I did my first homebrew from a kit a few weeks ago, went okay(ish), I’ve now slightly got the bug and want to get another one on the go.

I’ve seen these mini-mash kits from a chap who’s only just down the road:

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/bitter-mini-mash-recipe-kit/

They get good reviews and they seems a bit more interesting than a normal kit, so thought I’d give it a go. Thing is, the ‘necessary equipment’ on the instructions includes a pan ‘of at least 10l capacity’. Reading the rest of the instructions though, there’s never more than 5l in it. I’ve got a 6l stockpot, so assume/hope that’ll do, but I’m wondering why the instructions are so specific about the 10l capacity. Any ideas?

There is a lot of foaming at the start of the boil.

Also, if it’s a kit that uses grains that adds lots of volume.

And if you sparge too you add more liquid

There is about 500g of grain, this will take up space, also the hops will. With the 5 litres of water, that wouldn’t fit in a 6 litre pan. Also, when you boil it up, you get the “hot break” which foams and bubbles quite a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I7UAe8vbwk

You will make hell of a mess if you try and use a small pot.

If you are close to the Malt Miller, call in and ask them for some advice, they are a really friendly and helpful bunch.

What he said.

Just go all grain with something like a brewdevil (or grainfather if you’ve got more £££).

Whereabouts in the country are you? I’ve got a full 3-pot all-grain system and cooler doing nothing since I got a Brewdevil.

Whereabouts in the country are you? I’ve got a full 3-pot all-grain system and cooler doing nothing since I got a Brewdevil.

^+1.

I also have a 3 pot system which is now redundant since I bought a Grainfather.

Kalrstein do a decent looking clone on Ebay. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beer-keg-Dispenser-Kettle-home-Brew-Mash-Tank-Home-Electric-Stainless-30L-2500W/232556299685?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20151005190540%26meid%3D7c1d6bd17c25434989057ab83ea40686%26pid%3D100505%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D232556299685&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226

As I understand it, the Brewdevil, Ace, and Klarstein are all basically the same.

Do it, you won’t regret it.

Ah, gotcha, wondered if it might all get a bit foamy.

I’m in Cirencester, the Malt Miller’s in Swindon so I was going to go down in the morning anyway. I’ll have to pick up a big pan from somewhere.

I’m in Cirencester, the Malt Miller’s in Swindon so I was going to go down in the morning anyway.

Are they open on a Saturday? They don’t really have a “shop” as such.

I would give them a ring to check.

Are they open on a Saturday?

*checks*

Ah… Bugger.

Might nip down this afternoon then!

Might nip down this afternoon then!

Take your credit card with you and buy a Grainfather and his Son of Punkie recipe kit. You won’t regret it. 🙂

Maybe not just yet. MrsIHN was just about okay in humoring my purchase of £50’s worth of old fridge, tube heater and controller to make a brewfridge in the garage. I think if I dropped £700 on a Grainfather, she and I would be having a very different conversation, one where my voice ended several octaves higher 😉

Glad to hear you got a brew fridge. It made a massive difference to my beer.

I think if I dropped £700 on a Grainfather

You are only putting off the inevitable!

Or go “cheap” and drop £350 on a clone.

Get her into beer and she will sign the PO.

Right, I’ve been, got a kit, and a gert big pan from Wilkos. Sunday is brew day.

And, as it’s four o’clock, I’ve cracked open a beer; the first of the first batch. It’s not terrible, so that’s a plus 🙂

Well done – let us know how the new kit goes

So it begins.

You have bought your first bit of shiny.

I started like you and ended up with a shed full of pots, kegs, burners and buckets.

I assume the boil will be a bit whiffy? I’ve got a gas burner I could use outside, wondered if that might be a better idea.

I assume the boil will be a bit whiffy?

It’s not that bad. Just smells “malty”. A normal kitchen extractor will be able to cope with a small boil like that.

I’ve got a gas burner I could use outside

What size? You need a decent amount of heat. The other problem is that if there’s any wind it can be quite inefficient.

I’ll live with a malty smell, I can always open the windows/back door.

A decent Homebrew shop will be able to sell you a Peco Electrim digital boiler for a little under £150, plus a mashing & sparging bag for about a tenner. This will allow you to do 21-23 litre brews without too much fear of boiling over.

Brew in a bag all grain method takes about an hour to mash & an hour to boil with very little mess and a fraction of the outlay of a grainfather or traditional three vessel setup

PS the malty smell from the mash is fine, but I never really got to enjoy the smell of boiling hops

I have a 32 litre pan which gives me 19 litres into the fermenter, doing biab. The wok burner on my gas hob is powerful enough to maintain a rolling boil, though it takes a long time to get there.