Moving On To All Grain Brewing

[Mesa512]

Hey Everyone,

I have been brewing for 5 years now. I have been using kits and using malt extract. I feel I am finally ready to move onto all grain brewing.

I will be up front about this...I am a little intimidated about doing this. The only reason I got the courage is because I found a really helpful home brewing place near my house. I feel like they will be able to help me with ingredients, equipment, and the process.

So I have all the equipment for doing extract brewing. I know I am going to need some new equipment for doing all grain brewing. I was hoping that someone would be able to list the equipment that I am going to need to start doing all grain brewing.

When I was in the home brew store I saw they have mash/lautering coolers already made that you can buy. I unfortunately am fairly busy, and most likely will end up buying some of the things like a mash/lauter tun rather than building it. I am aware this will be a little more expensive but I just don't have the time right now. So when you list some of the equipment keep in mind that if I can buy it premade I will most likely do so.

Thanks so much for your help guys.

 

[JohnnyO]

Congratulations on taking a step toward all grain brewing. It can be intimidating making that step up from kits. For me, my first two all grain batches were very intimidating, mostly because I didn't have a process down. By my third batch, I was much more comfortable with it.

To go all grain, I would recommend the following:

7.5+ gallon pot. The five gallon or less pot doesn't cut it.
Outdoor cooker. Your stovetop can't put out enough heat.
10 gallon rubbermaid cooler as mashtun. Don't skimp and go with a five gallon because the first time you want to make a bigger beer, you'll regret it.
25-50' copper immersion chiller. Ice baths won't cut it any longer.

Best of luck!

 

[hoppymonkey]

+ one on that list.

FYI, It took me 10 minutes to build my mash/lauter tun and I having been using the same one for over a year.

 

[sagnew440]

Check craigslist for equipment you can normally find some pretty good deals on equipment or thing you can turn into equipment.

 

[wilserbrewer]

For less than $5 you can get a paint strainer bag at Home Depot and try a BIAB. Another $10 will get you a digital thermometer at Walmart. AG can be very simple w/ minimum equipment, or the sky is the limit if you choose.

 

[Mesa512]

Thank you all very much for the replies....I really appreciate it. Also its helping me build my confidence

@hoppymonkey - do you have a list of the material you used to make your mash/lauter tun

 

[Golddiggie]

+1 on building your mash tun... If you already have a 40qt, or larger, cooler, you have the basis of the mash tun. all you need to do is install a 1/2" ball valve and a screening method inside the cooler. I went with the bazooka screens, but people use everything from PVC pipes, to copper pipes, to false bottoms (in the round coolers) to stainless braiding. You have options. If the LHBS is even halfway decent, they should help you to convert your existing cooler (get the hardware from them). Mine did.

For the pot, I would go with at least an 8 gallon... If you can, get a 10 gallon kettle. If you get just a pot to start, drill it and install a 1/2" ball valve in that too. If you have the cabbage, get the Blichmann kettle. You won't need to replace it. If anything, you'll just get the larger one when you start brewing 10 gallon (or larger) batches.

Even though I started with a immersion chiller to cool my wort (when I went all grain) I've since moved to a plate chiller. Had I known back then, I would have just gone to the plate chiller. With the kettle (ball valve in pot) it's SO freaking easy to use a plate chiller. I got the Chillhog 4000 with the RebelSmart add-on from Rebel Brewer and love it. Installed some QD's on the wort side and it kicks ass.

I picked up the KAB4 burner to boil my wort (and get the water up to temp for each step faster/easier). It's the same burner that Blichmann uses in their burner, just without the stainless body, and braided gas line. Does a great job.

Another item you'll want to think about is a grain mill. I know there are plenty of people here with the ugly mills (Corona type). I went with a Barley Crusher (two rollers). You have plenty of options when it comes to two, or three, roller mills. If you want more 'turn-key' then the BC is probably better for you. If you want to make the base and hopper, then you have more options/choices.

Also invest in a couple of good scales. You'll want one for hop measurements, and another for grain. I've found that my 11# capacity digital scale sucks for small measurements. For hops it's almost useless. It's ok for base malt amounts, but not for smaller additions. I picked up the 11oz capacity scale from Williams Brewing not that long ago. The thing is insanely accurate. I plan on getting their 35# capacity scale soon, to weigh the grains with.

Get a refractometer (BobbyM has an affordable one on his site) for pre-fermentation gravity readings.

