Aright Troops,
I've been hanging around the forum for a couple of weeks, great board and plenty of positive discussion. I'm almost finished drinking my first ever brew (CPA, BE2 and 12g Cascade, drinking ok) and I'm pretty certain that I'm not going to be content with that when AG looks reasonably painless to get into. I like interesting beers and the budget is tight.
I've been watching a few Canadians on youtube and I'm keen to start putting a rig together. I've got a 33l esky and a 23l Coopers fermenter etc. And a BBQ gas bottle. What size pots and how many? Do I get hose attachments on them and install thermometers or just get a couple of big'uns. Gas burner, cooling coil/cube?
Any advice would be welcome.
AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
roboscot
I would suggest going for some sort of gas rig as it is a good medium to heat with
When I used electric urns in the past I had some problems with malt burning or scorching around the element if not attended
Also there is all ways the risk of shock or worse!
In the early days I used two plastic pales for sparging one would fit inside the other which I had taken some time to drill 3 mm holes into the bottom of it for screen affect and then you could use the tap on the other one to control the runoff speed wrap the entire thing to keep heat in and sparge away
The other gadgets will come to you as you progress further into AG cooking
I would suggest going for some sort of gas rig as it is a good medium to heat with
When I used electric urns in the past I had some problems with malt burning or scorching around the element if not attended
Also there is all ways the risk of shock or worse!
In the early days I used two plastic pales for sparging one would fit inside the other which I had taken some time to drill 3 mm holes into the bottom of it for screen affect and then you could use the tap on the other one to control the runoff speed wrap the entire thing to keep heat in and sparge away
The other gadgets will come to you as you progress further into AG cooking
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
Cheers speedie, I saw your set up in the other thread, very nice.
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
no worries dude see ya
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billybushcook
- Posts: 539
- Joined: Friday Nov 09, 2007 10:10 am
- Location: Hunter Valley
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
Roboscot,
I do my brews with nothing more that a 55l esky with some s/s mesh in the bottom (Mashtun) & a 50L beer keg with the top cut out, some copper coils in it for a chiller, an outlet welded in the bottom & a burner underneath (Kettle) + 2 x 10L plastic jerry cans to dump my heated sparge water into (heated in the Kettle)
You don't need to out lay bugger all!
A dual probe digital thermometer lets you monitor both the mash & the kettle/sparge water temp at the same time & can be bought off Ebay for about $50.
With my system, I use my Kettle to heat the strike water then dump it in the Mash tun.
Then 45Mins into the Mash (I mash for 90Mins) I start to heat my sparge water in the Kettle, then dump it into the plastic jerry cans.
lift the mash up ontop of the frame the kettle sits in, start my runnings & hang the plastic jerry cans from the shed roof to sparge out of......easy!!
P.s The old garden tap is long gone, I use a 1"ball valve now.
Cheers, Mick.
I do my brews with nothing more that a 55l esky with some s/s mesh in the bottom (Mashtun) & a 50L beer keg with the top cut out, some copper coils in it for a chiller, an outlet welded in the bottom & a burner underneath (Kettle) + 2 x 10L plastic jerry cans to dump my heated sparge water into (heated in the Kettle)
You don't need to out lay bugger all!
A dual probe digital thermometer lets you monitor both the mash & the kettle/sparge water temp at the same time & can be bought off Ebay for about $50.
With my system, I use my Kettle to heat the strike water then dump it in the Mash tun.
Then 45Mins into the Mash (I mash for 90Mins) I start to heat my sparge water in the Kettle, then dump it into the plastic jerry cans.
lift the mash up ontop of the frame the kettle sits in, start my runnings & hang the plastic jerry cans from the shed roof to sparge out of......easy!!
P.s The old garden tap is long gone, I use a 1"ball valve now.
Cheers, Mick.
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
Beautiful in it's simplicity, Mick!
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
Billybushcock
How do you step mash with your rig or do you just shoot for single temperature rests
I find it a better mash regime to step mash and agitate the whole grain bed while applying heat to raise the steps that are required!
The grain seems to get more accessed by the water for hydrolysis and a better conversion rate
But there are horses for courses
speedie
ps bloody boks
How do you step mash with your rig or do you just shoot for single temperature rests
I find it a better mash regime to step mash and agitate the whole grain bed while applying heat to raise the steps that are required!
The grain seems to get more accessed by the water for hydrolysis and a better conversion rate
But there are horses for courses
speedie
ps bloody boks
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billybushcook
- Posts: 539
- Joined: Friday Nov 09, 2007 10:10 am
- Location: Hunter Valley
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
Speedie,
Single step infusion mash normaly,
If I want, & sometimes do, I can Decoct some off, heat & re add to the mash.
Mick.
Single step infusion mash normaly,
If I want, & sometimes do, I can Decoct some off, heat & re add to the mash.
Mick.
Re: AG on the Sunny Coast, QLD
You can easily step mash by doughing in thick and infusing with boiling water to raise the temps.
Have done that many times with multiple steps (kolsch/pils i use 50-63-70-78) although i do prefer decoctions. A lot more fun and the smell of boiling mash is amazing!
Have done that many times with multiple steps (kolsch/pils i use 50-63-70-78) although i do prefer decoctions. A lot more fun and the smell of boiling mash is amazing!