Never brewed - wanting to jump right into all grain

[brent756]

I've been debating for a few years on brewing my own beer but have always been turned off by the idea of having to bottle. After the holidays I have some money to spend and I ran into a free upright freezer that I'm hoping to convert to a keezer. I'm wanting jump right into doing all grain brewing and kegging, just had a few questions about some of the equipment for brew day.

I'm planning on building a DIY mash tun with a cooler from the orange home improvement store. I have a propane burner. Planning to purchase an immersion wort chiller. Intentions of doing 5 gallon batches(post boil). I don't plan to build a rig to tier the HLT, MT, and BK just yet, probably just a table and some hoses to move stuff around.

Main question I have is around the HLT and boil kettle.

Do I need to get separate kettles for HLT and BK?

What size kettle(s) should I get to be able to do 5 gallon batches?

Suggested material for kettle? SS, AL, Keggle?

Thanks in advance.

Been doing tons of research over the past week and getting really excited about getting a setup together!

 

[ericbw]

Why not try a batch of some kind before spending hundreds of dollars? A 1 gallon all grain or a 2-3 gallon extract with grains. Spending money on kegging before you know if you'll like it seems like a bit of a rush. Not everyone even hates bottling.

 

[Pie_Man]

Do I need to get separate kettles for HLT and BK??

No. Having separate vessels does make things a little easier, but it is not required. When I had only one brewing pot, I transferred by mash into my bottling bucket (any clean bucket), added my sparge water from my HLT/BK to the mash, then poured by wort from the bucket into the HTL/BK.

What size kettle(s) should I get to be able to do 5 gallon batches?

8 gallons or more, although 10-15.5 would be better. You will likely need to bring 6.5-7 gallons pre-boil in order to end up with 5-5.5 gallons post boil. I like getting 5.5 gallons into the fermenter, so I get five gallons into my keg (you lose some volume to yeast, trub, and transferring)

Suggested material for kettle? SS, AL, Keggle?

A keggle is ss, either material will work. There are hundreds of posts on this topic in HBT. AL pots if brand new simply need water boiled in them first to create an oxidized layer (gray/cloudy looking inside to the pot).

You didn't ask, but I highly recommend a 10 gallon mash tun or larger for five gallon batches.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Mikethepoolguy]

I use a 7 gal kettle to heat water only. My boil kettle is 10.5 gal. I usually do 90 min. boils starting with 8.3 gal.

 

[Rockn_M]

I second ericbw. Do something small first or an extract to make sure it's a hobby you like. I got really involved once I tried my first brew. Been spending money ever since

 

[fartinmartin]

Incredible,
Guys have been brewing for years, knife and forking it, and noobs come along able and prepared to spend large before doing a few brews.
If only !

 

[BigFloyd]

Unless you have a brew mentor available who does all-grain, it's probably a much better idea to first do 1-2 batches using extract w/ steeping grains.

First, you'll get a handle on the process and become more comfortable with it. Second, you 'll find out whether or not you like the hobby. Finally, the more important aspects of making good beer having little to do with whether you're mashing grains in a tun or adding LME to a kettle. Yeast, fermentation and controlling temperature have a greater influence on the final product.

I'd rather drink an extract brew that someone made where they pitched the right amount of yeast into wort chilled to the right temp and then managed the fermentation temps well than an AG beer that was expertly mashed, but was pitched or ferment too warmly.

 

[RM-MN]

An 8 to 10 gallon pot will be big enough for 5 gallon batches. Start there. Make it simple, start with an extract kit, see if you can follow the directions. Make sure you get a kit with steeping grains. Steep them at 152.3 degrees for 59 minutes. If you can do that, all grain will be easy for you but not everyone wants or needs to go all grain. OK, suppose you do make the kit and steeped the grains for 59 minutes at 152.3 degrees. Now you have about 3 to 4 weeks to decide if you really hate bottling or if it would be OK to try it first before you decide that.

I bottle all my beer. It doesn't bother me at all to do that and I have no desire to keg. By bottling, I can make small batches and have a lot of variety of beers to choose from at any time. With a keg, you get to choose to have beer or not have beer. With bottles the cost to start is low, the bottles can be collected or bought in a store. Those I bought in the store come in a nice box with dividers to keep them standing upright and the box lid can be closed to keep out light. It does take time to bottle. About an hour for me to clean, sanitize, fill, and cap. I clean all the bottles, sanitize half of them and then fill half of those before I start capping. It works for me.

