Just wondered if this was a cheaper way to brew beer?
I have had great success with all my beerkits, mainly 1 can kits which have brewed really well and I'm really happy with the tastes.
If I was to start all grain would it be cheaper? Still have to get some equipment together but in the long run cheaper than kits?
More fun anyway.
is this cheaper than kits?
-
ChrisG
-
booldawg
Its the waiting around between processes, waiting for water to hit the right temps and preparing for the next process. Its 8 hours on your feet and amazing how tiring (but rewarding) it is.
If you get your water treated, yeast starter made, all kit cleaned out and grains weighed the night before you can knock a couple of hours off the brewday.
As for cost, its comparable to kits (if you buy grain in small amounts) Sometimes you'll have grains left over from the previous brew which saves you cost on the next one. As DaaB points out - its cheaper in the long run. TBH even if it was twice as expensive as kits I'd still brew AG purely for the quality of the beer and satisfaction that I've brewed it from scratch.
If you get your water treated, yeast starter made, all kit cleaned out and grains weighed the night before you can knock a couple of hours off the brewday.
As for cost, its comparable to kits (if you buy grain in small amounts) Sometimes you'll have grains left over from the previous brew which saves you cost on the next one. As DaaB points out - its cheaper in the long run. TBH even if it was twice as expensive as kits I'd still brew AG purely for the quality of the beer and satisfaction that I've brewed it from scratch.
Chris_G it is straight forward, but as Daab says it will be an 8 hour day for the first brews.
This is for me, on my system and beer dependent
Heat Water for Mash 45min
Mash 60-90mins+
Fly Sparge 60mins Batch Sparge 20mins
Boil 60-90mins+
Cool 45mins
Clean up 30mins
It will come down to 5 hours, there is time in between all the processes, but to start with you will be running around in circles. As you get more practiced, you will always have everything cleaned in between all these processes and be prepared for the next one!
I agree with booldawg I just love the whole process as well but the cost does make all the difference, if you want to justify all the labour
This is for me, on my system and beer dependent
Heat Water for Mash 45min
Mash 60-90mins+
Fly Sparge 60mins Batch Sparge 20mins
Boil 60-90mins+
Cool 45mins
Clean up 30mins
It will come down to 5 hours, there is time in between all the processes, but to start with you will be running around in circles. As you get more practiced, you will always have everything cleaned in between all these processes and be prepared for the next one!
I agree with booldawg I just love the whole process as well but the cost does make all the difference, if you want to justify all the labour
Fermenter(s): Lambic, Wheat beer, Amrillo/Cascade Beer
Cornys: Hobgoblin clone, Four Shades Stout, Wheat Beer, Amarillo/Cascade Ale, Apple Wine, Cider, Damson Wine, Ginger Beer
Cornys: Hobgoblin clone, Four Shades Stout, Wheat Beer, Amarillo/Cascade Ale, Apple Wine, Cider, Damson Wine, Ginger Beer
-
ChrisG
-
MightyMouth
My first brew took me just over 6 hours and after that it was just 5 hours.
I have heard of a method of brewing which apparently takes up to 3 hours less and uses less equipment. It's called Brew in a Bag.
The proponents claim it works fine but I am a little sceptical, I would think there would be a lot of left over trub that wouldnt get filtered out by the grains so it might be harder to get a clear beer and may have some undesireable flavors, still for the cost involved it might be worth a try though if it's your first attempt you have no previous experience to gauge the success. I suspect it would still taste better than kits.
Once I have brewed a few very good beers I might try it with one of the recipes I have already made and compare.
I have heard of a method of brewing which apparently takes up to 3 hours less and uses less equipment. It's called Brew in a Bag.
The proponents claim it works fine but I am a little sceptical, I would think there would be a lot of left over trub that wouldnt get filtered out by the grains so it might be harder to get a clear beer and may have some undesireable flavors, still for the cost involved it might be worth a try though if it's your first attempt you have no previous experience to gauge the success. I suspect it would still taste better than kits.
Once I have brewed a few very good beers I might try it with one of the recipes I have already made and compare.
-
Chris B
You could always have a look at DaaB's site and do a mini mash to see if you get on with the process. That is what I did and Have now got most of the kit together to do 5 gall batches.
If you are a competent DIYer then you can knock the kit up for less than half the price of shop bought equipment.
Chris....
If you are a competent DIYer then you can knock the kit up for less than half the price of shop bought equipment.
Chris....
