Thinking of switching over to AG

[Schlomo]

So i've just gotten into the hobby and love it. I've been trying to figure out what i would need to do an all grain batch, and wanted your input on what i would need to do so. I've got 2 5-gal brew pots, one i use on my induction cooktop for quicker boils. I started with a beginner kit for Adventures in homebrewing with a few buckets, a carboy, hydrometer, auto siphon, airlock, etc, the basics.

My question is, what do you guys think i would need to do AG? I'm in an apartment so im not planning on doing it all the time, but i wanted to try a batch or two and see how it turned out. Im assuming all i would need is a mash tun. I've seen those range in price from DIY ~60 to buying premade ~100+. I'm more of a DIY'er if it attributes to a lower cost. I've got a chest freezer in the process of becoming a keezer, the conversion should be done tomorrow. Also procured a few things for a better yeast starter, so hopefully that will help for better quality beer and fermentation.

Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Schlomo

 

[Rbeckett]

Making the switch to AG is fairly straight forward. Depending on you final batch size you should use a mash tun that is twice what you plan to ferment at a time. So a five gallon batch would work best in a 10 gallon tun. That will give you plenty of room to stir and rinse the grain properly. I would also look into getting a kettle capable of holding the full volume of your batch, plus any extra volume for boil off and handling. so a 10 Gallon Boil kettle would be nice too. If you look diligently on the net, you often find a deal like I did on a 12 gallon kettle for 35 bucks delivered. Or a Rubbermaid 10 gallon cooler with a misprinted logo for 1/2 off retail. Getting into AG can be as cheap or as expensive as you allow it to be. If youre like me and on a shoe string budget you can build a very nice system for a very reasonable amount of money if you are patient and willing to look for the deals on Craigslist, Ebay, and the local flea markets and classified ads. Once I made the switch I will never go back to extract kits again.
Wheelchair Bob

 

[Rev2010]

Well if your largest pots are 5 gallons I'd say if you plan on doing 5 gallon batches you'll need one bigger pot. I do 5 gallon batches and my brew kettle is a 10 gallon Blichmann and my sparge pot is a 5 gallon one which does just fine. If you're doing smaller batches then you're set with kettles and yeah, you'll just need a mash tun with ball valve and bazooka screen, braid, or false bottom.


Rev.

 

[BMGfan]

So i've just gotten into the hobby and love it. I've been trying to figure out what i would need to do an all grain batch, and wanted your input on what i would need to do so. I've got 2 5-gal brew pots, one i use on my induction cooktop for quicker boils. I started with a beginner kit for Adventures in homebrewing with a few buckets, a carboy, hydrometer, auto siphon, airlock, etc, the basics.

My question is, what do you guys think i would need to do AG? I'm in an apartment so im not planning on doing it all the time, but i wanted to try a batch or two and see how it turned out. Im assuming all i would need is a mash tun. I've seen those range in price from DIY ~60 to buying premade ~100+. I'm more of a DIY'er if it attributes to a lower cost. I've got a chest freezer in the process of becoming a keezer, the conversion should be done tomorrow. Also procured a few things for a better yeast starter, so hopefully that will help for better quality beer and fermentation.

Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Schlomo

Depends what batch size you want to do

I can't boil a full volume either, I also live in an apartment. But I didn't let that stop me, I just did my first all grain batch (1 gallon) with a $4 grain bag (reusable), and a $2 2 gallon, unmodified in any way, cooler.

Seriously, don't let it stop you

 

[C-Rider]

All you need to do is buy a 5 gallon round cooler and a paint strainer bag from Home Depot. You can do 4 gallon mashing in the bag in the cooler and boil that down to say 3 gallons in your 5 gallon boiler. Easy indoor BIAB, small batches mean lots of different brews to choose from instead of 50 bottles of the same stuff. Also means you'll have to brew more often which will give you a chance to perfect your methods. I generally do 1.75 gallon batches fermented in 2 gallon paint buckets from HD and get about 16 bottles per brew. See video at

 

[daksin]

You don't even need the cooler. I have one 7.5 gallon aluminum turkey frying pot, and one 8 gallon aluminum stock pot. Usually, I'll mash in the smaller pot (lined with a fine mesh bag), squeeze the bag, then batch sparge in the larger pot with the hot sparge water already in it. That's sort of a hybrid BIAB, but it doesn't require you to buy a cooler. With two five gallon pots, as long as you're doing the batch sparge, you should be able to mash 12lb grain bills, but you wouldn't be able to boil all the wort you generate in one pot. I suppose you could mix your first and second runnings as best you could then boil in both pots separately to get enough for a five gallon batch.