 

[brent756]

Probably should have mentioned I have a buddy who has been doing AG brewing for about 3 years and he's agreed to help me with my first couple of brews.

I was just hoping to get some second opinions since he's kind of an all or nothing guy. He's preaching SS HLT and BK, tiered setup, electric heating, separate fermenting cooler and keezer, etc. I'm hoping to start off with something simple, but I don't want to waste money on pieces I won't be able to use in the future.

I don't really have any doubts that I'll enjoy it as a hobby. I'm an avid baker/cook and really enjoy consuming/sharing things that I make from scratch, which is why I'm wanting to go straight to all grain vs. extract.

 

[TheCrackpot]

Bottling is not my favorite task but it's never been enough to prevent me from brewing; and I've bottled hundreds of gallons. I worry that such an aversion to such a fundamental part of home brewing is a warning sign. Home brewing can be as simple and cheap, or as complicated and expensive as you want it to be. I don't have a problem with a person wanting to start off with all grain because I personally feel it is a more enjoyable method. I also don't have a problem with a person wanting to jump right into kegging. I just hope you realize that successful brewing requires a certain amount of monotony and patience. Skipping the bottling process (which is my least favorite part) is one thing, skipping steps in cleaning and sanitation or properly aging beer is another.

That being said, and if money isn't much of an issue, get yourself a 6 gallon HLT, a 10 gallon kettle, and a 10 gallon water cooler and have at it. It can be a life changing hobby and, if you take the time to comb through this forum, there is an answer to practically every question you'll ever have.

 

[RM-MN]

Probably should have mentioned I have a buddy who has been doing AG brewing for about 3 years and he's agreed to help me with my first couple of brews.

I was just hoping to get some second opinions since he's kind of an all or nothing guy. He's preaching SS HLT and BK, tiered setup, electric heating, separate fermenting cooler and keezer, etc. I'm hoping to start off with something simple, but I don't want to waste money on pieces I won't be able to use in the future.

I don't really have any doubts that I'll enjoy it as a hobby. I'm an avid baker/cook and really enjoy consuming/sharing things that I make from scratch, which is why I'm wanting to go straight to all grain vs. extract.

Hey, I like spending other people's money too, can I start suggesting things that are more pie in the sky and spend even more of yours. I'll still suggest you start simpler and suggest to him that he spends his money on that stuff and then just (sort of permanently) lend it to you. Aluminum isn't as shiny and sexy as stainless steel but it is less expensive and will do the same job. I'd like a keezer too, one that would hold at least 10 kegs with a tap for each but bottles are going to be so much less expensive and the time I would spend bottling you would spend cleaning and adjusting to get your beer to pour right. One item I will agree on as it made the biggest single difference in the quality of the beer I make is a way to control fermentation temperature.

 

[mattd2]

Probably should have mentioned I have a buddy who has been doing AG brewing for about 3 years and he's agreed to help me with my first couple of brews.

I was just hoping to get some second opinions since he's kind of an all or nothing guy. He's preaching SS HLT and BK, tiered setup, electric heating, separate fermenting cooler and keezer, etc. I'm hoping to start off with something simple, but I don't want to waste money on pieces I won't be able to use in the future.

I don't really have any doubts that I'll enjoy it as a hobby. I'm an avid baker/cook and really enjoy consuming/sharing things that I make from scratch, which is why I'm wanting to go straight to all grain vs. extract.

Probably should off...
I was going to suggest if you want to go AG from the get go (I did basically did after a few years of coopers mix and ferment stlye "brewing") is to look into do a few small batch BIAB - a cheap Al./SS turkey fryer setup, a paint strainer bag and a food grade bucket and you are basically good to go (maybe 25-50' of 1/2" copper if you can get it cheap or try no-chill brewing). This way the inital investment is small and bottling is less of an issue (its only 25 bottles!).

But now you've meantioned your freind - maybe buy a 6 gallon food grade bucket and ask to go over to his house to try your hand at brewing

 

[Brewcycle69]

He's preaching SS HLT and BK, tiered setup, electric heating, separate fermenting cooler and keezer, etc. I'm hoping to start off with something simple, but I don't want to waste money on pieces I won't be able to use in the future.

Take a look at BIAB, you only need one 10 gallon pot to start and can go from there.

 

[thadius856]

Hey, let's be honest here. Your buddy's probably right, given your personality type. You love creating and sharing your work.

