Moving to All Grain

[gyro83]

I am sure this has been asked many times, but I am wondering what the best way to do this for my situation.

I currently have 1 burner and 1 8 Gal Stainless Steel pot with a Ball Valve and thermometer. If I wanted to upgrade to all grain, what would be the best route? I want to be able to do 10 gallon batches for most things and 5 gallon batches for any specialty beers that require a lot of grain.

I was thinking about doing the 10 gallon round cooler with false bottom to mash in, but wouldn't I need a larger brew pot than 8 gallons? I don't want to waste the 8 gallon pot as it is a very nice pot. Do I use that as the HLT w/ another burner?

What would be the best way to upgrade?

 

[jflongo]

If you want to do 10 gallon batches, I would recommend the 70 quart Coleman Extreme, and turn that into a mashtun. I think walmart has those for around $40. I would recommend converting a Keggle into a BK, or buy a 15 gallon or larger pot. You could then use your 8 gallon pot as a HLT, also that will be pushing it a little, if you are doing 10 - 11 gallon batches, but you could get away with it. That is what I did, I used my 7.5 gallon pot as a HLT, but now I'm converting another Keggle to make into a HLT.

 

[Jorb]

With that much liquid you should look into a pump too. I do 5 gallon batches all grain and am getting tired of lifting 5-8 gallons of liquid at a time.

 

[gyro83]

I won't have a problem with the lifting. I usually have friends that want to learn how to brew or just like to participate. Part of me is wondering if it is even worth doing the 10 gallon batches? Maybe I should just stick to 5 gallons. I have a keezer with 3 corny kegs so maybe doing 10 gallon batches isn't very practical.

If I decided to stay with 5 gallon batches what would be the best route?

 

[kombat]

What he said.

Get a 15 gallon pot and the 70-quart cooler. Use your 8 gallon pot as your HLT. This is pretty much the exact setup I have. I use a 7 gallon pot as my HLT. When doing 10 gallon batches, I use my 15 gallon BK to heat my strike water (since my 7 gallon HLT isn't big enough). Then I use my 7 gallon pot to heat the sparge water (which is less than 7 gallons, so it fits in the pot) while I drain first runnings back into the BK.

 

[gyro83]

What he said.

Get a 15 gallon pot and the 70-quart cooler. Use your 8 gallon pot as your HLT. This is pretty much the exact setup I have. I use a 7 gallon pot as my HLT. When doing 10 gallon batches, I use my 15 gallon BK to heat my strike water (since my 7 gallon HLT isn't big enough). Then I use my 7 gallon pot to heat the sparge water (which is less than 7 gallons, so it fits in the pot) while I drain first runnings back into the BK.

That is what I was initially thinking, but what if I decided to stick with 5 gallon batches? As i can only fit 5 gallons in my corny kegs. What would be the best course then?

 

[kombat]

Get some more Corny kegs.

Seriously though, I'd always opt to go bigger so you have the option. You can still do 5 gallon batches, but you leave yourself room to do 10 gallons if you ever decide to.

 

[gyro83]

Get some more Corny kegs.

Seriously though, I'd always opt to go bigger so you have the option. You can still do 5 gallon batches, but you leave yourself room to do 10 gallons if you ever decide to.

That is a great point actually. Future-proofing so to speak.

 

[gyro83]

If you want to do 10 gallon batches, I would recommend the 70 quart Coleman Extreme, and turn that into a mashtun. I think walmart has those for around $40. I would recommend converting a Keggle into a BK, or buy a 15 gallon or larger pot. You could then use your 8 gallon pot as a HLT, also that will be pushing it a little, if you are doing 10 - 11 gallon batches, but you could get away with it. That is what I did, I used my 7.5 gallon pot as a HLT, but now I'm converting another Keggle to make into a HLT.

How do you put a false bottom in that one? I haven't heard that greatest things about the tube shaped screens.

 

[ShadyBrewer]

You could always go the BIAB route. And with an 8 gallon pot, you'd just have to buy the bag ($20).

 

[jflongo]

How do you put a false bottom in that one? I haven't heard that greatest things about the tube shaped screens.

