When I do an 'All Grain' brew I don't use extracts, or steeping grains. I don't typically 'dry hop' either. I try to brew beer I like and I am usually pleased with the basics (Mash, Sparge, Boil, Ferment, Carbonate, Consume).
All Grain Equipment and Overview
Each brew starts with 15 gallons of RO-DI (distilled) water. I do 2 brews one Saturday and 1 brew the following Saturday
Left to right are the Sparge water pot, Mash Tun pot and the Boil pot
A green recirculating pump is in front. The liquid (wort) can be over 150 degrees, so a special pump is needed. Mine is a peristaltic. I don't know if that is the only type that works to recirculate the mash
My favorite grain is Maris Otter and I can get it in 25 a KG (over 50 pounds) bag
The grain has to be 'cracked' in the mill to get to the starch which is converted to simpler sugars during the mash and later converted to alcohol by the yeast. A drill makes the process a lot easier on my arm since I am cracking 18 pounds at a time.
Mash Tun (pronounced 'toon') with a rake. Showing the screen on the bottom and a picture of the recirculation during the mash. The hose is moved around over the surface. We are looking for a clear liquid with no starch - using iodine on a sample to test.
The Sparge pot on the left holds 170 degree water used to stop the starch - to - dextrose/maltose/glucose process. The brewpot marks on the right show me how much wort I should get (hopefully 12 Gallons).
The plate chiller gets hooked to a hose. It will drop the temperature from 200 degrees (F) to 80 degrees (F) when adjusted correctly. The bottles ('carboys' on the right) hold 6 gallons of wort each.
