All grain 5ltr

[Weatherman]

Evening all.

I would really like to try all grain brewing. I think a good way for me would be to try with a 5 ltr all grain kit. I have been brewing extract kits for last 9 months and really enjoy it.

I have a 9 ltr pan that I bought to infuse stuff for a wheat beer one tin kit I did (turned out nice). Would this be big enough to do a 5 ltr all grain kit. I assume I would need to use a brew in a bag method?

I would plan to ferment in a glass 5 ltr Demi John that I have, I assume that’s ok too?

 

[m_kc]

Evening all.

I would really like to try all grain brewing. I think a good way for me would be to try with a 5 ltr all grain kit. I have been brewing extract kits for last 9 months and really enjoy it.

I have a 9 ltr pan that I bought to infuse stuff for a wheat beer one tin kit I did (turned out nice). Would this be big enough to do a 5 ltr all grain kit. I assume I would need to use a brew in a bag method?

I would plan to ferment in a glass 5 ltr Demi John that I have, I assume that’s ok too?

I do small batch 5L brews - brew in a bag. My kettle is only around 11L and typically I only use 7.5L of total water + grain and I'm not close to over-topping.

 

[Weatherman]

I (we) have some pasta pan inserts. Could I use something like that instead of a bag, as long as the holes are small enough?

 

[obscure]

Evening all.

I would really like to try all grain brewing. I think a good way for me would be to try with a 5 ltr all grain kit. I have been brewing extract kits for last 9 months and really enjoy it.

I have a 9 ltr pan that I bought to infuse stuff for a wheat beer one tin kit I did (turned out nice). Would this be big enough to do a 5 ltr all grain kit. I assume I would need to use a brew in a bag method?

I would plan to ferment in a glass 5 ltr Demi John that I have, I assume that’s ok too?

A 9L pan is fine for this, and yes a grain bag does make life a lot easier.

As for using a demijohn it is fine although I would say they are a pain to clean afterwards (I would suggest using something like Oxiclean after a brew).

Also take a look,at this thread here it is a wealth of information for small batch brewing.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/have-a-go-at-simple-ag.51779/

 

[Weatherman]

A 9L pan is fine for this, and yes a grain bag does make life a lot easier.

As for using a demijohn it is fine although I would say they are a pain to clean afterwards (I would suggest using something like Oxiclean after a brew).

Also take a look,at this thread here it is a wealth of information for small batch brewing.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/have-a-go-at-simple-ag.51779/

Fantastic, many thanks!

 

[MmmBeer]

Yes you can, but if you are serious about brewing, you will soon find that it's a lot of work for just eight bottles of beer. I tried it once, then swapped to a slightly larger pot and a 15 l fermenting bucket and made 2 - 2.5 gallon batches.

 

[HSD]

I had a real mental block for some reason and held back from trying it, the thread on here about doing a simple small AG brew convinced me to give it a go worth a read if you haven’t. I did a few 5L batches to get the hang of it then scaled upto 2-2.5 gallons as MmmBeer suggests, if you enjoy it and want to brew more at time you’ll need a larger pan, mines allegedly 21L, and strong sieve (IKEA) + decent bag or two. Kits are great and I still do a few, but brewing this way is much more fun!

 

[isitbeeroclock]

It should work fine, that it how I started on AG. I had a 12L stock pot, 5l fermenter, a bag and a sieve. I also used to put the pot in the oven to keep the temp on the mash steady ( a low setting). The beers always turn out great, so i invested in better bigger safer equipment.

 

[Weatherman]

It should work fine, that it how I started on AG. I had a 12L stock pot, 5l fermenter, a bag and a sieve. I also used to put the pot in the oven to keep the temp on the mash steady ( a low setting). The beers always turn out great, so i invested in better bigger safer equipment.

I am prone to rushing into spending on shiney toys, like a magpie, and that’s my theory. Start small, see if I like it and then work out if I want to invest in AG equipment.

The thread linked above, there doesn’t seem to be a mention of putting the grain into a bag, just using a sieve and bag to strain the grain out once you have finished. I assume that as there’s only 1kg of grain, it’s possible to do it this way.

Last night I ordered marris otter, crystal malt, Williamette, a couple of muslin bags and some gervin.

 

[HSD]

You can just use a decent sieve, the IKEA one with extending arm rests is great it fits across pans and Buckets however using a brew bag gives you clearer wort with less floaty bits, and less splashing etc, also I’ve found easier to do a sparge dunk or two rather than sieving transfer.