Get good thermometers to get the temperature of the mash. I'm still looking to get one that is accurate enough (for me) and has a long enough probe, without spending too much $$.

Realize that chances are, your hardware won't be set in stone. As you brew more batches with all grain, you'll tweak things to better fit your methods. Or make things easier on you. Realizing that is the first step to brewing happiness (IMO)... I would advise researching the items at least some before purchasing. Also look at the vendors from the section here, to see who has the better price on the item (factor in shipping) and then see what your LHBS can do for you.

I would also advise getting brewing software to help make your own recipes. Now that you're going all grain, the entire world of beer styles is open to you. Plus you can make some of your own. Software will help you to hit your target for recipes. It's helped me a LOT.

I only started brewing mid November of 2010. I did three extract batches (modified kits) before one partial mash (BIAB style), and then graduated over to all grain brewing. I have 16 batches, of beer, total to date, with six recipes on deck. I've been doing 5 gallon batches (or 5-6 into fermenter) and loving it. Going all grain has allowed me to be more creative in my recipes, plus I feel like I'm getting better brews than I would with extract batches. I have the hardware to do pretty much anything I would want to brew. Even 10 gallon batches (have a 15 gallon kettle, used it once so far).

Just my $0.10 worth.

 

[Rivenin]

Large equipment
- 2 large pots (if you do a big beer, you'll sometimes need 6 gallons for sparging and one to collect your runnings)
- Mash tun (my cooler conversion took maybe 10 mins of work and 20 mins at the hardware store)
- Propane burner, SQ14 is a largely loved burner here, i use an old turkey fryer (check CL for them as well, i got 2 for $40 with pots and 2 burners)
- grain mill (great suggestion, not needed if the LHBS crushes it for ya)

smaller stuff
Large spoon/mash paddle
a few acurate thermometers (as this is way more important now)
hop bags
accurate measuring equipment for the water
scale

and a brew closet 'cuz you'll need some extra space. but not all that much!

 

[hops2it]

Great advice here. I 2nd the larger pot, ideally around the 10th gallon mark. If you end up doing any 5.5 gallon batches, by the time you figure boiloff plus loss to trub, you're looking at about 7 gallons in the pot to start with and boilovers suck.

 

[Mermaid]

Definitely build yourself a cooler-conversion mash tun. It will set you free

Seriously, if I can do it (I'm only moderately DIY-enabled) - anyone can. You can start with a 5 ga. if that's all you can find at your local home improvement store - as long as you're not brewing anything too big.

If you have a nice patio or garage to set up a burner, definitely go with a burner and 7.5 ga. kettle. Otherwise, if you're stuck with indoor brewing (as I am) you can pick up another 5 ga. kettle and do split boil batches. Yes, it's a pain in the ass but it's still doable.

Don't be afraid of all grain. It saves you money, allows you to tinker with the recipe more, and it's a whole lot of fun from the brew science perspective. Start with something simple, one of the tested recipes from this site or a kit with good instructions from a supplier.

You can DO IT!

 

[Mesa512]

+1 on building your mash tun... If you already have a 40qt, or larger, cooler, you have the basis of the mash tun. all you need to do is install a 1/2" ball valve and a screening method inside the cooler. I went with the bazooka screens, but people use everything from PVC pipes, to copper pipes, to false bottoms (in the round coolers) to stainless braiding. You have options. If the LHBS is even halfway decent, they should help you to convert your existing cooler (get the hardware from them). Mine did.

For the pot, I would go with at least an 8 gallon... If you can, get a 10 gallon kettle. If you get just a pot to start, drill it and install a 1/2" ball valve in that too. If you have the cabbage, get the Blichmann kettle. You won't need to replace it. If anything, you'll just get the larger one when you start brewing 10 gallon (or larger) batches.

Even though I started with a immersion chiller to cool my wort (when I went all grain) I've since moved to a plate chiller. Had I known back then, I would have just gone to the plate chiller. With the kettle (ball valve in pot) it's SO freaking easy to use a plate chiller. I got the Chillhog 4000 with the RebelSmart add-on from Rebel Brewer and love it. Installed some QD's on the wort side and it kicks ass.

I picked up the KAB4 burner to boil my wort (and get the water up to temp for each step faster/easier). It's the same burner that Blichmann uses in their burner, just without the stainless body, and braided gas line. Does a great job.

