need pointers on 10 gallon system

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bredmakr
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Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2001 10:34 am
Location: South Bend, IN, US

need pointers on 10 gallon system

Post by bredmakr »

I have been making my own beer for three years and currently brew 5 gallon partial mash recipes. I have decided that I would like to upgrade my equipment to allow for 10 gallon all grain brewing. Being my first step into the world of all grain brewing I have found the amount of equipment available is overwhelming. Can anyone help me clear the water? How much do I really need to spend. Is it worth trying to buy individual pieces here and there or should I buy everything form one supplier?
andytv
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Not as bad as you think!

Post by andytv »

It's remarkable that you and I are taking the exact same steps forward towards 10gal all grain brewing. I now am ready to start, and here is how my brewclub approached equipment needs;

1) brewpot - You will need at least a 16gal brewpot. Your alternatives are as such;

a) Buy an inexpensive enameled pot for about $40. I saw them on the web, but I don't remember where. The drawback to this is that it is just a pot.
b) By a "brewpot". Brewtek.com had the best deal out there. $150 for a 15 gallon pot (stainless stell) that has a spigot with an adjustable racking tube. This allows you to do all-grain double batches (10gal) or partial mash triples. We chose this approach.
c) www.kegs.com (Sabco) features brewkettles made out of stainless kegs (but very $$$)
2) Mash/Lauter Tun - We used a cooler for 5 gal all-grain, but will nned to upgrade to a larger one (at least 12 gallon) for all-grain doubles. In the meantime, we plan to use our brewpot to mash & sparge, which it is very well suited for. The trick that we found works is to attach a length of stainless steel braid to the spigot (inside the pot. If you can't find bulk braiding, buy a flexibe water hookup hose and hack it up! Works great as a filter and elimates the need for a false bottom.
We plan to convert a larger cooler into a large batch mash/lauter tun soon. Email me @ tev@kiski.net if you need some ideas on how to.

3) Fermentor; Large fermentors are cheap (food grade plastic 25 gall barrels sell for about $30. Large Glass carboys are not cheap. You would need to buy a demijohn if you wanted to condition in glass. Another option is to build a cylindoconical system. Consolidated Plastics sells the tanks for about $80. You would need to buy/build a stand and your own fittings. On the other hand, Mini-Brew offers a complete 15 gal fermenting system that comes with a stand and all the fittings. There are many advantages to this and I recommend it (cost $200 at hombrew heaven.com) i just bought one. I set it up today and graduated it and can't wait to use it.

4) Grain Crusher - We use a corona grain mill. i don't like it, but I think with some mods, I can improve the design. Most suppliers will crush for you but you have to use ther grain immediately.

Last, know that you will probably spend an entire day brewing a 10 gal all-grain batch. We spend over half a day on our 5gal all-grainers.

Good luck, and remember that store bought specialty equipment makes things easier and quicker, but you can alomost always "rig something". Email me if you think I can help.
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