Another "starting All-grain" Thread :p

[KenJohnson]

Hey gents

So ive finally decided to have a look at all grain brewing, i've already found a keg which ive cut the top off for a kettle. I was thinking of at least trying BIAB style for a bit cause that looks pretty straight forward. what im still looking for is some copper pipe to make an imersion chiller (where is cheap to get it?), and a good recipe to start me off. Im into english ales but will try anything that will be simple enough for a total beginner

any advice or things to watch out for when starting on this adventure?

 

[kelbygreen]

dr smurtos golden ale is prob the most popular recipe. Look in the database and select most popular the first 3-4 are really good.

get some annealed copper and find something round you can bend it around that will fit in the pot.

I never done a BIAB brew in my keggle so cant really comment on that process.

 

[QldKev]

For a recipe the Golden Ale as kelbygreen mentioned, or if you are more into English ales I love the Landlord.

BIAB is a great way of brewing. Key things I would look at is water volumes and temperatures. It's highly debated but I also think a good strong boil is highly recommended.

I assume you are going to no chill since you don't have the chiller sorted. Do you have a cube to put the wort into? Also you don't need to rush to get a chiller, I've had a chiller for a couple of years but don't bother using it.

The main thing is get the how-to brew clear in your head before starting. Also some find it easier to measure out all hop additions etc prior to brewing so you don't have to worry about it on the day.

QldKev

 

[Bribie G]

Whereabouts in Brisbane are you, re getting to a brew day?

I'd agree with Kev that an immersion chiller isn't necessary. Particularly in Brisbane - I know a couple of guys who use I.Cs but they use two buckets of ice and a pond pump and boy is it complicated compared to just running it off into a cube. You can make award winning beers using no chill. We are getting into the time of year when you can just pop the cube out the back door for the night and pitch within 24 hours, or you have the flexibility to brew in advance and store the cube till there's a free fermenter.

Here's my current swag waiting, waiting, waiting The one at the front, a German Pils, is the same recipe that won the Brisbane Lager Trophy last year, may Allah guide the judges again this year B)
Just sayin' there's nothing wrong with no chill.

As posted above, the main thing (as with cooking) is to get your head around the subject and have a game plan for the day.

 

[bullsneck]

Where are all the Midnight Train cubes Bribie?

 

[ashley_leask]

Whereabouts in Brisbane are you, re getting to a brew day?

I'd agree with Kev that an immersion chiller isn't necessary. Particularly in Brisbane - I know a couple of guys who use I.Cs but they use two buckets of ice and a pond pump and boy is it complicated compared to just running it off into a cube. You can make award winning beers using no chill. View attachment 53519

True, but the IC isn't as complicated as all that. I recirculate the rainwater from my tank through the chiller, takes 20 mins to get down to the temp of the water ( around 30C in summer usually). A couple of hours in the fridge and it's at pitching temp.

 

[Bribie G]

A rainwater tank would be excellent, with the use of a pump, but otherwise in Brisbane ATM you'd be spending and wasting a lot of Anna Bligh's most expensive water in the World to get the wort down to maybe 28 degrees. And I doubt if Candoo Campbell is going to fix that any time soon

The Midnight Train will be coming soon, it's in the July case swap - thanks for the reminder, I'll have to arrange some bottle labels. B)

 

[Maheel]

Hey gents

what im still looking for is some copper pipe to make an imersion chiller (where is cheap to get it?), and a good recipe to start me off.

any advice or things to watch out for when starting on this adventure?

+1 for no-chill to begin making AG easy to get your head around


but if you want copper -> reasonable priced soft copper coils here
http://www.polyaire.com.au/residential/pip...ittings/?filter

great easy beer maybe? LFPA or DSGA seems to go well no-chill IMO

 

[Sprungmonkey]

what size copper tube do you guys use for making immersion chillers

I saw http://www.polyaire.com.au/residential/pip...ittings/?filter

looks pretty good - 1/4"X30M 0.81MM think was around 70 bucks and would be enough for pre chill and immersion chiller right??

 

[kelbygreen]

wow thats cheap. 1/2 is better I think I paid $90 for 15m of annealed at bunnings

 

[JaseH]

Have you considered a plate chiller?

 

[kelbygreen]

Yeah I would go a plate chiller. I want one but cant justify it ATM but I would of got one instead of paying $100 for stuff to make my own IC if I known about them then. but you get that lol

 

[QldKev]

wow thats cheap. 1/2 is better I think I paid $90 for 15m of annealed at bunnings

Get Bunnings to price match, and beat it by 10%

 

[sponge]

Thats actually a decent idea, although with it not having been the same brand, would it be possible to get that?

Nice 50% off bunnings price though even if not :beerbang:


Sponge

 

[QldKev]

Thats actually a decent idea, although with it not having been the same brand, would it be possible to get that?

Nice 50% off bunnings price though even if not :beerbang:


Sponge

Most stores will match a similar product

 

[kelbygreen]

they will argue one is for a aircon and one is for water or something. Maybe the wall thickness is different to??? not sure lol

 

[Bribie G]

Chappo, at his last brewday offered around a plate chiller for free.

No takers, although I think it ended up with a brewer out west of Dalby where it gets brass monkeys from about this time of the year onwards

Probably work really well in Southern States and especially in the winter there, in SEQ not really very efficient, especially considering the Anna water charges.

 

[JaseH]

Probably work really well in Southern States and especially in the winter there, in SEQ not really very efficient, especially considering the Anna water charges.

Well thats what you guys get for having such nice weather mine works really well down here in Melb. I get with in 1 or 2 degrees of ground water temp in one pass, less than 5min to pitching temp into the fermenter. Only issue you have to worry about is keeping hop crap out of it.

 

[seamad]

If you like english ales a landlord type is good

97% maris otter or golden promise
3% caraaroma

1045 OG

mmash @ 65 for 60 minutes then 76 for ten


60 m in fuggles to 20ibu
20 min EKG to 10 ibu
1.5g/L styrian goldings @ 0 minutes

English ale yeast (1469 is best )

If cubing cut times by 10 minutes and cube hop the styrian.

Bloody tasty

cheers
sean

 

[Maheel]

Chappo, at his last brewday offered around a plate chiller for free.

No takers, although I think it ended up with a brewer out west of Dalby where it gets brass monkeys from about this time of the year onwards

Probably work really well in Southern States and especially in the winter there, in SEQ not really very efficient, especially considering the Anna water charges.

how many liters you using in a plate chiller per hour ?

water is $1.26 per KL in BNE (max price)
its $2.10 KL in SYD

i could fill my pool for about $30 here in brisbane from the tap (25000L) ? seems cheap to me ? i did just get the water bill.......
http://www.urbanutilities.com.au/uploads/f...80811_Final.pdf