Required Cheap Mash/coolbox, Hlt And Chiller!

[Scruffy]

As the title suggests, I'm after some pointers/help, I'm new to Australia (moved here December to be with my Aussie Girlfriend/Finance Director)...

I've spent a few years of dabbling with extracts - and having lived 30 miles from the Timothy Taylor's brewery, then moved 200 yards from the Smiles Brewery in Bristol and then 1 mile from the Youngs Brewery in Wandsworth... before it shut! I didn't really need to go AG...

Not that there's anything wrong with the main Aussie brewers :icon_vomit: (joking aside - that's why we're all here, isn't it???)

I've lurked here for a while and had varied results adding malts to extracts, but I need some help moving up - I'm on a budget so any help/second hand gear would be gratefully appreciated... Obviously if it costs money, I'll buy it - I'm not completely Pommie!!

Are there places where you can take your raw ingredients to produce your fermentables, (until I get sorted)?

Maybe I should try and pop my head into the next BABBs meeting and say hello...

Oh, and Hi, by the way :icon_cheers:

 

[Adamt]

Welcome to the forums...

There's a good brewing community in Brisbane (put that in your profile under "Location", it will help people better help you!) so that's under control!

There's nowhere commercially that will produce wort for you from your own ingredients, however you can buy "Fresh Wort Kits", which are exactly that, fresh wort, ready to ferment, sealed in a HDPE "cube".. all the quality of AG without needing the equipment.

However, considering your apparent experience it wouldn't probably be difficult for you to move up to AG brewing, or at least partial mashing. Easy designs for mash tuns are an old esky, a bucket in bucket "zapap" system, or even the Aussie-invented brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) system. The main pieces of equipment you'll need is a kettle and a burner. As far as a chiller goes.. another Aussie-invented method is the "No Chill Method". After whirlpooling the boil, the wort is transferred to a HDPE cube, air is squeezed out, the cube sealed and is allowed to cool naturally (much like canning preserves, etc.). This has been a method that is not without controversy, but is a well accepted practice here, in fact it is how the FWKs are made.

There's a few rather good HBSs in QLD, try the first two sponsor banners up the top of the page.

Adam

 

[chappo1970]

As the title suggests, I'm after some pointers/help, I'm new to Australia (moved here December to be with my Aussie Girlfriend/Finance Director)...

I've spent a few years of dabbling with extracts - and having lived 30 miles from the Timothy Taylor's brewery, then moved 200 yards from the Smiles Brewery in Bristol and then 1 mile from the Youngs Brewery in Wandsworth... before it shut! I didn't really need to go AG...

Not that there's anything wrong with the main Aussie brewers :icon_vomit: (joking aside - that's why we're all here, isn't it???)

I've lurked here for a while and had varied results adding malts to extracts, but I need some help moving up - I'm on a budget so any help/second hand gear would be gratefully appreciated... Obviously if it costs money, I'll buy it - I'm not completely Pommie!!

Are there places where you can take your raw ingredients to produce your fermentables, (until I get sorted)?

Maybe I should try and pop my head into the next BABBs meeting and say hello...

Oh, and Hi, by the way :icon_cheers:

Welcome Scruffy (BTW that's my daughters dog's name :lol: )

You would be very welcome to our BABBS meetings which are held on the 4th Thursday of every month. Plenty of experienced brewers there to flap ya chops with.

I know of someone selling their AG gear so shoot me a PM and I will put you in touch with them.

Also I am having a brew day next weekend on the 23rd so if you interested again PM me for details.

As for getting grains and gear you can't go by CraftBrewers click the sponsors banner above. I am sure Ross will have no troubles relieving your wallet :lol: .

+1 to Adamt

Chappo

 

[Scruffy]

Wow,

Thanks for your quick response!!

As far as a chiller goes.. another Aussie-invented method is the "No Chill Method". After whirlpooling the boil, the wort is transferred to a HDPE cube, air is squeezed out, the cube sealed and is allowed to cool naturally (much like canning preserves, etc.). This has been a method that is not without controversy, but is a well accepted practice here, in fact it is how the FWKs are made.
There's a few rather good HBSs in QLD, try the first two sponsor banners up the top of the page.
Adam

I drove the 35Km to CraftBrewer and bought some Maris Otter, Golden Promise and some Styrian (three guesses where I'm going with that one...), Andrew, the guy advising was top class - didn't even laugh at the accent - very happy with the service - will go back for the 'big stuff' as well as the odd bag of Fuggles...

I had planned to boil up two big pots of water on the (gas) stove (for the Mash/Sparge), and 'acquire' an HLT, but I was worried about chilling... i.e. acheiving that 'cold break' - I'm guessing it's not imperative, I bought a cube anyway!!

So I guess that leaves me to source an Esky? Will that do? Are they really $100???!!! (plus the fancy drain stuff...)

..or am I moving into a different forum?

 

[muckey]

Welcome to the forums Scruffy.

Craftbrewer is a great retailer (you'll get equally high commendation for the other site sponsors too!!)

The BABBs group is a very knowledgeable group - just watch that Chappo character, He'll lead you so far astray you wont know what you're brewing anymore

(oh, hi chapchap, wasn't me h34r: )

 

[reviled]

For a cheap way to get into AG look into BIAB, heaps of info on this site..

 

[seemax]

You can find cheap esky's on eBay... or cash converters, Salvo's, hard rubbish days, etc. I use a 28L with multi batch sparge.

Even easier, get yourself a big pot and do BIAB (brew in a bag), search the forums for more info, there's only something like 100 pages worth of banter

I do BIAB on the kitchen stove, managing to boil 30L of wort on a 3-ring wok burner.

 

[RetsamHsam]

So I guess that leaves me to source an Esky? Will that do? Are they really $100???!!! (plus the fancy drain stuff...)

..or am I moving into a different forum?

Have a look on ebay for an esky, you should be able to get a 50L for less than $100. To drain, all you need is a $10 braided hose which can be found in the plumbing section of your local hardware store

 

[Scruffy]

For a cheap way to get into AG look into BIAB, heaps of info on this site..

I just need a pan!!!

Utter genius!!!

Edited title should read, what kind of Pot,

Posh Robinox (which I can't afford) or an Ally? ...and burner; Will spend some money here as it'll double as a Wok (and Black Steel saut pan) burner for the inevitable Curries (had to bring something authentic over from the UK, eh...!)

Another trip to CraftBrew eh?

Thanks for every-ones input!!