Another item you'll want to think about is a grain mill. I know there are plenty of people here with the ugly mills (Corona type). I went with a Barley Crusher (two rollers). You have plenty of options when it comes to two, or three, roller mills. If you want more 'turn-key' then the BC is probably better for you. If you want to make the base and hopper, then you have more options/choices.

Also invest in a couple of good scales. You'll want one for hop measurements, and another for grain. I've found that my 11# capacity digital scale sucks for small measurements. For hops it's almost useless. It's ok for base malt amounts, but not for smaller additions. I picked up the 11oz capacity scale from Williams Brewing not that long ago. The thing is insanely accurate. I plan on getting their 35# capacity scale soon, to weigh the grains with.

Get a refractometer (BobbyM has an affordable one on his site) for pre-fermentation gravity readings.

Get good thermometers to get the temperature of the mash. I'm still looking to get one that is accurate enough (for me) and has a long enough probe, without spending too much $$.

Realize that chances are, your hardware won't be set in stone. As you brew more batches with all grain, you'll tweak things to better fit your methods. Or make things easier on you. Realizing that is the first step to brewing happiness (IMO)... I would advise researching the items at least some before purchasing. Also look at the vendors from the section here, to see who has the better price on the item (factor in shipping) and then see what your LHBS can do for you.

I would also advise getting brewing software to help make your own recipes. Now that you're going all grain, the entire world of beer styles is open to you. Plus you can make some of your own. Software will help you to hit your target for recipes. It's helped me a LOT.

I only started brewing mid November of 2010. I did three extract batches (modified kits) before one partial mash (BIAB style), and then graduated over to all grain brewing. I have 16 batches, of beer, total to date, with six recipes on deck. I've been doing 5 gallon batches (or 5-6 into fermenter) and loving it. Going all grain has allowed me to be more creative in my recipes, plus I feel like I'm getting better brews than I would with extract batches. I have the hardware to do pretty much anything I would want to brew. Even 10 gallon batches (have a 15 gallon kettle, used it once so far).

Just my $0.10 worth.

What software do you recommend?

 

[phenry]

I make it by with a propane burner (Bayou classic sp10), 10 gallon rubbermaid MLT, 8 gallon SS pot, Barley Crusher, and regular 6 gallon fermenting bucket. My thermometers have been accurate enough (4 tested, all within 1-2*F of each other) and I just used the markings on the side of my bucket to measure water. I figure if I stay consistent with my process, it shouldn't really matter if I'm off a quart or two in my water amounts. I'll still get beer.

 

[williamnave]

Just saw this. Recently made the jump myself, almost a year ago, and here's a few things I learned.

-Buy a bigger pot. Figure how how big you think it should be, then buy bigger than that. Think of it this way - you've no doubt heard of Blichmann, right? Granted most of their stuff is pretty over-the-top, they recommend double kettle volume to batch size, i.e. an 11 gallon pot for 5.5 gal batches. Someone else mentioned boilovers suck, and they're right. There's a lot of debate on stainless vs. Aluminum, I've made great beer in both, I currently have SS because of durability and cleaning ease.

-There's a lot of BIAB proponents on here, I frankly don't get it. I'm don't like the idea of fishing a 14# sack of wet, scalding hot grain out of a kettle. Maybe I'm just biased, but that seems like a PITA and disaster-prone. I recommend a mash tun cooler setup. It's EASY to do. Buy the pre-assembled bulkhead like this one or the one your LHBS probably sells. You can put it together in 15 minutes - seriously, 15 minutes, tops. Building a manifold is a bit of a time investment, so you will probably just need to buy one. I like my Coleman Xtreme rectangular mash tun, I have a good friend who has great success with the round rubbermaid one. Again, lots of debate, we both seem to make great beer.

-To start out, batch sparge. It's simple, requires no additional equipment, and makes great beer. You'll probably build a HLT and a fly sparge arm eventually(almost all of us do), don't worry about it for now.

-I recommend Beersmith for software. Just got updated, very easy to use, frankly I'd be kinda lost without it. Best 20 bucks you'll ever spend.

-Get to know the guys at your LHBS. I've received so much good info that I couldn't put a price on.

Oh yeah, RDWHAHB!

 

[phenry]

Granted most of their stuff is pretty over-the-top, they recommend double kettle volume to batch size, i.e. an 11 gallon pot for 5.5 gal batches. Someone else mentioned boilovers suck, and they're right.