If you're an all-or-nothing hobbyist, then start big. Don't buy things you'll replace (other than plastic buckets, hoses, etc).

I wish I'd gone big right off the bat.

 

[te-wa]

overheard conversation in my LHBS yesterday:
new guy: "i wanna brew some beer. my wife said i could. where do i start?"

as i was paying for my purchase, i said "where does it end, that is the real question"

get the best equipment you can afford. replacing stuff you'll outgrow is just poor planning. i say go for all grain. make it a goal. done.

 

[Dutchbier]

If sharing is big on your list bottling is for you. Perfect way to share is a mixed sixer of your various brews. Bottled beer travels well.

 

[RonPopeil]

that's what i did. i built a keezer and started brewing all grain straight away. mostly because i didn't understand the extract process and how to formulate recipes with extracts. in most hobbies i limp in then, later, wish that i went for it. i'm glad i went for it.

as for the questions. to go all grain you need:

• a mash tun (igloo cooler)
• 8-10gallon kettle
• propane burner (turkey frying kit)
• immersion chiller
• 2-4 7 gallon buckets
• a couple 5ga buckets
• a way to filter your water source or buy spring water
• a good pocket thermometer.

the kettle can be your HLT. for 5 gallon batches get a 10g kettle. fill it with water and bring it to the temps you need as you go. by the time you're done mashing out you should be out of water in the kettle. use a few paint buckets to catch your wort since the kettle has water. once you collected your running empty the kettle and pour the runnings in for the boil.

i highly recommend a kettle with a ball valve. mine has made brewing life a bunch easier. also, you mentioned a tiered setup. i have one of these. $20 and each shelf is good for 150 pounds. there's also a 350 pound rated one for twice the money. the small one works for me. get two and set them to different heights and you have a two tier setup for $40.

 

[texcan2000]

I see nothing wrong with going straight to all grain. I started in April, 3 extract brews and 18 all grain using Denny's quick and easy batch sparge technique. I only bottled my extract batches before building my keezer. As far as money is concerned, well that's your business how far you go with it. I don't regret a penny, well maybe the 18 dollar refractometer I don't find useful, lol.

 

[RonPopeil]

batch sparging here too. working out a way to turn the lid of the mash tun into a fly sparging head.

 

[whitehause]

A lot depends on your budget. If you have money to spend, but not a ton, you'd be better off getting the best gear to make the beer, and bottle the first few batches, than to go cheap and get everything but have it be low quality.

OK...that being said.

Get two 10 gal SS pots (hlt and bk), 15 gal if you can afford it (think 10 gal batches for the future) Keggels work well, but are heavier, and harder to handle than stock pots. You can do smaller batches in bigger pot, but obviously not the other way around. Also leaves lots of room for boiling a 5 gal batch without too much fear of boil over. Get SS fittings for the also, only a couple bucks more than copper. Barginfittings is where I got mine and they work great.

Turkey fryer propane base is the cheapest heating option and works well. You'll have $1000.00 tied up in electric for HLT and BK if you do it right ( kettles, fittings, elements, controller box, temp probes, ect. )

Good thermometer

Good scale

Many use a cooler for a mash tun, I use the 10gal aluminum pot I got with the turkey fryer wrapped in insulation (reflectix)

Grain mill? Are you grinding your own? Buying bulk sacks and grinding yourself will pay for the mill in no time.

Plus all the little things..hydrometer, buckets, autosiphon, airlocks, funnels, tubing, wine thief, ect ect ect.

I keg, and kegs are great, but bottling never really bothered me either.

One of the biggest improvements in my quality came when I got fermentation temp control. If you have an area in your house that stays at 63deg, then it might not be a big deal right off the bat, but if your house is always 70 or 72, that's too warm for most brews. I'd rather have temp control of my ferments than a keezer if I was forced to choose.

Do you have to have all this to make good beer (with the exception of temp control IMO ), not really, but it sure doesn't hurt.

If you have a cooking background, and someone that does AG that's willing to help, go for it, you'll be fine.

Good luck, and keep asking questions, there's a world of knowledge on here.

 

[surferdrew]

4 letters:

1) B
2) I
3) A
4) B

 

[RonPopeil]

Don't BIAB. It's a cheap shortcut. The money you save on a mash tun is converted into a tedious brew day hoisting soaked bags of grain up to the ceiling. Why give yourself extra work and spend more on grain to compensate for poor efficiency? Just buy/make a cooler.

