Going All Grain

[CrealCritter]

I was kind of set on a electric robobrew or mash & boil to go all grain brewing, but my buddy was sold out.

So I decided I'm going to go more of a traditional route and build a mashtun and upgrade my brew kettle to real brew kettle.

For the mashtun I'm going with a converted 10 gallon water cooler. This should allow me to mash and batch sparge the biggest of grain bills for a 5 gallon batch of beer. By going all grain, the sky's the limit and repeatability can be more easily be achieved.

My son in law has been talking to me about opening a micro brewery. I keep telling him we need to develop a few good beers that everyone really likes and be able to reproduce them consistently first before I'll even consider something like that. I mean you have to have a good product before you can market it to the masses.

Hopefully by going all grain it's is a step in the right direction, to be able to produce consist small batches of beer.

 

[tortoise]

My BIL went from making a few batches in his basement to opening a microbrewery! So eager to hear how your story unfolds!

 

[wyoDreamer]

I feel like I am reading a foreign language, lol. Goos luck with whatever it is you are trying to do.

 

[CrealCritter]

Bet THAT set you back a few bucks. I'm jealous.

I'm kind of jealous of myself honestly. But I got a great deal on it and would have been foolish to pass it up. It's never been used, but was a display item at my buddies home brew store.

I was doing some calculations, the kettle it'self weighs 30 lbs empty, water weighs 8.34 lbs a gallon, so totally full to the brim with water, it would weigh just shy of 200 lbs. The bulk head is most definitely required for transferring liquid into smaller easier to handle vessels. Although I don't ever envision it would be full to the brim, but still that's a lot of weight.

Also, It won't fit on the kitchen stove of course, but I do have a very nice heavy duty Bass pro shops propane stove that we'll use to heat it.

Besides for beer, It should be great for canning and frequently family gatherings.

 

[flowerbug]

i'm guessing that what they are talking about is instead of buying premade malts and extracts that they want to start doing their own sprouting of grains (to be turned into malts). as i've not ever studied beer making i'll admit i'm just guessing here.

 

[CrealCritter]

i'm guessing that what they are talking about is instead of buying premade malts and extracts that they want to start doing their own sprouting of grains (to be turned into malts). as i've not ever studied beer making i'll admit i'm just guessing here.

Yes and no...

I'll purchase whole already malted (sprouted) and kilned barley. I'll crack them myself to turn them into grist. Then I'll mash the grist in the mash tun.

If your interested, there's a pretty good high-level article here ---> http://www.ritebrew.com/v/vspfiles/files/resources/AllGrain.pdf

Mashing is simply adding the grist to soft water heated to around 150 degrees and allowed to sit for at least 30 to 90 minutes (typically 60 minutes) at that temperature. This allows the enzymes already present in the barley to convert starches into sugars. This process is called lautering.

The amount of starches that are converted to sugars is called Brew House efficiency. The typical Brew House efficiency is 75%. You could also add α‐amylase enzyme or β‐amylase enzyme to increase efficiency. As matter of fact that's what commercial Lite Beer brewery's use to decrease the starch content thus reducing calories in their end product, but you sacrifice taste by reducing starches. This is why most Lite Beers are tasteless and a hop explosion in your sinus cavity. They mostly increase the aroma hops during the brewing to give the impression of taste or they may dry hop during secondary fermentation. All this hop game playing, is not what I call a real beer.

Yes your right, once I'm set up for all grain, I will no longer have to purchase liquid or dried malt extracts.

 

[CrealCritter]

Horray I got my Home Depot Rubbermade 10 gallon water cooler converted into a mash tun.

I really can't stand plumbing, but I went and talked to my buddy at the Homebrew store. He had everything I needed and for a lot less than I had anticipated. The best part is every part that went into the conversion including the cooler is Made In USA I'm really glad we are making steel here in the USA again, it's so much better quality than made in a far away land across the pond (China).

304 Stainless steel bulkhead and barb

Inside - 12" domed false bottom, barb, street elbow, nut with silicone gasket all 304 stainless steel and high heat silicone tubing.

Weldless bulkhead assembly with a brass nut and 304 stainless steel nipple and washers.
.

I guess some people see a 10 gallon water cooler but some other people see a mash tun

 

[CrealCritter]

Meet my new kettle, it's 20 gallons, 18 gauge 304 stainless steel with 5mm thick tri-clad bottom to prevent scorching and weighs 30 lbs empty. It has welded 304 stainless ports for the bulkhead and thermometer. I also have 304 stainless plugs for cooking without the bulkhead and thermometer. So It's not only for brewing beer but for canning, deep frying turkey and large batches of soups, stews, gumbo's, witches brew, etc... properly cared for, It should last a life time and then some. Made in Portland Oregon of all places... No more excuses from the wife "I don't have a pot big enough" 🤭

 

[CrealCritter]

This will make mashing and sparging so much easier, but more importantly safer. No more amazing dangerous climbing a ladder with several gallons of 170 plus degrees hot water. I also have a pump and silicone tubing to pump hot water upto the hot liquor tank (upper 10 gallon cooler). Then it's up to gravity takes over from there.

10 gallon Hot liquor tank (HLT) Top, 10 gallon Mash Lauter Tun (MLT) middle, 20 gallon Kettle & Burner bottom.

HLT sits on the 6' high shelf, MLT on the 4' shelf.

Water weighes 8lbs per gallon, so at full capacity that would be 80 lbs sitting 6' high. I built the shelf extra stout out of 2x4' and 3/4 AC plywood.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Nice build!
As always, Safety first!