20l Stovetop All Grain Aussie Lager

[davo4772]

As posted elsewhere, the free software Brewmate has a heap of useful calculators including strike temperature. Highly recommended, in fact I'm using BM now instead of BS as it does what I want it to quicker and dirtier :icon_cheers:

View attachment 44522

+1 The "Brew Day" page on Brewmate is very useful. BS is great but too much there for my purposes. Brewmate is awesome.

 

[alizzan]

Just want to give a massive thanks for your hard work, Nick. The concept of AG always scared the hell out of me, and your guides have made it seem so much simpler. I'm a little annoyed, though, cos I just bought about 10kg worth of dried extract today, but I figure I can use them in partials and the like. Anyway, thanks again. Can't wait to see the difference between my first three K+K beers, and some AG.

 

[Rosscoe]

Reading Nick's thread has inspired me to try to make the leap to AG. The advice and info on this site is great. Thanks to all.

I was wondering if the method of using a 20ltr container and topping up on water is going to work for all beer types, or is it going to be necessary to try and upgrade to a bigger set-up, like a 40ltr urn? Also, what do people use to mill their grain? can you use something like a coffee grinder, or is there something more suitible that's easy to get hold of?

Thanks in advance,

Rosscoe

 

[RdeVjun]

I was wondering if the method of using a 20ltr container and topping up on water is going to work for all beer types, or is it going to be necessary to try and upgrade to a bigger set-up, like a 40ltr urn? Also, what do people use to mill their grain? can you use something like a coffee grinder, or is there something more suitible that's easy to get hold of?

Yep Rosscoe, stovetop BIAB methods have indeed opened the all- grain door for lots of folks who wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity to try it. For <$50, it set my all- grain brewery up, wasn't hard at all, plus the guides & info available here and around the traps along with some helpful fellow brewers, all made it fairly straight forward for me to get going.
To be honest, no, stovetop BIAB isn't suited to all styles, but by cripes, it is pretty good for a hell of a lot of them! There's not really any limit as far as everyday styles go, that's for sure, bigger setups might augment your equipment for a little more flexibility, but I've not seen the need in almost two years of stovetop BIABing so I've stuck with it.
BIAB isn't as fussy with its crush as other methods using a manifold of some sort for lautering, so some brewers use a coffee grinder for sure, many use a Marga Mill (available from AHB sponsors), however at the moment the $A is strong so the imported mills from the US can be landed at a very reasonable price.

 

[Rosscoe]

Yep Rosscoe, stovetop BIAB methods have indeed opened the all- grain door for lots of folks who wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity to try it. For <$50, it set my all- grain brewery up, wasn't hard at all, plus the guides & info available here and around the traps along with some helpful fellow brewers, all made it fairly straight forward for me to get going.
To be honest, no, stovetop BIAB isn't suited to all styles, but by cripes, it is pretty good for a hell of a lot of them! There's not really any limit as far as everyday styles go, that's for sure, bigger setups might augment your equipment for a little more flexibility, but I've not seen the need in almost two years of stovetop BIABing so I've stuck with it.
BIAB isn't as fussy with its crush as other methods using a manifold of some sort for lautering, so some brewers use a coffee grinder for sure, many use a Marga Mill (available from AHB sponsors), however at the moment the $A is strong so the imported mills from the US can be landed at a very reasonable price.

Cheers heaps RdeVjun, I'm going to grab a 20ltr pot and a bag asap and give the stovetop a go for my next brew-day. Can't wait to give it a go.

Thanks again

Rosscoe

 

[RdeVjun]

No sweat Rosscoe, feel free to let us know if you have any hassles with it. :beer:

 

[bradsbrew]

What happened to NickJD havn't seen him around for a while?

Cheers

 

[manticle]

QLDKev made him dummy spit.

 

[Rosscoe]

It's all good.

If you went in at 73C and spent about 3 minutes paddling the mash then your mash temperature would have been ~67-68C. It's also probably why you got such a good efficiency.

I would suggest to anyone starting out to err on the high side (65-70C mash, rather than a longer 60-65C) until you know your gear.

Measuring the temperature at the end of the mash is a good idea to know how your insulation is going. The least I've ever lost is 1.5C over 90 minutes, the most about 4C - and that's too much. I now use 2 towels and a "-5C" sleeping bag which if doubled over would nearly hold the mash temperature constant. Stirring can lose a lot of heat.

Could you try to use an esky or daddy cool type set-up for BIAB to do the mash in order to not loose temp? Just an idea. I'm still putting a shopping list together in my head so I can have a go at this.

Cheers

Rosscoe

 

[manticle]

You can mash in a bag in an esky. Defeats the idea of a one pot simple BIAB but can be and often is done. You need a way of transferring the hot wort from esky to boiler/kettle without splashing.