Using my 8 gal kettle I need to watch my wort like a hawk when it's coming to a boil, and turn the propane down a bit until the intense foaming (5 minutes tops) subsides. If I could go back and do it again, I'd probably go for a 10 gal kettle though.

 

[Mesa512]

Just saw this. Recently made the jump myself, almost a year ago, and here's a few things I learned.

-Buy a bigger pot. Figure how how big you think it should be, then buy bigger than that. Think of it this way - you've no doubt heard of Blichmann, right? Granted most of their stuff is pretty over-the-top, they recommend double kettle volume to batch size, i.e. an 11 gallon pot for 5.5 gal batches. Someone else mentioned boilovers suck, and they're right. There's a lot of debate on stainless vs. Aluminum, I've made great beer in both, I currently have SS because of durability and cleaning ease.

-There's a lot of BIAB proponents on here, I frankly don't get it. I'm don't like the idea of fishing a 14# sack of wet, scalding hot grain out of a kettle. Maybe I'm just biased, but that seems like a PITA and disaster-prone. I recommend a mash tun cooler setup. It's EASY to do. Buy the pre-assembled bulkhead like this one or the one your LHBS probably sells. You can put it together in 15 minutes - seriously, 15 minutes, tops. Building a manifold is a bit of a time investment, so you will probably just need to buy one. I like my Coleman Xtreme rectangular mash tun, I have a good friend who has great success with the round rubbermaid one. Again, lots of debate, we both seem to make great beer.

-To start out, batch sparge. It's simple, requires no additional equipment, and makes great beer. You'll probably build a HLT and a fly sparge arm eventually(almost all of us do), don't worry about it for now.

-I recommend Beersmith for software. Just got updated, very easy to use, frankly I'd be kinda lost without it. Best 20 bucks you'll ever spend.

-Get to know the guys at your LHBS. I've received so much good info that I couldn't put a price on.

Oh yeah, RDWHAHB!

I homebrew with my brother and after much talking we decided to start with batch sparging. We wanted to get a rectangular Coleman cooler but we are not too sure of the size (like how many quarts).

Followup question....regardless of the size of the cooler can we still use the two items that you provided links for. Basically if we buy a Coleman cooler can we use those parts to build the mash tun?

Thanks!

 

[williamnave]

I homebrew with my brother and after much talking we decided to start with batch sparging. We wanted to get a rectangular Coleman cooler but we are not too sure of the size (like how many quarts).

Followup question....regardless of the size of the cooler can we still use the two items that you provided links for. Basically if we buy a Coleman cooler can we use those parts to build the mash tun?

Thanks!

As I understand it, yes. The spigot holes on coolers seem to be sorta universal. When you dis-assemble the spigot assembly that came with the cooler, there's (at least on the 3 of these I've done) a gasket/o-ring kinda thingy. Use that. Put the bulkhead fitting through the original gasket, tighten, done! Don't stress about which cooler you get, it really doesn't seem to matter too much. My Coleman is a 9 Gallon, plenty of room for 5 gallon batches. The 10 Gallon Rubbermaid works great too, my buddy uses one. I mainly went with the Coleman because it was on sale.

I guess I should mention, don't get too big a cooler. Too big is bad, can cause issues. Stick with something 8-10 gallons and you'll be fine.

 

[Mesa512]

As I understand it, yes. The spigot holes on coolers seem to be sorta universal. When you dis-assemble the spigot assembly that came with the cooler, there's (at least on the 3 of these I've done) a gasket/o-ring kinda thingy. Use that. Put the bulkhead fitting through the original gasket, tighten, done! Don't stress about which cooler you get, it really doesn't seem to matter too much. My Coleman is a 9 Gallon, plenty of room for 5 gallon batches. The 10 Gallon Rubbermaid works great too, my buddy uses one. I mainly went with the Coleman because it was on sale.

I guess I should mention, don't get too big a cooler. Too big is bad, can cause issues. Stick with something 8-10 gallons and you'll be fine.

Ok...perfect!! Thanks I appreciate it.

 

[Mesa512]

Just saw this. Recently made the jump myself, almost a year ago, and here's a few things I learned.

