# All Grain Equipment For Under $10



## berazafi (26/6/06)

Ok

As a AG brewer with a few brews already vanished from the keg i figure i might try and do something to help others.
Ive set a challange as i keep hearing on this forum All grain is to expensive and difficult. It does not have to be either, the only thing about all grain is its time consuming, but im sure doing kits and bits and extracts also gets time consuming once you start steeping grains etc

Tonight i will head to bunnings and kmart and hopefully aquire all that is needed, i will post up picks of the required equipment hopfully tommorow

I will post pics of the equipment and the cost and a method over the next couple of days

This will assume that people already have a few cooking pots and a 23L fermenter (to be used as in between liquid storage vessil)

I will also assume that you can use some very basic hand tools, or maybe possibly a drill

Im thinking i will do a APA for the recipe as they are easy to ferment without the need for specilty lager temperature equipment.

*NOTE: PLEASE DONT BUY OR DO ANY OF THIS UNTIL I POST THE METHOD AND RESULTS*

I will be slowly adding to this and want to do it and prove it before i get anyone to spend anything

*Required tools*

1 nail





Or the prefered tool a drill and about a 3-4mm drill bit

*
Recipe *

4.5kg of Pale Malt (joe white) $2.5 (at most) per Kg
300grams of medium crystal 

Get these crushed (store these as close as 18 degs as your house will allow, the closer you can get to this temperature the closer our final water temperature will be to correct when we add it to the grain

6 cascade hop plugs (plugs are important because no scales are required then) these are about $5.00bucks from www.craftbrewer.com.au

1 dried yeast pack $4.00 also from www.craftbrewer.com.au (i think you can get postage as low as $2.00 on these items

*Equipment*

4 buckets (9.8L) you can get these from bunnings $89c each




A thermometer $2.00 at the local $2 shop, the brand is Home innovations and the model number is KIT4314 

( i checked this against a calibrated one at work and it was within 0.5degC which should good enough)

NOTES: these thermometers are not designed to be acurate when fully imerged, i found imerging just the stainless nose to give the best results, when i submerged another 50mm the readings went out to around +/-2degC

_Also If you are serious about this hobby good temperature control is a must though all parts of the brewing procedure (eg fermentation), So i would recomend that you would invest \ in a decent quality temperature meter/thermometer._ 












*Method*

Take one nail, cover in some cloth to protect your hand and poke holes through the bucket, best to do this from the inside of the bucket as you will get a better flow of water ( i know the picture shows from the outside but its easier to get a pic this way)


BTW a big thanks to Steve for declaring he didnt have a drill and so making me do it by hand, when i had 2 cordless drills in reach :angry: 

Well i have decided to drill out my bucket as well as i noticed the plastic had sort of closed over the holes overnight, i could have just re put the nail through the other way but could do it over again so got the drill out 




Some pics showing the final product :super: 







And the drill holes




Next you want to find a box that will hold the two buckets, you may have noticed that i only drilled holes in two of the buckets.

With the other two buckets you want to get aluminium foil and wrap them





Then get some bubble wrap (your should be able to find this as scrap if not just use scrunched newspaper as shown further down

Place this as a layer on the bottom of the box




Place buckets (without holes) in box and surround with paper, or bubble wrap





you will notice in the next picture one of the buckets with holes in it sitting inside the other bucket, these buckets together and your box for the mashtun/lauter tun




Next step is the lid, cut a peice of a carboard box big enough to cover the top of the bucket




Then cover with aluminium foil




This will then sit on top of each bucket in the box and you need to cover and tuck in two towels on top of each bucket

I did a test with water at 65degs in the bucket, it loses about 2deg per 30mins, this shouldnt be a problem with this recipe, but i will adress that when we get to the beer making part.



*Pat yourselves on the back, you have just created a mash/lauter tun for under $4 using off the shelf stuff *


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## DrewCarey82 (26/6/06)

Go bro.

Will be interested to see the results.

Cheers.


