Thinking of making the leap to AG

[Duxuk]

On Tuesday evening I spent about 30 minutes getting the mash on. Wednesday morning I did my 23l brew in 3 hours including chilling to pitching temp. I left the stockpot and chiller out side and spent 10 minutes today washing them for next time. We have an AGA which has a massive hotplate. This saves a bit of time. I sparge whilst I'm bringing the bulk to the boil so it adds virtually no time.

 

[pms67]

If you do BIAB - brew in a bag - the only extra equipment you need other than what you already have for kit brewing is a boiler and a grain bag. Cost me just under a hundred quid. But it doesn't take long to recover the cost as AG is way cheaper than kit brewing if you buy the ingredients in bulk. I buy everything I need for 6 brews all at the same time - about eighty quid.
If you brew in the house you'll need a heck of an extraction fan as otherwise the kitchen will be dripping with condensation. So I brew in an outhouse where it doesn't matter.
Takes about 5 hours though most of that time you'll be sitting in a chair drinking beer while you wait for things to finish.

If I can't brew outside (my new shed not wired up yet) I brew at the kitchen door with a large stand fan blowing just above the boiler,blows the hop smell right out the door,not that I mind it though 😉