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Going Full Grain

jfields

jfields

Where did all my money go?
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
16,913
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
I've been seeing all these full grain recipe's I've wanted to try for some time now, trying to get away from extract. Two of them were from Justin and Alan, but I didn't realize how much grain was involved until my ingredient orders showed. :rolleyes:

Needless to say, fifteen pounds of grain and several gallons of water will not fit into a 20 QT. kettle.


My wife got me this sweet 15 Gallon Stainless kettle with a built in drain, temp gauge, and bazooka screen. The pictures don't do it justice, because this thing is HUGE! She also bought me a 50ft. copper immersion chiller to go along with it since putting my kettle in a sink full of ice water is no longer an option. She got it all for around $300.00

What do you think?


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Getting ready to brew a 5 gallon batch of coffee stout and smoke an 858 Rosado in the garage as we speak. :cool:
 
Sweet! She did good! Gonna post up step by step pics of the all grain brew? What's it to be?

Edit - Ah, nevermind, see it at the bottom there. Mmmm...mmmm! Stout!
 
What are you mashing in? What's your process going to be? This is the stuff people like me REALLY like about homebrewing.

Come on, spill it! :D
 
LilBastage said:
What are you mashing in? What's your process going to be? This is the stuff people like me REALLY like about homebrewing.

Come on, spill it! :D
Click to expand...

I'm just mashing and boiling in the kettle using three large grain bags while eyeballing the temperature Alan. If it ends up being a pain and messy, I'll get an upright cooler conversion next.

I didn't seem to have too much trouble regulating the mash temps when I did extract brewing.


Oh! It's going to be an Oatmeal Coffee Stout Brent. :whistling:
 
LilBastage said:
So "brew in the bag" essentially. Cool. I hope your batch goes well! :thumbs:
Click to expand...

I know it's an added step, but I was thinking about just mashing minus the bags, and then draining into a large primary. Then I could quickly clean the kettle and pour the wort back in for the boil.

Think there would be any added benefit?
 
I don't know. I have zero experience with this type of set up. Personally, I wouldn't want to be dealing with the hot side of the process all that much, but if you can figure out a way to do it that you're comfortable with, I don't see why it wouldn't work.
 
Wish I had time to do some home brewing. I will live vicariously through you guys. Keep us posted how it goes, as I find this very interesting.
 
jfields said:
LilBastage said:
So "brew in the bag" essentially. Cool. I hope your batch goes well! :thumbs:
Click to expand...

I know it's an added step, but I was thinking about just mashing minus the bags, and then draining into a large primary. Then I could quickly clean the kettle and pour the wort back in for the boil.

Think there would be any added benefit?
Click to expand...

Seems like you'd get better efficiency that way, but I'd try it with and without the bags and see which one works better for you.
 
I made a 10 gallon cooler for the mash that holds at least 15 pounds of grain (the most I've done) but it should hold more. It was really simple. It's the standard orange water cooler, you see 5 gallon ones strapped to trucks, at sport events etc. Same set up as here but I made it myself with a cooler from Homedepot and a spout and false bottom from my local shop. I think I'm all in for a little under 100.
 
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