DIY all grain equipment checklist

[The Goatreich]

I'm looking to go all grain in the not too distant future, and although the temptation is there to just buy a ready made kit (comprising of boiler, hop filter, mash tun and sparge arm) for around £150 I would quite like the project of making it all as cheap as possible. I'm not particularly DIY inclined, but I'm not afraid of having a go, and I think this would be good practise for other larger DIY projects.

However, the more I look into it, the more the costs mount up and the temptation to buy comes back.

My to purchase list so far looks like the following:

Boiler
approx 30 litre FV - £10
2 * value kettles - £10
hop filter - is it cost effective to make one of these really?
bulk head - (on this forum) £25
tap - £10
sparge arm - ?

Mash Tun
Cool box - £20?
Bulk head - £25
tap - £10
grain filter (can't remember the name right now, similar to hop filter)

Plus it would seem a cooling device would be good practise - £30

I'd like to do this properly, but including the cost of a decent drill bit set into the above (I don't have hole cutters etc), plus soldering equipment yadda yadda it's actually looking to be a better idea to buy it all ready made. Drill bits and soldering equipment I don't mind purchasing as chances are I'll use them again elsewhere, but even so. The bulkheads were my main :shock: moment.

My question is, is there anything I've missed from this list? Looking at the how-tos I can do without the sparge arm for the time being by using tin foil. The cooling is necessary really unless I plan to carry 30 litres of boiling liquor up the stairs to the bath, which is a bad idea!

 

[The Goatreich]

Also, if I do make this myself, then I'd probably start with the boiler and BIAB, whilst I'm gathering bits for the mash tun.

 

[Dave1970]

no need for the expensive stainless bulkhead fittings...they're for those who are making all SS systems, standard brass tank connector will only set you back a couple of quid...£46 saved! :thumb:

 

[cutnrun]

Hi there,

looks like a good list to me.

you are right the sparge arm is optional. i ahve 15 brews under my belt and dont have one. I have read somewhere on here there are a few people that use a plastic washing up bowl with drill holes in it but so far i havent tried it.

I do have some fine wire mesh on over my hop strainer to to filter out some of the smaller bits and keep the hop strainer from getting blocked up with loads of leaves. not sure what gauge it is but it is very fine.

 

[The Goatreich]

Excellent advice all round. Thanks guys.

 

[Fil]

ive built one ag boiler and am now doubling up my brewlength and am rebuilding..

hop filters and mash tun filters- cheap and easy SS braid http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Ste ... 1872wt_876

it will poke inside 15mm pipe for a tight friction fit and short lengths of 22mm copper pipe inserted inside will stop it getting crushed under a weight of grain/hops.

with the money you save on SS manifolds, buy a 15mm blacksmith drill bit for about a fiver, with this you cn drill thru a 15mm tank connector allowing you to pass 15mm copper pipe all the way thru for connection to your manifold or SS braid on the inside and tap on the outside..

look at http://www.copperkettlehomebrewing.co.u ... pp-buckets

a 60l bucket suitable for making a boiler!! if you dont go for 60l now you will in 6 months....

BIAB sounds like a good first brew, and forget the sparge arm till you feel you need one

hope this is of some use to you

 

[The Goatreich]

Ha, much appreciated, but honestly I'm now more confused than ever.

 

[Fil]

Ha, much appreciated, but honestly I'm now more confused than ever.

not my intention to overcomplicate things, just a usual side effect :)

and ive another thing to add to your shopping list 2 x long kettle leads.. the tesco kettle leads are short, and are wired to the base, a standard kettle lead will just plug into the back of the elements tho im sure you know that already..

 

[The Goatreich]

I've got absolutely tonnes of kettle leads, of varying length. I work in IT and play guitar so there are plenty around the house and even more so in work. I have read about the different ratings though, some being suitable for a boiler and others not, so I'll check that out before deciding whether I need to buy any or not.

Cheers.

 

[Fil]

thats sorted then..

The best thing in is to get stuck in and build, i dont know for sure but i suspect that even if you find the definitive plans using all the same bits you have access to and you follow it to the letter.. through use you will find something that you could improve on to suit your own way of brewing.

My first boiler (currently being replaced, 60l buckets arrived today hehe) had a few design features which i plan on correcting.

1) copper pipe and brass plumbing fittings are great cheap and HEAVY.. my current tap arrangement sags in place with weight when the plastic gets hot. and if not supported when opened/closed will move and buckle the barrel quite alarmingly. This moves the syphon bottom from its optimal position increasing the boiler deadspace.
To remedy this i plan on glueing with heat resistant epoxy a 3mm ply reinforcing plate into which i will drill the tap hole.

