Switching to All Grain and need advice on equipment!

[HOPtuary]

I've got 2 of these that I need to sell now that I've gone full electric. Any interest in them? You'd need a stand to mount them to or something, but let me know. Wish you'd seen my post about getting rid of some old equipment

I have a lead on a couple bayuo burners but if that falls thru ill let ya know.

 

[HOPtuary]

Do you guys recommend using braided tubing?

 

[LandoLincoln]

Do you guys recommend using braided tubing?

Like, braided hose for transferring wort from vessel to vessel?

Braided silicon hose is very nice, but it's mondo pricey. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have some serious extra cash laying around. I would recommend 1/2" inside diameter thick wall (1/4") clear silicon hose instead.

If you're asking about a braided SS tube for use in lieu of a MLT false bottom or a manifold...personally I do not recommend them. There are a lot of threads that contain the phrase "stuck sparge" and "braided hose" for a reason. I started out with a braided SS hose and after a few stuck sparges I got rid of it and built a manifold out of CPVC tubing and haven't had a stuck sparge since.

 

[HOPtuary]

Thick wall tubing it is then. What are your thoughts on bazookas? Do you have a pic handy of you pvc setup?

 

[LandoLincoln]

Thick wall tubing it is then. What are your thoughts on bazookas? Do you have a pic handy of you pvc setup?

Bazooka screens for mash tuns are the same problem. I don't recommend them.

I don't have a handy pic of my big MLT manifold, but here is a pic of my little 5 gallon manifold.

The only pieces that are glued together are the 90° street elbow that's sitting on top of the manifold that hooks up to the silicon tubing, a stubby straight piece that is connected to the street elbow, and the T that connects to the stubby piece.

All other pieces are just fitted together snugly and can be disassembled for cleaning.

I drilled lots of little (~3/32") holes in two rows on each of the straight pieces of tubing. The two rows sit about 15° away from the bottom of the pipes.

 

[HOPtuary]

Nice. I like the set up. Looks like 1/2" pvc. How did you connect the pvc to the back of the valve?

 

[rgauthier20420]

Nice. I like the set up. Looks like 1/2" pvc. How did you connect the pvc to the back of the valve?

You'd use a barb fitting screwed into the nipple that goes through the cooler. Either female or male pipe thread depending on your setup.

 

[opiate82]

I took a small copper tube, drilled it and put it inside a steel-braided hose. Works great. I crush fine at .030 and I haven't had a stuck sparge yet. Last three batches have each been exactly 84% efficiency.

 

[jflongo]

I have used SS Braided Hose for quite a few All Grain Brews now, and have never had a stuck sparge. That is why I use a T in my cooler.

 

[HOPtuary]

I'm going to give that a shot. You guys use ss or brass fittings?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[jflongo]

I'm going to give that a shot. You guys use ss or brass fittings?

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I always use SS if I can get it. If not lead free brass.

I buy most of my stuff from here now.

http://brewhardware.com/

 

[01TRV]

take a look at a metal braid(eg bazooka screen or water hose) instead of a false bottom. i've found i get better efficiency with the braid. it is also much cheaper.

I don't use any false bottoms and don't have any complaints. SS braid in my 10 gal cooler and a hops spider in the keggle. I have a false bottom that came with one of my keggles and it did nothing to stop the hops pellet sludge from plugging up the dip tube. Like $20 to build a decent hops spider

So basically I should grab all of it. Would having three burners be a benefit? All of this will be costing me about $275 which i think is a great deal and all i will need is to get a couple false bottom and valve set ups(why are they so damn expensive!!!)

I still only have 1 burner, a second would definitely be nice. A third though, probably no use if you are mashing in a cooler. I want to build a stand eventually, but right now I get along just fine lifting my 5 gallon batches for transferring to the fermenter.

I took a small copper tube, drilled it and put it inside a steel-braided hose. Works great. I crush fine at .030 and I haven't had a stuck sparge yet. Last three batches have each been exactly 84% efficiency.

This is my plan if I ever run into stuck sparge issues, but so far I have had no problems. Probably just use some scrap copper from one of my chiller builds.