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## Steve (26/6/06)

Looking forward to following this thread. I dont have a drill though  I have some screwdrivers and a socket set  
Cheers
Steve


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## jimmysuperlative (26/6/06)

on tenterhooks here too ... 

good luck and godspeed !! :beer:


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## berazafi (26/6/06)

Edits made to original post showing updates


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## MVZOOM (26/6/06)

AWSOME - go at it! Can't wait to see results. I am trying to do AG for under $100, however with the mash tun and taps I'm looking at going a bit over! The tun cost me close to $70 complete, so looking for other methods here to make up the difference! :beerbang: 

Cheers - Mike


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## tangent (26/6/06)

youd be better off with mayo buckets
they're bigger, so hold more mash, so don't cool down as quick


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## dicko (26/6/06)

tangent said:


> youd be better off with mayo buckets
> they're bigger, so hold more mash, so don't cool down as quick



and the mayo buckets are also "food grade"

Cheers


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## berazafi (26/6/06)

MVZOOM said:


> AWSOME - go at it! Can't wait to see results. I am trying to do AG for under $100, however with the mash tun and taps I'm looking at going a bit over! The tun cost me close to $70 complete, so looking for other methods here to make up the difference! :beerbang:
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers - Mike



Yep my setup cost about $120, but though i would post an el chepo method so people wanting to give it a go to see if its for them could Sorry i dont think i am going to be able to help you in the save dollars department, the idea of this post is to do it cheap, but stuff like a big boiler is very high on the list and you cant realy do that cheap. I will be able to do this under $10 and you will get a good very drinkable beer out of it, you will also learn the process by doing it and as i said work out what you want to buy and dont want to buy. I honestly couldnt imagine anyone doing 100 brews with this method





tangent said:


> youd be better off with mayo buckets
> they're bigger, so hold more mash, so don't cool down as quick



Would love to have got mayo buckets, but cant buy them under $10 bucks each, i could get them free im sure, but i originally said i would do it with off the shelf products.

I could have wrote a post along the lines of steal a keg from here, persuade the breadmaker here etc etc.

By the way those buckets are actully manufactured in NZ i couldnt belive it, thought for sure they would be chinese. If i can do it all without chinese product i will have to get points for that


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## Voosher (26/6/06)

berazafi said:


> Would love to have got mayo buckets, but cant buy them under $10 bucks each, i could get them free im sure, but i originally said i would do it with off the shelf products.



I get mayo buckets from Barnacle Bills in SA for $4 for the 20 odd litre jobbies.

I like the theme of your project though berazafi. Sort of like 'Dogme' for brewers.
:beerbang:


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## wee stu (26/6/06)

The canteen at tha Royal Adelaide Hospital regularly has 20L buckets on sale for $3.

They have often held things like sliced gherkin, but it is amazing what napisan, bleach and or phos can get rid of (sequentially, not combined, please!!).

And the money goes back through the nursing auxilliary to our major public hospital, which has to be a good thing too. 

Great for storing upt to 5kg of speciality grain also - nice snap lock lids, with rubber lid seals.


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## MVZOOM (26/6/06)

berazafi said:


> MVZOOM said:
> 
> 
> > AWSOME - go at it! Can't wait to see results. I am trying to do AG for under $100, however with the mash tun and taps I'm looking at going a bit over! The tun cost me close to $70 complete, so looking for other methods here to make up the difference! :beerbang:
> ...



Yeah, that's cool - I'm just really interested- even if it's a middle ground (ie.. 1 or 2 batches) until I find the right bargains. :chug: 

Cheers - Mike


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## AngelTearsOnMyTongue (26/6/06)

Love it Berazafi.

I have sort of been waiting for a thread like this. Not so much for the *Super* el-cheapo side although that will be interesting too, but to _*see*_ the process from start to finish. Seeing how little it can be done for will of course also be very useful as I am skint as hell at the moment.

Having said that I do have an old keg.

Looking forward to the rest.

cheers

ATOMT


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## PistolPatch (26/6/06)

Nice to see this thread. AG can be a a bit of a challenge but having a great beer to drink every time is worth it. No twang!

Not sure if I can help at all here but a few ideas come to mind in hindsight and in line with this thread...

HLT - (Hot Liquor Tank) - This is simply what you heat water up in for mashing and sparging. I'd say you need 1 x 20 lt pot and 1 x 12/16lt pot which are cheap at the right places - Hardware House etc. Thin bottom doesn't matter - you are just heating or boiling water.

MLT - (Mash/Lauter Tun) - Not sure if this would work but you could use your existing fermenter and one of Ross's Jumbo Hop Socks. Tap fittings can be expensive so if this would work, you will save heaps.

