Budget Brewing - Setting up an all grain, easy brewery for less than $1000.00

jarhill brew kettles
affordable alternative brew kettle

I'm sure this wont be the last time we have this discussion, but hopefully it will sink in this time.   I recently was at my LHBS.   I met a lovely couple who were getting into home brewing.   The wife told me that she was wanting to purchase a 10 gallon, 3 vessel,  heat exchange recirculating mash system for her husband.   Now at first blush... what an awesome wife.   How cool... right?  WRONG. Buy the equipment that makes great beer with out spending a fortune.

back yard pro
210k  btu burner
fast heating
rapid boil

You do not need that kind of gear to brew great beer.   I think she was shocked to hear me say that. After all fancy shiny gear is cool.   But here is the issue,  it is NO MORE efficient than basic gear, and it does not make better beer.


So once again here is my proposed set up for a home brewery capable of world domination.  This is a brew in a bag system with a pump that allows you to recirculate during step mashes, as a vorlauff, or during chilling.

The Jaded Hydra is well worth it's
price tag,  You don't skimp on heating
or on cooling.  Make the investment!

The system:   BIAB  System - Capable of 5 Gallon batches of beer with maximum ease.  This system is easily powerful enough to shorten your brew day.   We have a similar set up and have made a simple blonde ale in under 3 hours, at 82.5% efficiency.   The key to the system is that everything is designed for speed and ease.   The burner is super powerful.  Brew in a bag eliminates transfer time.  The bucket fermenters are easy to clean and sanitize.  You will thank me for recommending this wort chiller, it is miraculous, and can cool the entire batch at one time, something counter flow chillers and plate chillers can not do.  I have done the math, and a 2.5 hour batch is conceivable with this system.

• Burner - Outdoor Pro Propane Burner - 210,000 BTU -        $67.00 +  $15.00 Shipping
• Jarhill 49 quart (12.25 gallon) Brew Kettle -                      $109.00      Free Shipping
• Brew Bag -  Wilser Brew Bag Grand Slam Package          $32.00 +    $5 Shipping
• Large Stainless Steel Spoon                                             $3.89 +   Shipping
• Pump - "Great brew eh" -   pump package #3                   $95.00 +  $18.00 Shipping
• Large stainless steel strainer -  for decoction                    $10.00  + free with prime 
• 5 gallon stainless pot -                                                    $33.00  +  $6.00 shipping
• 1 gallon pitcher                                                                $6.00    Walmart
• Home brewing starter kit - the other stuff you need            $69.00 +   Free shipping
• Cleaners, and water chemicals                                        $30.00   your LHBS
• Wort Chiller - Jaded Hydra - spend the money!                $149.00 + 8.00 shipping
• Pump hard ware - for re-circulation and whirlpool -             $40.00 + $12.00 shipping

Great brew eh! Pumps! they are more than adequate!

That is it, that is all you need to start making amazing beer at home.   You do not need a 3 vessel, computer controlled, electric recirculating mash, heat exchange, multi pump, pain in the ass to clean system.  To make great beer, you need to LEARN TO MAKE GREAT BEER.  Not spend more money.   I know people with $20,000 wrapped up in home brewing.  Their systems, don't make their beer any better.  In fact, most of the time their beer isn't as good as the people I know who keep it simple and brew a lot.  The best home brew I have ever tasted was made with a very simple system. This system costs less than $600.00.  And with it you can make literally any style of beer.  

Basic fermentation chamber is a must have!

So above it says less than $1000.00, so what is the deal?   Now you are saying $600.00  Well, we are not quite done.   To make world dominating beer you also have to have to control the temperature of fermentation. To do that you need to have a fermentation chamber.   Our favorite fermentation chambers are old refrigerators from apartment complexes.   But you can also make a fine fermentation chamber from a mini fridge and some lumber for about $200.00.  (fridge included).  You will also need a temperature controller.   Which you can get for about $50.00.  

So right now we are at $850.00 invested.   So where does the other $149.50 come into play?   Well that money is available for options.    If you have a 12.25 gallon kettle, then you can in theory do 10 gallon batches.  If you are careful and use a defoamer.    So I recommend you just get a larger kettle and still do BIAB.  All of that costs you about $70.00  The other 79.50?  Well, it is nice to be able to aerate, and to clean and rinse bottles more efficiently.    It's nice to be able to make yeast starters, not necessary, but nice.   Also a corona mill is a nice addition.  I've used mine for 20 years with no ill effects.   But these things are options.  Not necessary.

