All-grain beckons...

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RichK

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Over the week-end, I've tried my first bottle of homebrew made without the use of a kit. It is a partial mash (half grain & half LME) vaguely aimed at the style of TT Landlord. As it's turned out so well (though I say so myself), I've decided to take the plunge & go all-grain in the new year (after the one last kit waiting to be made).

I've gone induction, as for domestic harmony, I'll brew in the garage as I usually brew/bottle on a Sunday morning when the kitchen is out of bounds. So have ordered a 3 kW Buffalo hob & a suitable 30L pot with the intention of making ~30 pint batches.

I've got the two common recipe books (Greg Hughes & the CAMRA one) so have a nice selection to start from. I'll be looking for a fridge (on Gumtree) once I can tidy the garage out to create a bit more space as it does get warm in the summer.

Are there any pitfalls I should particularly be aware of? Or is there any pertinent advice anybody can offer for a new starter to all grain?
 
I did my first AG brew on Saturday (separate thread in the brewday forum), and a lot of fun it was too.

It's literally the first time I've brewed beer (no extract kits or anything), and I didn't find it that scary or taxing. Have at it, there seems to be quite a wide margin for error, so stick to basic principles (clean & sanitise, keep temperatures correct etc) and you can't really go wrong.
 
Only downside of AG is the length of time a brew takes which might be a problem for someone with a job and family.
 
Only downside of AG is the length of time a brew takes which might be a problem for someone with a job and family.

This.

AG produces better beer, cheaply and with total freedom to do any style you like, and as you have found out by partial mashing, isn't rocket science

But it's a 6 / 7 hour process for most people (including me!). SWMBO also says it's smelly, so I'm now garage based, even for the mash.
 
It's about 5 hours for me. I tend to do longer mashes and boils than most but my boiler heats up quite quickly. About 45 minutes to get to mash temperature during which time I'm weighing out grain and grinding whole grains.
Don't leave all your washing up til the end as there's plenty of free time during the mash and boil. When I transfer to the FV all I'm left with to clean is the boiler itself.
 
Good practice by Cwrw! Plan ahead! Time is your enemy sometimes...don't promise you'll be somewhere incase there's an issue. Usually everything goes well but even the best do daft things like leave taps open,got no hops,drop something into the fv...
Just chill and enjoy it though.
 
Thanks all. Yes, I'll be doing BIAB & appreciate the additional time requirements. Also the water here in Birmingham is pretty good thanks to the foresight of the "city elders" over a century ago (so will just continue to use it straight out of the tap). I intend to continue my current practice of splitting the day. Mash in the morning, go away do whatever, then boil later in the afternoon. I've been instructed to cut down on my consumption (haven't we all?) so will be brewing less frequently than I have been anyway.
 
This question gets asked quite a bit, there are two stellar bits of advice which are always offered and absolutely the most important things.

1 - Clean and sanitise anything that will contact your beer after the boil (doesn't hurt to do everything). If you miss something there's a good chance it'll be fine so don't panic, but it's not hard to sanitise properly so don't risk spoiling your brew.

2. Relax and Enjoy it! It's like a really fun science experiment that rewards you with tasty beer.
 
2. Relax and Enjoy it! It's like a really fun science experiment that rewards you with tasty beer.
You know what, that's a really important point that's probably overlooked a lot - it's a hobby, not a space shuttle launch! Have fun and enjoy yourself. Good luck with your first AG brew @RichK , it's well worth the effort and once you've tried it there'll be no turning back athumb..
 
It's well worth the effort and once you've tried it there'll be no turning back!

I second that! 5th AG brew this Sunday and still planning the next one! athumb..

The more you do, the better the brew! :smallcheers:
 
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