To do the above, given HLT and MLT size, you will need to batch sparge which is easier to control than fly sparging. There is a big problem on AHB for us new to AG that no one specifies when they advise new AG'er's whether they are talking about fly or batch sparging and they are 2 totally different beasts.

In my opinion, based on what I have read and what I have tasted, I believe that batch-sparging is superior not just from its simplicity but also from the quality of beer it produces. I have written some detailed notes on this and so anyone who wants then should PM me rather than me posting here.

As said above, your kettle/pot is going to be your biggest worry. This is the biggest problem to solve in AG or any sort of brewing that requires boiling the wort. I have no advice here when it comes to saving money.

The other important thing is a thermometer. I have thermometers poking out my proverbial! All you need is a $10 thermometer from your LHBS. I'm talking about the concave stainles steel thermometers. I have found these to be highly accurate and reliable. Forget probes for now - they cost me a fortune.

....... Couple of other thoughts before I retire. A 3 ring burner ($35) from a camping shop will boil your wort excellently. I say exellently to emphasise that this is all you need. A NASA burner, in my experience, especially if you are batch sparging, will not speed up your boil, in fact, my 3 ring burner cannot keep up with my batching. NASA's are bloody noisy and probably more expensive - unsure about the expense.

OK, that's all for now. I'm away for a week or so but I'll look forward to seeing how you get on. Hope the above has been of some help. Make a decison now though as to whether you are a batch or fly sparger!

Cheers
Pat


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## Steve (27/6/06)

Sensational berazafi! Following closely.
Cheers
Steve

P.S. Sorry for saying I didnt have a drill!


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## Steve (27/6/06)

P.S. I take it that is a lauter tun you are making with the holey buckets? Correct?
Cheers
Steve


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## DrewCarey82 (27/6/06)

So your going AG aye steveo?


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## Steve (27/6/06)

DrewCarey82 said:


> So your going AG aye steveo?




If it costs $10 i'm willing to give it a burl for sure! You?


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## DrewCarey82 (27/6/06)

Possibly if I can ever find time for 8 hours straight to do anything. But thats highly unlikely unfortunately.


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Steve said:


> P.S. I take it that is a lauter tun you are making with the holey buckets? Correct?
> Cheers
> Steve



Yep it will be a combination mash tun/lauter tun, it should be finished tonight, just trying to minimise the temp loss

Drew 

A brewday takes me 4hours 30mins at the moment, this method i estimate will be done in 6. But i will let you know exactly after im finsihed.


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## Steve (27/6/06)

berazafi said:


> Steve said:
> 
> 
> > P.S. I take it that is a lauter tun you are making with the holey buckets? Correct?
> ...


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## DrewCarey82 (27/6/06)

I wonder how many recipes I'd get if I started a partials thread? As in people list their ingredients and what they did step by step?


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Steve should be easier and cheaper than that, but yes that would be possibly better

Dave


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## Steve (27/6/06)

DrewCarey82 said:


> I wonder how many recipes I'd get if I started a partials thread? As in people list their ingredients and what they did step by step?



Start one Drew - I was searching yesterday, took hours and probably got about 3 - and that included the pilsener from the "all grain or extract" thread. I'm sure everyone reading that marathon thread would be more than happy to help us out?
Cheers
Steve


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## DrewCarey82 (27/6/06)

I might add that for any Sydney brewers like myself who are thinking they'd like to try AG but wouldnt have a clue how to put together a mashtun, When corresponding with Northern District brewing, Gerard said that his soon to be releasing a cheap simple mashtun in the next few weeks.

Cheers.


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## bconnery (27/6/06)

Steve said:


> DrewCarey82 said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder how many recipes I'd get if I started a partials thread? As in people list their ingredients and what they did step by step?
> ...



I'd post a few. 
I do what I have been increasingly calling mini-mini mashes, with what is becoming an increasing amount of grain, but always using extract, usually pale, for a lot of the wort.


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## DrewCarey82 (27/6/06)

That'd be great mate, cause deadset would love to do but have zero idea how to do the calculations necessary.


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

DrewCarey82 said:


> I might add that for any Sydney brewers like myself who are thinking they'd like to try AG but wouldnt have a clue how to put together a mashtun, When corresponding with Northern District brewing, Gerard said that his soon to be releasing a cheap simple mashtun in the next few weeks.
> 
> Cheers.



