Cheap all grain setups? (suggestions)

http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=47&product_id=85

 

The above link +

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/tubing.html

and

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/the-bazooka-screen.html

or (if you have a round cooler)

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/10-stainless-steel-false-bottom.html

 

and probably:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-immersion-wort-chiller.html

Unless you have a huge sink.

 

For 5 gallon batches.

10-11gal pot
2 10g Round Coolers- MLT and HLT
Fittings from above places for coolers- SS valve, nipple, orings..
Bazooka Screen or a False Bottom for MLT

Gas Burner
Wort Chiller
Tubing, and a pitcher to vorlauf into


Honestly, if you've got all the stuff to do extract, you need a MLT is all, the HLT is great to have, but not "needed". I like it to heat my water about 20 minutes from when I'm about to sparge. I can put it all in the HLT, and then drain my MLT into the kettle. Some will sparge into another pot, or bucket, heat their water to sparge in the kettle and move it over. They'll then drain the MLT after the sparge, and dump the 1st runnings into the kettle then. I like to heat more water than I need, as it's nice to have 180* water around during and after the brew is done to clean up with.

$50 bucks for the cooler, and less than $25 for the SS hardware to do it yourself, then decide how you want to separate it from the grain. Screens or false bottoms.

Under $100 would be doable if thats all ya want to do.

 

You could go "Brew In a Bag" method and skip the mash tun, get some nylon paint strainer bags at your HD and your all set.

 

http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/mashtun.htm

 

I brew 2.5 gallon all grains or 5 gallon partial mashes on my stove in a bag. I think it is perfectly fine for me right now because I don't have the money to invest further.

 

This sounds like it will be your very first batch (not just your first all grain batch). If so, I'd recommend reading www.howtobrew.com and starting with an extract batch. There are some things like sanitation and fermentation temperature control that it would be good to have under your belt before adding the complexity of a mash. Some people have gone straight to all grain, but that's not the happy path for most. YMMV.

Also, when you see how long it takes to chill that first batch with an ice bath, you'll probably decide it's time to make a chiller.

 

My first 2 all grain batches were done in a "Zapap" lauter tun (after 2 extract batches). Basically a bucket within a bucket. The bottom of the inner bucket is drilled out with a bunch of small (1/8") holes to act like the SS false bottom does on some fancier setups. The mash is done in brew kettle on stovetop and/or oven to maintain mash temp. I had great success with this setup and really don't know why I bothered investing in the cooler/SS false bottom rig, mainly I was just looking to buy stuff for brewing (I LOVE THIS HOBBY!!)

Cheers and good luck.

btw, I agree with the previous poster that fermentation temperature control is a huge contributor to making good beer but is unfortunately a sometimes expensive addition. I was lucky enough to score a free chest freezer through FreeCycle (check this site out, you wouldn't believe the stuff people give away) so I just spent 80$ on the digital Johnson temp controller and now I'm all set. Going to bottle my Centennial Blonde this weekend!!!

 

I went all-grain last year, and was able to get most equipment for not much over $100. Aside from a turkey-fryer burner, which came with a 30-qt pot ($40, shop for it AFTER Thanksgiving) I got a 48-qt rectangular cooler, around $30, a replacement spigot, around $15, and copper pipes and corners, around $30 for the lot. Add in some time and brainpower, plus a pipe cutter, I built a mash tun with manifold. You could get around that part for cheaper by using a bazooka tube - braided steel mesh.)
I did a couple brews while the design and build of the permanent rig with what I called a modified Brew in a Bag. - I used the big mesh bag in my bottling bucket. Used the stock spigot and did a standard mash and sparge.
Even cheaper, being about $10 for the bag, and everything else I already had.

The parts I haven't gotten too yet are cooling. I plan to get a wort chiller soon - I have been using a water bath in an enormous pot - at least 20 gallons - that I got at a yard sale. Not really OK for brewing, but great for storage and cooling.
For fermentation temps, my basement is pretty steady at mid 60's, so that will do, unless I start doing lagers. We are planning on shopping for a new place next year, and when we have a "grown-up house" I will get to have a kegorator and fermentation fridge.

 

If you're already brewing with extract, and you have a 10 gallon cylindrical cooler, you can turn that cooler into a mash tun with probably $20 worth of stuff (an SS braid hose and ball valve) from your hardware store and brew all grain. If you're not yet brewing with extract, I would suggest doing a few extract batches before trying all grain.