Small all grain/extract batches?

[FatherChristmas]

I'm no expert, but sounds reasonable. With only pale malt, you will need to make sure your water is either soft, or adjust the pH so you don't extract tannins. I'm not terribly hot on all the water chemistry stuff, but ask on here, someone can help you with that, plus they can look over you recipe.

Dennis

Ah that's a bugger, I live in bath and i'm surrounded by limestone, hmm, would malic acid do the job? Or maybe replace 250g of motter with 250g of crystal?

Ok, do you think in a 10l bucket the grains would stillbe covered suitably then?

 

[dennisdk2000]

I would probably go for 5L buckets - I've made a couple high gravity brews - lots of grain - and the 5L buckets were fine, so that's the best advice I can give.
I'd add a bit of acid malt, it's often used in brewing lagers, which are done mainly with base malts. You can always use bottled water - for small batches it's an option. I use bottled water for my dark beers as my water is soft, and by looking at the bicarbonate content, you can find suitable water for your beer. I don't have any experience with water treatment, so would have to refer you to other brewers on here.

Dennis

 

[dennisdk2000]

PS: Acid malt contains lactic acid as far as I know, think that makes it unsuitable for people with lactic intolerance.

 

[FatherChristmas]

Ok, a couple of 5l buckets it is then. I think i'll use bottled water, I can get it in gallon containers and use them as them as the fv as my glass demijohns are a bit on the small side. Just out of interest, for a gallon of beer, is 1kg of grain a good ballpark, and how much hops?

 

[Jeltz]

Where about in Bath are you? IIRC Widcombe homebrew (now part of widcombe health food) has various grains & hops. Can't recall the price but at least you wouldn't have postage to worry about.

Ebay seems to have some reasonably priced hops too.

 

[FatherChristmas]

I'm in combe down, the south side of bath, so about a twenty minute walk from the shop, I've been back and forth from there many many times in the last few months, but not with all grain brewing in mind so I haven't looked at grain and hop prices. Postage is often a killer so i'll probably get some stuff there, I need to pick up a tap and hydrometer (damn things always break.)

 

[Jeltz]

I got married at Trinity Church, Combe Down! (and got engaged in "The Trinity" pub off Kingsmead Square - I maintain I asked her to carry me be she swears I said marry :grin:)

I'm planning going AG in a month or so; so maybe worth talking about pooling an order some time to save on postage, the in-laws are in Fox Hill so we are often out that way.

 

[FatherChristmas]

Yeah sure, sounds a plan if we're both in a similar boat at the same time, but I imagine I'll just be going to widcombe homebrew for small bags as I'm looking at a real nano set up, I'll keep it in mind though.