Thinking of going over to the dark side

[Pearlfisher]

Could anyone tell me please the equipment I'd need to do brews such as this -

"A recipe pack containing all the ingredients to make a clone, all grain version of Bathams best Bitter.
A pale yellow, fruity, sweetish Bitter with a dry, hoppy finish. A good, light, refreshing beer

This recipe is based on the latest edition of Graham Wheeler's book, "Brew your own British Real Ales" and is the 23 litre version.

* Please note that alpha acids vary, the amounts to use in this recipe have been adjusted accordingly.

The pack contains: ( please note all grains come crushed)

Pale Malt (maris Otter) (grams) 4480

Start of Boil

Fuggle Hops (grams) 31
Northdown Hops (grams) 18

Post-boil Hops
Golding Hops (grams) 10


1 x Protafloc last 15 mins of Boil

1 pack of S-04 "

 

[andyd]

Bare minimum (for BIAB):

Boiler
Mashing bag
FV
hydrometer
thermometer
scales (for hops and grain - maybe two different sets)
bottles/keg
steriliser

Optional (arguably):
Mash tun (for non-BIAB)
Chiller

There's probably more bits and pieces I not thought of barring a few consumables (bottle caps etc) the first list is what I use.

Read through some of the "How to's" to get a better picture.

By the by, I made the GW Bathams recipe for my first AG brew at the start of this year, very good it was too. You'll never go back!

 

[Pearlfisher]

Thanks Andy , I've most of the items you list except a boiler , what capacity would I require? , a mashing bag , a mashing tun or a chiller.

I've been looking at the 27 or 30 litre burco boilers , would they be ok for a 5 gallon brew?

 

[craigite]

Brilliant, go for it. :thumb: :party:

For my first all grain brew I used a big pan on the kitchen hob.
I had a grain bag from the homebrew shop and put it in the big soup pan which had the water at 77degC (thermometer) if I remember right, put the lid on and wrapped in a sleeping blanket for 1.5 hrs. I needed to adjust with a little hot water to keep at 66degC but part of that was probably cos I kept checking the temp which allowed the mash to cool faster
Then I lifted the bag our and set it on wooden spoons over the pan to drain and sparged with water at about 78 by simply pouring over the bag.
Removed grain bag, topped up pan to limits and brought to boil.
Added hops in hop bag from bomebrew shop, tied the bag to pan handle so I could take hops out at end.
Boiled then cooled to 21deg by setting pan in bath with cold water.
Put into sterilised FV and topped up with cold water as my pan was not big enough for the full batch.
Checked gravity with hydrometer and recorded everything in notebook.
Added yeast.
Fermented and settled for about 14days then into sterilised bottles with syphon tube from homebrew shop.
Crowned bottles with crown tops with hammer crowner.

Lessons learned from first brew was..
1. Boiling sweet wort in kitchen covered the walls in sticky consendation, SHMBO cleaned walls. Next time boiled outside.
2. Pan in bath can overturn if bath over filled.
3. Hot break stayed in wort.
4. Syphon tube by its self is too much hastle so bought bottler (simple tube with push valve at bottom so when pushed onto bottle base it opens.
5. hammer applied crowner is scary so bought leaver two handed crowner.
6. pan too small so made my first boiler.

Note: this is not a how to, just a description of how I started. I enjoyed the brew and have never looked back.
Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

 

[craigite]

Thanks Andy , I've most of the items you list except a boiler , what capacity would I require? , a mashing bag , a mashing tun or a chiller.

I've been looking at the 27 or 30 litre burco boilers , would they be ok for a 5 gallon brew?

I eventually upgraded to a buffalo boiled 27 litre and still use it.

 

[Baz Chaz]

Thanks Andy , I've most of the items you list except a boiler , what capacity would I require? , a mashing bag , a mashing tun or a chiller.

I've been looking at the 27 or 30 litre burco boilers , would they be ok for a 5 gallon brew?

I eventually upgraded to a buffalo boiled 27 litre and still use it.

I also use a Buffalo, but the 40 ltr one for 23ltr brews, the extra spare space is well worth having, when you get the beggar on a good rolling boil it fairly rattles along :thumb: tap's easy to replace with a ball valve :thumb:

 

[jonnymorris]

I also use a Buffalo, but the 40 ltr one for 23ltr brews...

I've been thinking about what boiler to buy/make and these Buffalo boilers at £90 look great. I guess a tap change and addition of hop filter is all that's needed?

Could they double as a mash tun or is that asking too much?

