the whirlpool/immersion chiller technique by Jamil on more beers store. You get a faster chill and a nice sanitary whirlpool in one if you can afford it.

4). Consider batch sparging. There is a big debate but a lot of award winning brewers do use it. Works fine for me.

5). Google Denny conn batch spare, simple to understand and get you started.

Sound like you are going to have an awesome christmas morning no matter what you choose;-). Prost!

 

[user 19629]

take a look here
http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

 

[dpittard]

I'll also suggest building your own MLT. I have a 70 qt Coleman Extreme to mash in, drain my first wort into a bucket and then sparge in the same vessel. The cooler plus a few plumbing pieces were cheap! I also have a 9 gallon turkey fryer setup to do my boils. Everything is working great!

 

[JonM]

FWIW, when I started AG, I started with half batches. That way, I was able to do full boils on the stovetop, my equipment setup (a 5-gal mash tun, a second pot and IC) was under $150, and I was able to learn the process by experimenting with small batches.

But, in any event, if you do get the full setup, this is a good time of year to do it - places like Lowes, etc. might have coolers that they've put on clearance and turkey fryers are always on sale right now too.

 

[jetmac]

I'm putting together my Christmas list for my wife to get me as I am about to take the plunge from Partial to AG. All the advice and answers to these questions are much appreciated.


1)For the cost and quality is this a good setup from Northern Brewer?
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...equipment/deluxe-ags/deluxe-ags-5-gallon.html

If I were you, I would build my own from a 70qt or bigger Coleman Xtreme cooler. It has a little channel lower than the floor of the cooler which will help drain your tun dry. I have great efficency with this set up. Follow these instructions from Lustreking Brewing

2)How powerful of a burner do I need?

The Bayou SQ-14 works great for me

3)I still live in an apartment so what will be the most effective way to cool the wort quickly? I've been looking into the pond pumps and IC method. However, even after doing a search on here I'm not 100% clear on how this process works.

You use the pond pump to pump ice water from a cooler through the IC. You don't necessarily need it, especially in the winter.

4)With the kit from Northern Brewer is this considered "fly sparging" when it is a 3 tier system?

Fly sparging is a method of continuously (?) runiing your sparge across your grain to rinse the sugars out. I would stick with batch sparge. Less equipment and no errors.

5)And finally on the process...do you fill the HLT and sparge with the amount of water needed to achieve your desired boil amount assuming the loss of what the grains absorb?

Yes

 

[AMISHE]

I'm three batches into AG which is how I started. I agree with everything everyone has said. I would also add the advice of getting Beersmith or something of the sort to help you. I think all the information it can get you is available somewhere on the net but I found its really useful to have it all in one spot.
My first batch of AG went to **** because I wasn't using the correct amounts of mash and sparge waters. I got Beersmith after that and started plugging in my recipes beforehand to see where my strike temps should be and quantity of the mash and batch sparging waters. You can edit the software's calculations to account for your exact brewing set-up (ie. loss of water and heat in your specific MLT) making your brew day much smoother. Also, make sure you get a digital probe thermometer and figure out a way to make it water-proof. I've wrecked two in a row because I didn't know you couldn't submerge the probe without water-proofing it first. Regardless, the digital readout makes hitting those very specific mash temps a lot easier.

 

[mcaple1]

First of all....what is "Lot's"...is that like "Run's great"?

 

[daveooph131]

take a look here
http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

Thanks for the replys this is by far the best beer site going. Couple more questions.

First related to the link above and Denny's brewing method. When you are recirculating the runoffs at first and he mention's until "clear". Is this clear of grains and particles I assume? Also, once clear do you just add the sparge water from the HLT (how ever much you need to achieve your desired boil volume) and then runoff straight to the kettle?

As far as equipment. Should I really look at a 10g cooler? If in a 10g cooler there is still a lot of headspace have you noticed temperatures of the mash being effected? Also, should I build two: 1 for mash / 1 for HLT, or should I use my 5g pot for HLT?

With the IC / Pump method...My sink does not have a spot to attach the IC too. Can't I just recirculate the ice water with the pond pump for the entire process or what other methods are there since I'm in an apartment.


Lastly, I previously was doing partial boils on the stove top so I will need to upgrage my brew kettle. What size should I be looking at for a comfortable
5g boil, and any suggestions on brand?

Thanks again for the help. I think I"m going to start sourcing a lot of the equipment today and may even make some 'early' Christmas purchases.

 

[IffyG]

With the IC / Pump method...My sink does not have a spot to attach the IC too. Can't I just recirculate the ice water with the pond pump for the entire process or what other methods are there since I'm in an apartment.

You need one of these. http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Faucet-Hose-Adapter.html

You could in theory recirculate through the entire time, but you would use a lot of ice and wouldn't be able to recapture the initial water for cleaning purposes later on.

 

[IffyG]

As far as the equipment upgrades go, some people firmly believe you should always go bigger than you thing you would want to, but you need to figure out what you brew and what you plan to brew. I know I will never do a 10 gallon batch and don't do 5 gallon high gravity brews, so anything bigger than a 5 gallon cooler MLT would be a waste for me. For your pot, I'd go with at least 8 gallons. I have a 44 qt stainless turkey fryer pot and it works just fine for my 5 gallon batches.