2) my elements are at 4 and 8 oclock with the tap at 6 oclock, when heating up there is a very cold spot at 12 oclock at the bottom of the barrel. its ok when the boil is going, but i dont like it. so on boiler #2 i will be putting the elements at 3 and 9 oclock and a little lower (currently high to protect the seam of the mango barrel)

design issues i got right first time include switches on the elements so i didnt need to reach the sockets to control on and off, using solderless yourkshire copper fittings dry (without solder) to fit filters/manifolds (ptfe will seal if needed) so they are removable/interchangeable. using soft silicone tube to complete the tap syphon on the outside with a plastic tap to control flow when the liquid level drops below the level of the tap.

also if your doing your first ag on your own dont worry if something dont go quite to plan... it wont all go to plan unless your very lucky very methodical person and dont drink 6 pints durring the brewday :)

i found my first few ag brews to be lessons in what not to do in future.. but the beer did forgive me and tasted great :)

everyone who has sampled my ag beers to excess has commented on the lack of hangover the following day, :

 

[Fil]

thats sorted then..

The best thing in is to get stuck in and build, i dont know for sure but i suspect that even if you find the definitive plans using all the same bits you have access to and you follow it to the letter.. through use you will find something that you could improve on to suit your own way of brewing.

My first boiler (currently being replaced, 60l buckets arrived today hehe) had a few design features which i plan on correcting.

1) copper pipe and brass plumbing fittings are great cheap and HEAVY.. my current tap arrangement sags in place with weight when the plastic gets hot. and if not supported when opened/closed will move and buckle the barrel quite alarmingly. This moves the syphon bottom from its optimal position increasing the boiler deadspace.
To remedy this i plan on glueing with heat resistant epoxy a 3mm ply reinforcing plate into which i will drill the tap hole.

2) my elements are at 4 and 8 oclock with the tap at 6 oclock, when heating up there is a very cold spot at 12 oclock at the bottom of the barrel. its ok when the boil is going, but i dont like it. so on boiler #2 i will be putting the elements at 3 and 9 oclock and a little lower (currently high to protect the seam of the mango barrel)

design issues i got right first time include switches on the elements so i didnt need to reach the sockets to control on and off, using solderless yourkshire copper fittings dry (without solder) to fit filters/manifolds (ptfe will seal if needed) so they are removable/interchangeable. using soft silicone tube to complete the tap syphon on the outside with a plastic tap to control flow when the liquid level drops below the level of the tap.

also if your doing your first ag on your own dont worry if something dont go quite to plan... it wont all go to plan unless your very lucky very methodical person and dont drink 6 pints durring the brewday :)

i found my first few ag brews to be lessons in what not to do in future.. but the beer did forgive me and tasted great :)

everyone who has sampled my ag beers to excess has commented on the lack of hangover the following day, :

 

[LewisA]

I really want to try this but I'm a bit worried about high temperatures causing horrible cancerous stuff to leak into my beer from the plastic.

Any recommendations? / think this one will be ok?

https://www.brewuk.co.uk/33-litre-fermentation-vessel-full-colour-graduated.html

 

[blawford]

Take a look at my thread where I built a similar setup to what I think you're after.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=67730

It has had a few upgrades since then but it's still going strong. Pictures of stuff start on page 3, have a scan to see if it is on the right track.

 

[Fil]

the euro style PP buckets as sold by the copper kettle online brewshop are suitable for boilers etc, you do want to select the correct plastic as hdpe will soften over 80-85c and go quite floppy, not ideal when full of boiling wort..

 

[blawford]

The ones I used, linked in my thread, are these - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-x-32-L-...a&clk_rvr_id=1345375237559&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

£22 for 3 of them, they came very quickly too.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Have you considered a single vessel for mashing and boiling?
The ACE boiler (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACE-BEER-...S-1-2-bsp-VALVE-STRAINER-INSIDE-/221617833736) is double-walled and only £120.
I've got one, with added extra insulation in the form of an exercise mat. At the end of the mash I collect the run-off in a FV then empty out the spent grain, a quick swill and then it's ready to boil the wort.
It works well.

 

[pms67]

I bought a Burco 30l boiler for under £70 I think?
Boils great

 

[pms67]

This may work
https://www.energybulbs.co.uk/burco+cygnet+30+litre+manual+fill+electric+water+boiler+-+stainless+steel/264066423?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInPjy4sGL1wIVKijTCh208QVbEAQYASABEgJvHfD_BwE

 

[Simonh82]

+1 for a 30L Burco boiler and BIAB. Very reliable and robust piece of kit and I prefer stainless steel over plastic any day.

 

[alsch890]

For the filters for the mash tun and boiler I made bazooka filters out of those flexible plumbing hoses. You just need to extract the rubber inners out with a bit of elbow grease. I think my mash tun cost me less than #20 all in - cooler, plumbing hose, ball valve and a connector and some rubber washers. Oh and some tin foil to put between the two walls for extra insulation.

For a sparge I have two options - a watering can with wide rose head fitting and a contraption made of four disposable BBQ trays wired together. Both work well enough.

I'd say you can do what you've mentioned, including another bucket for an FV, all in for about £60. plus then buying a chiller. I wanted to do all mine myself but baulked at the chiller since I got a good deal on one. Then you will immediately start savign once you are drinking your own home brewed beer so happy days!

Good luck. there are a couple of decent tuturials on line for both mashtun and boiler.