A Quick Overview of All-Grain Home Brewing.
Examples of All-Grain brewing Mash Tuns
Mash tuns explained:
Above are shown three examples of Stainless steel mash tuns for all grain brewing (we prefer not to use the cooler method for simplicity sake as well as an BPA that may be in plastic coolers used for mashing.
[click on the image for a detailed view]
Left: A ball valve mash kettle with a "bazooka screen" (AKA "torpedo screen")
Center: A ball valve mash kettle with a typical false bottom
Right: A standard brew kettle with a dome false bottom and siphon tubing
Essentially, a mash tun is a kettle that allows the separation of fluid (wort) from the grains that have been mashed. Rather than a mesh sparge bag, the false bottoms in the kettle allow the wort to be drained out and the spent grain to be left behind to be dumped. Although, any method (whether a sparge bag or bazooka) works, ideally a dispersed perforated surface (ie. the false bottom) is best for adequate rinsing of the grains of all their precious saccharified wort that is to be fermented. This will allow for the best effeciency in obtaining all the necessary sugars for fermentation.
Simplified "Brew in bag method" Instructions for Beginners
Equipment needed:
Large Kettle
Fermenters with airlocks
Thermometer
Sparge Strainer Bag or a Colander large enough to fit over fermenter bucket
Electric stove / gas burner + Water source
Sanitizer & Soap + Elbow grease (get your fermenting equipment cleaned before pouring in your precious wort)
Steps:
Heat water to desired striking temperature [10F over your target mash temperature, if mashing at 155F your strike temp would be 165F]. Make sure you have 1 quart water per pound of grain.
Pour grains into Kettle (with grains into Sparge Bag) once water has reached optimal temperature. Stir briefly if necessary.
Steep grains (aka. Mash) for 60 minutes (up to to 75 min for some recipes).
Using a Bucket, Place grain Sparge bag with grains into second bucket for lautering OR using a colander, carefully pour mash kettle so as to separate grains from wort while allowing the wort to collect into your kettle / bucket. Use a little hot water (170F) to rinse (aka. Sparge) remaining grain of sugars from grain bed in incremental steps as grain fits safely into strainer/colander (a second kettle is needed for this). [ This is an VERY simplified method of sparging. It works. At a more advanced level you will want an actual mash tun with a false bottom to allow passing the wort back through the grain bed so as to more effectively and cleanly extract as much sugars as possible while separating the wort from the grain ]
Boil your wort for 60 min. Add hops and/or spices as you desire or recipe instructs. Remember some hops are better at the beginning boil (bittering), some better for the end of boil (aroma), though there are exception where some hops a great for both.
Chill. Let wort cool to an ideal 75/80F. A tub of ice works (approx. 2 hours) but a wort chiller is ideal (10-20min) and will allow you to cool the kettle of wort more quickly. Regardless of your method keep wort protected/covered with lid to prevent contamination.
Pour wort into fermenter. This will also be a time when the wort is aerated giving the wort oxygen for the yeast.
Pitch yeast. Pour in your yeast once wort has cooled to optimal fermentation temperature of yeast, close fermenter with airlock in lid/cap.
Ferment. Allow to ferment for 2 to 3 weeks; moving brew from your primary fermenter into a secondary fermenter after usually 7-10 days.
Bottling or Kegging your brew? Call us and ask us for tips if you need. We are always glad to help.