Getting Set Up. Questions.

When you fly sparge your mash (which is in your mash tun), you simultaneously are adding water heated to sparge temp (from your hot liquor tank) and collecting the runoff (in your boil kettle). It's a 3-vessel operation. I batch sparge, but I do it as a two step process, so I still need something to hold the HL and something to hold the runoff.

But there are more frugal approaches, like Brew In A Bag, for which you only need one vessel. If you are frugal, you can figure out a work around. Mine is to use small inexpensive kettles for HL and boiling, so it is frugal with regard to cost, but I actually have more pieces of equipment in the process (and more to clean)

 

If you're batch sparging, you don't necessarily need one. I heat my strike water in a kettle and pour it from the kettle into the mash tun. Same thing with mashout/sparge water.

 

Fly vs batch is a long time on going debate. The answer - do what works best for you. I batch sparge and get great results. Regarding the second question - Yes to both.

 

Batch sparging is simpler and easier. All other things being equal, fly sparging will result in higher mash efficiency, which IMO is overrated for homebrewing. The important thing is consistent efficiency. And there's an urgument to be made for not trying to squeeze evey possible bit of mash efficency from your process, but I digress.

Generally, yes.

 

I don't know what a good price would be, but please make sure you buy from someone who legitimately owns it. Non-returned kegs are a problem for the industry (and ultimately us, via losses recovered in beer pricing) and those who have them are either thieves or at least are in possession of stolen property.

 

I paid $20 for mine on CL that was cut and drilled with a ball valve. Thought it was a great deal.

That being said, Keggles are not the best for brewing, but not bad either. They are deep for the wort chiller and even the sanded edges can cut you pretty decently. I prefer my aluminum pot FWIW.

 

haha...I would but MO is pretty far! Its great for beers I use the mash tun for, but not great for BIAB. Just be careful with those edges! Good luck with your set up!

 

Great advice in this thread so far. Of course read how to brew if you haven't already.

However, I'll toss in a monkey wrench, just to make sure you're not operating under any delusions of grandeur*. Homebrewing is like buying a boat**, but it's far more cost-effective. But you will wind up with more equipment than you expected, even if you get there via frugality. It's inevitable.

* I thought at one time that I had the monopoly on this, but apparently this isn't the case
** a hole to dump money into

 

Start small, maybe try some extract batches to see if you even like the experience. If you like it, jump in. Check out craigs list, you may find someone who didn't enjoy brewing. There are always start up kits on there when I check it.
As for batch vs fly sparging, I tried batch sparging twice and had stuck sparges both times. I like fly sparging a lot and couldn't do it sans hlt.

 

It's rare that I disagree with ACJ (AlCaponeJr folks) but ** is not quite correct. It is a hole to dump something into, but it isn't money. It is damn tasty, you made it, and the hole is your pie hole.

Money, phtt, I have home brewed beer. I can eat next week.

Yeah, that train pulled out of the station and is gone.

 

Find a home brew club in the area and go to a meeting. Help out with a club brew-in to get a feel for what it takes. This has been a big help for me. Also they usually have equipment you can use so you can avoid any large costs like a 10g boiling pot until you are sure you want to dive in.