Otherwise, you have EVERYTHING you need to do 2.5 gallon batches already!

 

[Trokair]

I went to AG on my last batch with a 6 gallon and a 4 gallon pot doing Brew In A Bag. Making 5 gallon batches I got 78% efficiancy. It was a total mess because the 4 gallon pot was not large enough. I suggest getting a 6 gallon or larger pot for your mash then use the 5 gallon to sparge. If I had the right size pots then I think I would have gotten close to 80%. I just ordered an eight gallon pot to use for the mash then I will sparge the bag in the 6 gallon pot then combine and boil. Much easier then I thought the process would be.

 

[Denny]

So i've just gotten into the hobby and love it. I've been trying to figure out what i would need to do an all grain batch, and wanted your input on what i would need to do so. I've got 2 5-gal brew pots, one i use on my induction cooktop for quicker boils. I started with a beginner kit for Adventures in homebrewing with a few buckets, a carboy, hydrometer, auto siphon, airlock, etc, the basics.

My question is, what do you guys think i would need to do AG? I'm in an apartment so im not planning on doing it all the time, but i wanted to try a batch or two and see how it turned out. Im assuming all i would need is a mash tun. I've seen those range in price from DIY ~60 to buying premade ~100+. I'm more of a DIY'er if it attributes to a lower cost. I've got a chest freezer in the process of becoming a keezer, the conversion should be done tomorrow. Also procured a few things for a better yeast starter, so hopefully that will help for better quality beer and fermentation.

Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Schlomo

Take a look at www.dennybrew.com for the Cheap'n'Easy system. I've used it for nearly 15 years and 429 batches.

 

[chuckstout]

Do It!

 

[jakenbacon]

Hey man, I know there are a lot of different opinions on HOW you should switch, and I know that's what your after, but no matter what you choose, DO IT! My favorite part of brewin AG is the price, it is so much cheaper for me, so therefore I brew more, honing my skills. I imagine that's the case with most folks. Have fun -Jake

 

[Vendrixfly]

All of these suggestions are good and will work, but in my opinion, go for a 10-15 gallon pot and do full volume BIAB. In an apartment setting space and "cleaning space" is paramount: You don't have the space to set up a mash tun or clean multiple vessels (think of a small bathtub as the mess sink) and don't want to sacrifice the extra time it takes to manage all those steps, so one solid vessel that can do it all is what makes sense here.

Get yourself a 10-15 gal pot (I use a Bayou Classic 11gal and it works beautifully). Split it between two stovetop burners and heat up your total water, mash in the pot with a bag (BIAB style), mash-out your grains, pull the bag out and drain it in one of your other pots (or into the same pot), add the run-off to your big pot for the boil, additions, chill in the same pot, transfer into a fermenter, pitch the yeast.

It doesn't get any simpler than that, and I've been able to hit 80% efficiency consistently with a fine grain crush. For apartment brewing full volume BIAB is where it's at. Less cleaning and space needed, and full quality all-grain beer It's a small investment getting the pot to fit the style, but if you ever want to upgrade to a 2 or 3 step all-grain method you have the boil kettle waiting for ya.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I started my extract life with a 7.5 gallon turkey fryer pot. They usually go on sale just after thanksgiving if you're willing to wait a few weeks. I did 5 gallon batches, part boil and top off. You *can* do a full boil but the headspace makes it liable to boilovers easily. Indoors the limiting factor is usually how much wort your stove will boil. My ceramic electric stove wil boil 4 gallons(barely) in about 60 minutes.