Small batch all grain kits or low volume grain purchases?

[Shinjuku]

Hi all, I have wanted to get into the all grain route, and I saw an offer on a 32L brew kettle. I wanted to start on a smaller scale for a few reasons;
1. I want to make the brew day easier (smaller should be slightly easier right?
2. Unsure if a 32L kettle would be able to brew the "traditional" 23L batch sizes.
3. I like drinking different beers and don't want to be "stuck" drinking 23L of one particular beer (unless I nail a recipe!)
4. I want to become a better brewer and brew more often, so smaller kit would be quicker turnover is my theory.

Therefore, my questions are;
1. Do any sites sell small batch all grain kits? I noticed some sites sell 11L all grain kits, but I have found a lot of these to be sold out.
2. Any recommended sites to buy grain on a smaller scale without getting shanked by delivery costs? Could look into brewing a simple SMASH to start.
3. Any other help is welcomed.

 

[obscure]

First up woth having a look at this thread if you haven’t already:

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/have-a-go-at-simple-ag.51779/
1. Home Brew Store | United Kingdom | Crossmyloof Brew Does 1 gallon all grain kits I’ve done a few and they are pretty decent. Also 5 Litre All grain Kits

2. You will always pay a premium for small batches but it is a good way to get started. You may also want to consider custom grain kits Crossmyloof does this (you choose a weight and specify a grain bill) also Malt Miller and Geterbrewed offer custom grain kits although do charge shipping.

Really all you need for small batch brewing is a pot (about 7-9 L) and I would suggest a grain bag to do BIAB brewing will cost you a few pounds. I would also suggest an electric fermentor, and a small fermentor. Small batch brewing is a good way to get started on all grain brewing and can be done in the comfort of your kitchen.

 

[Tanglefoot]

I started brewing with a similar pan ( 38L ) and started making my own recipes using Brewfather then ordered malt from
the Malt Miller website.

I BIAB no sparge and maximum finished volume is 18L. You could sparge and getting a bigger batch or brew strong and
liqour back.
I've not bothered with either, I'd rather keep it simple and use a little more grain.

Crossmyloof has no delivery charge, they sell in multiples of 500gm.
Malt miller sells any quantity but extra charge for less than 1kg, then delivery extra.

If you can get the hang of Brewfather or similar software it will make your life a lot easier.
Good luck, happy brewing !

 

[KegThat]

If you give me your order in an email I will get it weighed out (any quantity undertaken) and will make sure a competitive and fair price is quoted.


Cheers

 

[KegThat]

Code GrainsForShinjuku gets you 10% off grains :) - Expires next friday

 

[Shinjuku]

Code GrainsForShinjuku gets you 10% off grains :) - Expires next friday

You know the key to my heart... Also, hope no-one steals the code!

 

[Rodcx500z]

You would have to be abit thick to steal the code, you would be giving your shipping address away

 

[NormanHurst]

I do half-batches for all the same reasons (variety, opportunity to brew more often, learn more quickly)... I usually plan 3 brews ahead and order the grain for all 3 in one shipment.

 

[Gerryjo]

Code GrainsForShinjuku gets you 10% off grains :) - Expires next friday

That's a real fine gesture and a great way to get a customer base.If I was on the mainland I would certainly give you a few orders but I'm in Derry so between postage and Brexit customs clearance it would not be worthwhile but anyone else on the forum should certainly think about it.:hat:

 

[Gerryjo]

I do half-batches for all the same reasons (variety, opportunity to brew more often, learn more quickly)... I usually plan 3 brews ahead and order the grain for all 3 in one shipment.

I usually order mine in bulk and keep a mixture of speciality grains and a few different packs of yeast and hops as you can make a wide variety from a few ingredients plus save on postage.

 

[Rodcx500z]

In my box of speciality malts at the moment i have melinoidin, vienna, roasted barley, medium crystal, light chocolate, dark chocolate, carapils, rolled oats, my base malt is pilsner maybe enough for 2 more brews, on my next order i might get a sack of pale malt and another pilsner and various hops and yeast, tomorrow i am brewing a pale ale a recipe i hav done in brewfather all the numbers stack up for english pale ale per style, then i might do the false vienna again i enjoyed that one

 

[Tommo 2]

i know this is a bit off topic but how much water is the norm for mashing in I have been using about a litre and a half per kilo of grain but have only done a few 10 litre AG brews so far, read somewhere this morning that a bit thinner mash is more beneficial than a to thicker one , any help is appreciated, cheers

 

[Eskimo John]

Visit your local brew shop if you have one. Mine is a half hour away but I can buy grain in 1/2 kilo bags and up from them.

 

[Rodcx500z]

On my brewzilla for a 21L brew anywere from 19L to 21L depending how much grain i use, but i do have a 6.75L dead space under the malt pipe, when i did biab i think i used 3, 3.5L per kilo of grain if i remember rightly

 

[RichK]

I've got a 32L pot & have found that will comfortably produce ~18L batches (with a sparge). I can squeeze out a bit more if (IF) I'm careful with the boil.

 

[KegThat]

You would have to be abit thick to steal the code, you would be giving your shipping address away

Haha anyone can use the code!

 

[SilverShadow]

i know this is a bit off topic but how much water is the norm for mashing in I have been using about a litre and a half per kilo of grain but have only done a few 10 litre AG brews so far, read somewhere this morning that a bit thinner mash is more beneficial than a to thicker one , any help is appreciated, cheers

Last brew I did slightly differently. Not saying my BIAB approach is right, but I started with 10L. After mashing I squeezed the bag to get 8L, then did some sparging to get my pre boil to 12L pre boil volume.

When I haven't sparged I've started with about 14L pre mash volume

Both tend to result in about 10.5L for fermenting, for around 2.5kg of grain

So depending on which route you go, it's around 4L/kg (sparge) to 5.5L/kg (non sparge), in my case.


Maybe others have different BIAB ratios though