Help with all grain set up

[jof]

I use a klarstein fullhorn, which is basically just the boiler & if budget it tight, I think peco boilers are even less.

I mash in the boiler (brew in a bag) with it about 1/2 full.
Drain into a spare FV & sparge using water from the kettle
Then it's a quick rinse out of the boiler & pour the wort from the FV in for the boil.
Leave overnight to cool & back into the FV to brew.

I could justify £150 for the fullhorn, but not £400 for an all in one.

 

[Florin]

I have Brewzilla 65L, and I use it with BIAB instead of the malt pipe. (which is a pain in the ... to clean, also i think i get less trub in the fermenter at the end)
Many are using Brewzilla, and I, personally, didn't found one person to complain about it.
If I was to start over, I would probably get a strong boiler, get a pump (this is one feature I love about brewzilla) and use biab. But if you want convenience, it's nice to have an all in one.

 

[sifty]

The prices here are interesting. I paid $499 NZD for my BZ 3.1.1, which is around 260 GBP at the moment...

 

[Florin]

ah ... forgot to add to my post another thing i was thinking:
At home i have an induction stove top, which is god damn fantastic as efficiency and speed compared to gas or normal electric.
My idea was to buy a strong kettle (induction ready), not something cheap with thin walls, and use an induction stove top (my cheap ikea one is working fantastic to cook outside for the moment).
I find the boiling power of my brewzilla a bit weak (even with full 3500w on). The induction efficiency would help much more and it would heat the whole pot bottom more uniformly, compared to any resistance, which also has a way lower efficiency.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

You could always get a big stockpot and do a couple of stovetop AG brews first to get the hang of it - that’s the cheapest and easiest way to get started

This is what I did, and three brews later (albeit over a period of about 1 year) I have got a Brewzilla bundle from BKT.
For me, one of the reasons for getting an all in one system was so I can wake up in the morning and the water be ready to mash in first thing (set up the night before) as I am time-poor at the moment but still want to do 19L AG batches. Inspiration for this was from this thread:
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/fitting-in-ag-brewing-around-life.94600/

 

[Rodcx500z]

I must confess i don't use my brewzilla as intended i just use manual mode but as above i am not time restricted

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

one of the reasons for getting an all in one system was so I can wake up in the morning and the water be ready to mash in first thing

OOoh I’m jealous now :-) I love the flexibility my individual three vessels give me, but I don’t have the space to leave it set up all the time so it takes me a good 45min to get started… and let’s not even talk about the amount of cleaning up

 

[moto748]

£400 thats just the start
Wait until you start buying, kegs, freezers, fermenting fridges, pressure fermenters

It'll be a cold day in hell!

Boiler > Thermometer > Bucket > Demi-john > Bottle

I fail to see to that anything more is necessary.!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

It'll be a cold day in hell!

Boiler > Thermometer > Bucket > Demi-john > Bottle

I fail to see to that anything more is necessary.!

Heh heh - so you've never bought bits for your bike that aren't 'necessary' ? (grin!!)

 

[moto748]

I do stove-tops sometimes. I have a 15 or 16 litre stock-pot, I think. I start with 9 litres of water, aiming for a 7.5 litre batch (no sparge, this for parsnip). I have a common or garden ceramic cooker hob. I wouldn't personally want to go with any more liquid than that, I think it's pretty near the limit.

 

[moto748]

Well, TETB, I'm sure you know the old saying, "An engineer is someone who can make for a shilling what any fool can make for a pound"!

I derive pleasure from a simple method that gives me good beer. I cannot visualise myself every wanting anything any more hi-tech.

But don't a lot of you guys have a boiler anyway (for sparge water?) as well as a brewzilla or whatever? I just wondered if someone like the OP, just starting out, might not just buy the boiler first, then do what I do, and just bung the malt and hops in, in bags. and see how how he gets on with that, before he starts worrying about inkbirds and pumps and filters and so on.

 

[chillipickle]

I bet you don't bat an eye lid when you have to spend a good few £100 replacing your timing belts or a new set of dry clutch plates tho

Brewing is cheap compaired to bikes

 

[BridgeBrew]

My A/G setup consists of a 2nd hand cygnet boiler, grain bag, and gate valve mod to boiler total cost less than £40. Before that I had a thick fermenting bucket I'd fitted a tap, and kettle element. Can't get my head around spending £400 on a boiler. What a waste of money.

 

[Clint]

It's like any hobby...you can spend as much or as little as you like...or afford.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I remember going into a fishing tackle shop with my mate (a keen sea angler) and him saying "none of this kit is for catching fish... it's for catching fishermen"

 

[chillipickle]

Very true clint!!

 

[Nottsbeer]

Hi Gav, if you are just getting into AG brewing I'd recommend trying stove top first (if possible), or to see if there are any second-hand boilers going on eBay etc. Def worth seeing how you get on before spending a large sum. Myself, I already had a boiler I used for extract brewing I initially used. As this quickly packed up, and stove top was not an option, I decided to go down the BiAB route using a Digiboil. I think the cost was £160 (I think a peco with a temp controller was somewhere around £100-120). The Digiboil gives me more options (volume, 2 heating settings) than the peco. I'm very pleased with my brews (no need for mash tun and putting full water volume required in the mash, so efficient lower than others but working well - all due to lack of space). I'm not planning to upgrade in the future, but you never know if it dies. The system you are looking at is very impressive. I hope you make some good beer whatever your final decision is.

 

[moto748]

I bet you don't bat an eye lid when you have to spend a good few £100 replacing your timing belts or a new set of dry clutch plates tho

Brewing is cheap compaired to bikes
View attachment 56491

Yeah cambelt replacement gonna cost a bob or two, but the clutch is easy enough. Basket and hub last pretty well with care, and you can change out a set of plates in your lunch-break. I think they only cost me about 60 quid last time.

Nice bike! The earliest ones are the prettiest!

 

[Clint]

I think spending a few bob keeping your bike in order is a good investment.
Skimping on the beer making essentials will only result in a runny bottom.

 

[chillipickle]

The 916 hasn't been on the road for atleast 5 years now, so will need new belts etc when it does.Thankfully a few others to ride so in no hurry.