 

[HOPtuary]

Nice so the spider is just a strainer while putting the wort into the BK. I just bought two new 50qt coolers from walmart for $30 a piece. The guy on craigslist is asking for a fortune for his 6 yr old gear. I think im going to just buy two new banjo burners and a 10 gallon kettle new. And the scrap up some valves as i go. Unless anyone reading this threat has any used burners, valves or 10 kettles that you like to sell. Thanks again for eveyones help.

 

[HOPtuary]

Is a keggle a good way to go or too expensive?

 

[01TRV]

The hops spider uses a nylon bag to contain the hops during the boil. Check the DIY section for examples. Many use an insinkerator flange a hose clamp and a few threaded rods.

Keggles can be bought fairly cheap. I want to say I spent like 125 on the one I bought used that already had the ball valve and temp probe/fluid level tube. 15 gal stainless pots are like double that new.

 

[01TRV]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyz_zT_glDM

http://www.biab-brewing.com/


You could give this method a try, costs $30 for a custom sized bad to fit you cooler...

 

[rgauthier20420]

Is a keggle a good way to go or too expensive?

A great way to go. Just need to modify it. I had a guy that was selling an unmodified one. Let me know and I can put you in touch with him.

 

[HOPtuary]

I'd definitely be up for going that way as long as the top is cut off. Be much easier for me

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[augiedoggy]

I use a modified bazooka tube in that it have a smaller diameter, finer screen tube inside of it to catch anything that gets by the main screen...works great, never a hint of a stuck sparge and I use $20 12v dc food grade pumps which are amall in size so keeping the grain out of the pumps is important.I went electric but if you are looking for a propane burner I suggest checking out amazon....
I bought a brand new bayou classic burner for $35 shipped because the box was damaged.
and I bought a 10gallon igloo beverage cooler thaere new for $38...... tall narrow coolers work better than regular rectangle ones I have tried both as well as trying to make high gravity beers with a 5 gallon igloo... disaster( which ended with me using my oven to mash pots of grain in a decoction style and the belgian triple came out great)

 

[HOPtuary]

Did you pick that smaller screen up at a home depot or something? Im looking at the Banyou Classic burners on amazon and I came across this setup
http://www.ebay.com/itm/King-Kooker...066&&clkid=5479831408867139474&_qi=RTM1562572
looks like an interesting set up and if i can get it for cheap i may go for it. Reviews on amazon are decent. Thoughts?

 

[mredge73]

Did you pick that smaller screen up at a home depot or something? Im looking at the Banyou Classic burners on amazon and I came across this setup
http://www.ebay.com/itm/King-Kooker...066&&clkid=5479831408867139474&_qi=RTM1562572
looks like an interesting set up and if i can get it for cheap i may go for it. Reviews on amazon are decent. Thoughts?

I use the king cooker for my 2 vessel, 1 pump, 10gallon setup.
Bought it for under $150; check Sams and Walmart online.
Because I use Keggles, I had to raise the second burner. I just used some cinder blocks that I had laying around. Mash tun on the top, boil kettle doubles as a HLT. RIMS system to control Mash temp.
Jet burners are inefficient but very effective; I can reach a boil very quickly. These are used for Crawfish boiling in Louisiana and South East Texas where reaching a boil quickly is very important.

Here is a picture of the system working (Mash).
I circulate through the RIMS to minimize heat loss; but looking into getting one of these soon to possibly eliminate this:
http://www.keg-skins.com/shop/

Strike water is heated directly on the top burner for mashing in, sparge water is heated in the boil kettle.
First runnings are pulled into a bucket and the sparge water (I batch sparge) is pumped from the BK to the Mash tun.
Then I dump the first runnings into the BK and drain the mash tun into the BK. Makes for a simple compact system.

 

[HOPtuary]

You find it sturdy?

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[mredge73]

It is sturdy and fairly light weight out of the box.
My modifications added a bunch of weight with the cinder blocks and the plywood instrument panel keeps it square.
The keggle on top isn't super sturdy; a flat bottom kettle would work better on the top burner.

 

[HOPtuary]

Thanks for the reply. I am just getting started and I just got two 12.5 gal Coleman extreme coolers to use and MLT and HLT and am looking to a kettle or keggle for my BK. Im wondering if i can get this cheap if i just do it and then eventually change my HLT to a kettle or keggle in the future. Or should i just get one Bayou burner? Thought?