 

[Baz Chaz]

I'd make myself a seperate mash tun :thumb: insulated coolbox or something like :thumb:

Initially I stuck with the supplied tap and hop bag, but then changed to a ball valve and hop stariner, much easier and better results :thumb:

edit .... stariner obviously should read strainer

 

[jonnymorris]

I'd make myself a seperate mash tun

Thought I might have been asking too much. Thanks.

 

[Baz Chaz]

It's certainly worth the effort, not much more work or expense to make a simple mash tun, but the faffing around you'd need to do without having one isn't worth contemplating :idea:

 

[tazuk]

build your own boiler with 2 tesco elements tank conector tap from tool statoin its easy my boiler size mmm i converted a 33ltr ok but i have now up graded to a 60ltr boiler like this :thumb:

viewtopic.php?f=13&p=240453#p240453

Thanks Andy , I've most of the items you list except a boiler , what capacity would I require? , a mashing bag , a mashing tun or a chiller.

I've been looking at the 27 or 30 litre burco boilers , would they be ok for a 5 gallon brew?

 

[johnnie]

I went the gas route with a 50L pot http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... g_Pot.html ( my haven't prices gone up in a few months!!) and a burner http://www.gasproducts.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh ... 316#aHA316 So I'm not running up leccy bills for the house, keeps SHMBO happy. Oh of course you'll need to fit a tap on the pot and buy a gas cylinder.

 

[jonnymorris]

I went the gas route with a 50L pot...

I was thinking of doing this but using the gas cooker (in the kitchen). Am I right in thinking that the comment from the fella above, i.e. 'Boiling sweet wort in kitchen covered the walls in sticky consendation' is the best argument against this plan?

 

[andyd]

It's certainly worth the effort, not much more work or expense to make a simple mash tun, but the faffing around you'd need to do without having one isn't worth contemplating :idea:

Horses for courses maybe but I don't find there's too much faffing about. I get the water to temperature in the boiler, add the bag, add the grain, insulate and leave for an hour or so. Then take out the bag and onto the boil. If you're just dipping a toe in the water of the dark side it's cheaper than getting a separate mash tun, you can always move onto that later. I've managed seven AG brews this year using this method, very happy with the results too.

I would agree with Baz Chaz though on getting a 40L boiler if possible. Mine holds 29L I think and it's just about possible to get a 23L brew out of it but it is a squeeze.

 

[johnnie]

I went the gas route with a 50L pot...

I was thinking of doing this but using the gas cooker (in the kitchen). Am I right in thinking that the comment from the fella above, i.e. 'Boiling sweet wort in kitchen covered the walls in sticky consendation' is the best argument against this plan?

I've done 4 extracts (18L, 1.5hr boils) and 4 a.g.s (1.5hr boils) in a shed and haven't noticed any stickiness. But I'm sure with more boils this will probably change. I leave the door open so theres plenty of ventilation, and as its a shed, slight damage to the walls and ceiling doesn't really matter. If you're boiling in the kitchen I think you'll get some residue, the boil does produce quite a bit of steam. I've seen quite a few viedos on youtube of people boiling in the kitchen. If you've got an extractor fan, use it. How about an electric boiler then you can put it beside and open window.

 

[jonnymorris]

How about an electric boiler then you can put it beside and open window.

I was trying to avoid buying/making one and just stick to my stock pot on the stove. I've done an extract in it and didn't notice any sticky walls but was thinking there must be a good reason why everyone talks about electric boilers.

 

[Eric_S]

I boil (electric boiler) in the kitchen - I turn the extractor on and leave the window and back door open. Get loads of steam but not really noticed any residue on the walls as yet (9 brews so far).

 

[Baz Chaz]

... was thinking there must be a good reason why everyone talks about electric boilers.

There's a few people been asking about the Buffalo recently, which is what I use, so I just give the facts on my personal experience with the Buffalo :thumb:

I'll never suggest that it's better (or worse) than any home made electric boiler in either plastic or metal or if anyone should go the gas route, or even a log fire if you fancy it, each to their own, I certainly won't criticise anyone elses method. There just seems to be more people use (or at least talk about) electric than gas :!:

 

[james1988]

I cut a hole in the lid of my boiler and use tumble drier ducting to vent the steam out of the window. Works like a charm; the kitchen no longer looks like a sauna on brew days!

James

 

[BrotherMalice]

I cut a hole in the lid of my boiler and use tumble drier ducting to vent the steam out of the window. Works like a charm; the kitchen no longer looks like a sauna on brew days!

James

Now that is a bloody good idea!