re: Homebrewing: All Grain Mash Tun

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That list of steps is really vague and generalized.

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Well yeah, i was just making sure the general steps were right. I understand that temps will vary. I have beersmith, so that will help me out.

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Is he talking about batch sparging or fly sparging?

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I'm talking fly sparging. When i get my equipment i plan on fly sparging, and false bottom with a 10 gallon round cooler.

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What about his grain to water ratio?

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I think that depends on the recipe, correct? I've read 2 quarts/lb, and i've also seen 1.7 quarts/lb.

So i guess my final question, is a 5 gallon brewpot big enough for sparge water?

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I think that depends on the recipe, correct? I've read 2 quarts/lb, and i've also seen 1.7 quarts/lb.

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People tend to have a ratio they are comfortable with at their house. I have been using 1.25 but I think i may up it a little closer to 1.5. 2 is going to give you a really thin mash, but that may work for your system. 1.25 is how I learned how to brew, but I am going to change it up this next time.

For me, I would be maxing out a 5 gallon pot and maybe having to bring another gallon of water to temp after. However it may work for you, no other way to find out other than to try. Since I use a low water to grain ratio I need more sparge water.

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What you should do is come to our meeting on Wednesday and give it out

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Yeah. Yall meet once a month at the cove, right?

I'm trying to order parts right now. all systems have 2 stainless nipple and barbs. Why do i need 2, when i'm using 1 10 gallon mash tun?

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1. Heat water up to 170 (depending on your recipe). Pour water into your mash tun (in this case 10 gallon round cooler). Put on lid, let the cooler heat up a bit, then drain back into the pot. Add some 5.2 ph stabilizer.

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What I do is I heat up about a gallon of water and throw it in the mash tun and close the top before I start heating my strike water. That warms up the mash tun plenty. I dump it prior to adding my strike water.

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1) Is the PH stabilizer necessary? or is this mainly for "bad" water? Do yall use it?

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I didn't when I lived in BR. I do now that I live in Nola, but our water is shite down here.

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2) All the videos i've seen, show adding water to your mash tun first, then adding the grains. However, in how to brew, and complete joy, they say to add the grain first. Does it matter?

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I've read you want to slowly add water to the grain to avoid super heating some of the grains, but I always add my water first and then the grains. Never had a problem.

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3) What temps should the sparge water be? below 170?

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Depends on your grain bill size and current temperature and mash tun properties like insulation and starting temp. For a standard ale on my setup, say a 5.5% beer, my strike water is usually around 164-165ish. Depends on what you want your mash temp to be.

After a few beers you'll get the hang of your equipment and learn how much heat loss and whatnot you experience.

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4) All of the videos i've seen, either a manifold or SS filter was used. What are the benefits of a false bottom over the other 2 options? Better grain bed stability?

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I have always used a SS braid as my screen. Not the prettiest, but it works. I am looking at getting a false bottom, however, as sometimes the braid is near impossible to get clear wort from because I smash it with my mash paddle.

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ETA: Also, how much sparge water is typically needed? I have a 5 gallon old brewpot, and would rather use that, than buy a new one if i don't have to.

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Depends on things like boil-off rate and pre-boil volume.

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Fratastic423

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Northern Brewer has a 10 gallon all-grain system mash tun kit under equipment>all-grain equipment. I am buying the kit, minus the cooler, and switching out the brass fittings for stainless.

Could someone look at it, and let me know what i don't need to buy? The 2 nipples they recommend seem pointless to me, since it comes with a ball valve assembly. I'm just trying not to over buy. I'd link it, but work filters prevent me from going to the site, so i'm shopping by phone.

OK, i think i understand what they are doing.

They are using 2 coolers, one for sparge water, one for mashing. And the sparge water connects to the sparge arms in the mash ton via ball valve and nipples.

I was thinking of using a brewpot for my sparge water, but i guess they put the sparge water in another cooler.

Correct.

You are going to be doing what I have been doing. I am changing my ssystem because I got my hands on another cooler.

If you have a cooler already you will need:

False Bottom
Stainless Ball Valve
2 Barbed Fitting (3/8) - Connect to false bottom and tubing to go to kettle
Tubing to go from mash tun to kettle
Small piece (4 inchs) of tubing to connect false bottom to ball valve.

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Small piece (4 inchs) of tubing to connect false bottom to ball valve.

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This part throws me. The false bottom sits a couple inches above the spigot on the bottom of the cooler. I thought that the water seeps through the grains, leaving the grain bed on top, and filters out the water. Why do i need to connect a tube from the false bottom to the ball valve? Is the false bottom not perferated? I guess this question is more on how the false bottom works. I'm looking at this picture and it looks like the false bottom sits below the opening of the cooler.