First brew on the way

[Snowster]

OK, just joined what looks (and smells) like a great club. Christmas present (Kilner Bitter kit) now bottled and many lessons learnt. About to move to all grain after only doing one simple kit. Wise or not?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum :

 

[Niman]

OK, just joined what looks (and smells) like a great club. Christmas present (Kilner Bitter kit) now bottled and many lessons learnt. About to move to all grain after only doing one simple kit. Wise or not?

re wise or not...

hell yes....just read up on what u need to do and enjoy the process...


in fairness its kinda hard to mess an AG brew up.....though i have managed it....

 

[Hoppyland]

OK, just joined what looks (and smells) like a great club. Christmas present (Kilner Bitter kit) now bottled and many lessons learnt. About to move to all grain after only doing one simple kit. Wise or not?

Yes, for sure, if you're comfortable with All Grain then go with it! Many more lessons to learn, definitely, but the best way to learn is by doing it.
Yes, you're also right - this is a great place, loads of knowledge here. Hadn't noticed the pong, though! Something spilled down your keyboard maybe?? :lol:

 

[cheapbrew]

Welcome :hat:

have you seen Clibit's simple how to AG thread?
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=51779

 

[Snowster]

I saw Clibet's guide after I posted my introduction - made me smile :) I've been looking at some super complicated (for me) recipes and the need for lots of kit. All of that changed having found that post - and the BiaB concept that I'd never heard of.

I'm travelling next weekend but definately brewing my first batch of AG the weekend after :thumb:

 

[Notlaw]

OK, just joined what looks (and smells) like a great club. Christmas present (Kilner Bitter kit) now bottled and many lessons learnt. About to move to all grain after only doing one simple kit. Wise or not?

I've done the same thing. Did one kit (St Peters Ruby) which will be finished PF any day and now going to try AG with a basic SMaSH recipe. See how it turns out... nothing ventured etc.

 

[Spapro]

Exciting times, if you are interested in spending a little money you could do a lot worse than this:

A lot of us on here moved to all grain with this BIAB kit from The Home Brew Company - you can use the forum 5% discount code.

You get the electric Peco boiler, a nice grain bag and copper wort chiller and a free BIAB mashkit - you choose the kit you want:

http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/...it-p-2507.html

Great value at �£80 less the forum discount.

Worth emailing Shane at HBC and asking about a hop strainer (pushes into the back of the tap on the boiler) suspect you can add one but can;t find the hop strainer as a seperate itemm on their site.

 

[keat64]

I've been brewing kits for over 30 years on and off.
I did my first ever AG in November.
I doubt that i'll ever go back to kits after that.

 

[Graz]

Worth emailing Shane at HBC and asking about a hop strainer (pushes into the back of the tap on the boiler) suspect you can add one but can;t find the hop strainer as a seperate itemm on their site.

This it? http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/hop-strainer-p-83.html

 

[Kman]

Geterbrewed do one too, you get a false bottom for the peco included

 

[ManseMasher]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Spapro]

This it? http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/hop-strainer-p-83.html

Thats it. A must for anyone with the Peco boiler already or are buying the BIAB starter kit with the Peco boiler.

Ensures the tap doesn't clog when transferring out to the FV and leaves all the hop debris etc behind in the boiler. When first opening the tap you get a smattering of tiny hop bits (hence the sieve in my first photo), the rest gets left behind.

Not used a false bottom myself but heard they can move around during the boil so don't work so well as the hops get in below them during the boil. My 'push in the back of the tap' strainer stays put throughout the boil and works really well.

 

[Snowster]

Exciting times, if you are interested in spending a little money you could do a lot worse than this:

A lot of us on here moved to all grain with this BIAB kit from The Home Brew Company - you can use the forum 5% discount code.

You get the electric Peco boiler, a nice grain bag and copper wort chiller and a free BIAB mashkit - you choose the kit you want:

http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/...it-p-2507.html

Great value at ��£80 less the forum discount.

Worth emailing Shane at HBC and asking about a hop strainer (pushes into the back of the tap on the boiler) suspect you can add one but can;t find the hop strainer as a seperate itemm on their site.

Looks good value - thanks for the tip! Amazing that I'd never heard of BIAB until last evening.... Question though - is the electric boiler strong enough to get a good rolling (roiling?) boil for 23 litres? The reading I've done suggests that gas is the ONLY way. I'd be delighted if that is not true and the electric boiler works well. I'll be brewing in my downstairs garage (if not in the kitchen) and electric would feel better than gas.

 

[Snowster]

I've done the same thing. Did one kit (St Peters Ruby) which will be finished PF any day and now going to try AG with a basic SMaSH recipe. See how it turns out... nothing ventured etc.

I hope you have more success than I did on bottling day :-? Made a mess of the lounge (don't ask) and I have various different levels in my bottles. At least I can see which level works best with the priming sugar :thumb: super cheap hose with a tap that wouldn't close was included in my starter kit. I don't want to chuck money at this - at least until I'm getting reasonable results - but I would like to at least have kit that actually works.

Best of luck :)

 

[Snowster]

And stupid questions ref BIAB that I can't find an answer to:

Should I mash-out?

Should I sparge the grains after the mash stage?

My guess to both questions is yes, but how much of a difference will it make to the end result, given that this will be my first AG brew?

I know we all started somewhere, but it is great to have experienced brewers on-line that I can ask. Many thanks for any replies !

 

[cheapbrew]

Have a look at this thread discussing just that.about BIAB and sparge etc

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=59981

 

[Motorhomebrew]

Thats it. A must for anyone with the Peco boiler already or are buying the BIAB starter kit with the Peco boiler.

Ensures the tap doesn't clog when transferring out to the FV and leaves all the hop debris etc behind in the boiler. When first opening the tap you get a smattering of tiny hop bits (hence the sieve in my first photo), the rest gets left behind.

Not used a false bottom myself but heard they can move around during the boil so don't work so well as the hops get in below them during the boil. My 'push in the back of the tap' strainer stays put throughout the boil and works really well.

Just looking at your pics, surely every AG brewer would want to use the BIAB method to stop the crapy clean up left in the boiler???

 

[Snowster]

Have a look at this thread discussing just that.about BIAB and sparge etc

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=59981

Perfect, many thanks

 

[Spapro]

Looks good value - thanks for the tip! Amazing that I'd never heard of BIAB until last evening.... Question though - is the electric boiler strong enough to get a good rolling (roiling?) boil for 23 litres? The reading I've done suggests that gas is the ONLY way. I'd be delighted if that is not true and the electric boiler works well. I'll be brewing in my downstairs garage (if not in the kitchen) and electric would feel better than gas.

I brew outside just in front of my open garage and my Peco electric boiler works fine for me. All boilers will take some time to heat 27 litres or whatever of water to mash temps (70°C) or boil temps (100°C).

Mine takes about 45 mins to get tap water up to 70°C and about 3 to heat0 mins the mashed wort up to a rolling boil.