Popped my all grain cherry

[mmmBeer...]

So I did my first all grain last weekend! And as I have heard before and will repeat…I didn’t think it would be that easy. I met a local all grainer through the local online homebrew group. We got talking and he invited me over to brew with him.

It was lots of fun! We did a nice wit that has a beautiful straw colour I could never reproduce. We did a 10 gallon batch. Took a couple of hours longer than my extract brews, but not really that much of a difference.

I think I will work on getting setup for all grain, but I don’t think I will use it exclusively. It just gets too damn cold here in the winters to be out brewing, so I’ll probably switch to extract during the cold winter days.

[Payson]

Congrats! It's nice to have all grain as part of your reportoire!

[Fast_Eddy]

Congrats - you'll really enjoy your first solo batch.

[toneyc]

As far as the cold goes, I do my mashing on the kitchen table then I move out to the turkey fryer for the boil. No extra time outside at all.

:)
Toney.

[ray m]

Congrats, mmmBeer.....fear not the all grain process. I was a staunch extract brewer for 3 years until I brewed an all grain batch with my friend. I couldn't believe how easy it was. I'll never go back to extract now.

I do the same thing in winter as ToneyC....everything done inside except heating mash & sparge water, then boiling the wort.

[mmmBeer...]

I am not a wimp about the cold, but even boiling wort for an hour at 0 to -5*F is a little much for me!

[HarkJohnny]

so, not to hijack your thread, but what does the AG process involve... and what's with all the indoor/outdoor activies? teach me o' great ones!!!

[MrMethane]

Originally posted by HarkJohnny
so, not to hijack your thread, but what does the AG process involve... and what's with all the indoor/outdoor activies? teach me o' great ones!!! The outdoor activities are boiling the mash and sparge water with turkey fryers. Then back indoors for the mash and then back outdoors again to the turkey fryer for the wort boil. People like to use turkey fryers because its hard to do full boils(5-6 gallons) on a kitchen stove, and its near impossible to boil more than that on a kitchen stove. They use the turkey fryer outside for obvious reasons.... you don't really want to burn propane indoors.

I won't go into the all grain process since;
1. I don't do all grain myself yet, although I have read much about it.
2. Its a lot to explain, check out Howtobrew.com for a good explanation of the process and the beneifits.

[ray m]

HarkJohnny....I know you are a Listermann customer, as I am. Check out his website under "Wanna mash?" (or something like that) and it explains everything. It's so damn easy, I wish (and wonder) why I did not start to do it sooner. I think all grain beers (mine anyway) really are better. I guess it's the satisfaction of knowing you successfully brewed a great beer from scratch.

If you want to get started, his "Phil's Lauter Tun" all grain set-up is @ $45. I got this and bought a rectangular picnic cooler from Meijer for @ $19. Get yourself a good turkey fryer (Sam's has a nice stainless steel set-up complete with an 8.5 gallon stainless pot for @ $68) and you're ready to go.

[Caffinehog]

Originally posted by MrMethane
People like to use turkey fryers because its hard to do full boils(5-6 gallons) on a kitchen stove, and its near impossible to boil more than that on a kitchen stove.

Well, indoor brewing is no big thing to me. I'll either go with about a 4 gallon batch, or I'll split it up between two kettles. Note that if you do the latter, you must split up your hops as well.

[O2 Mash]

Originally posted by toneyc
As far as the cold goes, I do my mashing on the kitchen table then I move out to the turkey fryer for the boil. No extra time outside at all.


Toney.

Toneyc, might be easy for you to say from beautiful Bastrop, Texas (and it is!), but have you been to Ontario in January? Your BOOGERS freeze!:D

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by O2 Mash
Toneyc, might be easy for you to say from beautiful Bastrop, Texas (and it is!), but have you been to Ontario in January? Your BOOGERS freeze!:D


Now that's the first time I've heard Bastrop described that way - LOL.......I guess this is one of those eye of the beholder things...

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by ray m
HarkJohnny....I know you are a Listermann customer, as I am. Check out his website under "Wanna mash?" (or something like that) and it explains everything. It's so damn easy, I wish (and wonder) why I did not start to do it sooner. I think all grain beers (mine anyway) really are better. I guess it's the satisfaction of knowing you successfully brewed a great beer from scratch.

If you want to get started, his "Phil's Lauter Tun" all grain set-up is @ $45. I got this and bought a rectangular picnic cooler from Meijer for @ $19. Get yourself a good turkey fryer (Sam's has a nice stainless steel set-up complete with an 8.5 gallon stainless pot for @ $68) and you're ready to go.

sounds like this AG thing is where it's at. Maybe we'll get together and have a brew session someday.

and BTW, when i comes to beer, nothing is easier and more enjoyable to spend my money on!

and MrM... thanks for the link to Howtobrew.com. Much appreciated.

[toneyc]

Yeah, it really is that easy! The only extra piece of equipment you need is the mash tun. At first, I bought a stainless false bottom to use in a plastic bucket for $20. I wasn't real happy with that setup for a couple of reasons, so I bought a 48 qt "Ice Cube" cooler from Wal-Mart for $12.75 and used the instructions from BYO to convert it into a mash tun. I am much happier with it.

The basic steps are to heat 3-4 gallons of water to about 170*F, dump that into your mash tun with your grain, break up any dough balls, close the lid and wait 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat some more water to about 180*F. At the end of the hour, drain the mash tun, refill with hot water and drain again. Repeat until you get as much wort as you want or you reach the target gravity you want, then proceed with the boil same as extract.

Of course, you can get a lot more complicated than that and I did leave out a couple of details, but that's the basic overview. And it is really satisfying to make beer from grains.

Oh, and one last little thing. I get my ingredients at lunchtime then go back to work for a few hours. When I get in the truck to go home, my truck smells like heaven from that sack of grain.

:)
Toney.

[Fast_Eddy]

Be careful there toney - water for mash is absolutely dependent on the grain bill. 3-4 gallons for 6 lbs of grain for a mild would be well - excessive.

Hey I'm disappointed about not getting a rebuttal on my Bastrop comment.

[toneyc]

Yeah, I kinda mulled over that point for a while and went middle of the road. I did try to squeeze a disclaimer in on that third paragraph.

Ah, Bastrop. There are days that I love it way out here, and there are days that I hate it way out here.

:)
Toney.

[Sunriver]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
Hey I'm disappointed about not getting a rebuttal on my Bastrop comment.

Bastrop must be heaven compaired to 29 palms CA (not that I live there anymore)

[mmmBeer...]

Originally posted by O2 Mash
Toneyc, might be easy for you to say from beautiful Bastrop, Texas (and it is!), but have you been to Ontario in January? Your BOOGERS freeze!:D

LOL my point exactly!

[toneyc]

I've been to 29 Palms. Given that as comparison, Bastrop is heaven.

:)
Toney.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by toneyc
I've been to 29 Palms. Given that as comparison, Bastrop is heaven.

Toney.

Geez - what the hell happens in 29 Palms - devil worship, incest, and beastiality? Oh wait - am I talking about Bastrop again? LOL - just kidding Toney :rolleyes: