finally there

[country_brewer]

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm finally gearing up to start my foray into all grain brewing. After doing kit and kilo's, then partials for years, I had gotten most of my stuff together ready to start AG a few years ago, then I moved from Melbourne out west of Horsham, and basically went back to supermarket brews as the availability of fresh ingredients, or any ingredients really, is fairly rare out here. After some fairly extensive reading over the last few weeks, and getting well and truly bored of crap beer, I am now back to where I was before I left Melbourne.
Before the move I had acquired a couple of dis-used kegs ready to convert to boiler and mash tun, now that I have decided to go with BIAB instead, I had this theory that I can use one as a boiler/mash tun, (electric element inside vessel ok?), and then use the other keg as a chiller. I was thinking that instead of using an immersion chiller as such, am I able to set it up permanently inside the other keg, so that the post boil wort siphons through the coil, which is submerged in an ice/water mix in the second vessel? The main reason for this is that water is a scarce commodity out here at times, and the theory of an immersion chiller seems to me as though it will use a lot of water.
My next question is has anyone had any experience with the online/ebay home brew supplies mobs? eg: Country Trading Store on ebay. I can get grain/s, hops, equipment, etc... all posted to me, without having to drive 3 hours to the nearest decent homebrew shop in Ballarat.

Thanks in advance to everyone for their help, this has to be one of the best forums I have ever been a part of, on any subject/hobby, I have seen very little sniping, and crap fights over disagreements, and this makes it a pleasure to troll through the threads.

On a side note, does anyone have any AG recipes for basic style Aussie lagers?? Most of the people out here are reluctant to try home brewed beer due to previous bad experiences, and prefer to swill their cheap draughts, so I figure I'd better start their education on real beer with a couple of very basic beers, just much nicer versions...

Thanks again,

Matt

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

and the theory of an immersion chiller seems to me as though it will use a lot of water.

I have seen very little sniping, and crap fights over disagreements, and this makes it a pleasure to troll through the threads.

On a side note, does anyone have any AG recipes for basic style Aussie lagers?? Most of the people out here are reluctant to try home brewed beer due to previous bad experiences, and prefer to swill their cheap draughts, so I figure I'd better start their education on real beer with a couple of very basic beers, just much nicer versions...

Congrats on taking the plunge!

1. Yep the immersion chiller will use a lot, have you considered no-chilling into cubes?
2. REALLY!? What threads you been readin???
3. Yep, just grab yourself some standard aussie ale malt (such as Joe White) and throw in some Pride of Ringwood hops at the 60min mark (perhaps about 25g for a 4-5kg grain bill), then ferment as a lager... should be almost spot on as a more full bodied Carlton Draught. If you add in some dextrose say 300g for a 4-5kg grain bill that will thin it out to be even more like the real thing, if that's your thing :beer: