Thanks for the replies :) I now realise that these hi-tec looking stainless mash tuns are not designed to be also used for the fermentation process.
It is indeed a dilemma knowing what to buy first bearing in mind I don't want to end up with anything that becomes redundant when I have saved up for what I finally want. Logically I think the fermentation vessel must be first as I can fudge the mash process using the boil in the bag method several of you suggest and use a very large preserving pan initially whilst I wait to get something for the long term. I am loathe to buy anything cheap made of plastic as I have bought these before in the past and they have ended up getting thrown out due to lack of care when I'm not doing home brew (I know from experience that I get enthusiastic for a few months and then go back to buying beer. To some extent this is due to my results never quite matching the taste of a nice cold bottle of imported lager. I'm hoping that moving on from malt concentrate will mean I will end up preferring my own brews and if this happens then this time my foray into home brew will be the start of a permanent ongoing part of my life - like bread making, veg gardening etc have become). The variety of ingredients that I found on the site that gavp1979 recommended is amazing and gives hope that I will end up with something I like even if I do it by trial & error.
One other question which may point to a present option (my deadline has been extended to the end of the week). This involves the issue of what to do with a finished brew. In the past I have used 600ml bottles which I have accumulated over the years and which I have kept in sterile conditions. I remember the last time I was brewing lager I lusted after a stainless container that I think was used for mixer concentrates but these had just stopped being used and were not always available. One reason I didn't end up getting one was the problem of serving cold lager. I did manage to find a larder fridge for no cost on Freecycle but that got immediately incorporated into general food storage by my wife so I stayed with bottles. It is quite a bit of extra work though having to clean & sterilise lots of them.
So I wonder if there is any method of bulk storage of a finished brew that can deliver cold lager. I have seen you can still get reconditioned versions of the stainless mixer syrup containers but they would again need a dedicated fridge I assume. I have seen some small 5L mini kegs that would fit into our fridge but I would need 4 per batch which is an expensive option. I suppose I could get one of the 19L kegs and use it just for storage and fill the 5L keg from it which would then live in the fridge. Does this sound a doable option or does anyone know how to store and serve cold lager beer in bulk ? I really wish I was a real ale fan - things would be so much easier.
I think you just need a big stockpot. A bag and a plastic FV with lid and airlock. Stockpile pop bottles now!
Are you allowed to brew in the kitchen?
Does it have an effective extractor fan vented directly outside?
Or do you have a man shed?
How far can you push the budget?
Does wife like beer?
One of the reasons I am considering the all grain route is that I will shortly have the space to house a bit of equipment whereas in the past I had to work in the kitchen and then carry the fermenting brew down into the cellar where I have a small workshop and other space. Although there is drainage there I have not had a water supply but I'm just about to install a reverse osmosis water system to use in a hydroponic setup I have just built to supply us with out of season beans, peas and tomatoes. When I was a kid our water here in Liverpool was gorgeous having been piped from a North Wales reservoir but now it is cheaper to use the river Dee as a conduit and as a result the water needs serious treatment to make it safe which leaves it tasting disgusting. I hope that this new water system in the cellar will be also good for beer making but confess to not yet having the chance to find out. I will certainly have the space for a few bits of equipment.
As regards SWMBO, I am trying to give the impression that although initial capital costs may be significant the ongoing cost of my homemade evening pint or two will show savings which can then be used to help subsidise her consumption of the products of the Marlborough vineyards in New Zealand. Just like me, over the years she has become more and more aware of what she really likes and her appreciation of better quality wines means her alcohol bill far outweighs mine so I will have her full support. Plus, over the many years we have been married she knows me inside out and realises I'm not one for watching a lot of TV but always like to have some project or other on the go. From a quick look at the various types of barley and hops that are available I have a feeling that saving money does not feature high up the reasons to learn all grain brewing at home but I'll try to not even calculate it. There are several similarities with our new hydroponic system. Because of lockdownn and my desire not to get C-19 we really appreciated the veg we grew in the garden and particularly the row of climbing French beans we grew this year instead of runner beans. From a small space we had week after week of delicious beans and knowing how LED technology together with a vibrant market has made artificial grow lights highly advanced and affordable and I thought I could stretch the seasons in a Polytunnel. It remains an ambition but reducing heating costs outside will need a big upfront investment so the project morphed into an intensive deep water hydroponic system in the cellar where temperatures are easy to control. I am also using some space where we used to store coal which is free as for the first time in over 30 years I will not be building a coal fire every night in the winter as it has been banned (real coal got caught in the crossfire of soaring particulate pollution in London as a result of so many on-trend wood burning stoves being installed - unfair on remoter rural communities imo). Anyway, the state of the art full spectrum LED panels that provide the sunlight for the French beans and mange tout etc in our new deep water hydroponic system mean that in a few weeks we will once again have these lovely vegetables to pick several nights each week. The running costs aren't too bad but like all grain brewing the motivation to grow these beans includes things like taste, satisfaction, learning new stuff and cost of production is best ignored. Saying that I'm also starting to grow microgreens under LED's to sell locally and with these I have to make sure it stacks up financially but just like the name implies these take up little space and resource and seem to have a high perceived value which matches their intense taste and alleged great health benefits (brassica families esp.)
I have the Klarstein Maishfest and i am very pleased with it ,why not put your wife's £100 towards one and treat yourself to the rest ? If you already have a fv ,all you need is some bottles or a keg.
This is the exact thing that struck me as a very desirable object when I saw it by accident on Amazon and got me thinking of brewing using traditional systems. It's got an industrial type look that makes me feel it should produce a high quality product. A lot of nonsense I know as brewing is a craft and requires skill but it would be nice to use equipment that looks so good and which is also satisfying to clean like glass or ceramic is and unlike plastic which I always feel is not nice to clean as it is all too easy to imagine the soft surface covered in minute scratches. The name also has a sort of Germanic feel and made me imagine frothing steins of cold clean tasting Pilsner and the Reinheitsgebot. This is also maybe a load of tosh and the brand might just be the creation of a clever marketing mind and made in far off factories with no brewing heritage. It did strike me though as being reasonably priced for what it is and now, having seen the prices of some competing systems ..... oh no, I'm so tempted :)
