help with mashing all grain

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Mark1964

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Can some one help me please. I bought a book called brewing beers you used to buy. In most of the recipies it is telling me to put the grain in a large grain bag. Does this mean all the grains or just some. Also could i not use a grain bag and just put all the grains in the hot water loose and just use a seive to collect the wort and then sparge the grains while they are in the seive. Thanks
 
you need a grain bag or grain filter otherwise you will draw the grains through your tap and block it also the grain acts as a filter to give a cleaner brew
 
I use a grain bag, I both mash and sparge in it (all of the grain).
When sparging, run off a few litres into a jug and pour them back before letting the runnings go into the boiler.
 
31bb3 said:
you need a grain bag or grain filter otherwise you will draw the grains through your tap and block it also the grain acts as a filter to give a cleaner brew
OK thanks i understand now i dont have a boiler yet just a 20 litre pan and a large seive will boil grains then seive into bucket then return to pan to boil hope thats right???
 
ericstd said:
I use a grain bag, I both mash and sparge in it (all of the grain).
When sparging, run off a few litres into a jug and pour them back before letting the runnings go into the boiler.
I will try this way but ive read that when the grains are in the bag you cant sparge properley as the grains are too tightly packed in the bag. Ive never made all grain yet but will try both methods soon thanks.
 
Ok you are thinking about a closed bag, when you mash in a bag, it is open at the top to allow the grains to settle, the top is usually folded over the top of your mash tun so to create a U shaped bag, hope that makes sense (It has been over 10 years since I did it like this :) )

You need a tap on the MT to allow you to run off the liquor, if you don't have one then ...not sure how you could sparge it.
 
hairybiker said:
Ok you are thinking about a closed bag, when you mash in a bag, it is open at the top to allow the grains to settle, the top is usually folded over the top of your mash tun so to create a U shaped bag, hope that makes sense (It has been over 10 years since I did it like this :) )

You need a tap on the MT to allow you to run off the liquor, if you don't have one then ...not sure how you could sparge it.
thanks for that im buying a mashing bin and boiler combined so should be ok now thanks
 
mark1964 said:
31bb3 said:
you need a grain bag or grain filter otherwise you will draw the grains through your tap and block it also the grain acts as a filter to give a cleaner brew
OK thanks i understand now i dont have a boiler yet just a 20 litre pan and a large seive will boil grains then seive into bucket then return to pan to boil hope thats right???


Dont boil the grain! The grains need to be steeped at mash temp (usually about 66C), and the reslting liquid run off and collected. Thats the wort and its that which you boil. :thumb:
 
You may benefit from reading Dave Line's "Big Book of Brewing"!
As he was pre "shinies" and PIDs, he uses every day equipment.
 
hairybiker said:
Ok you are thinking about a closed bag, when you mash in a bag, it is open at the top to allow the grains to settle, the top is usually folded over the top of your mash tun so to create a U shaped bag, hope that makes sense (It has been over 10 years since I did it like this :) )

You need a tap on the MT to allow you to run off the liquor, if you don't have one then ...not sure how you could sparge it.
ive bought an electrim boiler now but are you saying that you use the liquor in which the grains have been sitting in to sparge or do you use hot water????????
 
You sparge using hot water, collecting the run off into the boiler.

I wouldn't have thought you needed an electrim having a brewheat one :wha: All you need it to heat the sparge water to 74deg.
You would have been better off with a mash tun rather than another boiler.
 
ericstd said:
You may benefit from reading Dave Line's "Big Book of Brewing"!
As he was pre "shinies" and PIDs, he uses every day equipment.
Ive got one of his books called brewing beers like those you buy im going to try some of his recipies see how things turn out thanks
 
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