"Step up"

pokerknight · Jan 6, 2016

Hi Folks, Happy New Year

I have been brewing from kits for several years. As an ex-publican I have a decent set up in my shed.
I use corny kegs, 30/70 gas with the correct valves and secondary valves plus a 12 coil Python cooler so I can have anything from ice cold lager to nice temp stout. I dispense through a 4 tap font.
I have only brewed kit beers, mainly Coopers, I really like the stout, but am thinking of being a bit more adventurous on the bitter front.
Can anyone advise me, in words of one syllable, how to "gear up" to brewing a bit more from basics, without going the whole (fairly expensive) hog.
Thanks in anticipation, Alan.

Dads_Ale · Jan 6, 2016

Hi PK

How good are you at DIY. All grain brewing does not have to be expensive if you are handy with a drill and the internet. Once you get your head round it its not even that difficult, only time consuming.

If you don't want to go straight into AG then extract brewing may be a good starting point as you get to add your own hops and steep some speciality malts.
HBC do extract 'kits' that don't need a huge amount of gear to complete.

ps. I've only done one extract kit (raffle win here) and used my AG equipment so am probably am not placed on minimum kit required.

dan125 · Jan 6, 2016

Hi Alan
I may be biased but would vouch for BIAB to brew from basics with minimum outlay. Sounds like all you'd need is a big pot, a heat source (I use a gas burner), the bag and a half decent thermometer and you'd be up and running.

Slid · Jan 6, 2016

dan125 said:
Hi Alan
I may be biased but would vouch for BIAB to brew from basics with minimum outlay. Sounds like all you'd need is a big pot, a heat source (I use a gas burner), the bag and a half decent thermometer and you'd be up and running.

Agree with this. I am quite happy with a pot from Wilko (currently ÃÂ£17), a grain bag sourced off the internet somewhere (part of an ingredients purchase) and the home gas cooker, which has a large burner that is sufficient to boil up the 12.5L that the pot will hold, leaving an inch or so headroom.

This allows for cooling in a sink and you can do a half batch AG or a full batch Partial Mash by adding a kit plus water to 25L.

Have a look at clibit's excellent thread on small AG brewing and also the one on Partial Mashes which details the general outline and also the particular methodology I use.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=51779

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=50779

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