You don't need a cooler to hold the sparge water if you go with batch sparging. Your old pot will do just fine.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the replys this is by far the best beer site going. Couple more questions.

First related to the link above and Denny's brewing method. When you are recirculating the runoffs at first and he mention's until "clear". Is this clear of grains and particles I assume? Also, once clear do you just add the sparge water from the HLT (how ever much you need to achieve your desired boil volume) and then runoff straight to the kettle?

As far as equipment. Should I really look at a 10g cooler? If in a 10g cooler there is still a lot of headspace have you noticed temperatures of the mash being effected? Also, should I build two: 1 for mash / 1 for HLT, or should I use my 5g pot for HLT?

With the IC / Pump method...My sink does not have a spot to attach the IC too. Can't I just recirculate the ice water with the pond pump for the entire process or what other methods are there since I'm in an apartment.


Lastly, I previously was doing partial boils on the stove top so I will need to upgrage my brew kettle. What size should I be looking at for a comfortable
5g boil, and any suggestions on brand?

Thanks again for the help. I think I"m going to start sourcing a lot of the equipment today and may even make some 'early' Christmas purchases.

Yes, Denny is talking about vorlaufing a couple of quarts to get rid of the big chunks of grain and then the grainbed will sort of work as a filter, so don't stir the grainbed once your start vorlaufing until it's all drained. Then add your sparge water to the mashtun and grain, stir it up like your life depending on it, then vorlauf and drain into the pot with the first runnings. You can do this twice, if you have lots of sparge water.

A 10G cooler is the best- you can get by with a smaller one, but you'd be limited to 5 gallons of about 1.060 wort with a 5 gallon cooler. A 10G cooler means you could do 5 gallons of 1.070+ wort, up to about 10 gallons of 1.060 wort for a 10 gallon batch. I never planned on 10 gallon batches, but I'm thrilled that I have a 10 G round MLT- a 5 gallon would be too small much of the time even for 5 gallon batches. You want to preheat the cooler, and then you will only lose a degree or two during a 60 minute mash, even with a smallish grain bill.

A good sized pot would be 8 gallons plus, but I started with a turkey fryer and a 7.5 gallon pot. It worked, but I'd recommend Fermcap to help prevent boilovers!

 

[jetmac]

Thanks for the replys this is by far the best beer site going. Couple more questions.

First related to the link above and Denny's brewing method. When you are recirculating the runoffs at first and he mention's until "clear". Is this clear of grains and particles I assume? Also, once clear do you just add the sparge water from the HLT (how ever much you need to achieve your desired boil volume) and then runoff straight to the kettle?

Yes. Listen to this podcast with Denny on The Brewing Network Sunday Session

As far as equipment. Should I really look at a 10g cooler? If in a 10g cooler there is still a lot of headspace have you noticed temperatures of the mash being effected? Also, should I build two: 1 for mash / 1 for HLT, or should I use my 5g pot for HLT?

I built a 36 qt MLT using the Coleman Xtreme cooler as linked above and I use a 5 gallon round cooler with a ball valve for my sparge water. That way I only need 1 kettle to heat all of my water.

With the IC / Pump method...My sink does not have a spot to attach the IC too. Can't I just recirculate the ice water with the pond pump for the entire process or what other methods are there since I'm in an apartment.

Although that is possible, the ice will melt in just minutes because the water comming out of your chiller will be extremely hot. there are other methods of chilling your wort. Do a search.

Lastly, I previously was doing partial boils on the stove top so I will need to upgrage my brew kettle. What size should I be looking at for a comfortable
5g boil, and any suggestions on brand?

I don't think brand much matters but I wouldn't go smaller than 9 or 10 gallon tri-clad bottom

 

[akimbo78]

i just built the diy mash tun/home depot cooler, and picked up this pot to go to all grain

 

[daveooph131]

i just built the diy mash tun/home depot cooler, and picked up this pot to go to all grain

Ya I like that, will probably pick it up. Some questions about the spicket though. What is the process to sanatize the area so you don't contaminate your beer when your moving to the carboy? Also, is there a big concern in the spicket clogging from hop particles or hot breaK?

 

[jetmac]

Ya I like that, will probably pick it up. Some questions about the spicket though. What is the process to sanatize the area so you don't contaminate your beer when your moving to the carboy? Also, is there a big concern in the spicket clogging from hop particles or hot breaK?

The boiling wort will sterilize the pot side and you can use Star San on the other side of the ball.

The valve won't clog with hops or hot/cold break.

 

[user 19629]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
First related to the link above and Denny's brewing method. When you are recirculating the runoffs at first and he mention's until "clear". Is this clear of grains and particles I assume? Also, once clear do you just add the sparge water from the HLT (how ever much you need to achieve your desired boil volume) and then runoff straight to the kettle?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yep until clear of grains, and grain bits.
After you recirculate, run off all the mash water.
Then add sparge water, stir, recirculate and run off again.