Help me convert my Extract set-up to AG

[Ambleside]

Hey guys,
read a lot on AG and the equipment necessary, on both the forum and Palmer's book. I just want to make sure this looks OK. I'll be brief as possible, list my equipment, batch size expectations, equipment I plan to buy, and what I believe to be the downfalls (I'm doing this economically), but please point out any issues I miss.

Current Equipment (5 Gal full boil extract batches):
7.5 Gallon Turkey Pot w/ Lid
Hi- Quality digital thermometer
44,000 BTU propane burner
Bottling bucket, fermenting bucket, multiple carboys, immersion chiller, hydrometer, auto siphon .

Conversion to AG 5 Gal batches (not planning batches larger than this) (new equipment in red)
HLT - my current Turkey Pot.

• Palmer says 3-4 gal each for both strike water and sparge water.
• I understand there is no valve on the bottom to drain the water into my Mash Lauter Tun via hi temp tubing, but I could use a water pitcher and simply pour?
• no built in thermometer, but current one can sit in the hole of the lid and is very accurate
• And if having the ability to place the HLT above the MLT and drain thru a valve right into it is more of a necessity (as opposed to my idea of pouring it pitcher by pitcher, then I will consider that. I'd like to not sacrifice quality of the final brew. I suppose this would keep the water temp in the HLT more constant during the process of the mash vs continually opening it to get a pitcher of water. Not sure though!

MLT - Converted Igloo 10 Gal Cooler with false bottom

• assuming will need hi-temp tubing to drain, recirculate, and sparge.

Boil Kettle - 8 Gal Stainless Weldless Brewpot with ball valve and probe thermometer

• This isn't too big of an investment ($79), So I dont necisarily need to skimp here and get another stanard kettle with no valve or thermometer, I reckon that constant thermometer reading will come in handy compared to constantly inserting a thermometer

44,000 BTU Propane burner

• I get confused when I see set-ups with multiple burners at the ready, below the HLT and the kettle. As soon as I have finished sparging, and have the wort in the kettle, can I not just pop the burner over to the kettle?
• I know its not super powerful, but its done the job on my current 5 gal full boil extracts. I figure it won't take super long to get the wort to a rolling boil since it will already be warm/hot.
• If needed, my option is a KAB6 Bayou 210,000 BTU burner for $110, but I'd rather not if its not necessary and only a luxury

That's about it. I see set ups with multiple levels, tubes everywhere, sparge sprinklers. But I'm on a budget and want to know if I can do this sort of set up and still get some quality results. Im open to suggestions.
(also, i brew with 2 other guys, so moving stuff around is no issue, I assume the multi level systems aid people a lot more who brew solo.)

Kind Regards and thanks in advance!

Matt

 

[Yesfan]

Go to Northern Brewer, Adventures, Austin HomeBrew, etc. and order a 24"x24" fine mesh nylon bag. About $6, minus shipping (you could always just throw that in along with an order for ingredients).


BAM! You just upgraded to all-grain. :fro:


BIAB, or Brew In A Bag, is probably the easiest way to step up to all-grain. Since you already have the bigger kettle, burner, and a chiller, the bag should be the only thing to add.

 

[charliehorse]

You're there. You don't need a fancy mash tun... in spite of what everybody says. I use a 48 quart square cooler with a torpedo screen although, you could use Denny Conn's method (if some of my brewing friends hear me say that, they'd never let me hear the end of it.) of the supply tube for your sink.

Seriously, you already have a pot that is big enough. Why do you need another? Grow into the second pot. You have a way to heat and cool a full volume of wort. Sounds like you only need to drop about (I'm guessing) about $75 on a cooler and parts available at your local big box home improvement center. You've already been boiling in your turkey fryer, so it's already got the nice coating on it. If you think that you need a valve on your pot, put one on it. You can find them at lots of places (including some of the site sponsors).

You're done. Buy some crushed grain and brew a batch already.

 

[Ambleside]

Seriously, you already have a pot that is big enough. Why do you need another? Grow into the second pot. You have a way to heat and cool a full volume of wort. Sounds like you only need to drop about (I'm guessing) about $75 on a cooler and parts available at your local big box home improvement center.

I thought I would need another pot as a HLT as I would still have water in it as I am draining into the kettle and still sparging. No?

 

[Ambleside]

Also,
I have looked into BIAB a bit, definitely recognize it is a dirt cheap way to try all grain, and get good results to boot. I'll honestly probably order a bag on my next order.