-Buy a bigger pot. Figure how how big you think it should be, then buy bigger than that. Think of it this way - you've no doubt heard of Blichmann, right? Granted most of their stuff is pretty over-the-top, they recommend double kettle volume to batch size, i.e. an 11 gallon pot for 5.5 gal batches. Someone else mentioned boilovers suck, and they're right. There's a lot of debate on stainless vs. Aluminum, I've made great beer in both, I currently have SS because of durability and cleaning ease.

-There's a lot of BIAB proponents on here, I frankly don't get it. I'm don't like the idea of fishing a 14# sack of wet, scalding hot grain out of a kettle. Maybe I'm just biased, but that seems like a PITA and disaster-prone. I recommend a mash tun cooler setup. It's EASY to do. Buy the pre-assembled bulkhead like this one or the one your LHBS probably sells. You can put it together in 15 minutes - seriously, 15 minutes, tops. Building a manifold is a bit of a time investment, so you will probably just need to buy one. I like my Coleman Xtreme rectangular mash tun, I have a good friend who has great success with the round rubbermaid one. Again, lots of debate, we both seem to make great beer.

-To start out, batch sparge. It's simple, requires no additional equipment, and makes great beer. You'll probably build a HLT and a fly sparge arm eventually(almost all of us do), don't worry about it for now.

-I recommend Beersmith for software. Just got updated, very easy to use, frankly I'd be kinda lost without it. Best 20 bucks you'll ever spend.

-Get to know the guys at your LHBS. I've received so much good info that I couldn't put a price on.

Oh yeah, RDWHAHB!

Hey I have another question...

I am just a little confused. I looked at the bulkhead link and the link for the manifold (false bottom). It looks like the false bottom is closed on one end and threaded on the other. But then I looked at the bulkhead picture and I am not seeing threads on the actual "bulkhead" part. Am I missing something? Or are the pictures not accurate?

I am just having a hard time figuring out how you would attach the false bottom to the valve.

Thanks!

 

[Golddiggie]

The bulkhead is threaded on the inside (it's all female)... I have a nipple on the cooler side of the bulkhead in my mash tun. From there, I use a short piece (under 6") of silicon tubing to connect to the bazooka screen.

I have a few bulkheads to spare, since I have a couple of ball valves that came with them, where I'm not using those parts. Basically, when I converted the pots into kettles, I wasn't adding any internal fittings, so I didn't need to connect to anything else. I just tighten the large nut on the inside and it's all set.. :rockin:

Cooler mash tuns are pretty much the same on the outside, and most are the same going through the cooler walls. Where they differ tends to be how they filter the grains and wort out. That part is all personal choice/preference.

 

[RIT_Warrior]

I'm about 10 batches into AG, and I don't have a mash tun. I just use 5 gallon paint strainer bags that I buy from Home Depot. The only real disadvantage that I have run into is the amount of grain I can use...13lbs is really my limit. I've gotten steady 84% efficiency, so that means for any 5 gallon recipe above 1.080 I'm supplementing with extract (assuming I'm not using sugar). I don't really mind supplementing with extract, and I don't make too many batches that big that aren't Belgians anyway, so it isn't really a big deal to me.

The process itself is almost identical to steeping grains in an extract batch, you just need to be a bit more particular about your temperatures.

 

[Golddiggie]

The grain limitation of BIAB is why I dropped it... With my cooler mash tuns, I can mash up to about 25# in the 10 gallon RubberMaid MT. In the 70qt Coleman I can mash up to 44-45# at one time. If I do a mash-out, those numbers change a bit, but I can still mash enough to get my desired results. Personally, I'd rather not add extract to my batches now.

BIAB was a good way for me to get into all grain brewing. Once I hit the wall with the amount of grain I could mash, I converted over to use a cooler mash tun. I'm pretty sure I'm on my way to a keggle mash tun.

 

[williamnave]

I never did BIAB mainly because a good buddy had the cooler set up, showed me how to do it, so that's what I did. It's always worked great and I wouldn't do it any other way.

To the OP, if it's at all possible, have a friend familiar with AG brewing come over and supervise. That will make all the difference.

 

[emjay]

Not a fan of BIAB at all, and unfortunately, even less of a fan of ITS (inevitably rabid) fans.

 

[Homercidal]

BIAB is a great way to get started in AG and as a method of doign AG with less space to store equipment.

I'd recommend a cooler MLT otherwise. I use a 10 Gallon cooler and it works great for 5 gallon batches. Buy one if have the money. I preferred to build mine. You might like to use that extra money towards other equipment, like a grain crusher or fermentation temp control.

