going all grain, my equipment list

[nootay]

So i plan on going all grain within a few month, i just want to make sure i have everything i need. I plan on just going 5 gallon batches for the time being.

What i currently have:

10 gallon SS brew pot
propane burner
all the needed fermenting equipment
wort chiller
8 qt Stock pot - planned on using this for sparging until i found out your supposed to use about 3qt water per pound of grain. guess ill need another 10 gallon pot for this.

What i need:

MLT - i plan on going the 10 gallon igloo cooler route
10 gallon pot or keg for heating sparge water
another propane burner to head sparge water
tubing to transfer from MLT to boil kettle
a 24 inch brew paddle

This look like about all i need to get started? id like grain mill, but they may have to wait a while. Am i correct that i will need about 3qts sparge water per lb of grain? ive read so much on this forum in the last couple days i might be getting all my facts crossed.

Adam

 

[samc]

1 - 2 qts/lb is common. I usually do 1.5, 3 would be a very watery mash.

 

[jmo88]

I've batch sparged and fly sparged many times and have never felt the need to figure out my sparge water to grain ratio. If you batch sparge just add the difference of your starting boil volume and the first runnings and add that difference as a single batch sparge. If you fly sparge, just heat as much water as you can, I've never needed more than 8 gallons for a five gallon batch. When you reach your starting boil volume just shut the valve off and stop adding water. No calculations needed.

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

Not sure how much of an issue money is but a few of the extras on your list only qualify as luxury extras to have.

Definately don't need 2 10 gallon pots. The second one might make things easier but you can definately get around having 2 (pots are expensive). I just have one ten gallon pot. I drain most of my runnings into a five gallon bucket. This is nice since it is easy to see how much you have collected assuming you are using a marked bucket.

If you are going the cooler route I am not sure why you would need a two burners.

Based on your "what I have list" I would say all you need is a mash tun.

I would actually recommend just building/buying the mash tun and brewing a batch before you buy a bunch of extras you might not need.

I only suggest this because I have a ton of extra stuff sitting around that never gets used. Kind of wish I would have asked myself what I need before buying a ton of extra equipment.

 

[SwampassJ]

I had a really good tip for mashing when I started asking and learning last month. They suggested doing a 1.25-1.5qt per lb mash and then running it off. Measure what I have and then split what I needed to hit my boil volume and sparge twice. Seems to work so far.

I also don't use a mash paddle but a big freaking spoon, think its 24 or 30 inches.

 

[EO74]

I've batch sparged and fly sparged many times and have never felt the need to figure out my sparge water to grain ratio. If you batch sparge just add the difference of your starting boil volume and the first runnings and add that difference as a single batch sparge. If you fly sparge, just heat as much water as you can, I've never needed more than 8 gallons for a five gallon batch. When you reach your starting boil volume just shut the valve off and stop adding water. No calculations needed.

Welcome to the club i batch exactly like this post says works beautifillyI use a 5 gallon igloo with a ss braid over drilled out copper tubing for my 5 gallon batches, my only regret is not getting a 10 gallon iglooBut i feel better by telling myself there would be tons of heatloss with all that overhead space???????Probably not true though, good luck

 

[nootay]

ive read a bunch of all grain how tos, but this one seems to fit me the best:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/all-grain-tutorial-nut-brown-ale-77705/

he puts his first runnings in to his brew pot, and immediately started to boil that. he then added more water to the MLT, and 10 minutes later added that water to the almost boiling first runnings. I also believe i read a thread somewhere about immediately boiling your first runnings while waiting on the second is a good practice? This is why i thought i would need two pots/burners. 1 to boil the 1st runnings and another to heat the sparge water.

if you take your runnings in to a 5 gallon bucket, i assume you top up with water to make a 6 or 6.5 gallon boil? thats also assuming you want to end with 5 gallons instead of topping up later? is it better to create your starting boil amount with just your runnings? or is it ok to top up your boil?

if i can do this with just a 10 gallon igloo cooler, then thats great! maybe i just dont have the process right in my head.

 

[sudsdud]

Welcome to the club i batch exactly like this post says works beautifillyI use a 5 gallon igloo with a ss braid over drilled out copper tubing for my 5 gallon batches, my only regret is not getting a 10 gallon iglooBut i feel better by telling myself there would be tons of heatloss with all that overhead space???????Probably not true though, good luck

I did my first mash in a igloo ice chest. There was hardly any heat loss. I was very surprised.

 

[Rick500]

Give Bobby_M's paper a read... It helped me through my first all-grain batch (and I still refer to it, many batches later).

