Equipment for extract first timer

[panoz]

Hey...

I already have done a couple of kits and want to move on to an extract or partial mash recipe.

Staying in an apartment, lack of space is a matter to consider. I have no other equipment than the starter kit with the two buckets... My electric stove is also the only heating source I can use...

What is that I should consider buying in order to make an extract (with grains?) recipe? Maybe in the future a partial mash as well...
What else? What extras for a beginner?

Should I start thinking of an electric kettle with thermostats and stuff? Or just a large cooking pot?

Thanks...

Looking forward to start boiling....

 

[boab42stout]

you could maybe get something like this
http://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/public/det ... LE20174643
Its all a matter of your space and buget i was also thinking of using my hob to boil my wort in a fifty litre pot but it takes an age.
you can get away with one boiler with partial or extract which might be a bonus due to your space
You might consider a digital thermometer hydrometer and some hop grain bags
Digital scales for weighing grain and hops

 

[panoz]

A 50 liter pot seems a little too much for an electric hob to handle. Maybe something like 10-15 liter would be a more reasonable choice...

 

[boab42stout]

most guys make 23 litre brews and eventualy you might go the all grain route
i have no exp with partial or extract brewing but i think most guys would say that it would be wiser to buy a slightly larger vessel just in case you want to upgrade later

 

[panoz]

I wouldn't argue with that, but as far as I can tell due to larger amounts of boiling wort, AllGrain premises a more powerful heating source like gas or something... Unfortunately not an option in my apartment.

 

[Fil]

A couple of elements run of the domestic electricity supply heats up my 98l pot fine... (2 separate sockets)

Adding elements costs more, but gives you more flexibility, 2 x 2.2kw budget kettle elements would do u very nicely in a 50l pot.

50l is a good size because when u start a boil it can foam up a bit and when in full boil will splash about a bit so u want a nice comfy bit of headroom in the pan for comfort and safetys sake.

also if you go biab you want to accommodate the liquor and all the grain..

if you skimp on pot volume you will have fraught brewdays mopping up hot sticky overboils, waste beer and not enjoy the experience and probably get banned from inside brewing for ever.

remember for 23l beer biabing your probably going to start with about 35l or so of mash liquor. drop in a bag of grain and your not going to be very far from the top of a 50l pot. remove the bag for about 30l of preboil volume needing a good few inches of pot to contain the boil..

you can adjust recipes down to smaller volumes, but then it becomes a lot of work for very little beer per hour spent brewing/cleaning/waiting, its not uncommon for ag brewers to start considering larger volumes after a brew or 2.... and a 50l pot will allow for some volume increase.

 

[panoz]

My only concern is whether my stove can manage a 50l pot with 35l or so of wort to boil…

Adding elements costs more, but gives you more flexibility, 2 x 2.2kw budget kettle elements would do u very nicely in a 50l pot.

Could you please provide me with a link of what you mean?


The electric kettles of 27-29 how much beer can they produce with MX or AG recipes?

 

[supersteve]

Maybe you would be better aiming at 1 gallon brews?

 

[panoz]

Does it worth the effort to ferment 1 gallon?

Is it either 6 gallons or 1 in your opinion?

 

[boab42stout]

I brew 5 gallon batches and use a 40 litre burco boiler that sits on my cooker and that just manages nicely with no risk of boil over which can be dangerous and messy.
I personally dont think its worth the effort doing a small batch i too have a small kitchen and i can manage fine
Personally you could try a forty litre pot on your hob and do a boil in the bag shot i have heard good trports about that technique.
kettle elements
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=48181&p=463294&hilit=kettle+element+fitting#p463294
Maybe try car boot sale for a smaller pot
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STAINLESS-STE ... 4abd5f6e18
Watch this video on partial extract
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmhgcuQ5_ps
This guys brilliant he uses his stove and a small pot
Hope this helps you

 

[supersteve]

Does it worth the effort to ferment 1 gallon?

Is it either 6 gallons or 1 in your opinion?

Sorry I was just thinking that as you're stretched for space, this American company cater to people living in small flats by selling kits that produce great 1 gallon AG brews.

http://www.firebox.com/product/5831/Brooklyn-Brew-Shop-Beer-Making-Kits?via=searchbox

 

[panoz]

Personally you could try a forty litre pot on your hob and do a boil in the bag shot i have heard good trports about that technique.

You mean BIAB right?

A 40liter pot would be enough for what? 25 liters of wort?

 

[fizz head1982]

Here is a modified thread I made for a friend on another private forum... He wanted to know cost too, so take these as round abouts... They are all from my local HBS but i have left the links out as Im not sure am allowed to put them up cos of the sponsors.

:thumb: Hope this helps. I am an out door brewer... Wanted to brew today but it was howling a gale outside today... :cry: If you spill stuff outside you dont have to clean up... Making a batch of beer takes the same amount of time, 1 gallon or 6, no different. 50l looks a bit over the top to me. I find 23l stuff a bit unwieldy, even just sterilizing and storing, so i recommend 23l as a maximum and minimum, its about 40 to 44 pints...

O and here is a tip, when running off your mash from the tun, stop periodically and take a hydro reading, stop when it reaches 1010 or 1012 as going beyond this can make astringent beer, you really wont enjoy that.

Anyway here is the post.


You will need:

Mashing Boiler / Hot Liqour Tank £85.99
(Can be substituted for a burco boiler or large capacity pan such as an american turkey fryer, you are aiming for as big as possible)

Insulted Mash Tun £75.00
(You can build your own for around half price from a beverage cooler)

Mashing / Sparging bag £8.75 (sure this was only 4 quid)

OR

Hopp bags £0.99 (I use both)

23 litre auto syphon23 litre auto syphon £12.40

Beer Paddle £1.25

FV - Fermington Vessel £12.99 (get one of these and an airlock for each brew you want to have on the go at once! - two is ideal, I have three.)

air lock £0.99

Bottling bucket £8.99

Little Bottler Complete £7.49

Measuring equipment:

Thermometer £3.05

Hydrometer £3.05

Measuring tube £3.25

Consumables:

Steriliser £1.80


Storage:

For a first run, I recommend bottling. You can get bottles for free by using your head or buy them for between 60 pence to a pound. You will need 40 for each batch of beer. So minimum 40 pints. Personally i only use glass and not plastic.

So about £200 quid or less to start. After that your talking about 50 pence a pint... You can move into a beer keg with CO2 cartidges or a proper pub style set up...

The equipment holds decent resale value especially the more expensive stuff...

A brew day takes about 6 hours from start to finish including all cleaning. Then later maybe an hour to bottle.

O yea you would need a capper and some bottle caps, cappers are a tenner and caps are 2 pence each... Shop around for everything!

 

[boab42stout]

Good post there I think you would do fine with a forty litre boiler that's what I use for 23 litre batches its just a though but biab might be better for you as you don't need as much equipment so less storage for you to worry about.