I this in my Keggle that I used for a BK.

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.c...rect)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=150557238

 

[Upthewazzu]

Get this 70 quart Coleman cooler from Walmart/Target/wherever and convert it into a mash tun. It can easily accommodate 10 gal batches.

 

[jflongo]

That is what I was initially thinking, but what if I decided to stick with 5 gallon batches? As i can only fit 5 gallons in my corny kegs. What would be the best course then?

Also, there is a huge benefit to 10 gallons. Keg 5 gallons, bottle the other 5 gallons. Dry hop the two 5 gallon batches with different hops, keg them both. Many options there.

By doing 10-11 gallon batch, you just increase your brew day by a little bit. Then you get double the amount in the long run.

 

[gyro83]

That is another great point. If I did go with the 70 qt cooler. Would you recommend building your own bottom out of PVC/copper or going with a bazooka? Also how large of a HLT would you need for a 70 qt mash tun and what one would you recommend? I am guessing 15 gallons but I dont know what would work well for that other than another cooler or a large pot?

 

[kh54s10]

If you really want to do 10 gallon batches you will need a bigger pot. You could probably use the 8 gallon pot as a HLT vessel. You could heat the mash water, then refill to heat the sparge water.

My 5 gallon system is a turkey fryer and 10 gallon pot on top of a 3 tier sculpture. Next is a 10 gallon Rubbermaid drink cooler with a water heater supply line for the braid. The boil kettle is next, another 10 gallon pot. It is high enough to drain into a fermenter on the floor. I can only do 5 gallon batches. I would rather do more different beers than 10 gallons of similar beers. (with only yeast or dry hop differences)

 

[soccerdad]

Yep - what Shady said. But us BIAB folks are prejudiced towards the method

 

[jflongo]

That is another great point. If I did go with the 70 qt cooler. Would you recommend building your own bottom out of PVC/copper or going with a bazooka? Also how large of a HLT would you need for a 70 qt mash tun and what one would you recommend? I am guessing 15 gallons but I dont know what would work well for that other than another cooler or a large pot?

I personally use SS Braided Hose, but that's just me. Others use pvc and copper manifolds.

I would use a minimum of 10 gallons for HLT if you can. For example, my Oatmeal Stout for a 11 gallon batch calls for 8.4 gallons of sparge water. However you could play with your initial numbers to tweak that. Mine are set for 1:1.25 right now. The nice thing about using a Keggle for an HLT or similar, you can heat up more water initially, and then leave some of that hot water in there, to heat up your sparge water faster.

I am still able to do 11 gallon batches with my current 50 quart cooler and 7.5 gallon HLT, but that forces me to do two batch sparges. That's why I'm converting a keggle right now for an HLT, and will be upgrading to 70 quart cooler.

 

[gyro83]

So here is what I have figured out so far. I am going to get a 20 Gal kettle, probably the Megapot as my new brew kettle. I am going to use my old 8 Gal kettle as the HLT. I am going to purchase the 70 qt cooler and make that my MT. I am also going to pick up a second burner to heat both pots at the same time.

Now here is where I have questions as I have not gone through an AG brew day myself. What would be the best way to set the equipment up? I am mostly doing it outside on my walkway. I can't really build any permanent structure. Do you need 3 tiers? pumps? How will gravity work if you only have 2 tiers?

 

[jflongo]

So here is what I have figured out so far. I am going to get a 20 Gal kettle, probably the Megapot as my new brew kettle. I am going to use my old 8 Gal kettle as the HLT. I am going to purchase the 70 qt cooler and make that my MT. I am also going to pick up a second burner to heat both pots at the same time.

Now here is where I have questions as I have not gone through an AG brew day myself. What would be the best way to set the equipment up? I am mostly doing it outside on my walkway. I can't really build any permanent structure. Do you need 3 tiers? pumps? How will gravity work if you only have 2 tiers?

Pumps help, but I don't have any. If you are going to use 8 gallon as a HLT with no port, then you will need to heat up the water, pick it up, and dump it into the mashtun. I put my mashtun on a table in my garage, and then the boil kettle on a stand on the ground, and gravity feed into it. I make sure that the BK is high enough, so that I can gravity feed into a fermenting bucket.