 

[RdeVjun]

Rosscoe, yes that can be done, however it is easier just to just keep it simple by insulating your stockpot or urn thoroughly, while preheating will help minimise heat losses even more. I've found that doing so, even during winter, results in around 1C loss over 90 minutes which is quite acceptable. I use a jumper and a woollen coat from the local Op shop, though some BIABers can't help themselves and really go to town with delightfully styled ensembles etc.! Example:

 

[Rosscoe]

Rosscoe, yes that can be done, however it is easier just to just keep it simple by insulating your stockpot or urn thoroughly, while preheating will help minimise heat losses even more. I've found that doing so, even during winter, results in around 1C loss over 90 minutes which is quite acceptable. I use a jumper and a woollen coat from the local Op shop, though some BIABers can't help themselves and really go to town with delightfully styled ensembles etc.! Example:

Hee hee... Cheers guys, I appreciate the replies. I'll probably stick to the original plan to start with. I just had one eye on the temps here in Canberra at the moment and thought that maintaining temp could be a possible issue.

Rosscoe

 

[RdeVjun]

Ah yes, chilly conditions- funny how this should come up just now! (Canbbbbrrrraa!!) I'd recommend overheating the strike water by a few degrees, placing the stockpot where it will mash (I do it on the bench beside the stove with a folded towel underneath), then insulating the stockpot to pre- heat it, when the water comes down to the right temperature, open it up, drop the grain in and mash away, then cover back up with cosy pre- heated insulation. Doing it like that means there are minimal heat losses during the mash, as I say, a degree or so which is quite OK.
Hope this helps! :icon_cheers:

 

[Rosscoe]

Ah yes, chilly conditions- funny how this should come up just now! (Canbbbbrrrraa!!) I'd recommend overheating the strike water by a few degrees, placing the stockpot where it will mash (I do it on the bench beside the stove with a folded towel underneath), then insulating the stockpot to pre- heat it, when the water comes down to the right temperature, open it up, drop the grain in and mash away, then cover back up with cosy pre- heated insulation. Doing it like that means there are minimal heat losses during the mash, as I say, a degree or so which is quite OK.
Hope this helps! :icon_cheers:

Yep, it all helps at the moment RdeVjun. Thanks heaps.

I'll let you know how I go when I get around to getting it done. Hopefully next w/end! :chug:

 

[Nick JD]

What happened to NickJD havn't seen him around for a while?

Cheers

Who?

 

[stux]

Is a 2 ring burner powerful enough to get 40lt to a solid boil mate?

In My Experience, no. The insipid boil means you don't boil off the volatiles

BUT if you add a Medium Pressure adjustable regulator then yes, plenty powerful if you crank it.

http://beerbelly.com.au/burners.html

BUT I would recommend getting a better burner at the outset... Love the Italian Spiral I picked up, which I still use with the adjustable regulators , should boil up to a 100L

 

[Wolfman]

Great thread you started Nick JD. Any chance that this method has been put in .PDF format yet? Would help in printing all the instructions out when giving it a crack soon.

 

[Nick JD]

Great thread you started Nick JD. Any chance that this method has been put in .PDF format yet? Would help in printing all the instructions out when giving it a crack soon.

The two tutorials I've done are for a 9L batch, and for a 20L batch. I don't do either of them myself - they were done to show people both a simple way to learn, and the maximum that's easily do-able on the stove.

I make 18L batches. There's a sweet spot with the 19L pot round about 3.3-3.5kg of grain without sparging.

I'm thinking about doing a more definitive guide to Stovetop - including a lot more theory about what's going on (and using explained "brewing" words) - that's more in line with what I do to make beer on a regular basis, rather than what I'd teach someone who didn't know WTF they were doing.

These tutorials have been great for their simplicity, to relax the uninitiated, but I'd like to do a more in depth version that is more aligned with the "weekly batch".

 

[adz1179]

I'm thinking about doing a more definitive guide to Stovetop - including a lot more theory about what's going on (and using explained "brewing" words) - that's more in line with what I do to make beer on a regular basis, rather than what I'd teach someone who didn't know WTF they were doing.

....Would be awesome mate :super:

 

[tones0606]

The two tutorials I've done are for a 9L batch, and for a 20L batch. I don't do either of them myself - they were done to show people both a simple way to learn, and the maximum that's easily do-able on the stove.

I make 18L batches. There's a sweet spot with the 19L pot round about 3.3-3.5kg of grain without sparging.

I'm thinking about doing a more definitive guide to Stovetop - including a lot more theory about what's going on (and using explained "brewing" words) - that's more in line with what I do to make beer on a regular basis, rather than what I'd teach someone who didn't know WTF they were doing.

These tutorials have been great for their simplicity, to relax the uninitiated, but I'd like to do a more in depth version that is more aligned with the "weekly batch".

hey Nick, thanks for doing the tutorial, will be doing a 20L stovetop as soon as grains arrive.

I'll be keeping an eye out for the more detailed version you speak of