 

[ong]

Don't BIAB. It's a cheap shortcut. The money you save on a mash tun is converted into a tedious brew day hoisting soaked bags of grain up to the ceiling. Why give yourself extra work and spend more on grain to compensate for poor efficiency? Just buy/make a cooler.

Haha. It takes me about 2 minutes to pull the bag out, drain it, and give it a good squeeze. I'll take that over having extra kettles to clean any day.

I've never used a traditional 3 kettle system, but I just can't find any reason to upgrade -- my brew day is super short and easy, cleanup is easy, and the beer is pretty great. I suppose decoctions and so on would be easier with a traditional system. My efficiency is around 75%, using my janky Corona mill that I got for $15 on eBay. Maybe I could get higher with another system. It would take a lot of $0.65 2-row to convince me I'd be saving money, though.

 

[ardyexfor]

Here is a link to how I started out. Now I was paranoid about all the unknowns because let's face it, it was all new to me. But I had no mentor except HBT and YouTube (thanks donosborn!). Enough research and preparation and everything came out fine! So if you want to start out all grain I say go for it but you will have to wait while you build up a decent equipment stockpile. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/first-batch-all-grain-first-batch-ever-329740/

 

[troy2000]

Nice tools and toys are, well, nice. They can make things easier, and there's also a certain amount of pleasure to be found in just handling them. But they aren't always a requirement.

My brew kettle is a 7 gallon, aluminum tamale steamer from Walmart. I paid twenty-something bucks for it, including the cool glass lid, and it works just fine for five gallon batches. I did under-fill and over-boil it last time I used it, and wound up adding a gallon of boiling water from another pot. No big deal....

My carboy is an old five-gallon water cooler bottle with a blow-off tube attached to it. My mash tun is an old picnic cooler I converted by adding a copper manifold on the bottom ,and a digital thermometer sticking through the lid. My mill is a Chinese knock-off of a Corona mill, mounted inside a bucket with a three-gallon plastic water jug for a hopper. So on and so forth...

As I get more into brewing, I'll start slowly upgrading. But at least I didn't have to spend a fortune right off the bat....I second starting small, so you can kind of get the hang of things and see whether you'll enjoy it. If you want to hop right into all-grain, BIAB makes perfect sense to me as a starting point.

One of the fellow members on my union's executive board got together with a buddy last year and spent a fortune on brewing equipment - up to and including a full kegging system. They used it one time, screwed things up six ways from Sunday because they had no idea what they were doing, and gave up.

I've been quietly sneaking up on him, hoping I can score some of that unused equipment on the cheap...

 

[SEABrewer]

One thing I did on the bottling front was switch to 22 oz bombers, which pretty much halves the number of bottles you have to clean/sterilize. I also eased into kegging by getting smaller 2.5 to 3 gallon kegs and splitting my batches between bottles and kegs. That way I can just use my regular fridge for storing the kegs but still have the keg "experience".

 

[RM-MN]

that's what i did. i built a keezer and started brewing all grain straight away. mostly because i didn't understand the extract process and how to formulate recipes with extracts. in most hobbies i limp in then, later, wish that i went for it. i'm glad i went for it.

as for the questions. to go all grain you need:

• a mash tun (igloo cooler)
• 8-10gallon kettle
• propane burner (turkey frying kit)
• immersion chiller
• 2-4 7 gallon buckets
• a couple 5ga buckets
• a way to filter your water source or buy spring water
• a good pocket thermometer.

the kettle can be your HLT. for 5 gallon batches get a 10g kettle. fill it with water and bring it to the temps you need as you go. by the time you're done mashing out you should be out of water in the kettle. use a few paint buckets to catch your wort since the kettle has water. once you collected your running empty the kettle and pour the runnings in for the boil.

i highly recommend a kettle with a ball valve. mine has made brewing life a bunch easier. also, you mentioned a tiered setup. i have one of these. $20 and each shelf is good for 150 pounds. there's also a 350 pound rated one for twice the money. the small one works for me. get two and set them to different heights and you have a two tier setup for $40.