So there it is.  A realistic approach to getting set up for all grain brewing for less than $1000.00.  Can you do it for cheaper.  Yes.  Can you do it better, I don't think so.  Not with any reasonable speed on brew day.  Not with any reasonable speed and effectiveness in cleaning and sanitation.  And those two factors, a slow brew day, and hard to clean equipment are the biggest frustrations in home brewing.  So remember that as you make your purchasing decisions.  Focus on things that make your brewing better, not on fancy shiny gear.

Having said this, there is no doubt that there is amazing brew gear out there that can improve your brew day experience.  There is no doubt that the major manufacturer's make some of the finest brewing equipment available.  If you have money to burn, go for it.  Get the best gear you can, but still remember, if it isn't easy to clean, it isn't worth buying.  If it makes your brew day longer, it isn't worth buying.  

How much to invest in home brewing...links to DIY projects and products...

Home brewing is more than a hobby.  More than a hobby that produces delicious ales, lagers, sours, mead, and ciders.   Home brewing is almost a way of life.  When someone asks me what I am,   First, I am a man of faith (if you're not that's cool, not here to judge anyone, it just works for me), Second. I am a father, and third, and surprisingly high on my list, I find that I let them know I am a home brewer.  A fermentation enthusiast, a zymurgyst if you will.

Something I struggle with, that I know many home brewers struggle with, is how much money to invest in home brewing.  Sure, if I won the lottery my basement would surely and quickly be converted to my own personal micro pub, with all the tricks and gadgets.   I will admit I while away the hours dreaming of my ultimate system, complete with a glycol chiller, micron filters, a labratory set up, and multiple automated fermentation chambers that I could control from my phone.   But how do you take those dreams, that passion, that love, and convert it into the real world?   The world where you actually have to pay for all of this stuff?

My approach has been only to invest in things that make the beer appreciably better.   I brew primarily on the stove top (small batch) and in an electric turkey fryer (5 gallon all grain and partial mash).  I have a heat stick to supplement the turkey fryer, it is only 1650 watts.   I have added a valve to the turkey fryer to make transfer easier.  But for the most part I believe that simple and inexpensive is actually better. The best home brewers I know, the guys who win at club, the guys who win at major contests all tend to have a similar philosophy... it isn't the equipment, it's the brewer (assuming of course that the equipment is adequate.  

I ferment in clear plastic PET carboys, and in glass.  I rarely ferment in pails.  My sour set up is a black PET pail that has the word sours spray painted on the side.  I do make brettanomyces and lactic sours.  When I make lactic sours I tend to just kettle sour.  When I make brett, I build it up from dregs of commercial beers.   My yeast stir plate died.   So I make starters in 1 gallon glass jugs.  Or I plan a series based on a particular yeast and I pitch right onto part of the yeast cake.   I do tend to remove the cake clean the carboy, and perform a modified yeast wash.

All of these items are intended to make my brewing excellent, and to reduce the cost of home brewing.   For me that is important.   Good Beer, Simple Repeatable Processes, Low Cost.But really how much should you invest into home brewing?   What do you have to have?  Many of you read my rant that was inspired by a guy who thinks his home brewing obsession is more important than his daughter going to college (you know who you are,.. to his credit he started working 2 jobs to rectify the situation).

I propose the following as a guide to sanity in brewing spending.

Level 1:  The newb - No more than $250.   You'll need a couple of big pots, some pails to ferment in, a hydrometer, a brewing thermometer, a 1 gallon jug,  and some basic kitchen stuff.  You really don't need much more than that to make some really good extract batches of beer.  Newbs should focus on beers where fermentation temperature control is not a big issue, by brewing beers that ferment ok warm, and using yeast that will ferment ok at warmer temperatures.  Belgians, Wheat Beers, and Clean ales using US05, Wyeast 1056, WLP001, WLP008 (poor attenuation so make low og beers only) BRY97.  Lagers should probably be avoided when you are a newb.   If you want a lawnmower beer make a clean cream ale.   Ferment it in a laundry tub with water and frozen 2 liters to keep the temperature down.   To really improve your beer shake it up to aerate, and make a yeast starter in your 1 gallon jug... it isn't hard.

