Total newb at all grain brewing... help?

[billc68]

Ok, I want to try all grain brewing. I am picking up bits and pieces here from a few threads. Is there any one thread that starts a newb from the beginning, preferably something that also has definitions, like Mash tun, Sparge water, Hot break, cold break, etc, etc.

I have bee brewing from kits for a few years, just started "partial Mash" (I think that's what it is called, some grain and some extract)

Now in my research I see there is two ways to do an all grain brew, one involving a giant grain bag and two large pots, the other with a mash tun, but that's all I can figure out.

So, what do I need for equipment that I don't already have? And what is the basic process?

I am sure this has been covered somewhere, so if anyone has a link...

 

[hoppymonkey]

Try this one. It is excellent.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/all-grain-tutorial-nut-brown-ale-77705/

 

[fcwegnm0b]

Bobby M wrote up a very nice article here that answered a lot of my questions.

 

[nootay]

+1 to the bobby m write up, cleared up a lot of questions for me

 

[SumnerH]

Ok, I want to try all grain brewing. I am picking up bits and pieces here from a few threads. Is there any one thread that starts a newb from the beginning, preferably something that also has definitions, like Mash tun, Sparge water, Hot break, cold break, etc, etc.

I have bee brewing from kits for a few years, just started "partial Mash" (I think that's what it is called, some grain and some extract)

Now in my research I see there is two ways to do an all grain brew, one involving a giant grain bag and two large pots, the other with a mash tun, but that's all I can figure out.

The brew in a bag method only needs 1 large pot, though some people modify it to use 2. Writeup with photos:

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4650&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0/fa

 

[shortyjacobs]

Start with Palmer's How To Brew, online...he breaks down all the terms. Some of his advice is a bit archaic, but it's a good foundation. Just google it, it's free on his website.

 

[SumnerH]

I have bee brewing from kits for a few years, just started "partial Mash" (I think that's what it is called, some grain and some extract)

Oh, yeah: "some grain and some extract" could be a partial mash, or could just be an extract + specialty grains brew. It depends on whether you're actually mashing or just steeping. A mash will generally be in the vicinity of 153F (though it can be more or less depending on the mash profile you're going for--hitting pretty close to the temperature and holding it there is important to a successful mash), last for 45-90 minutes, and include a good chunk of base malts--either pale or pilsen.

Steeping is usually of crystal or caramel malts (or other specialty grains), often between 160-170F, and usually lasts a half hour or less. In steeping, no starches are converted to sugars; it's just a way of dissolving pre-converted sugars into the water, so the exact temperature isn't all that important (so long as you keep it low enough to avoid tannin extraction).

 

[billc68]

So with all grain brewing am I using dried grains or malted grains?

I thought grains had to be sprouted and killed before brewing.

 

[SumnerH]

So with all grain brewing am I using dried grains or malted grains?

I thought grains had to be sprouted and killed before brewing.

Almost all barley is malted (all the ones that I named have been malted). Unmalted wheat/corn/etc are sometimes used, though.

 

[osagedr]

Really no substitute at this point for doing some digging for information. Read up on this site and as someone else says, take a look at the online version of How to Brew by John Palmer.

Just go read it. Then come back and ask questions.

Go ahead. Folks will be waiting to clear up whatever you don't get after you've put in the effort to do some independent learning.

 

[billc68]

Yes, the beer wiki was very useful. I may try the brew in a bag technique, to me seems the easiest. however I may be reading to much into it, the pcinic cooler mash tun seems pretty simple too.

 

[malkore]

Start with Palmer's How To Brew, online...

www.howtobrew.com is the online 'short version'.

the printed book is widely available and is worth getting even if you stuck to extract or partial mashing only.

Bobby's videos are great too. gotta be careful about just searching youtube videos because some of those guys have way more ambition than experience/knowledge.