Drew i think you may be a little off topic here, there already is a mashtun and it costs <$4 and you make it with a nail, no tools required, did you not see the first post in this thread, if you want to post other comments in here such as recipies for partials etc and mash tun design can you post it in another thread, this thread is already turning into noise instead of the basic instruction i was hoping it would be


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## DrewCarey82 (27/6/06)

I apologise mate didnt see u'd edited original post.


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

DrewCarey82 said:


> I apologise mate didnt see u'd edited original post.



I will try and post it all in the original post, to allow for one constant flow of information, by saturday night the post will be finished so probably check back then to see it all


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## Steve (27/6/06)

berazafi said:


> DrewCarey82 said:
> 
> 
> > I apologise mate didnt see u'd edited original post.
> ...




Saturday night!!!! C'mon chop chop - you do realise I was going to do my first AG on Saturday  
Guess it'll have to be sunday now
Cheers
Steve

Hey Dave - much appreciate this thread man and the work you are doing? Just think what you build you could sell on ebay for $100!!! :lol:


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## dicko (27/6/06)

berazafi said:


> DrewCarey82 said:
> 
> 
> > I might add that for any Sydney brewers like myself who are thinking they'd like to try AG but wouldnt have a clue how to put together a mashtun, When corresponding with Northern District brewing, Gerard said that his soon to be releasing a cheap simple mashtun in the next few weeks.
> ...



hi berazfi,
I admire your endeavour and enthusiasm with this project and i might add that i tried a similar thing when I first started down the AG path.  

I used similar buckets from the hardware store and found that the mash left a brown stain inside them after the mash.  I was not sure of the suitability of the buckets and non food grade plastic absorbed the wort. I am also lead to believe that non food grade plastic leaches certain chemicals back into the wort at higher temperatures eg 66 deg c.

I tipped that first wort out and looked for a more suitable and safe method. :angry: 

Drews comment may be a little off topic but a cheap mash tun that is supplied, by what we all would assume is a reputable supplier, may be a safer option and provide to more economical in the long run.

I got two food grade buckets from our local bakery for two long necks of a Boston Cream.

I have no affiliation with NDB or any supplier etc. etc

Cheers


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

dicko, point well taken I will continue on anyway with a disclamer, ive come this far, im not sure what these buckets are made out of as it doesnt say.


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## DrewCarey82 (27/6/06)

Excellent point I might add that I have no affiliation with ND Brewing either.


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## dicko (27/6/06)

berazafi said:


> dicko, point well taken I will continue on anyway with a disclamer, ive come this far, im not sure what these buckets are made out of as it doesnt say.



Yes mate I couldnt identify the ones i had either.
I have since found out that food grade plastic has a code on the bottom in a triangle but i can't remember what the letters and numbers are supposed to be.
Cheers


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

I am actully doing some recherch atm and am trying to find the manufacture of the buckets, the funny thing is most food grade plastics are pourous (spelling)


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

dicko said:


> berazafi said:
> 
> 
> > dicko, point well taken I will continue on anyway with a disclamer, ive come this far, im not sure what these buckets are made out of as it doesnt say.
> ...



Yep, the triangle with a 2 inside it, however this only tells of the plastic type and not if it has been recycled, apparently it has to be a certain range of plastic types, be non-recycled and not have bad chemicals in the dye (black is the only color that seems a problem), i will keep recherching and if not will have to use the white plastic ones, however my 10 dollar challange seems to be slipping away


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## tdh (27/6/06)

The food grade and the mayo buckets in our Grumpy kitchen have "5" written in the triangle.

I don't think a nail will do the trick any more though, it's tough plastic.

A 3/32 drill bit will do the trick.

tdh


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

tdh said:


> The food grade and the mayo buckets in our Grumpy kitchen have "5" written in the triangle.
> 
> I don't think a nail will do the trick any more though, it's tough plastic.
> 
> ...



Very True


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## dicko (27/6/06)

The buckets i had were yellow and they got a brown stain.
The white ones from the bakery were a lot harder and no stain after use.
I have still got one of the white ones with an electric element that i use at times for heating water if necessary and after three years it is still in good nik.
Cheers


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## Steve (27/6/06)

Dave - keep going with what you have. The challenge is to make an AG beer for $10 or under. It maybe only used once....but im sure people will be able to use other bits n pieces once they get the idea.. keep going pal!
Cheers
Steve

P.S. Thanks to everyone else for their input.


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Look i will try and pickup some of the white buckets as well today and show how to make them for guys wanting to spend a little more.

I will keep going and im currently finding out about the plastics (these buckets are made in NZ so should be able to get a definative awnser)

to be honest im realy having a hard time finding a thermometer also, but i will do this, even if i have to call it "THE PLASTIC FANTASTIC APA with that little some thing extra" lol


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## Voosher (27/6/06)

tdh said:


> The food grade and the mayo buckets in our Grumpy kitchen have "5" written in the triangle.


No expert but I believe...
Triangle 5 is Polypropylene (PP)
Triangle 2 is High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Both are food grade. PP (Triangle 5) is better.

Happy to be corrected or confirmed.



Berazafi,
Sorry to contribute to the noise. Take the volume of noise as a compliment to your idea.
Sounds like it's a damn good idea to edit the initial post.
Regular readers will have to refer back.


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## AngelTearsOnMyTongue (27/6/06)

berazafi said:


> however my 10 dollar challange seems to be slipping away



Dont worry about it berazafi. 

1 - I reckon you can still do it for under $10
2 - $10....$15.....even $20. I am still really interested. 

Lets just see how you go.




tdh said:


> I don't think a nail will do the trick any more though, it's tough plastic.



I for one will concede the nail. I have a drill and if I didnt, I would borrow one. Forget the nail.
In any case, you could heat the nail up holding it with some pliers..... but just use a drill.




berazafi said:


> Look i will try and pickup some of the white buckets as well today and show how to make them for guys wanting to spend a little more.
> 
> to be honest im realy having a hard time finding a thermometer also, but i will do this, even if i have to call it "THE PLASTIC FANTASTIC APA with that little some thing extra" lol



Go to a restaurant, well before service time (cause otherwise you will get a very bad reception), and offer to exchange a few bottles of home brew. It still counts as under $10.

Try the Supermarket baking section for a thermometer or "House" which is a homewares store and has cooking supplies. Im sure we got ours for under $10......Just hang on and i will give them a call.

..............

.............

There you go....they have a meat thermometer (40 - 85oC) for $7.95. Couldnt get the info on the baking thermomter but its range was 40 - 200oC and Im sure it was only about $12. I,d pay that or up the challenge price to $15.  

cheers ATOMT


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Good news, i went and checked the bucket and they are made out of PP (the trangle symbol and the 5), there should be no reason why these cant be food grade, (its only the dye or if its recycled that may stop it), i have found a thermometer for $2.00 from a two dollar shop its range is 60-88 and i just checked it against a NATA calibrated reference at work and its seems to be within 0.5deg, i will post more later about the traps of these type of thermometers, and the best thing is it even came with a meat skewer so you dont even need to provide a nail

Anyway im going to edit the post to show the new purchase


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Edits made to original post to show thermometer


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Edit made to original post to show completed mash/lauter tun, i tested this with plain water and found a loss in temp of around 2 degs over 30mins


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## jimmysuperlative (27/6/06)

Excellent stuff so far, berazafi :beer: 

Looking forward to the next installment ...Onwards and Upwards, GoodLuck!


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## poppa joe (27/6/06)

For buckets..20lt..10lt..
Check out your local.. Bakery..Deli..Maccas..Hungry Jacks..Sandwich Bar..The fella selling ice creams at local markets..(Get mine for $2.00 off the ice cream man..Free at bakery..Free at deli..)Cubes at back of pub..
Whiskey,Rum..etc..20lt..Free..
Cheers
PJ


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Yep PJ

If the guys that are attempting this can get there hands on the 20l white style buckets by all means do it

im actully having problems working out a way to get 30 or so litres of stuff to boil at the moment with only $4 left, but i will get there

I am trying not to rely on the get this free here etc as it can be hard to do

dave


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## matti (27/6/06)

Impressed with you dedication and willing to share. 100 Pts
Just a note using plastic buckets. Most plastics don't like hot water and give away toxins at around 77 degrees. 
Jelous though
Matti


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## dicko (27/6/06)

berazafi said:


> Yep PJ
> 
> If the guys that are attempting this can get there hands on the 20l white style buckets by all means do it
> 
> ...



