Third All-Grain Brew

[jphalabuk]

Hi all. This is a great place for information and encouragement. A few weeks ago I brewed my first all-grain batch, and it went great. This weekend I did my third, and I think I have settled into a routine.
This one was an American Wheat beer. After my first brew, which was done on my patio using tables and chairs and stools to set everything up, I built a simple two-tier brewstand (my burner sits directly on the ground, so it all functions as a three-tier), and that made a huge difference. The weather has been great here in Northern VA, so I have really enjoyed brewing outside.
I should have made this switch years ago...for me, an all-grain brew takes about 5 hours including clean-up, but two hours of that are pretty relaxed (the mash and the boil).
My only limitation-and this could be my own hangup-is water. When I brewed in my kitchen, it was easy to fill kettles and buckets and stuff from the sink. Now that I am brewing outside, I don't feel right about using water from the spigot, so I have to fill my kettles and stuff in my kitchen and carry it down a flight of stairs into my basement and out onto the patio. Five gallons of water in a stainless 10-gallon kettle is heavy!

 

[b-boy]

Now that I am brewing outside, I don't feel right about using water from the spigot, so I have to fill my kettles and stuff in my kitchen and carry it down a flight of stairs into my basement and out onto the patio. Five gallons of water in a stainless 10-gallon kettle is heavy!

Get yourself an RV hose. They are designed to carry drinking water. Use that instead of a regular hose. Add an RV water filter and you're good to go.

 

[Staestc]

Post of picture of your two tiered stand please. I am going to build something, but have not decided what. If your burner is on the ground, and you using it for both HLT and Kettle in the same location? Am curious to see how you are setting it all up.

 

[wilserbrewer]

The water from an outside spigot is the same water as your kitchen water.

I would use it and not carry water down the stairs from your kitchen. Perhaps run the faucet for a few minutes prior to brewing to flush the line...but it is no different than other water in the building???

As said above, an RV hose might be helpful, but the water is the water...

Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[jphalabuk]

Here it is-it took 3 or 4 hours to build and seems to work just fine for me.

 

[vsanchez949]

Here it is-it took 3 or 4 hours to build and seems to work just fine for me.

Looks nice! I think I might do that, beats using tables and crates, probably pretty cheap too! Good work 👌



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[vsanchez949]

Looks nice! I think I might do that, beats using tables and crates, probably pretty cheap too! Good work



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[Staestc]

Yeah, it looks great! How are you heating the water in the HLT?

 

[ndinh]

I use to carry buckets of water, but the distance was only about 12 feet or so. Still, it was a pain to run back and forth mulitple times. I got a $20 water filter system at HD, a NPT to garden hose adapter and a RV water hose from wallymart. Now I just use the outside water and fill my BK directly. Much quicker, hardly any work. The beer tastes the same if not better than before. It's so worth the money.

 

[helibrewer]

Add a March/Chugger pump and you can pump the hot water from your kettle up into the HLT.

Heat the mash water, pump into the mash tun, refill the kettle and heat the sparge water to fill the HLT for lautering.

 

[jphalabuk]

Yeah, it looks great! How are you heating the water in the HLT?

I use the kettle, then pour it in the HLT, then lift the cooler to the higher shelf.

 

[jphalabuk]

I use to carry buckets of water, but the distance was only about 12 feet or so. Still, it was a pain to run back and forth mulitple times. I got a $20 water filter system at HD, a NPT to garden hose adapter and a RV water hose from wallymart. Now I just use the outside water and fill my BK directly. Much quicker, hardly any work. The beer tastes the same if not better than before. It's so worth the money.

This is a great idea. I will get myself a filter and a hose and save myself some labor.

I may one day start using a pump, but for now I am happy doing it the hard way.

 

[fimpster]

The water from an outside spigot is the same water as your kitchen water.

As said above, an RV hose might be helpful, but the water is the water...

Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

This is not true in all communities! In my city, we have municipal culinary water inside and out, but at my sisters house, 15 minutes away but a different city jurisdiction, they have municipal culinary water inside and irrigation quality water from the hose. Best to make sure you know the difference before filling up from the hose.

BTW I use the outside hose and an $15 RV filter from Amazon.

 

[jphalabuk]

I am pretty sure that my water is the same inside and out-drinking through the regular garden hose changes the taste somewhat, but I love the filter and RV hose idea.

 

[fimpster]

I am certain that it is more common for outside water to be the same as inside water, I just wanted to point out that it is not always the case.

I think you're on the right track with the RV filter/hose. And in case anyone is interested, this is the one I use. http://amzn.com/B0006IX87S

 

[ndinh]

If you're interested, here's the setup that I copied except without all the extra parts. I just bought the filter, the hose adapter, drinking hose, hose valve (to control water flow) and L-shaped fitting (for water out side).

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/water-filter-setup-29145/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008TSSCB4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

or you can just buy this but your main hose has to be within 6 ft.

http://morebeer.com/products/water-filter-kit-10-inch.html?site_id=5

Good luck.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Fimpster,

Where is this done with the different water supplies?

I have never heard of this in residential construction.

Is the water actually different, or are the interior faucets California approved?

Or is there an irrigation well on the property?

Thanks
Wilser

Ps. East coaster here with plenty of water, sometimes too much


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[kenoglass]

Fimpster,

Where is this done with the different water supplies?

I have never heard of this in residential construction.

Is the water actually different, or are the interior faucets California approved?

Or is there an irrigation well on the property?

Thanks
Wilser

Ps. East coaster here with plenty of water, sometimes too much


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

I have been to some places in FL where they use grey water, I think thats what the guy called it, to water their lawns. It smells of sulfur.

 

[fimpster]

Hi Wilser, The city is Riverton, UT, a suburb about 15-20 minutes from Salt Lake City.
http://www.rivertoncity.com/waterutility.secondarywater.html

Edited to add: The secondary water in Riverton, UT is not the same as grey water. It is treated water, and is safe for kids to play in the sprinklers, wash your car, water your dogs and horses (lots of horse properties in that area). It just has not been approved for human consumption, and therefore I wouldn't use it in my beer.

 

[augiedoggy]

The water from an outside spigot is the same water as your kitchen water.

I would use it and not carry water down the stairs from your kitchen. Perhaps run the faucet for a few minutes prior to brewing to flush the line...but it is no different than other water in the building???

As said above, an RV hose might be helpful, but the water is the water...

Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

Yup in the houses up here in new York there is only one water line going into the house here the only difference is the spigot is only one line from the main cold side (you don't want to use any water that's been through a hot water tank or even some tank less systems anyway since that water usually has more heavy metals and sediment.

I decided to just build an electric setup and brew indoors...I can't see myself ever going back to gas.

 

[FuriousE]

Another possible difference between hose and tap water could come in to play if your water is filtered or softened inside your house. Typically, a water softener would be hooked up to all internal water sources, but not external sources. So, your inside water could be softened, and your outside water might not be. Of course, you're probably better off using the unsoftened water for brewing, but I'm just pointing out one more instance in which your inside and outside water might be different.