AG might cost a bit more to buy the additional equipment but it you save a few bucks on ingredients. After a while the savings covers the added cost. It takes a bit more time to brew AG but it allows you to make better beer. You can tweak recipes to make exactly what you like. If you harvest yeast and buy grain in bulk the savings can add up.
So there is more time involved in AG but I think it is more than worth the effort.
9 extract kits under my belt. Some really good, some good and some not good.
First all grain brewed this past weekend. I am not sure how it will turn out, but is sure smells good in the fermenting bucket.
AG was not too much more difficult than extract. But, most of the difficulty came from not using a kit. I made my own receipe.
Why I enjoyed making the AG - 1) I could make exactly what I wanted. 2) I could buy the grains at LHBS without too much worry about the grains being stale (unlike with LME). 3) It was a bit cheaper than extract. 4) It is just way cooler than brewing from grain.
I made a 3 gallon batch and employed a basterdized BIAB/sparge because my brew pot is not big enought to do a full BIAB. Actually way overshot my anticipated OG.
Try OG with the extract equipment you have. Find some BIAB directions from our host’s kits and go from there.
it doesn’t matter if you use po’ boy or mr. fancypants equipment. bottom line is: you get what you give. you put your best effort in, you get a great beer out.
yes
Doesn’t have to be much building to it: a keg with a weldless conversion kit (~$70) makes a serviceable mash tun, with the advantage that you can bump the temp with your burner, if you’re careful not to burn your grain. 2 kegs and 2 kits, plus a pot to heat sparge water makes a decent stripped down setup, if you don’t mind a little lifting and toting.
I noticed a marked improvement in my beer once I started brewing AG. I made the switch after 17 batches. And though I was kind of mucking my way through it at first, I now realize it’s a lot easier than what it’s made out to be.
I’ve made the best gains recently by starting to build my brewing water. I was using 5.2 Mash Stabilizer for the longest time and it was doing nothing but hurting the beer, IMO.
Bru’nwater is really pretty easy to use. I start with RO and make adjustments.
:cheers: Make the switch and brew strong!
FYI the kits from the host are $10 cheaper in the AG version compared to extract. Do 5 AG batches and you just bought your cooler mash tun. 5 more and you just covered a new brewpot. 5 more, wort chiller…
I made the plunge recently from 1.5 years and 50+ extract batches. The savings was the big factor because my extract beer was excellent.
:cheers:
Its a no brainer
It is cheaper by far to run AG (the Need - not want equipment) as you can get into it for the low 100’s and if you get into a group that does group buys for grain you can drastically reduce your costs while upping your control over what you are making. I can run even an imperial whatever for less than 20 bucks (I save yeast also - another very easy thing to do) unless It has a big hops list. It requires more work from you but you get the satisfactoin of knowing that the beer is far more “yours” in that you don’t have as much preprepared for you.
Last - It is simply too easy to not do. The steps that are added by going AG really arent hard they largely involve waiting for things to come to temperature or waiting while things boil. Not hard just takes a little time.
Barry
Doesn’t have to be much building to it: a keg with a weldless conversion kit (~$70) makes a serviceable mash tun, with the advantage that you can bump the temp with your burner, if you’re careful not to burn your grain. 2 kegs and 2 kits, plus a pot to heat sparge water makes a decent stripped down setup, if you don’t mind a little lifting and toting.[/quote]
Where can I get info on a weldless conversion kit?
I notice our host has a setup for about $250. Is that about the average for starting out?
[quote=“mvsawyer”]FYI the kits from the host are $10 cheaper in the AG version compared to extract. Do 5 AG batches and you just bought your cooler mash tun. 5 more and you just covered a new brewpot. 5 more, wort chiller…
I made the plunge recently from 1.5 years and 50+ extract batches. The savings was the big factor because my extract beer was excellent.
:cheers: [/quote]
Appreciate that. I brew about one batch a month at present, all 5-gallon, but I’m thinking of going up to 15 or even 20 gallons for my three or four favorites. I can’t seem to keep a consistent supply on hand.
You can make a Cheap’n’Easy mash tun for easily less than $50. Less than that if you already have a cooler you can use. Look at www.dennybrew.com
[quote]I started AG after 13 years of using extracts. I wish I’d jumped in AG 13
years ago, FWIW.[/quote]
+1 - although, I only made it 3 months brewing extracts before I switched. I enjoy it so much more doing AG.
Similar situation here. I brewed extracts for 14 years, went to partial mash and full wort boil for a year after that, then jumped into all grain. The flavor difference was one thing but when I saw how much less it cost compared to extract (massively less) I was sold.
I’ve done all grain exclusively for the last 26 years and never looked back.
Why? Nothing hard about mashing in a keggle.
Similar situation here. I brewed extracts for 14 years, went to partial mash and full wort boil for a year after that, then jumped into all grain. The flavor difference was one thing but when I saw how much less it cost compared to extract (massively less) I was sold.
I’ve done all grain exclusively for the last 26 years and never looked back.[/quote]
Jeez, man. I don’t want to say you’re old, but you’ve been brewing it longer than I’ve been drinking it, and I ain’t no spring chicken myself. Sounds like you’ve earned that handle.
Similar situation here. I brewed extracts for 14 years, went to partial mash and full wort boil for a year after that, then jumped into all grain. The flavor difference was one thing but when I saw how much less it cost compared to extract (massively less) I was sold.
I’ve done all grain exclusively for the last 26 years and never looked back.[/quote]
Yeah, I love brewing so much I think I’m going to really enjoy all grain. I’ll probably kick up my brewing to twice a month just to keep a steady supply on hand. So, I’m going to get a decent cooler mash tun system. Appreciate it.
I think I’ll brew a basic one for my first all-grain. After that, I’d love to find a clone of one of the best beers I’ve ever enjoyed. It’s called “Brand” and comes from the Limburg Province of The Netherlands. Drank it for 5 years during my military days there back in the 1980s. I have Dutch family (courtesy the wife) in that area and once or twice a year they send me a six-pack in cans via mail. Expensive, but worth it. I’ve looked, but have never found a clone. It’s a crisp, slightly bitter pilsner, almost like a Kolsch/Heineken. Anyone ever heard of Brand?
Why? Nothing hard about mashing in a keggle.[/quote]
Because most people have coolers or you can run to the store and buy one. Never seen a keggle sitting on a shelf at Ace or KMart
Why? Nothing hard about mashing in a keggle.[/quote]
Because most people have coolers or you can run to the store and buy one. Never seen a keggle sitting on a shelf at Ace or KMart[/quote]
There is an unconverted keggle at your local liquor store assuming you can get over the obvious morality of the dilemma. 