Level 2:  The occasional hobbyist -  No more than $500.  In addition to the things listed above you'll need some glass carboys,  a very large pot 8 -10 gallons, a burner or heat source capable of boiling 7 gallons, a wort chiller, some brew bags, and potentially a mash tun.  This is where you should really be thinking about some simple fermentation temperature control. Ferment it in a laundry tub with water and frozen 2 liters to keep the temperature down.   You should probably be making yeast starters at this point in your brewing career.

Level 3: The home brew enthusiast.  - An additional $500 to $1000.   In addition to the items listed above you are probably going to invest in a kegging system.  You'll probably want some tools to make your brew day even better, tools like a pH meter, and a refractometer.   And you'll want real automated temperature controlled fermenation chambers, a converted dorm fridge works great. Youll be making yeast starters so building a stir plate is probably on your horizon.   You'll probably also have bulk grains.  So having a place to store them is a bonus.

Level 4:  The lifer - No more than $5000 total, this is a freaking hobby afterall.  Use your head. Remember it is the brewer not the equipment.   This is the phase where you are all in forever.   You'll want multiple fermentation chambers for lagers and ales, a keezer set up for your kegs, and some pumps for transferring wort and possibly some automation.  You aren't just a home brewer anymore, you are a competitive home brewer, who makes some of the best beer your friends and family have ever tasted.   Any thing is with in your reach, from a reiterated barley wine to a light crisp American Pilsner (very difficult). You truly understand your system, yeast, malt, and hops.  Decoction and Krausening to improve attenuation are regular procedures for you.  You know in your head how much the temperature will drop when you add the grist, because you've done this hundreds of times.  You can look at a carboy and know what is going on with the yeast.

I tend to float somewhere between the enthusiast and the lifer.  Don't get me wrong I'm a lifer, after 27 years. But life happens, and much of the advanced gear I owned was lost in a hard times.  So I'm rebuilding my brewing empire.  I try to keep my head on straight.  I try to only to purchase things that improve my beer, and make my life easier.  Please always remember; it is the brewer, not the equipment.  You can make world class beer on your stove top if you really know what you are doing.  You don't need to mortgage your home to have a world class automated wort production machine.  Unless you really know how to clean, and don't mind cleaning, a lot,  the recirculating eHERMS, and plate chillers are probably not the best option for you.   I'm not saying they aren't good systems.  I'm saying they take a lot of extra cleaning to avoid "minor' infections.  And minor infections are the bane of brewing, the number one reason home brew doesn't taste quite right.    So my advice stick with gear that improves your beer, makes your brew day easier, and is easy to clean.   And keep your head on straight when considering how much to spend on home brewing.  Don't compare your set up to online bloggers.  Remember many of us get some free stuff to try out for a while.   I got a packet of yeast once... But seriously, you don't need all of that stuff.

Some important links to affordable DIY home brew projects.

• Fermentation Chamber - yes this should be before a stir plate.
• A Stir Plate
• double coil wort chiller -  chilling fast, easy to clean
• An affordable MASH TUN - count on Don O if he says it's good... it's good.

Links to other easy to clean and use brew gear that will improve your beer.

• jaded hydra wort chillers - easy to clean and the very fastest wort chiller, speed is important for advanced beers and lagers.  
• Out door banjo burner - serious power its almost as fast as high powered electric
• Jar Hill brew kettle - great value 
• A brew bag -  Brew in a Bag is easier and faster than traditional mashing.  

 Notice there are no links to pH meters and refractometers?  You don't really need them a years supply of pH strips is $3 at your local Walmart (go to the aquariums or pools section) and you should already have a hydrometer.

What the heck is Partial Mash?

First of all thank you for all of the questions and comments.  You all keep me on my toes.

Recently there have been a lot of questions about partial mash.   If you read this blog, you know partial mash is my favorite style of brewing.   there are so many advantages to partial mash for the home brewer.

Advantages of PM

• More fun than extract - you still get to mash grains and sparge and the fun stuff.
• It feels like brewing. Sometimes when I do an extract batch, it doesn't feel like brewing. I'm just heating up some stuff on the stove and throwing hops into a boil, for me mashing is the difference that feels like real brewing.
• Better Taste than extract  - Real all grain flavor -
• I defy anyone to tell the difference between a high percentage grain partial mash and an all grain brew. I think only industry people and BJCP judges might be able to pick out the differences.
• More recipe options than extract, you can brew anything.
• Less cost than extract - extract is expensive.
• More reliable than all grain or BIAB -
• The extract (DME) is an insurance policy that protects your needed gravity.
• You don't have to stress over pH levels water chemistry etc…
• Affordable equipment - electric turkey fryer is about $100.00  All in equipment is about $250.00
• Decotion and step mashing are available to you.
• It’s reliability is repeatable you can brew the same beer with the same results more easily.
• You control the amount and % of grain that you are using.  I have recipes that are 75% grain.   The DME is there as a buffer, an insurance policy if you will.
• Takes way less time than all grain. It’s about the same as BIAB

But what is partial mash?

