My plan for next year

[booldawg]

I'm quite happy making up kits at the moment as a newbie, but I'd really like to get into extract brewing some time next year. Theres quite of bit of extra equipment I'd need (boiler, wort chiller etc)

The biggest purchase seems to be the boiler. I've seen 2 brupacks models available, the plastic one (5 gallons) which is about 60 odd pounds and an enamel/metal one for 140. Obviously the expensive one is better quality - would that be the best purchase? I'd sooner save up and have decent kit.

Also I've read Daabs step by step instructions and understand the process of extract brewing but wouldnt have a clue of what/how much to add in terms of ingredients. I'm a fan of light/summery ales, would there be a recipe anyone could recommend?

[booldawg]

Thanks Daab, I was always going to go AG eventually I guess. All a bit daunting but something to start looking at.

[CrownCap]

Trust me, as someone who has just moved to AG after doing a few kits, it really isn't that difficult and doesn't require much more equipment that you'd need for extract (basically just something like a coolbox mash tun with manifold).

What it does require is time. It takes the best part of a day to do an AG brew, but its basically a few periods of frantic activity interspersed with lots of waiting But its all good fun!

That said, I'm intending to do an extract brew this weekend as an experiment and to save some time, but that will be the exception rather than the norm.

Have a look at Jim's AG brewing instructions and DaaBs examples of using his mash tuns. Go on, you owe it to yourself.

PS, I can recommend the Leyland boiler too!

[booldawg]

Theres loads of kits I'd love to try yet, but I suppose a AG brewer will also do kits now and then! Thanks for the words of encouragement I'd love to be able to experiement with hops and grains which will come with time.

[Aleman]

Not wishing to be self serving (Ok well actually I am ) Take a look at the Articles for sale as there is a very nice boiler there going cheap

[booldawg]

Its a lovely looking bit of kit TJB. Alas with Christmas coming up, wedding to save for and some no doubt expensive root canal treatment over the next few weeks this has prompted my decision to wait until next year to move off the kits and onto AG/Extract Im hoping Father Christmas will bring me some of the smaller bits of kit like wort chiller etc.

[Wez]

Theres loads of kits I'd love to try yet, but I suppose a AG brewer will also do kits now and then! Thanks for the words of encouragement I'd love to be able to experiement with hops and grains which will come with time.

I moved straight from kit to AG and the difference is huge, however we have just had a(nother) baby and time is tight to now when I do an AG brew I also kick a kit off, the quality of the kits are such that I still really enjoy them so ... no problem. Picked up a Milestone kit today as it happens to do while I'm knocking up a Hookey St on Sunday

[Fatgodzilla]

I think some of you blokes jumped in a bit too early in this thread. It's a big jump from kit to AG both financially and knowledge wise and I reckon you may have sold some people bum steers. In my opinion, it's better to take the simple step from kit to extract and partials so you can learn about hops, yeasts, malts etc. I downloaded a good little partial / mini mash article last month from this site that I have used successfully. I would recommend it to all kit brewers keen to improve both their beers and their knowledge. Let the kit brewers keep playing around until they are ready to AG before you tell them to do it. !!

I think this is it - DaaB correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks mate.

://www.18000feet.com/minimash/page1.htm

ps - I see you Poms beat the Kiwis in the Rugby League - at last a sport you can beat them at !!!! Got a cricket team brewing for the next Ashes series yet ??

[bandit]

Both feet first I never brewed kits or partial or extract or anything before AG. Just read as much as you can, ask as many questions as you like but just go for it, the results speak for themselves. You will get as much support as you need from the guys on this forum

[Aleman]

Both feet first here too, I brewed one 8 Pint Kit, one Extract (Old Peculier) and then went all grain, and this was in a time when CJJ Berry's books were new!!! (Lucky for me I found Dave Lines Books ) There was no information and TB Lee hadn't invented the internet (Or at least it hadn't escaped from DARPA/CERN)

Ok Having a recent degree with a serious Biochemistry element meant that I could read the brewing journals and work out what I needed to do. AG isn't all that hard, its time consuming, and there are many things to get in the right sequence, but I Still to this day print off a list of each step required for the brew, and tick it off as I go on (Caused by too much brewery modification each time I brew ). The one difference between now and then is that I have got my timings and temperatures much more under control.

So Guys Go all Grain whenever you can, you will not regret it . . . Now where is that Geordie Kit?

[ColinKeb]

go all the way to AG , have no fear my man just use the force and trust in the ghost of dave line , all will be well

[Buzz]

I also missed the extract route. Been doing kits for about seven years and finally got her indoors to sort me a boiler for my 40th birthday. Must admit, armed only with the Big Book Of Bewing and the thought of 'how difficult can this really be?' I made a right hash of AG#1.

But, I subsequently found this forum, managed to get hold of a copy of Graham Wheeler's book and jumped straight back in. Result - AG#2 is conditioning in my shed and tastes the bollocks. Completely different gear to any kit I've ever made.

If I can do that on only my second attempt with very limited knowledge, it can't be that hard. AG#3 is now in the secondary fermenter and I had a sample of that last night and, that too, is different gravy to anything I've produced from a kit.

When the times comes, make the jump. You wont regret it and you'll get all the support you need on here, that's for sure.

[J_P]

Point taken about the extra expense of the kit to go AG, you can do it cheaply as I did.

Re the extra complexity you mentioned, I used to get hung up about efficiency and measurements and other such percieved obstacles, I now don't bother. I have worked out to produce 23l of light 4.5% beer I need roughly

4.5 - 5kg grain (Pale or Crystal malt / Torrified wheat)
12l of mash water at around 72-76C
26l of sparge water around 75-80C

I mash and boil for 90 minutes each and I only ever add a cambden tablet to the water no pH stabiliser no salts or anything. I generally aim for 25-30 IBU's (I Use Daabs Calculator) and that's that. I dare say most folks could emulate these results.

It produces quality drinkable ale every time. Not bad for someone who went AG on a budget Just be careful you don't get shinyitis like Vossy

[booldawg]

I've already been trawling the net for the cheapest possible 30L cool box. With twelve quids worth of copper fittings and a metre of piping blagged off someone at work I'm hoping to have my first bit of AG equipment - a mash tun!

If I could be bothered to get up early on a Sunday morning I'd be at the car boot sale looking for the cool box. Sods law says there wont be any there.

[TC2642]

I also missed the extract route. Been doing kits for about seven years and finally got her indoors to sort me a boiler for my 40th birthday. Must admit, armed only with the Big Book Of Bewing and the thought of 'how difficult can this really be?' I made a right hash of AG#1.

But, I subsequently found this forum, managed to get hold of a copy of Graham Wheeler's book and jumped straight back in. Result - AG#2 is conditioning in my shed and tastes the bollocks. Completely different gear to any kit I've ever made.

If I can do that on only my second attempt with very limited knowledge, it can't be that hard. AG#3 is now in the secondary fermenter and I had a sample of that last night and, that too, is different gravy to anything I've produced from a kit.

When the times comes, make the jump. You wont regret it and you'll get all the support you need on here, that's for sure.

Can only agree with this and the other posters, I went from kit to all-grain, I had a few cock ups but not enough to stop me from brewing, it is easy after you get your procedure down.