Should I go AG?

[Fid]

So I've gotten pretty damn comfortable with extract/partial mash brewing and I'm super tempted to go AG... I live in an apartment however so my space is very limited and I can't really afford to have much more real estate eaten up by my brewery. I came across DeathBrewer's post on easy AG brewing and I'm tempted.... (

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-stovetop-all-grain-brewing-pics-90132/ )


I received a gift certificate for a LHBS worth 100 bones and I'm battling with myself to decide whether to invest it into some equipment to go AG (I.E. A second 5 gallon pot) or if maybe I'd be better served buying an extra keg and carboy....

Any suggestions from those of you who've made the leap? Is it worth the (albeit small) investment of going AG this way or should I just keep rolling with extract brews until I can afford (both in terms of finances and space) to build a proper AG set up...and of course by proper I mean an IGLOO cooler turned mash tun...

 

[Golddiggie]

I would get the hardware to allow you to go all grain.

I wouldn't go with just a 5 gallon pot, unless you already have an 8-10 gallon pot. Unless you're going with grain bills no larger than 10-11# at least.

I did BIAB with my 32 quart pot (not converted into a kettle) along with a 20 quart pot. While BIAB is a cheaper way to get into all grain brewing, it does have it's flaws. For one thing, mash temperature control can be an issue. Mashing with enough water so that your sparge water doesn't over flow that 20 quart pot is another. Then there's transferring the grain bag from one pot to the other.

Don't get me wrong, I did several batches that way. But now I have a cooler converted into a mash tun and loving it. I converted my 70 quart Coleman Xtreme cooler into my mash tun. I can now mash up to about 45# of grain at one time. Since I've also installed a ball valve into my pot, making it a kettle, things are far easier too.

So, if you have a decent sized cooler (at least a 10 gallon cooler) and are pretty handy, convert it into a mash tun. You could do it for as little as about $50... I spent a little more on mine but that was my choice.

I would advise getting at least a 32-40 quart kettle though. Having a pot that you'll be able to heat up your sparge water in too, will be very helpful. In my last brew, I used the cooler, kettle, and 20 qt SS pot... I heated up the mash water in the kettle, mashed in the cooler/MT, and heated up the sparge water in the 20qt pot... I drained the mash into the kettle, as well as the sparge water into the kettle before getting that up to a boil.

I would advise testing your stove. If you can't get 7 gallons of water up to a boil in a decent amount of time, you'll probably want to explore other options for doing so. My stove sucks for getting 6+ gallons up to a boil, and holding it at a boil. I've since started using a propane burner. SO much better. I know plenty of people use heat sticks too, it all depends on what you want to use. But you have options.

While you can get solid brews form extract, and better ones from partial mashes, until you go all grain you won't be in complete control over what goes into your wort. Plus, you'll have a tighter control over the actual color of the brew, and how much body it has. Things you just can't really do with extract batches.

Bottom line, if you're leaning towards getting the gear to go all grain, I say just do it... Even if you use the BIAB method as an interim step before getting more dedicated hardware for it... Oh and the amount of space the additional hardware takes up isn't really all that much... If you already have one pot, you can either nest it into a larger one, or stack them. There's plenty of places to keep a cooler/mash tun too...

 

[arturo7]

Do it

You can make great beer with extract.

But mashing is where you take control.

 

[Zamial]

What would you get at the LHBS for 100 bones for doing AG? The reason I ask is because you can probably DIY for WAY less than that if you get the stuff needed else where. Save your bones for ingredients, IMO.

MLT: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/

Grain mill: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/using-pasta-maker-mill-grain-75784/

a bigger pot: Craigs list "Turkey Fryer" I bet there is one nearer to you than you think...for dirt cheap.

I have a 5 gallon and 10 gallon Rubbermaid MLT and love them both. If I was limited on space I would seriously suggest a 5 gallon round MLT. It has a small footprint and may even be able to be stored inside a turkey fryer pot.

I also just finished my grain mill build and it worked brilliantly.

You can always keep using the pots you have and do a split boil. (Split boils are just how they sound with 1/2 the wort in 1 pot and 1/2 in another.) It takes a bit more work with hop additions and such but I did it for quite a few batches before going to a keggle system. I found that as my needs grew, so did my brewery and looking back I am glad I did not drop a bundle on pots...

 

[mjohnson]

Don't forget that you don't need to do 5 gallon batches. Make the size batch that your current stuff allows you to.

For example, I have a 5 gallon pressure canner that I use for a boil kettle. O have a 3 gallon stock/soup pot too. With those I make 2.5 gallon batches without splitting boils up. In fact I've been mashing in the stock pot and maintaining the temps with the oven.

 

[tekknoschtev]

If you give BIAB a whirl, the cost to move to all grain from extract is about $10 ($5 for a curtain and $5 to bribe my sister into letting me use her sewing machine). Of course, since then, I've bought a corona mill ($20), erlenmeyer flask ($18), and a few other odds and ends that I previously didn't need.

My suggestion would be to give BIAB a shot and spend the $$$ on bulk grain. $100 (for me) bought two 50lb sacks of 2-row and about 20 odd pounds of other miscellaneous grains. It's nice walking into the brew closet and saying "What am I going to brew today?" instead of asking that same question, and then taking an hour to get to and from the shop with those ingredients. Seriously, BIAB buying grain in bulk changed how I view brewing. Before it was a fun novelty that I did every once in a while just for fun. Now, its an addiction, a science, and an enjoyable pass time - though this could largely be due to coincidence

But, despite BIAB being inexpensive, I still have temptations for making a nice brew rig some day, with all kinds of crazy bells and whistles that I currently don't have - mostly for consistency and being able to control the brew.

 

[Teromous]

I would suggest going with a kettle larger than 5gal. Another tip for space saving is to nest one thing into another...if it will fit. Honestly though, this hobby just keeps getting bigger no matter how much you fight it. Pretty soon you'll be asking us how to make the smallest possible fermentation chamber to do lagers in

 

[Fid]

Thanks for the suggestions everybody. I desperately want to go stock my brew closet full of grains so I don't have to run to the brew shop constantly, I really think that's my biggest attraction to AG right now. I'm probably gonna keep it on the back burner for a little longer though...
And Teromous, with regards to the ferm chamber....

That's what this is for when I've drank all of its contents

 

[blackalice82]

Do it!
Good luck!

 

[Mongrel]

Thanks for the suggestions everybody. I desperately want to go stock my brew closet full of grains so I don't have to run to the brew shop constantly, I really think that's my biggest attraction to AG right now.

I prefer that my LHBS will hold whatever remains of my 50 lb bags of 2 row. It's almost a 30 mile drive too. But, I go in recipe in hand, weigh my grains, mill them, and when I get to the register the subtract my bulk purchase before totaling the bill for the day. I don't have to buy a mill, I don't have to worry about the rabid chipmunks getting into the bins, and I have to make that drive at least once a week whether or not I'm buying grains.

Still, go all grain. More control over the final product, and lots of spent grain for bread, dog treats, crackers, chicken feed (ok, so I don't have the chickens yet) make it worth it.