I know of at least one brewer on this forum that has boiled her wort in a kettle on a wood fire.
That wouldn't cost much!
BTW, heads up on the rating of your plastic buckets  
Cheers


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

being PP im hoping these buckets will be ok, as i said as long as they havent used bad recyled plastic or used a bad dye they will be fine as they are PP(rated to 120degC)

edit: realy bad spelling


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## matti (27/6/06)

Cherio good work all around
Matti


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## poppa joe (27/6/06)

Berazafi..
With 4 bucks left ..you will have to go to a garage sale..get a 2400w kettle for 2 bucks(like i did) Or tell the missus you need a new kettle...LOVE..
Check your friends that have a Pool..Steal their chlorine containers.(Make sure it is a .90 HDPE 46 lt..like mine)
put the element from kettle in chlorine container...instant boiler..(check out Google or Yahoo..cant remember which( "cd's old electric wort boiler" ) A wealth of info there...
Cheers
PJ.


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

poppa joe said:


> Berazafi..
> With 4 bucks left ..you will have to go to a garage sale..get a 2400w kettle for 2 bucks(like i did) Or tell the missus you need a new kettle...LOVE..
> Check your friends that have a Pool..Steal their chlorine containers.(Make sure it is a .90 HDPE 46 lt..like mine)
> put the element from kettle in chlorine container...instant boiler..(check out Google or Yahoo..cant remember which( "cd's old electric wort boiler" ) A wealth of info there...
> ...



PJ

I have a 50l and 3 ring burner sitting here (read first post), im trying to do this so as others can follow it, i need not to be relying on second had gear. Im going to try and get this to happen on the stove with pots you should already have, but im slowly thinking i may end up having to reduce this to a 15litre batch (all though that will be a bit of a cop out)


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## MVZOOM (27/6/06)

Won't a 15l batch be fine, if you just upp the amount of grain slightly? Ie.. concentrate it, then water down with another 5-7l at ferment time?

Cheers - Mike


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## poppa joe (27/6/06)

Sorry Berazafi..

just another option..(but check out the link)(cd's old electric wort boiler)
Cheers
PJ


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

Problem is with 18l of space for the mash, i will strugle to get it high enought to be able to water down, any help would be great here though


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## berazafi (27/6/06)

poppa joe said:


> Sorry Berazafi..
> 
> just another option..(but check out the link)(cd's old electric wort boiler)
> Cheers
> PJ



Cheer BJ, links didnt come through but im sure if anyone want to go this way it will be easier than muliple pots on the stove, the one thing i didnt promise about the $10 dollar method is the time it will take

This will be time consuming, but it will be cheap and hopfully produce a reasonble beer, but i think most it will educate the ease of the proccess, even with the worst possible gear in terms of ease

Dave


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## berazafi (28/6/06)

Ok have recived a reply from bunnings saying that the buckets are not food grade and that they sell 20L food grade buckets for $9.95

Im not sure if they based this information just on the labels of there containers. 

So use these buckets at you own risk, they are PP plastic so they will withstand the heat.

I will be using these for this batch, one guy mentioned about that chemicals could leach at above 77degC, there should be no reason for the plastic to be sitting at this temperature for any period of time during this so i will be taking the risk.

The alternative is to do as others have suggested and find the food grade white 20L buckets, using this style of bucket will also save you some time on the brew day, and be a longer lasting solution

If you cant work out how to modify the design usint 2 20L buckets instead of 4 10L buckets Pm me and i will help you out

Dave


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## PostModern (28/6/06)

This is only anectdotal evidence, so take it for what it's worth.

I use one of those 89c Bunnings buckets as a filter vessel. ie, I cut a hole the size of a Britta cartridge in the bottom and inserted a filter cartridge. I then rest this inside the neck of a fermenter and add water to the bucket, which filters down into the fermenter. I then use this as a source of chlorine-free filtered water for mashing. Normally, I remove the bucket as soon as the water is full, but one time I left the bucket sitting in the top of the fermenter for about 2 hours then tasted the water - plastic! 

I imagine the plastic taste would be stronger with hotter water. Did you taste the water from your temperature test?


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## berazafi (28/6/06)

No i didnt actully, i will have to try that tonight, i will l put some 70deg water in there and give it a taste, thanks for the feedback


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## Steve (28/6/06)

Looking good Dave.
Cheers
Steve


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## apd (28/6/06)

An idea for keeping a not-so-well-insulated bucket-in-bucket mash tun warm...

Put your mash tun in a largish tray that you can heat on a stove. Fill tray with water and heat. Re-application of heat to the tray may be needed but the warm water and air surrounding your mash tun should help keep the temperature stable.