But me and my buddies were sort of keen on doing the mashing process, even though it will take a little investment. We get a good kick out of brew days and wanted to step up our system. Like I said earlier, not looking to go balls out on multilevelled, multi-burner, beast setups, but we are prepared to dish out a little cash.

Just wanted to see if we were on a decent track with the plan I outlined in my original post.

Cheers guys. And really, I appreciate all suggestions and comments, thanks again.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

You still have to mash the grains with BIAB. and if you're batch sparging there is no need to heat the additional sparge water as your simply rinsing the sugars off the grains. I simply drain my mash tun (turkey fryer/mash tun/boil kettle) then pour in my sparge water stir like it owes me money and drain again. I only have a 7.5gallon turkey fryer pot and do full volume 5 gallon batches. Bazooka screen on weldless ball valve I installed in the pot and I do it all in a single vessel brewing with batch sparging.


Sent from somewhere to someone

 

[acidrain]

I think you are on the right track.
I use a direct fired/herms keggle, but looking back it would have been better/cheaper to go with the cooler MT.
You mentioned a BK with a thermo... skip the thermo and add a side drain and sight glass (assuming you want to leave trub behind). You need to know your boil volume, so the sight glass is important.
As for the LT, you can easily add a weldless valve and elevate the LT for gravity drain. That is the way I would go. Add a sight glass for easy measurement to your LT and you're set (for awhile )
Later on you can add herms and a pump if you want.

 

[charliehorse]

I thought I would need another pot as a HLT as I would still have water in it as I am draining into the kettle and still sparging. No?

You can list that as "nice to have" if you're batch sparging. I drain my first runnings into a bucket. Add the sparge water to the mash tun. Dump the first runnings into the kettle and then drain the sparge into the bucket and pout that into the kettle. It's a lot easier to pick up a bucket that has a half a batch in it than it is to pick up a pot that has a whole batch in it. Obviously, this will be upgraded as time allows, but it works.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I thought I would need another pot as a HLT as I would still have water in it as I am draining into the kettle and still sparging. No?

No, you can heat all sparge water in your kettle and either hold it or the first runnings in another vessel / bucket.

You CAN even do a cold water sparge, downside is it will take longer to reach boil.

A pitcher for moving sparge water will work well, all you need. I actually had a three tier stand that I cut down to two tier, I found it easier and faster to move a few gallons sparge water with a pitcher than slowly draining through tubing. More convenient at the same level as well.

Just my opinion here, but I think you are suffering "paralysis by analysis", and once you brew all grain you will say, "that was easy".

You could try a batch with your current turkey fryer and a $3 paint strainer bag, or convert a cooler you might already have...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/ten-minute-cooler-mash-tun-conversion-125108/

A valve on your kettle is not mandatory by any means, learn how to use a siphon and you can easily siphon your wort to the fermenter, or you could also move your chilled wort with a sanitary pitcher....maybe not glamorous, but not all that difficult and maybe takes two minutes, about the same as draining through a valve. IMHO learning how to brew is not about having a bunch of equipment, but learning the process.

A one gallon pitcher and a spare HDPE food grade bucket and your off and running. Try a couple batches, get your feet wet and then figure what equipment should be on your to buy list.

 

[DAJDive]

You can list that as "nice to have" if you're batch sparging. I drain my first runnings into a bucket. Add the sparge water to the mash tun. Dump the first runnings into the kettle and then drain the sparge into the bucket and pout that into the kettle. It's a lot easier to pick up a bucket that has a half a batch in it than it is to pick up a pot that has a whole batch in it. Obviously, this will be upgraded as time allows, but it works.

I did my first all grain (using a MT) batch this past weekend using this method. Worked great and I didn't have to lift a lot of water like I had to for BIAB. Using a MT made clean up easier for me as well.

 

[Ambleside]

You CAN even do a cold water sparge, downside is it will take longer to reach boil.

Oh okay, so as long as my strike water is the right temp for the mash, my remaining boiled water for sparge can fluctuate to whatever while sitting in a bucket or something, it's temp doesn't matter for the sparge and my brew calculations? Hot water will just aid in speeding the boil?

Cheers

 

[muels]

Get a few 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon pictures to transfer water from your kettle to the mash tun. Get a few buckets to put the wort in and heat your sparge water up in the boil kettle. I can't remember the site but you can buy the 1/2" stainless kettle valve kit. I'll find the link somewhere and post it. You can get a 10gal igloo cooler for a mash tun for 50-75 and the valve stuff at Home Depot pretty cheap.

Found the link to the weldless kettle fittings. Around 30 bucks with the valve.
http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=46&product_id=240





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