Dang, I must be doing it all wrong because I've been doing all grain for 3 years and hardly have any of the items you've listed. According to your list my kettle is too small (7 1/2 gallons), I have to buy a cooler for a mash tun, another kettle for HLT, a wort chiller, and a bunch of shelving. Then I have to add 2 hours to my brew day to be able to use that equipment instead of the simple BIAB setup I have, and I probably have to buy more grain since the typical efficiency with that equipment is reported to be about 75% instead of the 85% or more that I typically get.:cross:

 

[Pie_Man]

To the original poster (OP), you're probably noticing that there are many ways to accomplish all grain brewing. If it were me, and you know you're going to brew for some time, I would start with the temp controlled fridge or freezer. As previously mentioned, fermentation control is really important to making great beer and for consistency. As a brewer, it's your job to make wort and keep the yeast happy, temp control keeps the yeast happy along with proper pitching rates, aeration, etc. For the equipment, think about how you want your brew day to go and how you're going to get your water, wort, and grains from one vessel to the next.

Personally, I started all grain doing the BIAB process, because there was less equipment involved, but now I use a cooler mash tun and I've since added a keggle to have a separate hlt and bk. There's nothing wrong with starting small, learning the process solo, and then upgrading your equipment if needed.

 

[RonPopeil]

Dang, I must be doing it all wrong because I've been doing all grain for 3 years and hardly have any of the items you've listed. According to your list my kettle is too small (7 1/2 gallons), I have to buy a cooler for a mash tun, another kettle for HLT, a wort chiller, and a bunch of shelving. Then I have to add 2 hours to my brew day to be able to use that equipment instead of the simple BIAB setup I have, and I probably have to buy more grain since the typical efficiency with that equipment is reported to be about 75% instead of the 85% or more that I typically get.:cross:

no HLT. boil kettle is the HLT. fill it with your 8 gallons of water and raise to strike temp. scoop out your strike and add it to the mash tun. apply grains and rest. while that's going your kettle temp will go up since you pulled half the water out. use your hotter water to mash out and you should have an empty or near empty kettle

i average 70-75% efficiency which i think is great. i don't want to extract too much out of the grain or i end up getting more of the baddies. better to leave some on the table.

and i'd hate to hold a bag of grains over a kettle for 20 minutes while it drains. figure water weighs 8# per gallon and an absorption rate of 1 gallon per 10# of grain and a 14# grainbill means you're holding nearly 30# for 20 minutes. i'd rather spray a hose.

 

[whitehause]

Dang, I must be doing it all wrong because I've been doing all grain for 3 years and hardly have any of the items you've listed. According to your list my kettle is too small (7 1/2 gallons), I have to buy a cooler for a mash tun, another kettle for HLT, a wort chiller, and a bunch of shelving. Then I have to add 2 hours to my brew day to be able to use that equipment instead of the simple BIAB setup I have, and I probably have to buy more grain since the typical efficiency with that equipment is reported to be about 75% instead of the 85% or more that I typically get.:cross:

I did BIAB for a while too, but I still had everything RonP mentioned with exception of a mash tun and water filter (I have very good well water).

The OP asked for advice, and BIAB is a valid method, but I also think a larger pot, wort chiller, a few buckets in case you want to have a couple brews going at once, a good thermometer, and a burner are good to have if not necessary in some cases.

 

[Bobby_M]

8-10 gallon pot that will start as a HLT and then become your boil kettle.
Hold your fist runoff wort in a bucket until you get all your sparge water into the mash tun, then transfer the first wort to the pot for immediate heating.

I'm not interested in debating methods at the moment. There are pros and cons to single vessel brewing but my summary opinion is that two-vessel offers a little more versatility given a fixed pot size and a cooler mash tun holds temps a lot better than a pot.

 

[RM-MN]

I did BIAB for a while too, but I still had everything RonP mentioned with exception of a mash tun and water filter (I have very good well water).

The OP asked for advice, and BIAB is a valid method, but I also think a larger pot, wort chiller, a few buckets in case you want to have a couple brews going at once, a good thermometer, and a burner are good to have if not necessary in some cases.

My post was tongue-in-cheek because so often I see posts that say you have to have this and that or you can't possibly do all grain brewing. I'd rather see a post that suggests things that are nice to have or make brewing easier or more enjoyable because there are so many routes to good beer.

 

[Doctor_M]

I say if you haven't brewed an all grain batch with your friend yet do so, after which if you are 100% sure your gonna be hooked and your up to do all the work (There's a heck of a lot to be done not just on brewday) then I say spend as much as your budget will comfortably allow. Having the right not half assed equipment will help you focus on the science and art behind the actual brewing process.

 

[plumber_bob]

I got the kegerator first, then some kegs. Built it backwards from there.

