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All Grain All-in-One brew systems

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  • 02-10-2020 6:27pm
    #1
    BluePlanet
    Registered Users Posts: 2,415 ✭✭✭


    If buying one of those Brew Monk or Brewster, Grainfather All-in-One systems, what other equipment do you need?
    -A pot for Sparging, and burner/gas bottle?
    -Cooling coil
    -Bottling/Kegging stuff
    -Sanitizing

    Correct? Anything else?


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    #2
    raxy
    Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭raxy


    You don't really need anything for sparging. I have a robobrew & heat enough water for the batch to mash temp & transfer the sparge to a cooler until its needed.
    The cooling coil came with it but its crap so I got rid of it & use a DIY copper coil chiller. graingfather has an included counterflow chiller & the other systems probably do as well.
    you'll need fermentation equipment (buckets, hydrometer etc)
    Mash paddle
    Cleaner


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    #3
    BluePlanet
    Registered Users Posts: 2,415 ✭✭✭BluePlanet


    So sparging isn't necessary?
    I've read of ppl doing a No-Sparge batch but am not sure when and why.

    Sparging is necessary when there's been a loss of water due to soakage and evaporation, correct?
    I imagine in All-In-One systems there may be less evaporation but soakage would still remove a certain volume of water so will effect yield?


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    #4
    raxy
    Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭raxy


    I do sparge. I heat ~31l water to 75-80 degrees. I then transfer the sparge water to a cool box to keep warm. After the mash I sparge using the pre heated water in the cool box.
    Grain will absorb ~ 1l water per kg grain. I brewed a batch this w/e. Did as above & mashed with ~ 18l., 4.4kg grain. Sparge was 13.5l. & I ended up with 27.5 pre boil volume. After boiling I'd 24.5l in the robobrew & ~23l went into the fermenter.


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    #5
    basskebab
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭basskebab


    I used to do full sparges with my AIO but don't really bother now, I just increase the starting volume of water and do a quick sparge with 3 litres. It saves time and you don't really lose that much efficiency.
    Sparging isn't to add lost water, it's to wash more sugar out of the grain.
    You work out your starting volume of water so it takes account of water lost to grain adsorption and boil off.


    Stuff you'll need for brewing -

    Temperature control when you're fermenting is really important. You can get a inkbird temp controller to help with that. use it with some sort of heating belt and you should be covered . Stick the fermenter in a coolish room and the room will handle cooling and the belt warming
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkbird-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Regulator/dp/B018K82UQU
    https://www.geterbrewed.ie/flexible-heat-pad/


    There's a few small purchases that will make you life so much easier -
    Get a bottle washer/bottle tree for washing bottles and an auto-syphon for transferring beer. Also a decent sanitiser and cleaner - Starsan for sanitising and oxyclean for deeper cleaning.
    You'll need a hydrometer and thermometer too.


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