I saw this on a web site that I've lost now. Their mash/lauter tun was actually a single bucket (similar to berazafi's 89c Bunnings buckets) with an upturned plastic strainer used as a false bottom. I don't remember if they had a tap or simple hole in the bottom for lautering.


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## berazafi (30/6/06)

Hey all

Have some bad news, unfortunatly i wont be able to have this done this weekend. The reasons are as follows

1. The plastic in the buckets is concerning me 
2. I am going to change the inital concept a little from off the shelf new to include secondhand items, because i realy dont belive anymore that you can get all the required items new for under $10
3. I am waiting on some 20L white food buckets from my local chicken shop

I was suprised at how easy it was to obtain these buckets, I would suggest that if you were even thinking about trying this that you would try over this weekend or next week to obtain some, they have so many uses. 

The other thing you will need to obtain is enough pots to boil a total of 30-40L on your stove or bbq, etc. It doesnt mater if you cant do all the boiling at once, there is no reason why you can do muliple lots, however your will need to be able to store the 30-40l in pots ready to be boiled

In conclusion i have failed at my original challange and will modify the first post to include the new critera and required items as soon as i have obtained them


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## Steve (30/6/06)

Onya Dave - you favent failed youve convinced me to buy a drill on the weekend - so thats a winner!  
Cheers
Steve

P.S. Would be great if you kept the thread going :beer:


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## AngelTearsOnMyTongue (30/6/06)

berazafi said:


> In conclusion i have failed at my original challange and will modify the first post to include the new critera and required items as soon as i have obtained them




No way man! You never made this post "*NEW* All grain equipment for under $10"

Stop and think about this before you adjust the original concept. Why did you start this thread? Because non-AG brewers are always saying its too expensive. You wanted to demonstrate how cheaply you can do an AG brew. Already you have taught me a heap with this thread.

As far as I am concerned, it is completely legitimate to "obtain" equipment or get it second hand. Geez I dont go looking for new equipment first regardless what it is for. I will try to think where I can get it cheaply (so I am a tight arse).


Now I might consider that you were cutting corners if you said, "My cousin has a 100lt SS kettle with a tap and built in element so I am going to use that".

Since we all know that 20lt food grade buckets are relatively easy to obtain from restaurants, deli's etc, I do not think you have exceeded the bounds of the initial challenge you have set yourself.

Also consider this, you are setting up a system to show new AG brewers what to do for a "BASIC" AG brew. I think it is very important that that first brew doesnt taste of plastic or contain potentially carcenogenic chemicals in it. 

I say go for the food grade 20lt containers and you havent failed yet in my eyes. Use a drill as nearly everyone can borrow one for a couple of hours and you could probably get one from bunnings for $10 these days anyway.

Premake some insulating blankets out of newspaper (For wrapping arround the mash tun) for all I care. It just has to be cheap and work. Since I will probably be doing somthing along these lines I am following this thread with interest

I reckon your doing a great job. Keep it up. 

cheers

ATOMT


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## jimmysuperlative (30/6/06)

Yes! Please keep this thread going ...it's providing the inspiration to jump in and have a go ...and to realise its doable without needing a shite load of expensive gear :beer: 

...and while I've read plenty about people brewing with this sort of equipment, it's great to finally see it backed up with pictures and explanations.

Top stuff, berazafi !


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## matti (30/6/06)

Sorry to drag the prize over 10 bucks.
I've mentioned it in other post I use. kitchen utensils for partial.
gotto go bigger for ag.
I've been looking for a cheap BIG circular drinks esky with tap. though not sure if its the ideal.
Made up a stainless steel false bottom for me big rectangular esky as an mash/lautering tun. Though the efficiency will be some what compromised, I will most likely adopt decoction method. A Coleman 7 ltr esky will do for me partial for now, and no plastic taste evident. 
You should see kitchen on brewday. Organized chaos.
And the clean up. 5h day. 
OH, I spent $22 in stockpot and $5 dollar on sheetmetal for false bottom i havent used yet. 
Matti


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## berazafi (30/6/06)

Thanks for the comments, they are much apprechated, I will keep this going and hopfully by the end of next weekend i will have the batch fermenting

Dave


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## DrewCarey82 (30/6/06)

matti said:


> Sorry to drag the prize over 10 bucks.
> I've mentioned it in other post I use. kitchen utensils for partial.
> gotto go bigger for ag.
> I've been looking for a cheap BIG circular drinks esky with tap. though not sure if its the ideal.
> ...