-
babalu87
If my mash water is hot when I start its around 4 hours and I usually grind the grains the night before and bring them upstairs to warm. This allows me to use a lower temperature mash water. A 70+ degree grist is MUCH easier to dough in than a 50ish degree grist.
Another option that is supposed to work well with English style beers (has for me so far) is an overnight mash.
Dough in and then go to sleep. My 48 qt cooler only lost 8 degrees over the night and I know for sure conversion was good
Went to bed at midnight with the mash at 152 degrees and woke up at 5:30 to a 144 degree mash.
That cuts the time down quite a bit and breaking up the brew day is a nice change.
I think the big part of the long day is to make the most of the time waiting for the mash and while the boil is going.
Clean corneys/bottles, sanitize fermenter..... in general get everything organized for the next step.
Brew day Sunday and I'll be putting tomatoes plants in and laying bean and pumpkin seeds in the ground.
That and tying up the hop plants if I can keep my 3 yo daughter off the ladder............
Another option that is supposed to work well with English style beers (has for me so far) is an overnight mash.
Dough in and then go to sleep. My 48 qt cooler only lost 8 degrees over the night and I know for sure conversion was good
Went to bed at midnight with the mash at 152 degrees and woke up at 5:30 to a 144 degree mash. That cuts the time down quite a bit and breaking up the brew day is a nice change.
I think the big part of the long day is to make the most of the time waiting for the mash and while the boil is going.
Clean corneys/bottles, sanitize fermenter..... in general get everything organized for the next step.
Brew day Sunday and I'll be putting tomatoes plants in and laying bean and pumpkin seeds in the ground.
That and tying up the hop plants if I can keep my 3 yo daughter off the ladder............
Just to reinforce what has been said here. All grain is most definitely cheaper but time consuming. It's a ballet to get the water heating/mash/sparge/boil down pat. Did 15 gallons over the weekend and was surprisingly tired.
As for costs I can do an all grain for roughly half a kit.
**To address your original question, my LHBS has bulk extract where you bring a container and they fill it for you, about 70% the cost of a can.
As for costs I can do an all grain for roughly half a kit.
**To address your original question, my LHBS has bulk extract where you bring a container and they fill it for you, about 70% the cost of a can.
Johnny Clueless was there
With his simulated wood grain
With his simulated wood grain
-
TC2642
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2161
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:11 pm
- Location: Somewhere between cabbaged and heavily cabbaged
I've got a 1060 IPA fermenting at the mo!ChrisG wrote:It just sounds so much fun and being able to brew my own IPA from scratch would be excellent.
I'm thinking of getting a boiler later in the year so fingers crossed.
took me around eight hours, but I do a 90min mash and boil, smells fantastic.Fermenting -!
Maturing - Lenin's Revenge RIS
Drinking - !
Next brew - PA
Brew after next brew - IPA
Maturing - Lenin's Revenge RIS
Drinking - !
Next brew - PA
Brew after next brew - IPA
-
confused
I made the change earlier this year after finding a basic, complete kit on ebay.
I only ever brewed two can kits, muntons / woodfordes etc so costs with steriliser etc was in the region of £20 per 40 pint kit. Results were always very good and of course I was careful to choose kits which mimicked beers i preferred.
My first All grain worked out no cheaper, largely becuase I bought all of the grains etc from my LHBS in small bags, far more expensively than the online suppliers. Plus of course I had the outlay for all the kit.
The real benefit I got from my first brew was learning how the finished beer ended up as it did - where all of the characteristics came from. Tomorrow will be my second brewday and I have assembled all of the ingredients to do a double run, for me thats 40 litres or about 70 pints for just over £11 so yes, i would say it is cheaper, even than a £7kit from wilko and a bag of sugar, but I wouldn't say that is the best reason for doing all grain.
I only ever brewed two can kits, muntons / woodfordes etc so costs with steriliser etc was in the region of £20 per 40 pint kit. Results were always very good and of course I was careful to choose kits which mimicked beers i preferred.
My first All grain worked out no cheaper, largely becuase I bought all of the grains etc from my LHBS in small bags, far more expensively than the online suppliers. Plus of course I had the outlay for all the kit.
The real benefit I got from my first brew was learning how the finished beer ended up as it did - where all of the characteristics came from. Tomorrow will be my second brewday and I have assembled all of the ingredients to do a double run, for me thats 40 litres or about 70 pints for just over £11 so yes, i would say it is cheaper, even than a £7kit from wilko and a bag of sugar, but I wouldn't say that is the best reason for doing all grain.