Brew UK Forum | Grain
Long winded newbie AG questions!
Hi all – Newbie here,
OK, now to ask all the questions you've probably all answered a million times before, so if not straight answers, then superb links to answers will work just as well!
I've never brewed before, either from extract or all grain and I'm just going to delve straight into all grain.
I fancied it a while back, looked on youtube for some tutorials, found this guy 'Chris Knight' really good, but it actually did more to scare me off than encourage me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIGrsGPVA_Y
Then my other half kindly got me the book 'The Big Book of Brewing' by Dave Line recently, which got me back into the idea of AG brewing.
I've since seen this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKeEv7UTTP0
which encouraged me further - i.e, 'I could do that!' but I dunno, no disrespect because obviously I've never tried it myself, but it seemed a little TOO amateurish for what I'm after.
Then finally this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABve6NbPNhk
which seems pretty much bang on in between the above two, and somewhere I'd like to aim for in terms of efficient set up, and not trying (yet) to be TOO scientific, although I'm sure that will change when I get into it!
So questions about set up:
I fancy batch-sparging, so I reckon in terms of vessels, I will need A) a boiler B) a mash tun C) a vessel to collect the run off/s D) a fermenting vessel.
I'm going to buy an insulated coolbox mash tun, as I reckon cost-wise, it's not too much different between home building and buying. Obviously I will buy the FV and the run off vessel, but it's the boiler that bothers me - I've seen an Electrim boiler for nigh on 70 quid for what is essentially a plastic bucket with elements, thermostat and tap attached!
Are there any really good, thorough, step by step instructions on building a boiler from scratch? I don't think I will need a thermostat, because I want to mash in the mash tun.
This is how I see the process happening, so correct me where needed!
1. Boil water in the boiler, once it's at the correct temperature, pour from the boiler straight into the mash tun, add the grain, mash.
2. Do run offs into the run off vessel
3. Add the ran-off wort into the boiler and boil.
4. After boiling, cool quick as possible.
5, Then open the tap and let the boiled wort into the fermentation vessel.
6. Ferment.
Obviously the above is a massively basic outline of what I have in my head, but this is more a question of how many vessels I need and whether it's worth trying to build my own boiler for this batch sparging process, or is there another way?
I would actually prefer to use one of those big steel pans to just boil water and wort on the hob, but they cost a bleeding fortune!
Weirdly the thing that is bothering me about transferring boiling water direct from the boiler into the mash tun is that those plastic things don't seem to have decent handles to grip onto while doing it!
SO, any links to a boiler tutorial would be much appreciated and then any advice on how many vessels I'll need for the AG process would also be great - I'm not even getting into fermentation yet - just want to get my set up sorted!
Thanks in advance!
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Hi, welcome along.
I'm not sure that its really good, thorough or step by step or whether you will even want to make a boiler from a mango chutney barrel, but this might be of interest...
click me
Fermenting: Wheat beer
Maturing/Conditioning:
Drinking: Pseudo-Lager, Oatmeal stout & Shop bought stuff
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
My diy boiler did me proud for ages. Hamish put a good how to here - http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/brewery-build that should sort out your boiler (and mash tun)
The process you did from 1-6 is essentially the way its done (adding hops at various times during the boil)
If you look at hamish's thread he has a good set up - hlt to mashtun to boiler to fv, aim for that and you wont go far wrong.
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi gavdee.
Pouring the runnings back into the boiler is a pain.
But its the way I expect most people start out. I did, and it works well.
I used to syphon it back into the boiler actually. Something about hotside aeration.
But because of the volume needed if your doing a 5 gallon/23L brew you'll need more to boil more than 23L.
So I used two 5 gallon fermenters and filled each half way.
My Mash tun is a £7 24L coolbox from wilksons with a tap added.
I bulked up the insulation with some bubble wrap and tin foil. It works fine. I wrap it in towels anyway.
I made the manifold with some copper pipe and fittings from wickes.
You'll need a measuring jug to measure the mash water.
I have a two litre one. Its plastic and goes soft with the hot water, so the handle bends causing my hand to touch the side of the jug. I burn my had every time I use it. I should buy a new one.
Intercooler.
I bought some micro bore copper pipe from wickes and made it into a coil.
Attach a garden hose to it. Job done.
I built a boiler just the other day. But didn't do a guide.
It's a 60L fermenter from the shop here. So good. Never going to have another boil over ever again.
Also it means that as soon as the runnings are coming out of the mash tun they're going straight into the boiler and being heated.
This saves so much time because the liquor comes to the boil much sooner.
I just took two elements from some cheap kettles (£5 each at currys)
Cut holes in the FV with a hole saw and used a die grinder make the exact size.
Same for the tap.
It's so simple I doubt you'd have any trouble making one.
Is it Nordic Optics that do the cheap steel stock pots? Nath will know.
I also have a 7 gallon Burco boiler that my Dad used to use when he brewed.
I use this as a Hot Liquor Tank (HLT) to heat my mash and sparge water.
I also used it for full length brews before building that new boiler.
So I'd say:
Boiler/HLT
Fermenter or two (or a vessel large enough to hold all runnings)
Mash tun
Measuring jug
Various pieces of tubing
Beer paddle/huge spoon
Thermometer
Hydrometer
Intercooler
Mash tun
And bits to get later:
Separate boiler and HLT
Corny keg (or 3)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi gavdee,
Thanks for the links - I was struggling where to start for an AG, At the moment I don't have much of a clue of the process. These links will help. (Especially as my telly is hooked up to youtube.)
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