Can it really be this simple?

[daddy day care]

I have spend the last day or so reading and watching youtube videos about AG.

Ignoring equipment, BIAB against 3 vessel, etc. Is the process really so simple:

1) Heat water
2) put grain into water for required time to mash
3) drain wort (or lift bag) to another vessel
4) pour higher temperature water through grain to sparge into first lot of wort
5) boil whole amount of wort for required time
6) add hops at required intervals during boil time.
7) cool and decant to FV

Disadvantages:

Time to brew much longer than kit
Smell and risk of boil-over / wrath of SWMBO

Advantages:

tastes better than kit
costs about the same as average kit or less if buying malts in bulk. Admittedly this is based on me reading 1 recipe and getting prices from a sponsors website so it may not be true all the time.

I realise that this is oversimplifying the process but is the above basically correct?

Andy

 

[abeyptfc]

pretty much yeah although its hard work! if you search for the user on youtube called 'jimmythebrewer' all the one word, and watch his first set of brewing vids he explains everything very well,i think its split into 3 or 4 videos but really helpful.

 

[daddy day care]

They were the first videos I looked at but number three stopped part way through. I'm not sure if it's my browser as I've had a couple do that lately. Really good videos.

Hard work is OK if the reward is sufficient at the end of it :drink:

Andy

 

[abeyptfc]

you thinking of crossing to the dark side andy? I recently started doing AG, made 3 batches so far, its good fun but takes up a gd chunk of your day.

 

[Barticus]

pretty much yeah although its hard work! if you search for the user on youtube called 'jimmythebrewer' all the one word, and watch his first set of brewing vids he explains everything very well,i think its split into 3 or 4 videos but really helpful.

I was just watching them again last night. Great videos and I wish I had his man cave!

 

[Baz Chaz]

pretty much yeah although its hard work!

:shock: hard work, you're kidding surely

... it takes more time to brew and you need to be organised yes, but hard work :wha:

Hand mixing half a ton of concrete is hard work, brewing 23ltr of beer is fun :thumb:

 

[daddy day care]

Thanks Guys.

Yes I am thinking of crossing to the dark side already. I need to walk before I can run though. Better get my first kit brew done first before I start with AG :lol:

Having said that, it is my Birthday soon. Wonder what the wife will think when I ask for 2 Tesco kettles as a present?

Andy

 

[Jeltz]

Roughly how many hours does it take?

 

[Baz Chaz]

Roughly how many hours does it take?

Brewday usually starts for me about 8am, fill up the boiler with hot water :wha: (combi boiler helps speed things up ) so if I get an 8am start I'm finished all washed up and put away by 1.30pm :thumb:

But don't foget theres a fair bit of 'empty time' ie 90 mins in the mash tun then 90 min boil, so you can do a few other things in between times, you don't have to nurse it every inch of the way, but during the boil you do tend to keep an eye on it and there's hops to add as well :!:

Don't forget your 'idiot sheet' it stops you missing anything and make notes re times for hops etc :idea:

Have a looksee here I put timings on this brewday :thumb:

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=13170

 

[dennisking]

Also remember you can make beers that you want, not what the kit makers want you to make.

 

[beerguzzler8518]

Before I embarked on the hobby, I was under the false impression that it was complicated. Once you sit down and read about it though it becomes a straight forward enough exercise.

I tend to brew on a Friday evening now, gives me chance to get some weekly chores done also, and thus freeing up the rest of the weekend.
Like Baz says, just make sure you have your idiot guide with you and follow it and tick it off as you go through the processes.

As for timings, from filling the boiler with cold water, to sitting down all cleared up - tends to take me around 6-7 hours.

 

[rich27500]

Now I'm well practised I can do a brew in four hours from filling the boiler to ending the boil. 30 mins to get to temp and dough in, 90 mins mash, 30 mins sparge and up to boil 90 mins boil. Also I can get an awful lot done whilst brewing, walk the dogs, make dinner, clean the floors, mow the lawn etc etc etc in fact...I think I'll do one now!!!

 

[daddy day care]

Thanks guys.

Looks like my next brew will be AG, probably BIAB.

Am I about right on comparative cost? i.e. a bit less than a decent kit.

Andy

 

[Jeltz]

I'll have Wednesdays to myself between 9 & 3 from September when the kids go back to school. That should give me a good run at it, in fact I think I could easily get the beer mashing before the morning school run if I get up at 7

 

[bobsbeer]

Disadvantages:
Smell and risk of boil-over / wrath of SWMBO

My SWMBO loves the smell while it's boiling. A lovely hoppy/malty aroma goes all over the house. So I would put that one in the advantages section. :grin: As long as you have a big enough boiler the boil over risk is very low. So not really a risk.

 

[rich27500]

Build your own boiler and make your own bag and you could be looking at £30. For £40 of ingredients I can make over 200 pints

 

[daddy day care]

Been looking into building my own boiler this afternoon I will be going with a brewing bucket and kettle elements.

Need to look for info on making a bag.

Andy

 

[rich27500]

You need a bag big enough to fit your boiler in, then it will allow enough circulation. I recently made one for my dad from net curtain material. Three off cuts from a local fabric shop was £3, I used a cord from a bathroom switch 99p and recycled a toggle from an old rucksack. The bag was essentially a circle of cloth just a bit bigger than the boiler diameter which was stitched onto a tube of material the height of the boiler. When in use it sits just off the elements which is important if you want to use a Thermostatic controller. For my BIAB I just turn off and insulate with a coat.

 

[DaveMack]

Its Simple's , the golden rules i go by ( thats because i made them up myself ) is make sure everything is clean before you start , then make sure your Temps are spot on ... Strike temp , Mash temp , and pitching yeast temp ... follow this and you cant go wrong

 

[storm in a teacup]

It is a lot easier than you think. The only thing it takes is time. I spend the waiting time washing the car, mowing the lawn, or cooking a roast etc. The first couple of times it will take you an age but when you have your process sorted it will fly in.