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wedge

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JUst a question, i'm eventually going to go to all grain brews. But that still little way of. At the moment I do montly extract recipes with a few thrown i'm starting to invest in the equip i'll need. What ideas do you guys have? Whats the best thing to get?

What Tricks are there? ;)

I thought i might start of with a burner, (heater) as i can really boil anything bigger than 10ltr inside, any ideas


Cheers


Wedge
 
For heating I really like my three ring gas burner. Don't need to drill any holes,nothing to seal. I you have a pot, a keg, or whatever you can heat it trouble free. An easy makeshift stand for your kettle can consist of just a couple of bricks.

Cheers. JD
 
get a keg for a boiler as they are hard to get legally
 
My mash tun cost me $30 and works a treat ... its a nice cheap start for AG, if I get my hands on a digital camera I will post some pics.

Essentially 25L (or 23?) bucket + lid from bunnings with tap thread & a plastic tap to screw in (just like those bucket fermenters). Made a circular manifold from annealed copper from bunnings, about 1m is all you need (hacksawed slits on the bottom) + 1 tee piece. When you drill through the bucket to set up the tap only make the hole big enough for the copper pipe to plug into then you dont need to worry about any elaborate fittings ...

Also had some left over airconditioning duct so I got the insulation out of than and taped a double layer around the new mash tun.

Holds the temperature well, over a 90min mash I loose only 1 or 2 degC as far as I can tell ....

It ain't fancy but its cheeeep
 
I use an esky top mash in. Drilled holes rather than cut slits with a hacksaw into the copper manifold, less work, easier to do.

I cover my esky-tun with several blankets while the grains are "mashing" Can't be too well insulated.

Time a bit tight? Mash overnight. Theoretically your wort wil be all simple sugars/high alcohol, in practise I have not noticed this. Nice to be boiling at 7.30am, brewday can be over in time for fun fun fun family activities

;)






Jovial Monk
 
top idea jm
it would certainly free up brew day a bit more.
havent heard of this method before but will experiment with it down the track.
 
Bucket in bucket wrapped in blankets is very cheap and easy, a good way to get into grain brewing. I found it a great way to learn the ropes on the cheap, so I knew what I was looking for when improving my set-up.

Boil capacity was the biggest hurdle for me when I started off. You need to be able to source a vessel that can comfortably hold a rolling boil of up to and over 30L. Once you have done that, the rest isn't too hard to fashion.
 
Don't forget a double layer of bubble wrap insulates VERY well( I only lose 1o C over 90mins with a bucket in bucket mash tun)and a breeze to clean...The BEST piece of advice I got from another brewer.
 
i agree the first thing you want for allgrain is a bigger pot no less than 30l.
The mash tun is made easily and cheaply and you will ussually have one already for your partial mashes with a 20 litre pot once you are ready to go all grain.

So if you haven't done any part mashes yet build yourself a tun with a couple buckets or a esky get a few part mashes under your belt. Then the only thing holding you back from allgrain is a bigger pot and burner.

slainte
 
How about a 20L tea urn as a boiler and a cheap and cheerfull 25L esky for mashing. You can use any old pots to take your sparge water to temp on the cook top.

Fixing a tap into the esky can be a pain in the arse. Difficult getting a seal sometimes, but neoprene washers seem the go.

I made a simple rectangular copper manifold from a tee piece and 4 right angle bends (think it was 1/2" dia). Tapped the end of the straight pieces to slightly distort them so that they are a push fit into the fittings. Makes it easy to take apart to clean. Clamped a piece of poly tube onto the inlet of the tee piece and this slips neatly into the inside of the tap connection.

I'm with Jovial M on holes v slots. Just use a hole punch to dent the copper a little and drill lotsa small holes.

I use an old sleeping back to cover the esky and keep the temp constant. Twenty litres maybe drops 1 - 1/2 degrees over an hour and a half.

Haven't got a sparge arm yet, but someone came up with a good idea somewhere. Fold some aluminium foil over to double thickness and shape it to the inside of the esky. Just rest it on the grain bed and poke a dozen or so holes in it. Then, when you add your sparge water, it doesn't disturb the filter bed.

Oh, and a length of poly tubing that will fit over the tap outlet and drop down to the bottom of your boiler. That way you don't splash it as it drops in.

I bought all the bits 'n' bobs one Saturday morning and did the first brew that evening. It'll do until I get my 3 keg setup off the ground.

ps If you're in the Sydney area I may be able to wangle a tea urn...
 
Birko immersion elements work well - will maintain a good rolling boil for 25 litres.

cheers
reg
 
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