Minimal All Grain Setup

[hathro]

40L Buffalo Urn ~$200 new here.

Perform the mods here in 20 mins and simple insulation instructions here.

Such good value I've bought a second urn to run two batches simultaneously.

 

[marksy]

$500 you are getting ripped a new one. I paid $150L with tap, and if you know the blokes at the pub they might be able to slip you a few kegs you can convert. I've got two donated kegs as well.

 

[VP Brewing]

I had an old keg sitting at my place so cut the top off and put a tap in. Made a home made immersion chiller, got a ten jet Mongolian burner and a BIAB bag. The whole set up was less than $100 and makes really really good beer.

 

[hermanpeckel]

Wow! Loads of info and loads of options. That's what I love about forums - you have a vague idea, you chuck it out there, and a whole bunch of good options come back.

I've gotta say, the more info I get, the more I'm thinking BIAB would be the best way to start. It fits my criteria of starting slowly and I can scale it up later, reusing the pot/urn for something else.

I LOVE the idea of the urn. It seems to make perfect sense. Set it at the temp you want, then you don't need to worry about it (for an HLT that is). At this stage I think I'm going to go with a pot though. Only reason being that I would need a big pot to boil up in anyhow. When I make the transition though - an urn for sure.

One thing I'm a bit confused about with all this talk of insulating, is there a reason you can't just give your mash a blast of heat every now and then (obviously not in an esky, but if it's in a pot)?

Anyhow, big thanks for your responses. I'm now a lot more clued up and pumped to get into it!

 

[mje1980]

I tried BIAB a few months ago after 10 years with a 3v setup. Not looking back. I mainly tried it to save room in my garage, and for me, it's very easy and I have a very basic setup that takes up much less room.

I use a gas fired keggle.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I got 2 big W pots on my house stove. I've not had to buy more than $50 worth of equipment in total. It's pretty minimal, but means that if/when I ever graduate to something else (as others have done from this method), I've not shelled out a great deal of money on equipment, and the pots can be repurposed for decoction or sparge water.

 

[zarniwoop]

Seriously go BIAB to start with. It's cheap, easy and produces some really good beers, you can always just use the pot as a HLT down the track if you go to 3V. You also don't have to mess around with sparging and transferring wort etc.

Go minimum of 50L, preferably 60L. I use mine the stove with an over the side element, easy to clean and flexible. You can always pimp the setup down the track.

 

[Spiesy]

If you're going for as you say, the minimal AG setup possible, 1V BIAB would suit you way better.

For absolute minimum, either stove top BIAB or electric urn BIAB. No chill cube. Fermenter. Bottle capper and bottles.

 

[hermanpeckel]

Yep! I've bitten the bullet and made a couple of purchases!

A 56 litre pot -
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-COMMERCIAL56L-STAINLESS-STEEL-STOCK-POT-SAUCE-SET-/171374557260?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Restaurant_Catering_Equipment&hash=item27e6b8384c

And a 50 foot wort chiller-
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/50-Immersion-3-8-Copper-Wort-Chiller-Large-Wort-Chiller-Copper-Wort-Chiller-/250981642112?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6fabef80

I had also inherited a gas burner outside to do the heating.

I figured if I am going to go all out down the track I can certainly use these parts. All good and ready to go! Thanks guys!

 

[lael]

The outlets on that wort chiller should bend the other way so you don't get any spills into the wort. May be worth re- bending them when it arrives.

 

[hermanpeckel]

Hi Lael,

Are you saying that I want to bend them to point down (ie So the join is outside the brewing kettle)?

 

[lael]

Yeah, that is what I would do. Just in case of leaks - so it runs away from the pot and drips outside it.

 

[mrsupraboy]

I'm happy to help u make one. If u can be bothered from scratch

 

[hermanpeckel]

Yeah, that sounds like a plan Lael!

mrsupraboy - I actually thought about going down that path, but copper pipe costs a bomb now so I bought one online.

 

[mrsupraboy]

No copper pipe mate all stainless steel and cheap from China. (love u china) haha mate there is other ways to set up Ur system.