Hope that helps.

If you want to do 1 tier, you MUST have pumps. You can get away with 2 tier if you are going to pick up your HLT and dump it in. If you are going to add a port and don't want to do that, and don't have pumps, then you need to do 3 tier.

 

[gyro83]

Pumps help, but I don't have any. If you are going to use 8 gallon as a HLT with no port, then you will need to heat up the water, pick it up, and dump it into the mashtun. I put my mashtun on a table in my garage, and then the boil kettle on a stand on the ground, and gravity feed into it. I make sure that the BK is high enough, so that I can gravity feed into a fermenting bucket.

Hope that helps.

If you want to do 1 tier, you MUST have pumps. You can get away with 2 tier if you are going to pick up your HLT and dump it in. If you are going to add a port and don't want to do that, and don't have pumps, then you need to do 3 tier.

I forgot to mention that my 8 gallon has a SS spigot and a thermometer. SO i could drain into the cooler, but the cooler seems like it would be way too heavy to move full of water and grain so that obviously needs to be up in the air above your main pot. I guess my primary concern is how to get the hot water from the 8 gallon pot into the cooler in a safe way.

 

[jflongo]

I forgot to mention that my 8 gallon has a SS spigot and a thermometer. SO i could drain into the cooler, but the cooler seems like it would be way too heavy to move full of water and grain so that obviously needs to be up in the air above your main pot. I guess my primary concern is how to get the hot water from the 8 gallon pot into the cooler in a safe way.

I have a fold out table that I use. I will probably put a square piece of wood on that, and then put my burner on it, with my HLT. That would make the spigot higher than the cooler top, and gravity feed into it. Put your Boil Kettle stand on a short table or something similar, just high enough so you can gravity feed into a fermenter. That would simulate a 3 tier stand until you could build one.

 

[mwjtennis]

Could BIAB in your kettle with nothing additional...I just do one step beyond BIAB. I heat sparge water in a $40 turkey fryer setup during the mash (in the kettle) and batch sparge. If you have a false bottom for your kettle, you don't really need anything else. I mash in my kettle, drain to buckets, clean the kettle and pour it back in to boil. I have a 16 gallon bayou classic kettle and do 10 gallon batches with this method, no issues. It takes 2 mins to clean the kettle with a hose between mash and boil.

 

[jflongo]

Could BIAB in your kettle with nothing additional...I just do one step beyond BIAB. I heat sparge water in a $40 turkey fryer setup during the mash (in the kettle) and batch sparge. If you have a false bottom for your kettle, you don't really need anything else. I mash in my kettle, drain to buckets, clean the kettle and pour it back in to boil. I have a 16 gallon bayou classic kettle and do 10 gallon batches with this method, no issues. It takes 2 mins to clean the kettle with a hose between mash and boil.

How much does that bag weight doing BIAB for 10 gallons?

 

[mwjtennis]

I don't BIAB for 10 gal batches. I drain out of the kettle to buckets (false bottom), clean the kettle quickly with a hose, then pour it back in to boil.

 

[gyro83]

My 8 gallon pot doesn't have a false bottom. I am pretty sure I want to get a new 20 gallon pot and cooler. I am just trying to picture how I want to set it up. I didn't think about needing my main pot in the air to transfer into primarys. Right now my pot is only 8 lbs and I can easily lift that and I just brew with the burner on the ground.

Part of the thing too is that I am engaged and I have lots of things I can put on a wedding registry. Lots of guys are asking what I want, so I am trying to figure out what items I should add for them to purchase.

Here is what I have on the list currently.

20 Gallon Megapot w/ ball valve and thermometer : Northern Brewer
Bazooka Screen : Amazon
Coleman 70 qt Extreme Cooler : Amazon
Bayou Classic SP-10 : Amazon (already have 1, was going to get another)
S/S Cooler Valve w/barb : Northern Brewer
Stainless Steel Mash Paddle : Northern Brewer

Any changes I should make or anything else I should add?