Need some wisdom before all grain

[espringm]

Okay so I have done an extract, extract with steeping, and just completed a BIAB partial mash brew and I think I’m ready for all grain (single infusion batch sparge). I’m writing this cause I think all the terminology and steps in the process finally make sense so I want to verify what I know with the experts (yall) and to ask a couple questions. Here is the list of questions:

1. Burner - I have been doing my first brews on a stovetop but am realizing the benefits of a propane burner. The three that I am looking at are http://www.walmart.com/ip/King-Kook...gle-Burner-Outdoor-Cooker-Camp-Stove/10661038, http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...ow-profile-banjo-burner-burner-and-stand.html, and http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/burners/blichmann-floor-burner.html. They have varying prices, so my question is will it be worth it to invest in the blichman or banjo or just go with a walmart version?
2. Mash tun – I will get a large cooler and all I need to do is assemble a manifold of pvc with holes drilled in it and attach a ball valve, correct?
3. Brew Pot - I currently only have a 5 gallon pot so I know I need to get a larger one. I don’t have any means of welding so I was thinking of this: http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/10-gallon-megapot.html 10 gallon pot w/ ball valve, no thermometer. Will this work or any better suggestions?
4. Wort Chiller – again because of lack of tools I was thinking of getting one pre made. The options are http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_145&products_id=902 (30 ft) or http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...lers/xl-immersion-chiller-w-vinyl-tubing.html (70 ft). I assume the 70 footer will work faster but is it worth the additional price?
5. Terminology – All strike water means is the temperature in which the water is preheated to be put in the mash tun with the grains so that when added together it will be at the proper mash temperature, correct?
6. Technology – At this stage, because im not going to create recipes, rather follow some, is it worth it to invest in BeerSmith. Im sure eventually I will be being a college student, the long list of purchases is adding up quickly.
7. Technique – I think I want to do a single infusion batch sparge, what are my other options?

I know this is quite a long post but thanks to everyone that responds.

 

[Bmorebrew]

1. I don't know, I use my stove top.
2. Pretty much, just make sure it is CPVC, it is made to withstand the higher temperatures. Also, I just used a hacksaw to make a lot of lines rather than holes - works great.
3. It will work.
4. Probably not.
5. Yes.
6. Yes, it is quite a valuable tool.
7. Fly sparging, but that requires additional time and effort to get set up for. I do a two stage batch sparge and it works great.

Just my opinions. :0

 

[integrator]

1. Get the Bayou SQ-14 burner. It has a nice stand and is $50 on Amazon.
2. Get one of the Extreme or MaxCold coolers if you can. I use a 60qt cube-style one. Check to see if they have an insulated lid. It will help. Get one with a valve already in place - you can take that valve out and use the existing hole for your fittings. www.bargainfittings.com has everything you need for the cooler.
3. If you are only doing 5-6 gallon batches you would be fine with an 8 gallon pot. That 10 would work fine too. I used a converted keg.
4. For a 5-gallon batch, you will be fine with a 30' coil. That 70' one is way too tall for that pot you listed.
5. Yes. Given there are some tips/tricks to help with this.
6. You can get by without BS, but I'd buy it. It's nice to track your results, and recipes (even if you are just copying someone else's recipe).
7. batch sparging is the way to go on a budget.
5.

 

[espringm]

5. Yes. Given there are some tips/tricks to help with this.

Can you elaborate on the tips/tricks?

 

[integrator]

Typically the software will say something like - heat 3 gal strike water to 164 deg. This temp is to account for your grain temps at room temps (for example). This typically doesn't account for the MLT temp. If you dump that water into a cold cooler, you will end up under your strike temp - sometimes WAY off. One solution is to preheat the cooler with some 170+ deg water, then dump that water. Then add your grains and strike water.
What I do is heat the amount 0f my needed strike water to 175-180 and add it to the cooler. Let it set a few minutes and check the temp. Stir/fan as needed to get down to your strike water temp. Then add your grains to that water. It saves pre-heating/dumping. Bobby posted this a while back and it works wonders.

 

[cclloyd]