There is a lot of confusion over what is partial mash.  Often brewers (especially on the internet)  define partial mashing as extract with grains.   And guys... that isn't partial mash.   

I would define partial mash as a brew where a significant portion of your fermentables come from a grain mash.  What portion?   Well that is up to you.  I have recipes where 75% of my fermentables come from a grain mash, with the rest coming from dry extract.   I always prefer dry, but sometimes you need a variety that isn't readily available as a dry extract, such as Maris Otter, Pilsner, or even Vienna.  

Does Partial Mash take special equipment?

No, not really.  You don't even have to have a brew bag, but it sure makes life easier.  You can use your extract set up for partial mash.   But if you want to make truly excellent beers, you will need to be able to boil full volume batches.  If you can't brew full volume, you will need to increase your hops.  How much?  depends on how much you are boiling. But at this point you need to get a decent brew calculator like brewtoad.com,  or brewersfriend.com

So how do I partial mash?

Well every one does it a little differently.   Basically, you need a way to mash your grains, and a way to boil your wort.  Chris Colby, the editor of beer and wine journal, uses a couple of 2 gallon beverage coolers.   He still does a vorlauf, and a sparge.   This takes him to full volume.   He tends to add his extract late.  With this method, you only need one big pot and one smaller pot for the sparge.

I do things a little differently. I have multiple mash tuns, after 25 years in brewing. But once, I started BIAB small batch, I realized that BIAB and partial mash could be the very best compatible processes.

So I soak my grains in a paint strainer bag in my electric turkey fryer.   After a 60 minute mash I pull the basket and set it on a grate above the turkey fryer to let it drain.   I then add 2 gallons of water in which I have dissolved my DME.   Then I sparge to volume. It is that simple.  

I hit my numbers or barely exceed every time.  I never have issues related to water chemistry.  I can make nearly the exact same beer every time I brew a recipe.   The flavor is as good as all grain (better than when all grain doesn't go very well).   And, most importantly it is a blast.  I still get to do the fun stuff, mashing, full volume boil, chilling, aerating, etc...

Where do I find partial mash recipes?

Here is one for you...

and here is what to avoid when looking for a partial mash

not a partial mash recipe

Partial Mash recipes are readily available on the internet,  but beer and wine journal is a great source.   I have many of them posted on brewtoad.com.   And, if you'd like, I am happy to convert any recipe for you.   But remember it is much easier to go from all grain to extract than the reverse.   As you search for recipes look for recipes that have a base grain in them.  Look for recipes that require a temperature controlled mash.  If they don't they are probably just an extract with grain recipe.

Give partial mash a try. It is fun... and I think truly a better process for homebrewing great beer.   This technique is fighting to find it's place in the post BIAB era.  Many brewers just jump to BIAB, which is fine.  Heck I brew as much small batch BIAB as any one.  Over 70 batches this year. But I have been brewing a long time.   I know how to adjust my water.  I know (or have a good idea) what is going on in my mash/wort.   So if you want to crank out consistently great beer... give this awesome method a try.

Answering a question... "do any breweries use partial mash? " Yes. Several brewpubs that I am aware of, but they do it because they don't have space for the grains.  But primarily it is a home brew method.

Answering another question... "can I do large volumes of partial mash?"... yes the largest I have done is 1BBL.  But to do 10 gallons of PM on a 5 gallon BIAB set up is easy.  Just adjust your hops to account for the partial boil

ENOUGH ALREADY... All you really need to make great beer.

OK, here I go again.   Just saw some posts online that set me off.   A guy was claiming he couldn't go all grain until he finished his home water filtration system, and his ridiculous brew rig.  I happen to know this knucklehead, he lives in my neighborhood (you know who you are).  He is a good guy but he has gotten caught up in the whole "the best rigs make the best beer" silliness.  So here we go again...