 

[Newton]

I've been using one burner and one pot and a bucket as my hot liquor tank--also have been using a spatula instead of a relatively expensive mash paddle. My mash/lauter tun is a rectangular cooler...I could see why you would need longer paddle if you used one of those round beverage coolers...

 

[EO74]

ive read a bunch of all grain how tos, but this one seems to fit me the best:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/all-grain-tutorial-nut-brown-ale-77705/

he puts his first runnings in to his brew pot, and immediately started to boil that. he then added more water to the MLT, and 10 minutes later added that water to the almost boiling first runnings. I also believe i read a thread somewhere about immediately boiling your first runnings while waiting on the second is a good practice? This is why i thought i would need two pots/burners. 1 to boil the 1st runnings and another to heat the sparge water.

if you take your runnings in to a 5 gallon bucket, i assume you top up with water to make a 6 or 6.5 gallon boil? thats also assuming you want to end with 5 gallons instead of topping up later? is it better to create your starting boil amount with just your runnings? or is it ok to top up your boil?

if i can do this with just a 10 gallon igloo cooler, then thats great! maybe i just dont have the process right in my head.

Its all about whatworks for u,I boil strike water on my gas stove inside and boil 6.5 gal on my propane outside.I collect first runnings in 10 gal pot check level with my dipstick take outside and cover <not boiling>batch sparge collect second runnings in my old extract pot<22 quart>then top off to 6.5 with water if neededAt some point ur runnings go south and u extract tannins, u can find this by checking ur runnings with a hydometer but i tend to batch sparge once instead of taking the risk and just top off to 6.5 with water but like i said its whatever works for uI have a 4 and6 year old so i try to do things the quickest way ie THE LAZY WAY

 

[bctdi]

I have a 10 gallon pot for my wort boil and use a 5 gallon pot to heat my sparge water.I have never needed to heat more than 4.5 gallons at once for mash / sparge water.You definitely don`t need 2 burners.One thing that is really important for AG is temp measurement, so make sure you have an accurate thermometer or you will have problems (ask me how I know).....Water quantity measurement is critical also and those measuring cups in your kitchen aren`t necessarily all that accurate, so I would reccomend getting a graduated cylinder to calibrate your water volumes before you start...mcmaster carr has em for cheap.You will only have to do this once if you do it accurately.I have my mash paddle marked as a dipstick with a scale for both of my pots.If your water volumes are off you will miss your gravities and miscalculate your efficiency.(ask me how I know)....If you plan on using propane for your burner it`s good to have a spare tank handy....nothing like running out of propane in the middle of your boil.The cooler mash tun with a steel braided hose works great, and It`s most likely the cheapest.I installed a ball valve on mine for wort transfer.

 

[nootay]

Give Bobby_M's paper a read... It helped me through my first all-grain batch (and I still refer to it, many batches later).

man that paper cleared things up great!

thanks everyone for all the tips/suggestions. i feel much better now knowing all i need is a igloo cooler and a few extra parts. hopefully my first all grain batch will be in the next couple months!

Adam

 

[blackwaterbrewer]

the most important thing is an accurate, reliable thermometer

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

ive read a bunch of all grain how tos, but this one seems to fit me the best:

if you take your runnings in to a 5 gallon bucket, i assume you top up with water to make a 6 or 6.5 gallon boil? thats also assuming you want to end with 5 gallons instead of topping up later? is it better to create your starting boil amount with just your runnings? or is it ok to top up your boil?

if i can do this with just a 10 gallon igloo cooler, then thats great! maybe i just dont have the process right in my head.

No! Topping off with water would just not be an option

By the time you get to five gallons of wort in the bucket you will likely be on your last sparge round and will have added it to your MLT for your final sparge round. Which means your pot is now free. Dump the ~ five gallons of wort into your now empty pot. Drain your remaining sparge round into the now empty bucket.

Theres a millions ways to approach it. Thats how I manage with just a ten gallon pot and five gallon ale pail. I have other pots around but actually prefer this method as it's easy to measure preboil volume.

One thing that I didn't see on your list but will come in EXTREMELY handy for vorlaufing is two 1 gallon pitchers. The cheap ~ 1 dollar ones from walmart work just fine. Makes things SO much easier having two of them handy for the vorlauf. Recirc till she runs clear. Takes me about 3 gallons. Might be overkill but its easy to do.

 

[BigSally]

"I have my mash paddle marked as a dipstick with a scale for both of my pots"

How is this not mandatory?