Starting AG

[AidanMatthews]

Hey guys,

Just want to start writing a shopping list for all grain build, im planning on doing 23 ltr brews for now.

Esky mashtun (got some ideas so far all good)
36ltr pot for boils from beerbelly (or should i just get a 50ltr?)

- i dont want to tip a whole pot of hot water, what are the best work arounds for this as i cant afford a vessel with a tap.

Burner - thinking about buying camping burner or i could just go whole hog and get spiral burner or nasa from beerbelly.
Since ill be boiling 36 odd litres for 23 ltr brew a big camp burner should be sufficient...??

Cooling...
Price of copper means bunnings wants my left leg and my right nut for 20 metres of tube...

What are peoples thoughts on plate chillers, dont they clog up?????

[AidanMatthews]

Anyone using this, this looks pretty good.
http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=2839

[SuperBroo]

Any reason you cant start with brew in a bag ?
It needs less equipment, and you can be brewing all grain while still getting the bits together for a mash tun.

You have the kettle, u just need a gas burner. I have a 3 ring (ebay about 80 bucks with reg) and it cooks a 36 litre stainless pot no problems.

Then just get some swiss voile from spotlight and knock up a bag.

Biab also gets around the hot water problem, all you need is a minimum 36 Litre pot.

My biabs need 31 Litres at the mash in but i just put 26 litres in and then add 5 litrrs of hot water after i lift the grain bag out.

Its just a faster and simpler way to get started, nothing stopping you from continuing on to 3 vessel brewing.

I started 3 vessel, but now just biab coz its heaps simpler, and my brews are still tasty.

Cheers,
Chris

[Bum]

I don't use a Rambo but everyone who does say they are good. I have BeerBelly's Italian Spiral it it works great for me but I'd have no reservation using the Rambo unless I was living in high density housing (they are pretty loud).

I have the 36L pot from BeerBelly. The brand is Robinox - great gear but it might help you find it cheaper elsewhere if you're set on not getting a tap? I would not consider using this without a tap - it is bloody heavy with a 23L batch (after losses). With the pot, full batch and losses you're looking at over 25kg - which isn't the end of the world in a clean lift but with the fine motor control required for pouring most people would be pushing the proverbial uphill - impossible if you were thinking of doing it while still hot (which isn't advisable in any case).

I don't have a chiller so I can't help there but you might want to look into the process known as 'no-chill'. This is basically hot packing wort like you would jam or other preserves but in a large HDPE container (usually referred to as a cube). Personally, I don't feel it is suitable for all styles of beer but it is certainly a suitable method for many styles and other styles can be adapted to suit the method.

[billybushcook]

My 2c worth.

Go to a 50L kettle so you still have plenty of head space to avoid boil overs especially if you do end up using a coil chiller, you leave the chiller in the kettle during the boil so every thing is sanitary.
The reason you will need plenty of head space is because as it starts to boil, the hot break (protiens) will foam up quite a bit.

On the subject of Copper coil chiller.
My kettle was/is a heat exchanger for my camp shower (get the keg boiling & pump water through the coils to the shower) So, I have 16M of 3/4" copper in mine & it is way over kill. (cools from boiling, down to ambient in less than 20 Min in winter) Infact, because it was originally designed to be full of water & I'm now only filling it with 23L of finished wort, it now only contacts less than half my coils.
Consider using around 6 - 10M of 1/2" or 3/8" copper & the cost might not be so scary.

Burners,
I'm sure that the Rambo burners are very good but not worth shelling out nearly 200 bucks in my opinion.
I use a "run of the mill" cast iron, 2 ring burner from any good camp shop, it takes 30 Mins to get my 19L of sparge water from ambient to 90 + deg so for about 50 bucks, that's fine with me! & gas consumption seems to be a little better than others have mentioned on here too, a 3 ring burner of the same type might be worth consideration but I already had mine so I didn't bother buying another.

As for tipping hot water,
I use my kettle for heating every thing, this way I only have one burner, one hot metal item & it does not move.
I simply heat my strike water in it, then dump this into my mash tun then lift it onto a bench to dough in,
45 Mins into the mash I start heating up my sparge water, when ready, I dump this into 2 x 10L plastic jerry cans.
Lift the mash tun up on top of the frame that the kettle sits in, then hang the 10L plastic cans (one at a time) from the roof above the mash tun,.....a 4 tier system!
If you do not weld yourself or know any one who can, you go to a plmbing supplies & get an out let which can be fitted with only the need to make a hole in the pot/kettle/keg.........Oooops, did I say Keg, shame on me!!

Edit:-
One other piece of kit to consider is monitoring temp.
I started out using a digital meat thermometer & soon got sick of cooking my hand every time I took a reading so I bought a dual probe digital K type thermometer, very good investment, this way you can monitor both your mash temp & the sparge water heating up at the same time with just a glance & the push of a button to select which one you want to see.

Something like this.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Digital-K-J-Type ... 3a625f585c

Hope this helps, Mick.

[AidanMatthews]

I think ill wait for the beerbelly guy to get back from hurting his shoulder and order a hlt with a tap.
As for the burner ill save some money there and get a 3 ring joby from a camp store.