FACT 1 : The best rigs do not make the best beer...the best brewers do!

The man who taught me to brew all grain beer passed away 10 years ago this month.  We called him Mankind.  Out of respect to his family I reserve his name.  He was a legend in the Kansas City brewing scene.    He was only 51. He died of a brain aneurysm.   But his wisdom and sense of humor stay with me. I have saved every funny email he ever sent out.   He brewed amazing, award winning beer in his garage with jankity equipment he found or sourced for free.   He was legendary for going to closed up restaurants, and churches and getting their pots.


Our mash tun was three 5 gallon buckets, one had the holes drilled in the bottom to be a screen. (some of you have been asking why 3?  He hated valves, valve have to be cleaned.  So with three we could vorlauf the entire volume of wort for each batch)   We spent an entire afternoon drilling little holes to make it.   To keep it warm we would pour a little more nearly boiling water into it... The boil kettle was a turkey fryer, aluminum.  He stirred the mash almost constantly.  He kept his recipes and his process simple.  The only extravagance he owned was a 75' copper 1/2" immersion wort chiller.  He was a wort whisperer.   He could literally see, hear, and feel what was going on in the mash tun and the boil kettle.   No valves or pumps. A bamboo stick was the sight tube... You have probably only tasted beer as good as his once or twice in your life time.  The best brewers make the best beer, you do not need to spend thousands of dollars on your gear.  

FACT 2 :  If you can't control fermentation temperatures... your rig doesn't matter.   

Don't spend any additional money on your mash/boil rig until you have a fermentation chamber.   "brewers don't make beer, yeast makes beer". Mankind used to say, "if you aren't controlling your fermentation temperature... you don't love brewing... you just like making wort".   Many people have won major awards with extract brews.   My Champagne lager may actually be better as an extract.  No one I am aware of has won major awards without being able to control fermentation temperatures.  Even Saisons, and Dark Strong Ale, which like higher temps... don't like up and down fluctuations.


FACT 3 :  If you made something that is difficult to clean... you failed. 

Cleaning is the most important thing you do.   And yes it sucks.  So if you build a rig that you don't want to clean... you failed.   If you build a system that is difficult to clean...you failed. Other than the recirculating eBIAB systems, the new systems are bears to clean.   Mankind also used to say "if you don't enjoy cleaning... you don't enjoy brewing".   The late Dr. George Fixx taught us that many of the issues we have with our brews are minor infections.  Not big nasty scary pedio infections, just minor infections.   Other neutral yeasts that were part of your pitch or in your air. They keep your beer from being everything it should be.  I rarely comment on this because I don't want to start the whole infection debate again.   So just read his book.  Many many times when someone is posting about a beer not attenuating all the way... a bell goes off in my mind... "minor infection" but I don't post it because implying that someone was not awesome in their cleaning and sanitation regimine is considered uncouth.

FACT 4 :  All you really need to brew great beer.  And this is a fact.  

• Knowledge and Experience... get it by brewing, or brew with a friend who knows what they are doing.   Feel free to ask an experienced brewer.  Brewing is fun, we're almost always ready and willing to brew with you. 
• A large pot, for 5 gallons you need a 8 - 10 gallon pot. Aluminum is fine. Just boil water in it first and let it boil off. 
• A good brewing thermometer
• a large stainless spoon.
• A 1 gallon water pitcher.
• A brew bag or a voile sheet.
• A Heat source capable of boiling your wort.
• A water report and some basic chemicals for pH adjustment.
• A clean fermentation vessel.
• An air lock.
• FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE CONTROL
• Scrub brushes and Sanitizer, I prefer starsan. 

That's it.  You need nothing else.  I suggest that before you invest in a fancy wort production machine, you invest in a fermentation chamber, and anything that makes your cleaning easier and better. Before you spend thousands on an "e RIMS 3 vessel system" that is controlled by an ap on your phone... Build a lagering chamber.   Your focus should always be, cleaning, temperature control, and to a slightly lesser degree aeration.

That is all...keep brewing.
Prost.

You know you're a home brewer when....

