Moving to All Grain

[RM-MN]

We will see how BIAB goes and maybe I will want to move to traditional AG brewing but this seems like the best fit for me now. I think I will start off with a 6 gallon preboil volume and top up with water by pouring through the grain into the fermenting bucket on the advice of RM-MN.

Thanks for all the help!

Not into the fermenting bucket, into the boil pot. Grains have all kinds of interesting bacteria on them that you need to boil to make sure they are dead. Putting it into the fermenter without boiling is like playing Russian Roulette with all cylinders full.

 

[Henry22]

That makes sense haha. I'll pour the water through the grain into the boil and top up if I need to with distilled water in the fermenter.

 

[Henry22]

You say you already have a cooler you could use as a mash tun, why not do a traditional all grain setup so you don't have to worry about your kettle being too small for BIAB? I use my kettle as my hot liquor tank and boil kettle. I drain my runnings into a bottling bucket and transfer it to the kettle after I sparge. Not trying to change your mind just a thought.

I think after all I will do the traditional method and alter my cooler. Is their anyway I can figure out the proper size equipment needed to alter my cooler to a MLT? Just measure the opening after I take out the spigot?

Also, will I be fine with a 7.5 gallon kettle for full 5 gallon batches if I do the traditional method? I can always heat sparge water on the stove. Eventually I will buy a bigger and better kettle, but I dont have the funds for it right now.

 

[pnj]

I've done many ,AG beers. I used to use a 'traditional' set up with a cooler.

recently I did BIAB with my 7.5 gallon turkey fryer. I used a paint strainer bag and ten pounds of grain. I have done two batches. I got 65% and 78% efficiency. I made 4.75 ish gallons. I have five gallon carboys so I don't have much room. I use FermCapS in the carboy but not in the kettle. I also didn't have any boil overs.

The kettle is FULL when I'm mashing. So full that the lid didn't fit the first time and I had to remove about 15 ounces of water. But once I pull the bag there is plenty of room to boil the wort. I get about one gallon of boil off per hour.

And, squeezing the bag will not extract tannins.

I have cleaned my mash tun for the last time. For me, biab is the perfect set up.

 

[brew2enjoy]

I think after all I will do the traditional method and alter my cooler. Is their anyway I can figure out the proper size equipment needed to alter my cooler to a MLT? Just measure the opening after I take out the spigot?

Also, will I be fine with a 7.5 gallon kettle for full 5 gallon batches if I do the traditional method? I can always heat sparge water on the stove. Eventually I will buy a bigger and better kettle, but I dont have the funds for it right now.

I'm on my phone right now so I can't post the link but check the diy section. there is a good right up on converting a cooler to a mash tun. As for your kettle, I usually boil off about 1 gallon per hour so I like to start with 6.5 gallons to end up with 5.5 in the fermenter. I think you will be fine. I usually heat my strike and sparge water on my stove to save propane too.

 

[HappyHollowBrews]

A lot of turkey fryers, especially cheaper ones, come with aluminum pots. Check to make sure yours is something suitable for brewing, like stainless steel. My first two brews had a noticable metal aftertaste from making this mistake.

Good luck with AG! Ill be following shortly!

 

[Henry22]

I'm on my phone right now so I can't post the link but check the diy section. there is a good right up on converting a cooler to a mash tun. As for your kettle, I usually boil off about 1 gallon per hour so I like to start with 6.5 gallons to end up with 5.5 in the fermenter. I think you will be fine. I usually heat my strike and sparge water on my stove to save propane too.

Yeah I have seen that DIY but Im afraid that my spigot will be a different size requiring different parts. My cooler I am going to use also has permanent maker written on the inside so I am thinking of just buying a new cooler.

A lot of turkey fryers, especially cheaper ones, come with aluminum pots. Check to make sure yours is something suitable for brewing, like stainless steel. My first two brews had a noticable metal aftertaste from making this mistake.

Good luck with AG! Ill be following shortly!

It is aluminum but you can prevent that by boiling water in it for 30mins to an hour to apply an oxide layer which I did. Lots of people brew with aluminum kettles.

 

[pnj]

I've only brewed with aluminum pots.....

 

[bschoenb]

The Aluminum Oxide Layer is rock hard; My Al pot got that way by accident w/ some Oxi-Clean Free... But, it made it perfect for brewing!