As for copper cooler, ill go back to bunnings and take a look.

Also if i was to make a copper manifold how do you join the straight bits to the right angle and t piece joiners, do they just slot in tight enough to not come apart.... Or is it welded, glued etc.

[AidanMatthews]

Infact i just found a pic of trough lolleys mashtun, i want that lol.

[billybushcook]

Also if i was to make a copper manifold how do you join the straight bits to the right angle and t piece joiners, do they just slot in tight enough to not come apart.... Or is it welded, glued etc.

Solder with either an LPG torch or Oxy Acetelyne set.

Mick.

[AidanMatthews]

Ok so i got myself a 44ltr willow esky,

I have purchased a braided line from bunnings and cut both ends off and pulled the rubber tube out.
I squashed and folded back one end.

I intend on hose clamping the other end to a tube of some kind.

As for the tap side of things, what do i need to buy?

So far on my list i have,
75 mm bulkhead
1/2" full bore ball valve
1/2" hosetail fitting for outside the esky.


I need to be able to connect a line to the braid and the other end to a 1/2" inch mail thread.

How would i do this??
Another hosetail fitting?
Or a compressiong fitting,

Im looking at http://www.beerbelly.com.au/fittings.html

[billybushcook]

I don't even have a valve on the outlet of my mash tun, it is simply a piece of tube shoved through the out let, filter/screen on the inside & tube pushed over it on the out side.

I use the original Esky plug to plug the end of the hose &/or keep the hose elevated by threading it through one of the handles on the esky.
I have actually lost the plug at the moment, it is in my shed somewhere amongst the mess so I'm just keeping it elevated for now.

Mick.

[Bum]

If you look around the place online you'll see tons of brewers (especially in the States, for some reason) do pretty much the same thing as Mick above. Me? I reckon ballvalves are just handy as (only problem is cleaning the buggers).

The bulkhead I got from BeerBelly (ordered with a Falsie) has a hosetail built in to the back nut. I can't see this part listed on their webpage but if you call them they will know what you're talking about and be able to give you a price.

[EDIT: no wait, maybe not built into the back nut but the all thread and hosetail part may have been connected flush at the end. Anyway, it's what they send out as part of the Complete esky mashtun conversion kit listed in the mash equipment section - they'll know what it is.]

[AidanMatthews]

thanks for your replys,

ill give those guys a call tomorrow as not open on mondays,

Also just thinking, what is the best way to transfer hot wort into Cube without a tap?

Because its so amazingly hot im thinking about standard siphon even if i have to suck on the hose (near boiling liquid will take care of bacteria from my lips on hose)

Or is there an easy food grade siphoning device i can buy from bunnings ?

[AidanMatthews]

Best thing ever, so simply and solves all my probs...

might create an indvidual post for this

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/flyguys ... hon-25774/

[billybushcook]

Cut a hole in your kettle & put a bulkhead in it.

Mick.

[AidanMatthews]

hey mick, im very tempted to....

Can you put in a weldless bulk head into a Stainless steel pot or do you need to weld it in because of the heat?

my background is computer nerd, so when it comes to DIY i usually mess things up, so cutting into a new shiny kettle scares me... lol

[Bum]

Since you're already thinking of dealing with BeerBelly just get one made up from them. Drilling holes in stainless pots is apparently quite difficult for noobs and BeerBelly's gear is pretty great (speaking from experience).

[AidanMatthews]

From beerbelly website

"Items that are fabricated here at Beerbelly are temporarily unavailable for order, as the workshop is closed to allow Wayne to recover from shoulder surgery. Apologies for any inconvenience caused."

well i hope wayne gets back soon from his surgery poor bloke, someone should send him a case of beer lol

Im going to ring them this morning and find out what can be done because im in the process of getting a good quality 59Ltr SS pot (8mm base) from elsewhere for quite cheap.

Hopefully they will be nice enough to drill a whole, even for a price when i buy a couple bulkheads and burner etc from them...

need a bulk head for esky to...(that i can drill a hole in a reckon, just need to keep 90* and not on any wierd angle for a good seal)

[Bum]

The seal happens outside of the hole so as long as it is straight-ish it shouldn't be a huge issue.

Um...I'd give up on BeerBelly if you can't hold on for the gear. They are slow as a wet week on the fabrication side of things at the best of times - with Wayne's injury it'd be completely rooted.

[chadjaja]

If you are just looking at doing single batches I still think the 40L urn can't be beat. No stuffing around with naked flame, gas refills and you can use it for both your HLT and kettle.

I can push near double batches in mine and get about 15L's into two kegs. All you need is an urn, esky and cube to sparge into.

[AidanMatthews]

considered an urn, but decided to go with mashtun and kettle.

The only thing i need done to my kettle from beerbelly is 1 hole to be drilled for a bulkhead and tap.
Looks like wayne is having op this week and is on light duties, i didnt have the heart to ask if drilling a hole is considered light duties lol.

I called them and got the details for the rest of the fittings i need for my mashtun.

Everything else is in stock including burner and regulator.
I can get my false bottom for esky mashtun later from beerbelly - No rush.