Yes, it was a busy home brew weekend.   We bottled 3 batches, brewed another, saved one, added amylase to 2 batches,, dry hopped one, combined a 1.5 gallon batch with 500 ml of Chardonnay, and cleaned everything... somethings multiple times... oh, and we had people over... and we went to church, a dinner date, and something else that I can't remember.  The beer on the sink window is a Saison/Wine Blend... it is amazing.  Ill post the recipe soon.  I make a 1.5 gallon batch of saison, and blend it with a 500 of Chardonnay. The alcohol from the wine means that carbonation can be a challenge. But this one is for a party on Saturday night.  So part of it will be bottled, and 1 gallon will be force carbonated in two 2 liter bottles... can't wait.

So this is the state of the Brewery/Kitchen/Homework station tonight. But, everything is clean... and will be ready for Thursday night, and Sunday afternoon... Ill be brewing 2 more batches of all grain for my other 2 Mr. Beer fermenters.  Both of them....LAGERS... that's right sports fans... LAGER in the LBK.

The LBK is perfect for small batch lagers.   It will actually fit in your fridge.  There are many, yes many, lager strains that primary ferment at ale temperatures.  Secondary cold... diacetyl rest for a couple of days... cold crash... package, drink.. repeat.  I like Wyeast Czech Pils, and White Labs 2308.  I follow this procedure with both of them. Ferment at 65 until primary ends, move LBK to the garage fridge (39F) and let it ride till final gravity is reached.  Out of the fridge for a few days for a diacetyl rest, then cold crash and bottle. Drink... Repeat.



By the way the beer in the photo on the left, is the batch I thought was ruined.  It was stuck at 1.024... It only started at 1.052.  It tasted like bad candy...  I added amylase enzyme, as of tonight it is down to 1.009.  Boom.  I also dry hopped it with .5 oz of Centennial.  Think it is actually going to be good.

   By the way, these photos don't even scratch the surface of my carboy/bucket/brewing gear obsession... how many fermenters do you have?  I currently have; 2 large glass, 6 small glass (1 gallon)  4 five gallon plastic, 3 Mr. Beer, 2 two point five plastic, 2 3 gallon plastic, and 1 15.5 wine fermenting carboy.   So... yes... I have been giving away some gear recently.   The glass carboys are dedicated now to sours.

That's all for today.  Soldier on.   Thanks for your support.  Keep the questions and comments coming.

A quick rant.

• Mash doesn't know if it's in a recirculating system. 
• Enzymes don't care if they're running through a pump. 
• Recirculating is to keep temperatures perfect and free the sugars into solution, it does not put more grain in contact with enzymes.   The
  
  enzymes are in the grains already.  
• Having said that I really want a Colorado Brewing System, or a System from Brau Supply.
• A mash paddle,  can easily keep your temperatures consistent and your sugar in solution.  
• Better gear only makes sense if it means your brewing gets easier and better.  
• Knowing your gear is way more important than new gear.  
• Fermentation control and proper yeast pitch are way way way more important than recirculation of mash.  
• when you wash yeast , you actually want the stuff from the bottom.  Head over to woodland brew and read up.  In fact get Steve's book and read up.  
• Yeast slurry is way more viable than a starter.  
• You don't need a Kabillion yeast cells,  viability is more important. 
• You can not clean enough.  repeat.  
• If you can't brew a near perfect 1.045 cream ale,  your process needs work.  
• If you buy a home brew system that costs thousands of dollars, and you don't have a college fund for your kids,  you missed the point... of life. 
• If you buy or build a home brew system,  before you can control fermentation temperatures,  you missed the point. 

• North Carolina Home brew... great fermentation chamber 
• Meat does not go in beer. 
• 6 is your friend,  6 malts maximum, 6 hops maximum,  1.06 target.  
• Not all beer should be royal or imperial.   Enough already with the 1.09 beers.  Again I say if you can't brew a nearly perfect 1.045 cream ale, you need work on your procedures.  
• You don't just  "go pro" running a brewery is not the same as making home brew.   Unless you're a great business person,  and a truly
  
