Looking for some AG 5gal batch equipment suggestions for an apartment

[Etu001]

Hi everyone,

Just joined today after lurking for a bit. I was hoping you all could shed some light on the type of equipment I should purchase.

I have now brewed 3 all grain batches (2 using Brooklyn Brew Shop kits) of 1gal each in my apartment. Since it's a bit of work to make beer, I feel like I rather have 40 beers than 8, so I would like to move to 5 gallon batches.

What equipment would I need to move from 1gal to 5gal?
I have racking tubes, hoses, etc, but I would assume I need a bigger pot of at least, what 7-8 gal?

Should I invest in a rubbermaid cooler for mashing? Do I need a false bottom?

Do I need something special for sparging? Right now we have the grain in the bag and we just dunk that in a pot of heated water after we mash.

Should I get a 5gal glass carboy or a 5gal plastic tub for fermentation?

I apologize for the million questions but any help would be gladly appreciated!

 

[poislb]

I brew 3 gallon batches in the winter, all ya need is a 5 gallon cooler/MLT, a bayou classis 24 quart pot $50 and one or two 3 gallon carboys.. Just a thought if your limited on space

I do a generic fly sparge, I use a collander and just take my 180 degree stove top water and sparge. no need for a second cooler this way, just make sure ya keep an eye on the mash and dont let the water get below the grains..

If ya fly sparge, get a false bottom....ya can pick one up for under 25 bucks (get a 9" one)

Just a thought, costs are a bit more for 5 gallon batches (7-10 gallon cooler, and at least a 9 gallon kettle) and takes up more space as well..

 

[GinSlinger]

I'll second the nomination for smaller brews. Have you considered what kind of space the bottles themselves will take if you get a good pipeline set up? Assume two weeks (min) for conditioning, and two weeks for brewing . . . you'll need space at least for four cases of beer . . . . Add in to that the desire to have more variety and you're talking a full closet of bottles alone.

I'm in a smallish space and doing 2.5 gallon batches. It will provide you good variety in less space.

Here, from my arrogance, is a run down of my last: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/debriefing-time-first-biab-301377/

Two 20qt pots and a few 3.5 plastic fermenters (I got mine from usplastics.com) gets you started. I have three buckets: 2 for fermenting (a week apart) and one for bottling.

 

[BigRob]

10g pot and a few yards of swiss voile is all you need to move to 5gal AG batches. It's just a scaled up version of what you seem to be currently doing.

 

[prrriiide]

Hi everyone,

Just joined today after lurking for a bit. I was hoping you all could shed some light on the type of equipment I should purchase.

I have now brewed 3 all grain batches (2 using Brooklyn Brew Shop kits) of 1gal each in my apartment. Since it's a bit of work to make beer, I feel like I rather have 40 beers than 8, so I would like to move to 5 gallon batches.

That is a lot of work for 8 beers!

What equipment would I need to move from 1gal to 5gal?
I have racking tubes, hoses, etc, but I would assume I need a bigger pot of at least, what 7-8 gal?

7 gallons will probably work. Using a stove top will take a long time to boil though, especially an electric. A refractometer would be helpful. A mash paddle. An accurately graduated 1 gallon pitcher. Some iodine for the conversion test.

Should I invest in a rubbermaid cooler for mashing?

Not necessarily, but it's the easiest way to go. The rubbermaid thread in the DIY forum is a good guide.

Do I need a false bottom?

I'd opt for a CPVC manifold instead of the hose braid. I had a lot of trouble with the braid clogging, coming off in the mash, etc. so I built a copper manifold an I'm very happy with it.

Do I need something special for sparging? Right now we have the grain in the bag and we just dunk that in a pot of heated water after we mash.

Just a big enough pot and enough BTUs to heat the amount of sparge water you need. For a 5 gal. batch, that'll be 2-3 gallons.

Should I get a 5gal glass carboy or a 5gal plastic tub for fermentation?

Ale pails work great.

 

[TzeentchPlayer]

I use an 8 gallon enchilada steamer on my electric range in my apartment. I wrap it up in a few towels and a big thick jacket i have to maintain mash temp. Just buy a big grain bag and a container to put your sparge water in (I use my old 5 gal brewpot). I've found that a hand towel draped about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way over the top helps keep it boiling.

I regularly hit the 70-80% efficiency. Make sure to squeeze the hell out of the grain bag.

 

[TzeentchPlayer]

Also, this is a great post for AG apartment brewing:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-stovetop-all-grain-brewing-pics-90132/

 

[Iceman6409]

I now brew all my beer inside my house on my stove. Everything is 5 gallons and now I am doing an occasional 2 1/2 gallon. My setup is this. I do use a 48 quart Igloo cooler for my mash. You can hide a picnic cooler in any closet for storage. But the key for me is I have a flame stove. I found a 9 gallon kettle online for $70. I simply use two burners to boil and heat up. Using the lid on the kettle SIGNIFICANTLY decreases the time to boil or proper temperature. Everything is done basically on the stove and right next to it, which is my sink. So I usually do the mash in the cooler on one side of the sink counter and obviously boil on the stove. I even use a wort chiller and hook it up to the sink faucet. Everything is done in a very compact space for me. I love it. But I will say if you do stove top brewing do yourself a favor and cover the entire stove top with something like aluminum foil. You will thank yourself every time because something always gets on the stove top and it takes days to clean. With aluminum foil you simply throw it away with no cleaning.

 

[Etu001]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I will let you know what I do!