Looking at the target items I'm thinking you can likely do a little better pricewise by shopping around.
1) It's been over a year since I went all grain but I got my burner (Bayou Classic SQ14) delivered for about $75.00 - http://www.bayouclassicdepot.com - try this website for comparison.
2) Go bigger than you think for your cooler - I have a 5 gallon round and it maxes out with about 12 lbs of grain with a 1.25qt/lb ratio. If you can afford it get a 10 gallon or bigger.
3) I make 6 gallon batches with a 10 SS gallon brewpot. I generally start with 7.5 gallons of wort and boil it down to about 6.5 gallons. You will lose some volume to hot break and hop residue unless you dump it all into your fermentor. I use an auto-siphon to rack to the fermentor - no valve on my brew pot. I don't recall where I got it from - it was an online restaurant supply and I believe I got it delivered for about $90.00.
4) I bought a 50ft copper chiller on Ebay from a supplier in NYC (again don't recall the name) but including shipping it was about $70.00. I couldn't build one that size for that money. The ground water here stays about 80F or more in the summer limiting the effectiveness of the chiller but it provides a good start and if you incorporate a pre-chiller you can get the wort down to 60F or below with enough patience.
5) That is correct - there are several free online calculators for figuring the proper strike temp based on ambient temp and water to grain ratio. I use the one at www.greenbayrackers.com
6) I have been brewing for nearly 5 years and making my own recipes for a good portion of that. I personally haven't purchased any SW but I know a lot of forum members have allegiance to one or another and they are a useful tool. Again there are many free ones online you can use until you decide what you like / decide to buy one.
7) I mash in a 5 gallon cooler so I do infusion sparging. I vorlauf and drain the initial mash and then two more fill and drain sessions to get my start volume. With a bigger mashtun you could do the initial mash and collect the remaining volume with a single sparge. Another option is fly sparging - I have never employed this method but I'm sure a search will provide you with all the details you need.
Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope this info helps.

 

[nebben]

Yep on all of that. I wouldn't spend a ton on a burner if you can help it, especially on one brand over another if all other things are equal.

I would recommend a beer helper software, such as beersmith. I think it's about $20, but it offers a lot of cool stuff like calculators, conversion tools, ingredient inventory, style guides, and a ton more. I use it a lot to record each brew's ingredients, calculate mash efficiency, temperatures, gravities, and a few other things. Even when using someone else's recipe, I might change some things around based on my current inventory of grains, slightly different yeast, differing gravities, etc. Each of my brews gets logged so I can always go back and figure out what worked, what didn't and why.

5. : Strike water is exactly what you are thinking it is. Some tips and tricks I've found is that it is always easier to overshoot the temps in the cooler than undershooting. For instance, I might want a mash temp of about 152F. My strike temp might be 166F for the amount of grain I am using. When I add the water to the cooler, I will try to pre-heat it with hot tap water first. Then, I will add 173F water or so without any grain yet. I will stir the water, put on the lid, leave it for a few minutes, then check the water temp then. Depending on how much heat the cooler absorbed, I might be right on where I want to be and dough in right there, or I might just take the lid off and stir for a few minutes to let some heat out until I get to the exact strike temp. If you added your strike water into a room temp cooler and put your grains right in, if you undershoot you will have to try to add hotter water (and how much?) and dilute your mash. I have found that adjusting the temp of the mash in the cooler is much harder than it would seem, and I overshoot more than I would want to.

Beersmith also helps a lot with this. You can customize your mashtun in the software as a 10G cooler, specify its temperature, add the temperature of your grains (prior to dough-in), and it can calculate the temperature of the strike water even with all these variables. Its pretty cool, especially if you store your grains in the refrigerator or in a cold basement or garage, and your mash tun may or may not be pre-heated.

 

[ThePearsonFam]

1. I use the burner from the second hyperlink on my brew stand I built... Works great.
2. What the others said... BUT I noticed you said "PVC"... -- no -- make sure it's CPVC
3. You can certainly use your 5 gallon pot and do a partial boil until you know what you really want. I LOVE my keggle. I bought stainless fittings and had a local welder weld it together. He did the plasma cuts and 3 coupling welds for $40. Well worth it.
4. I use a 25', 3/8 copper coil with ~45degree ground water. Works great. Are there bigger/better ones? yep, but mine works.
5. The tips and tricks are... Preheat the cooler with hot water before starting your mash. Just get water to ~ strike temp, put it into the cooler for 15 minutes while you get set up. Check the temp, if it's still at strike water temp, dough in. If not, adjust the water and dough in. Gets you closer to mash temps... Mix thoroughly to avoid hot spots.
6. BS is well worth the money in my opinion
7. Batch sparge works just fine and is a great solution. You'll have everything you need to fly sparge too. Just heat your water to lauter temps (~168), put it in your bottling bucket, put it higher than your mash tun, drain to the top of your mash tun and out the bottom of your mt into your boil kettle. You already have everything you need... If you have a second cooler, even better, put your sparge water in that instead of the bottling bucket.

 

[espringm]

Okay im a little confused on batch sparging vs. infusion sparding. I'd try and do research right now but im at work and should be doing a report lol. Do I have this right, batch sparging would just be simply after adding the strike water to the grain, let it sit and then drain to be boiled, as opposed to infusion which would be using vorlauf for recirculation and to get some of the grain particles out?

 

[integrator]

You should always vorlauf.
There is batch sparging and fly sparging. Fly involves continuously recirculating the wort. You won't be doing that.
When I batch sparge. I add my strike water for the 60 min. Then I will vorlauf a few quarts. This is to get any husks/material out.
Then I'll drain to my brewpot.
Then I'll add more water, wait a few minutes and drain.
Then I'll do a second rinse like the first one right above.

You are going to lose some of that strike water to the grain as it will be absorbed. You want to add more water to make up for that, and to rinse the grains and get all of that sugary goodness out.