I have done a couple partial mash brews, and wanted to try all grain, but live in an apartment and have a wimpy stove top. I would buy a Braumeister but don't have 220 and I don't want to run a turkey fryer 20 feet out in my drive way.
For my mash tun, I used a true brew 6 ish gallon bucket (with spicket) and a home made false bottom (no tools required).
First, the recipe:
I used Cream of Three Crops but modified it to three gallons.
Recipe:
4 lbs light malt (don't remember brand, some German name)
1 lb Flaked Maize
.25 lb Minute Rice
3/8 oz Crystal Hops
3/8 Oz Willamette Hobs
1 Package Safale us-05
Sprinkle of Irish Moss
Mashing:
I mashed for 60 minutes at 145
Vorlaugh:
I vorlaughed with a one gallon pitcher about 10 times (filling pitcher 3/4 of the way).
Sparg:
I sparged for 70 minutes at 160. I set my timer for 60 but it took extra time as I had my valve barely open. The lhbs guy said take my time, and I forgot to pickup a pound of dry malt extract so hitting my numbers was important . Besides, it's sunday, what else am I going to do. I am sparging water into what will be my primary fermenter.
Hot Liquor:
For my hot water, I used my brewing vessel and kept water at 160 ish.
On to Pictures:
Sorry for so many pictures, I like pictures, I learned a lot here from others pictures. (learned there is a 10 picture limit hah)
Mashing In:
Vorlaughing:
Sparging:
My home made false bottom: (part veggie steamer part destroyed colander)
The Final Product:
This is what was left in my pot: (is this normal?)
Last, in the keezer to ferment. (white lid)
I learned a lot with this batch, I sorta freaked at the beginning of boil when my sugar was off, but after the boil and chill I ended up okay. The wort ended up darker than I wanted it to be, so next time I will start my boil with more water i guess.
If you are on the fence about all grain, its not that hard, and other than my extract gear, I spent $16 for the bucket and about $20 on the false bottom. It does take longer though.
EDIT: I don't know how to calculate efficiency, but I ended up at 1.050. Can someone help me with that? I have beersmith but am not to familiar.
For my mash tun, I used a true brew 6 ish gallon bucket (with spicket) and a home made false bottom (no tools required).
First, the recipe:
I used Cream of Three Crops but modified it to three gallons.
Recipe:
4 lbs light malt (don't remember brand, some German name)
1 lb Flaked Maize
.25 lb Minute Rice
3/8 oz Crystal Hops
3/8 Oz Willamette Hobs
1 Package Safale us-05
Sprinkle of Irish Moss
Mashing:
I mashed for 60 minutes at 145
Vorlaugh:
I vorlaughed with a one gallon pitcher about 10 times (filling pitcher 3/4 of the way).
Sparg:
I sparged for 70 minutes at 160. I set my timer for 60 but it took extra time as I had my valve barely open. The lhbs guy said take my time, and I forgot to pickup a pound of dry malt extract so hitting my numbers was important . Besides, it's sunday, what else am I going to do. I am sparging water into what will be my primary fermenter.
Hot Liquor:
For my hot water, I used my brewing vessel and kept water at 160 ish.
On to Pictures:
Sorry for so many pictures, I like pictures, I learned a lot here from others pictures. (learned there is a 10 picture limit hah)
Mashing In:
![Mash%252520In.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/cdf/cdf5dad305d1ccab7d783b291a163a75.jpg)
Vorlaughing:
![Vorlaughing.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/bcf/bcf0329fe2d40746dc9c07327fbd4e4c.jpg)
Sparging:
![Results%252520of%252520Sparging.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/8b3/8b381db0e8a2545a3a7225e5c8b23c48.jpg)
![Tin%252520Foil%252520defelector.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/f35/f354530b321a0f7165425623e313c0b6.jpg)
![Sparging.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/55c/55c5640033166e779f2bf946e940e720.jpg)
My home made false bottom: (part veggie steamer part destroyed colander)
![Home%252520made%252520false%252520Bottom.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/6e5/6e578b5fe51457b3bd17418e7dea6a54.jpg)
The Final Product:
![Wort%252520before%252520yeast.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/102/1029768cc8c6a773a0c0718e264ed514.jpg)
![Wort%252520in%252520fermenter.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/11c/11c1311f96c81be7da270e1e6c947c35.jpg)
This is what was left in my pot: (is this normal?)
![Gunk%252520left%252520in%252520kettle.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/b8a/b8a9022fa4c5d99b044271cc83fb399b.jpg)
Last, in the keezer to ferment. (white lid)
![Fermenter%252520in%252520Keezer.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/1eb/1ebf812eeef3c205377bc923420c35ec.jpg)
I learned a lot with this batch, I sorta freaked at the beginning of boil when my sugar was off, but after the boil and chill I ended up okay. The wort ended up darker than I wanted it to be, so next time I will start my boil with more water i guess.
If you are on the fence about all grain, its not that hard, and other than my extract gear, I spent $16 for the bucket and about $20 on the false bottom. It does take longer though.
EDIT: I don't know how to calculate efficiency, but I ended up at 1.050. Can someone help me with that? I have beersmith but am not to familiar.