Hi Very New To Home Brewing Where Do I Start? If wanting To Start From Scratch?

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hi I have no equipment what so ever but am wanting to buy the right gear, I am wanting to start brewing my own flavour beer from scratch no bought recipe boxes, just doing it from the beginning. I asked on a NZ website and they suggested the Grainfather, but pretty pricey, can you please advise me on the best direction. Thanks.

Daza.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Such awesome help from everyone, maybe it'll be my shout when I get up and going!! hey I think I will build me a BIAB set up with a ball valve (if I understand what has been said) and while working on that do a brew kit, so I'll at least have something to look forward to, when I have finished constructing my gear. I guy at work who has been brewing for a while today I saw him and he recommended getting an Extract Brew Kit. any thoughts on them? Cheers.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

and what's sparging? and what's laundering? have I got that right? and wort is what you make after you have added the grain to hot water right? in the bag is wort or is wort the liquid that, that makes?

[Cain Harland]

I don't know about laundering

Mashing is when you mix hot water and grain at the correct temp and leave for a while (like 1hr) for enzymes to do there thing and goodies from the grain to mix into the water.

You then drain (open tap or lift bag) the liquid wort.

Spargeing is like rinsing

Some folks don't sparge they just use all the water they need for boil + what the grain will absorb in the mash.

Most of us do, lately I have been mashing with 28L water in 11kg -13 kg grain 80ish degree water gets me a 65ish degree mash (you can calculate this more accurately when you have exact temp and weight of grain).

Then I drain all the wort off and the fill the mash tun again with 75degree sparge water then let that drain and repeat as necessary. Thats called batch sparge. It takes about another 28L to get to my 44L ish in the kettle because the grain absorbs the rest.

[Peter Church]

How to brew will help you with all those questions

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Ok thanks I will be ordering one tomorrow. Cheers.

[Peter Smith]

until it arrives start here    http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

get the book its more up to date... its the bible.  If Palmer was born in the UK he would be Sir John Palmer (services to home brewing by now).  I did 4-5 kits then went BIAB its not hard the first BIAB beer I made was so good "compared with kits" I was in heaven....   I made a stout first (Thanks Brewers Coop) and since then for good luck, on each new system have brewed a stout first for the gods.... thanks!    

The guy at work that brews, ask if you can watch him do a brew if he is All Grain.... even if not ask him to show you the ropes, before the internet that was how this is passed on.....

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hey guys just an update, I have just ordered the book and should arrive on Tues or Wed. So I am on my way, the journey has begun. I have a large stainless pot in my sights do I need a ball valve tap fitted to make a BIAB? cheers.

[Cain Harland]

I'm not that familiar with BIAB but after you boil you will want to chill your wort to your transfer your fermenter. A bal valve is not an absolute necessity you can scoop with a large jug or tip the pot or siphon but a ball valve makes it a lot easier and allows you to leave a bit of hops and other crap (hot and cold break) in the bottom of the pot. Don't let it slow you down getting started if you are otherwise ready to go, you can do one of the other ways to start off.

How ever you do it, everything that touches your wort once its boiled needs to be sterilized either by heat or soaking in some kind of sanitizer, you don't want any wild yeast or bacteria spoiling your brew.

Also especially if your tipping: hot beer reacts badly to airation so try to minimize splashing but once its cold a bit of oxygen helps the yeast yes started.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hi Cain, so I would need two stainless pots for BIAB one for making the wort and the other for fermenting? is a pot with a lid ok or is it better with a screw on lid? when washing equipment can I use hot soapy dishwashing liquid or better to use a proper sanitizer (what would you suggest?) A tap would be a good idea so as not to disturb crap off the bottom.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

The book arrived today but sadly disappointing for me, it wasn't what I was expecting a little too technical and just brimming with data....it's like woah. for me so looking at another right now, also a side note the print was hard to read smaller and not as dark as I would like to read, so not right for me.

[Scott H]

1 pot for BIAB mash/boiling and 1 fermenter for fermenting in.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hi what length wort chiller copper coil will I need for a 50L stainless steel pot for my wort? Cheers