First batch was 10g AG I milled myself. I'm upping my game from 10g to 15g soon. Always something else to buy!

Plotting a way to do 1bbl brews, major hurtles to overcome though.

If you got someone to help and advise, go for it!

pb

 

[elkshadow]

I wouldn't bother doing extract batches first. It sounds like something you know you want to do so just jump right in. I did about 3 extract batches back in the 90s with a friend and he more or less financed it so even though I had the knowledge it was really his deal. When I decided about 10 years ago I wanted to do it I went to my LHBS at the time and asked the guy there and I of course talked about "doing a couple extract batches to get the process down etc..." and he says, "You really don't have to start with extract. I'm brewing saturday come on down and I'll show how to do all grain." That's what I did and I never looked back.

I taught my brother to brew and he's never done an extract batch. It's not necessary. You can sell the stuff if you don't like it that much. I say go for it!! My only advice would be to watch someone do it first. I watched my LHBS guy one time and I was all set. It's a simple process if you break it down into easy steps. "Soak grain, collect water, rinse grain, collect water, boil water with hops, chill water, pitch yeast" is really all you're doing. Just organize each of those steps based on your equipment and goals and you're all set. It's really not that hard.

Good luck brah!!!

 

[Darwin18]

I only did one Coopers kit before I went straight to all-grain so I don't think you need, or really frankly should, trudge along the extract to partial mash to all grain. If you can make oat meal you can do all grain brewing. I would honestly caution you though to focus on your sanitation, temperature control, and yeast pitching rates.

You do not need a dedicated HLT. My brew kettle functions as my HLT. I simply mash out into a spare home depot bucket while my sparge water is heating. Buying a 2nd kettle to act as your HLT is frankly a waste of money unless you have some sort of functional rig or design.

 

[EthanH]

One thing I did on the bottling front was switch to 22 oz bombers, which pretty much halves the number of bottles you have to clean/sterilize.

It sounds like you're set on kegging (and I can't blame you), but if you do decide to bottle, I want to second the hell out of this suggestion right here.

Actually, I've taken to bottling a lot in champagne bottles, especially since I was able to collect lots of empties from friends after the holiday season. All you need extra is the 29mm bell for your capper (and 29mm caps of course). And, let's face it, it's a classy way to deliver your product.

 

[drchris83]

My firs batch was AG, and I started out with decoction mashing as well due to limited kettle volumes at first. My advice: where I live there's a saying: if you buy cheap, you buy twice. An MLT from a cooler won't run you a fortune, in fact, why not add a second one as an HLT for convenience. Tiered systems can be easily rigged with stuff you already own as long as you apply some basic common sense towards safety. Goong cheap and getting equip you know you'll have to upgrade later seems silly.
Also, +1 on asking your buddy to let you brew on his system to try it out first.

 

[MichaelBD]

I just brewed my "first" batch of beer last month and it was a 5gallon AG Pilsner IPA
I decided to dive straight into all grain ALL the way since I love beer and I know that this hobby will never bore me. I spent about a year just reading forums, books, fabricating my brew rig and it really did pay off when I finally tasted my first brew last week. It is definitely one of the most rewarding moments for me and I still know there's much more to come and the possibilities of brewing (recipe-wise) is endless IMHO.

I honestly think that the fun part is the fabrication part... welding your own brew table (I went with a 1-tier setup), brazing copper pipes to make a sparge arm, designing the rig, wiring up thermostats, making a mill table etc. the list goes on. I also decided to use kegs without any prior knowledge about kegging or dispensing beer and it is great fun!

My next step now is to build a keezer to accommodate my kegs and my second batch is still conditioning. I just soooo in LOVE with this hobby now!

I highly recommend this hobby, but be warned... the absolute WORST part is the waiting-for-it-to-ferment part....

 

[ericbw]

Of course everyone on here is gung ho for going big. The problem is that this is a brewing forum, so you're unlikely to see comments from people who did the same thing and didn't like it. The ones with a 4 keg system, multiple carboys, wort chiller, MLT, HLT, giant kettle, etc. all sitting in the garage gathering dust. Because it's too expensive to just get rid of it, and maybe they'll give it another try some day...

I probably wouldn't have tried all grain if I hadn't had some moderate success with a few extract batches, and then a few smaller all grain batches. I can see the potential for making it better, so I keep trying.

But a 5 gallon all grain batch could be overwhelming, no matter how much you love beer or cooking, or how much fun it looks when someone else does it.