 

[obscure]

I am prone to rushing into spending on shiney toys, like a magpie, and that’s my theory. Start small, see if I like it and then work out if I want to invest in AG equipment.

The thread linked above, there doesn’t seem to be a mention of putting the grain into a bag, just using a sieve and bag to strain the grain out once you have finished. I assume that as there’s only 1kg of grain, it’s possible to do it this way.

Last night I ordered marris otter, crystal malt, Williamette, a couple of muslin bags and some gervin.

The big advantage of the BIAB (Brew in a Bag) which is when you use a grain bag is that it is a very straightforward and easy method, which is why I use it. But the method outlined in the thread is also perfectly valid and Is how I did my first small batch, and got good results.

 

[Begbie]

Enjoy your first step in the AG journey!

I began AG brewing with an 11L stockpot from Dunelm. I bought a few 5L AG kits from Oak Homebrew (5 Litre All grain Kits) to begin with, which came with a large muslin sock to keep the grains in, and was big enough to stretch over the stockpot while mashing in. All were very good, and gave me the urge to then try a couple of SMaSH brews, having read the 'Have a go at Simple AG' thread. Those brews were all so successful that I took the plunge and bought a 25L Klarstein Maischfest.

I'd recommend buying either a large muslin sock or brew bag to do your brews.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Evening all.
I would really like to try all grain brewing. I think a good way for me would be to try with a 5 ltr all grain kit. I have been brewing extract kits for last 9 months and really enjoy it.
I have a 9 ltr pan that I bought to infuse stuff for a wheat beer one tin kit I did (turned out nice). Would this be big enough to do a 5 ltr all grain kit. I assume I would need to use a brew in a bag method?
I would plan to ferment in a glass 5 ltr Demi John that I have, I assume that’s ok too?

This might be of interest -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/5-litre-batches-of-beer-why.80559/

 

[Redwulf]

If you've got the pan and the desire go for it.

In addition to your pan and stove you are going to want the following:

1. A Grain Bag to mash in
2. Some plastic clamps or bulldog clips to hold the grain bag off the bottom of the pan
3. A large colander and a couple of short lengths of wood so you can hold the grain bag above the pot while you sparge.

But as others have hinted at its a slippery slippery slope...

 

[Weatherman]

Thanks for the replies.

I am currently laid up after an OP and subsequently have spent far to much time online. I have x2 5 ltr kits coming from CML and then ingredients as described in the thread above! (there’s also a stout kit coming that I’m going to fiddle with liquorice etc)

However, could someone give me an idea of a good BIAB bag please? I have some muslin socks coming which maybe ok for the 1kg grain?

 

[Begbie]

Thanks for the replies.

I am currently laid up after an OP and subsequently have spent far to much time online. I have x2 5 ltr kits coming from CML and then ingredients as described in the thread above! (there’s also a stout kit coming that I’m going to fiddle with liquorice etc)

However, could someone give me an idea of a good BIAB bag please? I have some muslin socks coming which maybe ok for the 1kg grain?

You're correct - the muslin socks are generally only good for small grain bills. I found that when I stepped up to a larger grain bill, the Muslin sock just wasn't up to the job and I spoiled some grains.

In hindsight, knowing that I probably would scale up my equipment, I would have bought a mashing bag. I ended up buying one that fitted the Klarstein that I had ordered, but used it in my stockpot until the Klarstein arrived. It was too big for the stockpot, but I adjusted it to suit. Got it on ebay for £2.18 and it's still going strong after about 6 or 7 brews.

 

[UKSkydiver]

If you're just trying a small batch AG brew, suggest nipping to Wilko and buying a net curtain for £4.
If you or someone in the household is at all crafty you could add binding tape for reincorcement and turn it into a grain bag. I did probably my first 10 brews this way.

 

[Weatherman]

If you're just trying a small batch AG brew, suggest nipping to Wilko and buying a net curtain for £4.
If you or someone in the household is at all crafty you could add binding tape for reincorcement and turn it into a grain bag. I did probably my first 10 brews this way.

Top tip thanks!

going to have a go today, see how we get on

 

[Weatherman]

The top of what I suspect will be a very slippery slope

 

[Weatherman]

Well, there we go.

No major issues, few things I would do different and the biggest pain was the cooling time.

1 kg Marris otter
Williamette at boil and @5
Muntons GV12

Going to name it “Pondwater SMaSH”

OG 1036