Go the bunnings around $50.


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## bconnery (30/6/06)

berazafi said:


> Thanks for the comments, they are much apprechated, I will keep this going and hopfully by the end of next weekend i will have the batch fermenting
> 
> Dave





Even if this whole thing comes out at less than $50 it would be awesome...



I've already gotten a lot of ideas for a move into partials without too much extra equipment and effort. 



Looking forward to the results. Keep up the good work!!


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## berazafi (30/6/06)

bconnery said:


> berazafi said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the comments, they are much apprechated, I will keep this going and hopfully by the end of next weekend i will have the batch fermenting
> ...



You would have quite a nice setup for $50 dollars, the thing is the boiler you need to be able to boil around 30L, a single 40L or maybe two 20L pots would be suitable, 4 10L pots etc. If you guys can work out your boilers you will have quality AG equipment for under $50. There are 3 basic things needed, these are a mash/lauter tun, a good thermometer, and a boiler

I already have all these things, so dont realy want to go out and spend $50 showing you guys how do do it

But i will show you how to make a mash tun, get a cheap thermometer, grab some pots for the stove and do the proccess, 

From there, you guys can spend as little or as much as you want effectivly producing the same beer

Dave


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## GMK (30/6/06)

Those 7.50 camp bed mattress - the ones taht come rolled up - makes good cheap insulation for the bucket in bucket mash tun - also bubble wrap is good.
U can get cheap kettles - do a search on here - under 10.00 where you can take the element out - drill a hole in one of your 10.00 plastic buckets - insert element and it is now a HLT or a kettle - might need to add 2 elements for the kettel.

Hope this helps


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## poppa joe (30/6/06)

BERAZAFFI
I downloaded info on boiler/mushtun/stirrer..etc..have it on floppy
Can email info if anyone wants it..
cheers
PJ


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## poppa joe (30/6/06)

Berazafi
I GOOGLED "cd's old electric wort boiler" Link still working.
There are other links on page.
Cheers
PJ


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## jimmysuperlative (16/7/06)

I had a go at making a "bucket o' death" plastic electric HLT ...

... 25L Handypail from Supercheap $7
2 x electric jug from The Warehouse @ $7.99 ea.
1 power cable from old computer (see pic)

Because I am only experimenting at this stage, I used both elements from the electric kettles in the HLT. However, I only fired them up one at a time ...I was worried I'd overload the circuit. BTW I was using an earth leakage detector.

Using one element I got 20L of tap water to around 80c "strike temp" in about 25 mins. 
Noticed a cool spot at the bottom of the bucket on the opposite side to the element ...used a plastic brew spoon to remedy this - although I had read about this in another post - and part of the reason for putting two elements on either side at different heights (try to get the heat to circulate).

... anyway, I was pretty happy with the simplicity of the project. I'll look at jiffy boxing the wiring on the real HLT which i think will be a 36L fermenter ...maybe a temp controller and tap (with locking nut), and fixed thermometer.

Berazafi, how goes the battle? Mate I'd still love to see how your AG gear project turns out. Any progress? Keep us posted.


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## Zizzle (14/9/06)

Pat's Brewing In A Bag, with the no chiller method would cut some costs. If you already have a pot, then under $10 may be possible.

I think I paid $6 for the material to make my brewing bag. But it's big enough to do a double batch.

Only need a decent thermometer after that, and away you go.


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## Beerpig (14/9/06)

That just looks dangerous .................. exposed wires, electricity, water etc etc

Cheers


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## jimmysuperlative (14/9/06)

Beerpig said:


> That just looks dangerous .................. exposed wires, electricity, water etc etc
> 
> Cheers




You're right, I agree ... it is!! That's why I've shelved it ... I'm going down the BIAB / All-In-One road.

As Zizzle says, its simple ... boiler, heat source (gas for me), thermometer, brew bag and hop sock and you're set!


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## berazafi (14/9/06)

jimmysuperlative said:


> Beerpig said:
> 
> 
> > That just looks dangerous .................. exposed wires, electricity, water etc etc
> ...





The BIAB thing that Pat did is one of the reasons i havent bothered putting any more time into this, thats a wealth of information for the all grainer on a budget


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