 

[jflongo]

Thanks for the reply. I am just getting started and I just got two 12.5 gal Coleman extreme coolers to use and MLT and HLT and am looking to a kettle or keggle for my BK. Im wondering if i can get this cheap if i just do it and then eventually change my HLT to a kettle or keggle in the future. Or should i just get one Bayou burner? Thought?

Are you planning on using the 5 gallon pot you talked about to heat up the strike water? If so, then get two.

As far as prices, my boil kettle, I bought a Keggle of craigslist that already had the top cut for $50, and converted that in a BK using weldless fittings. I then bought another recently for about $35, and cut the top off myself, then had this one tig welded, for my HLT.

 

[HOPtuary]

im going to try and get either a 10 or 15 gal kettle or a keggle and my BK. But for now all that has been purchased are the 2 12.5 gal Coleman Xtreme coolers for the MLT and HLT. I cant seem to find and good deals up in the Chicago area for keggles

 

[jflongo]

im going to try and get either a 10 or 15 kettle or a keggle and my BK. But for now all that has been purchased are the 2 12.5 gal Coleman Xtreme coolers for the MLT and HLT. I cant seem to find and good deals up in the Chicago area for keggles

You have to be patient, sometimes people want $100 for keggles, and sometimes $40, just a matter of timing. Sometimes you can find a good deal on a keggle with a valve and more in it at times. I would just say watch craigslist everyday and brew with what you have, and upgrade slowly. That is what I did. I bought a SS 7.5 Gallon Pot from a store on sale for $39.99 and used that for a long time, then finally found a good deal on a keggle.

Here is how I started with all grain

5 gallon pot HLT -> 5 gallon Igloo Cooler -> 5 gallon BK for months
5 gallon pot HLT -> 50 quart coleman -> 7.5 gallon BK for months
7.5 gallon pot HLT -> 50 quart coleman -> 15.5 gallon keggle BK for months

next brew

15.5 gallon keggle HLT -> 50 quart coleman -> 15.5 gallon keggle BK.

eventually the 50 quart I'm going to move to a 70 or 75 quart.

But as you can see this has been a slow progression for me, you may need to do the same, or maybe you'll find a sweet deal. Cheers.

 

[rgauthier20420]

im going to try and get either a 10 or 15 gal kettle or a keggle and my BK. But for now all that has been purchased are the 2 12.5 gal Coleman Xtreme coolers for the MLT and HLT. I cant seem to find and good deals up in the Chicago area for keggles

Just PMed you the keggle contact info.

 

[HOPtuary]

PMed you back. Thanks for the lead on the hook up. Waiting to hear back.

 

[mredge73]

Thanks for the reply. I am just getting started and I just got two 12.5 gal Coleman extreme coolers to use and MLT and HLT and am looking to a kettle or keggle for my BK. Im wondering if i can get this cheap if i just do it and then eventually change my HLT to a kettle or keggle in the future. Or should i just get one Bayou burner? Thought?

How will you heat the water that is in the HLT? Handling hot water without a pump is no fun at all.

Anyway, you need to decide how many pumps and vessels you want.
Flat 3 vessel system needs 2 pumps.
2-tier needs 1 pump.
3-tier does not need a pump, completely gravity fed.

So if I wanted a cheap start in all grain and had a few coolers lying around, I would build a 3 tier stand out of wood. One burner on the ground with a 15 gallon BK to give me the ability to do 10 gallon batches in the future. You may already have a burner and BK that you used for your extract batches, that should give you a start. You will need to add valves to the hlt and mash tun (~$25 each). The mash tun will need a manifold/false bottom, price if variable on what you want. Get 20' of silicon tubing and camlock fittings to transfer wort (~$50-$75). You will need an immersion cooler to cool the wort before dumping the kettle into the fermentor. And that is all you really need to get started.

I have found that if you plan to make upgrades in the future, you are better off going big now. I have a bunch of stuff just hanging around that I don't use anymore due to upgrades. It would have saved more money and time if I would have just skipped the curiosity phase of BIAB and extract brewing and just jumped in feet first.