So, you have been brewing extract kits for a while, and you are having so much fun. You like your beer, and so does everyone else is telling you it is good. However, you taste some other homebrewers beers, go to breweries, and see all the different grains you can use to make beer. These factors have you inspired to move to all-grain brewing. But, where do you start, what equipment do you need, what are the pros and cons of moving to an all-grain home brewery.
Schoolhouse Brewing is here to help. In this article, we are going to explain step by step everything you will need to step up your hobby and move to all-grain. It is not that difficult just a little time and a few extra pieces of equipment.
Pros
you will get a more consistent beer
more choices of ingredients
complete creative control
less expensive ingredients
Cons
More equipment
More time needed to brew
What equipment will you need
Hot Liquor Tank (HLT)
10-gallon Water Cooler
Ball Valve Conversion Kit
4-6 feet of High-Temperature Hose
Sparge Arm
Mash Tun (with false bottom)
10-gallon Water Cooler
Ball Valve Conversion Kit
False Bottom
4-6 feet of High-Temperature Hose
7.5 Gallon Brew Kettle
A Propane Burner
The first piece of equipment is the HLT or Hot Liquor Tank that you will need to make. The HLT will is used in the sparging process. Sparging is just the act of using higher temperature water to rinse the grains of any residual sugars and dilute the Mash liquid. All the HLT is a 10-gallon water cooler converted with a Ball Valve. The plastic valve that the cooler comes with is straightforward to remove. There is a locking nut in the inside that easily unscrews, keep the silicone washer because you might need it later in the build.
Now replace the plastic valve with the ball valve conversion kit. This kit should fit snug on to the cooler if not use the silicone washer that you removed earlier in the conversion.
Attach the High-Temperature hose to the barbed end of the ball lock on the outside of the cooler.
The Sparge Arm will connect to the hose when you are brewing later.
Let’s move on to making the Mash Tun. The Mash tun is a giant tea bag that you will use to extract all the sugars and malt flavors into the kettle that you will boil. Take the second water cooler and remove the plastic valve and replace it with the conversion kit just like you did before.
However, this time, you will add a stainless steel barbed fitting on the inside of the cooler. And place the stainless steel false bottom in the cooler.
Use a small piece of silicone tube between the two barbs inside the cooler.
Attach another piece of high temp hosing to the outside barb of the cooler. This tubing will be used to transfer the hot mash to the boil kettle.
This is all the equipment you will need to construct to make the move to all-grain brewing. In our next article, we will go through the steps of Mashing and Sparging. Cheers.
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