Thinking about AG, but not much room...

[Bulls Beers]

I'm thinking about going all grain after the holidays, but i'm not sure i have the room. I own a two family house, and don't have a garage. I see alot of you guys brewing in your garages with your muti-tier brewing stations.
I guess i could probably brew outside and break it down and store inside. Is there anybody out there, that's short on space and still does all grain? I wish I had the space, i would buy a great setup.

 

[Brewtopia]

I brew all grain in my 492 s.f. condo.

There are a few ways to do it and I've tried them all.

1. Brew back to back 2.5 gallon batches to fill one fermenter. If I do this, I mash in the second batch while the first is boiling. Only adds an extra hour or so to the brewday

2. Brew smaller batches. I can bring 5 gallons to a boil on my electric stove and boil down to 4 gals over the course of an hour.

3. Brew 4 gallons at a higher gravity and water back to 5 gallons to hit your desired O.G. this is what I have been doing lately.

I use a 6 gallon brewpot so I really have to watch closely to prevent boil over until I reach my hot break.

I use a 5 gallon Igloo mash tun that works perfectly for these smaller batches. I did max it out the other day though with 15lbs of grain!

 

[Yooper]

Well, I have a ton of space. But still, I like to brew indoors and I store my stuff in the basement. So maybe some of my ideas will help, maybe not! The biggest piece of equipment you'll have will be the MLT. Mine is big- it's a 10 gallon round igloo cooler. I have a false bottom in it. But like Brewtopia said, you could get a smaller one. I store my brewing stuff in it when I'm not using it- the wort chiller, the short hoses for the chiller, the siphon, etc. If you're planning on brewing inside, you either need a stove that can boil like 7 gallons of wort (plus a big pot) or two 5 gallon pots to split the boil if you're doing full batches. This stuff doesn't really take up much room in my basement.

My brewing "sculpture" consists of a island counter, a bar stool with a back on it, the stove and the floor. You could do the same outside- the MLT on the picnic table, and the kettle on the ground, etc. It's not as nice looking as the brewing sculptures that lots of people have in their garages, but it works ok.

 

[Brewtopia]

Originally posted by YooperBrew
or two 5 gallon pots to split the boil if you're doing full batches.

I wish I could do this on my stove. I have one of those stupid little condo stoves that's 24" wide instead of the standard 30" and only has one large burner (and 3 small ones). I can't even get two pots to fit next to each other

 

[Bulls Beers]

I have a gas stove. The burners crank out flame...

 

[Brewtopia]

Then with a big enough pot Bulls Beers, you should be able to go the Yooper route.

Yes, you too can brew like a Yooper!:rockin:

 

[bradsul]

I live in an apartment and brew all grain. Takes longer to setup and tear down everything on brew day but it's really not a big deal. I use my propane burner on the lawn off my balcony and I mash in the kitchen in the winter (on the balcony in the warm weather).

 

[Yooper]

Yes, you too can brew like a Yooper!:rockin:

Oooh, I think I have a new signature!!!!! Now, I'll have to wear my sorrels and union suit when I brew and say "Yeah der hey you betcha doncha know".

 

[Brewtopia]

Originally posted by YooperBrew
Now, I'll have to wear my sorrels and union suit when I brew and say "Yeah der hey you betcha doncha know".

ROFLMAO!
...and I think I now have a new signature.

 

[BooneDocks]

Here is a method that would reduce equipment and space:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/photo-album-australian-method-brew-bag-133667/

 

[carnevoodoo]

My old set up was a 48 qt. cooler, a sq-14 burner, a 10 gallon pot, and a 7 gallon pot I'd heat more water up in for sparging. If I put the cooler on top of the burner and the pot on top of that, I took up a small corner. Of course, I have a TON of other brewing equipment, but that was all I needed for my all grain setup.

 

[weirdboy]

I live in an apartment and brew all grain. Takes longer to setup and tear down everything on brew day but it's really not a big deal. I use my propane burner on the lawn off my balcony and I mash in the kitchen in the winter (on the balcony in the warm weather).

I do almost this, only I don't have a lawn and brew with a propane burner on the patio about 50% of the time. The other 50% is on the kitchen stove either with full mash tun on the dining room table, or BIAB all on the stove.

 

[jackson_d]

you dont at all need the 3 tier system.

1 10 gallon converted cooler MLT

1 30qt (7.5 gallon) Brew Pot

1 Immersion Chiller (you dont even 'really' need this if you can fit the brew pot in a sink full of ice water)

2-3 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot for strike and sparge water and to hold the runnings from the MLT


thats it dude. like Yooper said, I use and old end table and a stool to put stuff like the MLT and the buckets and the siphon and thermometer and ingredients on, etc...