Don't be stressed out about AG. Everyone always comes back saying how much easier it was than they thought it was going to be.

 

[chask31]

Don't be intimidated. I have been brewing for 6 years extract. I assembled my all grain kit and brewed my first batch last weekend. I can guarantee you will do fine. Especially if you have been brewing that long. I felt the same way as you; now I wish I made the switch sooner!

 

[GatorBeer]

I don't mean to jack the OP's thread, but I am in a similar boat and don't want to start an identical thread if I don't need to.

I have:
10 gal SS pot
10 gal cooler waiting to be converted to MLT
Propane burner
Immersion chiller

I also have the capability to make a keggle, but is this unnecessary because I already have the big pot?
Should I drill a hole in the SS pot to put in an outlet to make things easier?
The false bottom that everyone talks about does the same thing as a manifold or stainless steel hose right?

Thanks for the help.

 

[chask31]

I don't mean to jack the OP's thread, but I am in a similar boat and don't want to start an identical thread if I don't need to.

I have:
10 gal SS pot
10 gal cooler waiting to be converted to MLT
Propane burner
Immersion chiller

I also have the capability to make a keggle, but is this unnecessary because I already have the big pot?
Should I drill a hole in the SS pot to put in an outlet to make things easier?
The false bottom that everyone talks about does the same thing as a manifold or stainless steel hose right?

Thanks for the help.

If you want to do 10 gal batches at any point the 10 gal pot is too small, however a keggle would work. You can make your 10gal pot the HLT. You should definitely drill.

I believe you are correct about the false bottom. I use a stainless hose and it works great.

 

[williamnave]

When I got my brew kettle, it had a spigot already on it. I was like cool, don't need it, but cool.

I can't imagine what I would do without it. I'm glad someone brought it up. If either of you new AG guys can get it in the budget, buy a kettle with a valve. It's worth it.

 

[Mesa512]

Hey everyone!!

So I was in my local hardware store today, when I came upon some coolers. Now based on my conversations on this forum I was looking for a 36-40 quart cooler to make into a mash tun. The only one that they had in stock was a 48 quart cooler....do you guys see this as a problem.

I picked it up because it was on sale and I had a coupon for 40% off...I payed only $20 for the thing!!! I couldn't pass this deal up. I hope I didn't make a mistake buying it. So please let me know if a 48 quart is too big. Just FYI I plan on making 5 gallon batches....at least for now. I am sure someday I will start to make bigger batches.

Thanks for your help everyone! Cheers

 

[Golddiggie]

As long as you can install a ball valve in it, it should be fine. Get a 1/2" valve and other hardware and convert the mother.

I did the 70 qt I had initially, but then picked up the round 40qt RubberMaid later. I knew that I would brew batches with more grain than the 40 could handle. Even in 5 gallon batch sizes. You can still do a good range with a 48 or 48 quart mash tun.

Enjoy mashing in it. Keep in mind that you could need a few/several batches to dial it in. Just be patient in that aspect and you'll soon be making batches that are exactly what you want. :rockin:

 

[Mesa512]

Awesome.

BTW thanks so much Golddiggie I appreciate it!

 

[Polboy]

So im also looking in to AG brewing and have few questions regarding my future setup (i dont want to steal the thread but i think its better to post here than making new one)
1. heat source, almost everyone is using propane here but i have natural gas line in my garage (i want to setup my rig there), should i go with NG (i would prefer that of course) or get the propane tank+burner, if NG is ok any recommendations on the burner??
2. Pot, i have 4gal SS that im using for extracts, i understand its not big enough so i have been looking for 10gal+ on CL but no luck so far, instead of i found few kegs (15gal) for $60-$80, should i get two kegs? (one for boiling one for mash/sparge water?), i would get bigger container for less money and i have a friend who will weld valve, measuring tube, thermometer for free (well for cut of my beer for sure
3. Im not sure about my rig setup, i want to do gravity so i dont have to buy a pump, so i see it as this:
-top shelf with burner and pot/keg for heating mash/sparge water
- mid shelf with mash tun (i will build it from the cooler)
- bottom shelf with burner and boiling pot/keg
- fermenter on the floor
im gona use CFC so i need some space between fermenter and boiling pot, how much of the space i need here?, is there any recommendation for distance between containers, how tall rig like that should be?, does it all make sense?
I will appreciate any suggestions,
Thanks