Researching for first AG batch

[CervezaMaLa]

After 6 extract batches (and subsequent DIY wort chiller and keezer buildout), I've decided I can't wait any longer to give AG a try. I've looked at partial mash and BIAB, but decided I wanted to start getting acquainted with all grain and start learning the lessons.

Unfortunately I'm temporarily stuck in an apartment now (military assigned in DC area) and my stove can only get about 4 gallons boiling. My thought process is to brew 3-gallon batches using all of my 5-gallon equipment (maybe adding a 3-gallon BB if I want to secondary).

I converted a 5-gallon rectangular cooler into a MLT with FlyGuy's great tutorial. I have the iBrewMaster2 app to scale the recipes (but still pitching a full smack pack or packet of yeast).

I'm thinking that 3-gallon batches will allow me to continue to cook on my stovetop, while learning lessons to apply for when I have room for larger batches. It should also allow me to brew more often, and at less cost, in order to try different things and learn more.

So, the point of this post is to 1)thank FlyGuy for the great tutorial, 2)thank this forum for kicking epic ass, and 3)see if I'm totally forgetting something...would love to learn from all of you out there.

Thanks.

 

[eluterio]

Sounds like your on your way to brewing great beer AG style! If you think your stove could handle 2 3 gallons batches why not mash 6 gallons and you can boil 2 3 gallons of same base wort but use 2 different hops variations/yeast or all the same.. Just a thought

 

[C-Rider]

I do 2 gallon batches in HD 2 gallon paint buckets. Love the variety of brew in my fridge. I get 17-18 bottles a brew.

 

[harebearva]

I do 2.5 gallon all grain BIAB batches on the stove top all in a 16qt pot. I'm getting about 75-80% efficiency on average. I made a false bottom out of an aluminum cake pan and a few short screws to keep the bag off the bottom and it has worked very well for me. I too am in cramped quarters, I bought a 3 gallon better bottle for about $22. They are great for a lot of reasons. Light, thin, you can hide them anywhere. Also they have an elevated center point in the bottom to minimize excess yeast and trub during siphoning.

Anyway, I get about a case per batch. My trick for BIAB is to drain the bag then transfer it to a colander over another pot and rinse the grains with my top off water (heated to 165). That gets me about another gallon of 1.025 wort. All in all it's definitely possible to brew great beer on the stove top. Hope this helps.

 

[Odin_Brews]

I bought an 'electric water bath canner' from weck for about 150$ and use that as my boil kettle for 5 gallon in my little apartment. If you want to invest some money and do 5 gallon batches that could be an option.

 

[CervezaMaLa]

Thanks. I've never heard of an electric canner...just checked it out on google. That would definitely be a good option if I was going to be in an apartment for a longer time. Once the Army tells me to move in a year or two, I hope to be in a location where I can boil outside. My small batch brewing now and cost 'savings' will help me figure out what my next rig will be and will help justify the cost of something nicer in the future (as if I'm not spending too much money now).

 

[CervezaMaLa]

I do 2.5 gallon all grain BIAB batches on the stove top all in a 16qt pot. I'm getting about 75-80% efficiency on average. I made a false bottom out of an aluminum cake pan and a few short screws to keep the bag off the bottom and it has worked very well for me. I too am in cramped quarters, I bought a 3 gallon better bottle for about $22. They are great for a lot of reasons. Light, thin, you can hide them anywhere. Also they have an elevated center point in the bottom to minimize excess yeast and trub during siphoning.

Anyway, I get about a case per batch. My trick for BIAB is to drain the bag then transfer it to a colander over another pot and rinse the grains with my top off water (heated to 165). That gets me about another gallon of 1.025 wort. All in all it's definitely possible to brew great beer on the stove top. Hope this helps.

Thanks. I'll probably end up giving BIAB a try just for the experience. My thought was to do small batch AG so I can get some experience with that in anticipation of moving to 5 or 10 gallon batches AG once I move and have an outdoor space.

Is the false bottom just so the bag doesn't get burned?

Good feedback on the 3-gallon BB. Thanks

 

[NTexBrewer]

Just as in Extract brewing you can always add top off water to the fermenter so being able to boil 4 gallons of wort should not limit you to only 3 gallons batches if you are brewing normal gravity beers.

This is what I did with my first BIAB 5 gallon batch.

I have a 7.5 gallon pot. Filled pot with 5.5 gallons of water and using BIAB method mashed 10.5 lbs of grains. I probably had about 1.5" of head space in the pot while mashing. I use a round metal trivet in the bottom of my pot to keep the grain bag off the bottom. With water absorption I ended up with about 4.75 gallons of wort. I have a wire probe thermometer so I put the probe in the wort and put a lid on the pot while getting the temperature up to boil. At around 208 degrees I remove the lid to prevent a boil over.

This recipe was a 90 minute boil so I boiled off almost a gallon. Chilled wort, transferred to bucket and topped off to 5 gallon mark. Aerated, pitched yeast and then transferred to 6.5 gallon carboy for fermentation.

My OG was 1.055 for a Brewhouse efficiency of 71%. I brewed this beer last Friday so can't give anymore info that this.

 

[eluterio]

Just as in Extract brewing you can always add top off water to the fermenter so being able to boil 4 gallons of wort should not limit you to only 3 gallons batches if you are brewing normal gravity beers.

This is what I did with my first BIAB 5 gallon batch.

I have a 7.5 gallon pot. Filled pot with 5.5 gallons of water and using BIAB method mashed 10.5 lbs of grains. I probably had about 1.5" of head space in the pot while mashing. I use a round metal trivet in the bottom of my pot to keep the grain bag off the bottom. With water absorption I ended up with about 4.75 gallons of wort. I have a wire probe thermometer so I put the probe in the wort and put a lid on the pot while getting the temperature up to boil. At around 208 degrees I remove the lid to prevent a boil over.

This recipe was a 90 minute boil so I boiled off almost a gallon. Chilled wort, transferred to bucket and topped off to 5 gallon mark. Aerated, pitched yeast and then transferred to 6.5 gallon carboy for fermentation.

My OG was 1.055 for a Brewhouse efficiency of 71%. I brewed this beer last Friday so can't give anymore info that this.

Was that your OG before you added top off water?

 

[harebearva]

Yes my false bottom allows me to do step mashes and temp adjustment without fear of burning the bag.

 

[NTexBrewer]

Was that your OG before you added top off water?

After, that was the Gravity in the Fermenter at 5 gallons.