Home brewing blues.
- Thread starter Gustavo
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk:
OP
OP
Gustavo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 377
- Reaction score
- 0
Brewing is slowly turning in to a passion. I just want to keep learning and learning more and more. I finally brewed my AG batch and hit my OG. And got an efficiency of 80. Wow that was a huge step for me. Thanx HBT
peregrinebio
Well-Known Member
I'll just add another cost-saving measure. Shop online. I supported my LHBS in the PNW, but my local LHBS here in VA is way too expensive. I wouldn't mind a small markup to shop local, but since I started shopping online I've been saving nearly 50% on my recipes. I too don't have the storage to go bulk, but I typically buy two recipes at a time. Even with the shipping it's a win!
Shop around online. I find all grain kits for 5 gallon batches at around $20. I counted 44 at Northern Brewer. Yeast would be extra, but if you select kits that use the same yeast and you reuse your yeast you could get many kits on a single smackpack purchase. I buy 2 kits, and some extra items, each time for the $7.99 flat shipping rate.
This is the part I'm curious about....I don't think most new homebrewers know this. historically the last 30 years of homebrewing ag has been about really cost effective solutions- Originally it was papazians "Zap a Pap" system, simply two buckets, one with a bunch of holes in the bottom as the filter.
Then came the brilliant idea to convert a cooler with some cheap plumbing parts into a mash tun.
The other evolution was the cheap turkey fryer. Neither of these things break the bank.
Those really are the two most important parts of Ag brewing. Then maybe a wort chiller (and even that isn't necessary if one chooses to use the no-chill method.)
The third allgrain method which is even cheaper is the brew in a bag/no sparge method, all you really need is your kettle and a big bag.
There's not a lot of expense in these methods, and great beer can be made with all the methods.
That's why I'm curious as to what Gustavo did, and why he felt the need to go whatever route he chose.
I used my ZapPap for about 6 years before i got a converted keg mash tun. still have it and even used it 3 years ago when I brewed a RIS(10 gallons) with a 45 pound grain bill. i mashed 10 pounds in the ZapPap so the keg tun wouldn't get overloaded
What did you buy to go ag a saabco system? My ghetto rig probably didn't cost more than 200 I think.
My ghetto brew-rig, featuring the 15 dollar harbor freight folding workbench and milk crate.
Been doing it this way for 5 years.
This is excatly my set-up. Except I use the stupid lawn furniture SWMBO just had to have in place of the harbor freight workbench.
Oh, and I sprang for the cheapo plastic mash paddle