  great brewer, focus on getting better and having fun.  
• Any one,  yes any one,  can make a dipa that tastes pretty darn good,  anyone, yes anyone, can make a ris that comes out bold and malty.   Learn to make beers where you can't hide flaws behind huge hops and malt.    Then will you truly be a brewing jedi!
• If you can't lager,  don't spend money on a new brew system.  
• Several of the  AHA NHC award winners, won the award with a turkey fryer,  a voile bag, and a big pot.   They all had fermentation temperature control.  
• Electric brewing means more cleaning than stove top or simple 3 v gravity brewing.   You have to clean the elements and the valves, hot boiling water is not enough.  
• Rims brewing is even more cleaning.  Especially 3v rims.
• The only easy to clean recirculating systems are recirculating biab systems. from brausupply, colorado brewing systems,  high gravity, brewboss, and brewha.  In other words the RIMS eBIAB systems. 
• A clean brewing system is paramount to sudcess in brewing.
• Well modified grains don't generally contain very much dms precursors.   You can't create dms precursors,  they already existi in your grains (S-Methylmethionine) you can only break then down completely and avoid DMS or fail to break them down completely and create some DMS.  S-Methyl-Methionine is a complex methyl, in the boil you can break it down to DMS or past DMS.
• A 60 or 90 minute boil is not necessary,  but it often improves clarity. 
• A Rigorous boil of 15 minutes is required to avoid DMS.
• This was inspired by a guy at a LHBS who shared with us that his daughter was taking a semester off college due to family finances being tight, but he had just purchased a $5000 brewing system...  his beer... kinda sucks... his priorities definitely do.
• Tomorrow Ill be my normal happy go lucky brew enthusiast self. 

Mr. Beer Fermenter... Garage Sale Gold.

There are 6, count them 6 females who live in my home.  Fridge space is a premium.  Which means, for the most part lagering is not realistic for me.   There are already two refrigerators in the garage.  One is for food, the other is the fermentation chamber.   So when i found a Mr. Beer kit at a garage sale for $10, it was an obvious choice.

I'm not a Mr. Beer fan.  Truthfully, my opinions have been shaped by your opinions about the product.   I have never used it. I have tasted the beer one time, it was OK.  But I have heard that the equipment is excellent.   So, Why not give it a try.  The keg is 2.25  gallons, and they fit very easily in to a normal refrigerator.   I think that I will look for another one soon so that I can do small batch Partial Mash and BIAB lagers.  I also think these would be great for super high gravity small batch (barley wine, RIS, phat ass blonde).   I'm also thinking that small batches will allow me to afford brewing more often.  Doing some quick math a 2 gallon batch of lager will cost me about $15 to brew, and that is if I use new yeast...


I'm wondering if any of you have experience with the Mr. Beer fermenter? If you do leave me a comment and let me know what that experience was.

Mr. Beer sells just the fermenters on their website for $10.  I may buy 2 more.  Who knows this could be my new counterbrew obsession.  Brewing more often, brewing small batches, trying more beer... sounds fun.   And I know the Cajun Injector could easily rock out a 2 gallon batch of this BIAB style with no Sparge...

Another Cajun Injector.

My Brew partner is a great guy, a fantastic father, and well... he treats my sister like a man should treat his wife... with respect and honor.   Many of you have read my thread about the Cajun Injector Electric Turkey Fryer. He procured one after we researched various brewing equipment, and we decided this was the way to go.   And it has worked so well that I used contest winnings to get another one.   We are not paid spokes people for Cajun Injector.   We get no products or equipment from them. (although I will admit we are shamelessly willing to accept said products and equipment ) So this endorsement is purely based on our experience with the product.  If you are an extract brewer, a partial masher, or a BIAB brewer, you should consider this set up.   

Now that we have 2 of them, any recipe, and any process is available to us.   Even All grain, 90 minute boil with a large volume of starting wort.  So if we ever feel the need to brew up 5-10 gallons of all grain and spend 6 hours doing it... we can.

 Things you should know about the Cajun Injector.

• It's affordable - about $100.00
• It can handle any 5 gallon extract batch
• It can handle any BIAB or Partial Mash batch with up to about 12 lbs of grain.  
• We don't exceed 10-11 lbs of grain, but we are continual mash stir guys (every 5-10 minutes).  So we are concerned about splashing grains out of the bag.
• Removing the lid is no big deal during the mash, because the unit will maintain the heat. 
• It can and does boil 6.5 gallons of water.
• It doesn't heat super fast so it is a good idea to do a near boiling water addition.
• Some of you may have read on homebrewtalk that this is not the case... to that I say, remember our hobby is filled with good guys who love brewing, and who love the fact that they have learned to brew a certain way. Some of these good people believe that the way they have learned to brew is THE way to brew.  Since I started in this hobby there have been many guys who just don't want to see any change.  Unless that change is more expensive and more complicated.   

So, if you are interested in upping your game, but still being able to brew inside the house... the Cajun Injector Electric Turkey Fryer may be the best rig for you. 

Tell me what you think.