Anyone tried these? I’d like to try something different from one of the ordinary kits and move towards grain. I have not got the time or knowledge yet to do a full grain brew.

So, looking at the Beerworks stuff; https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/belgian-saison-beerworks-part-grain/

Are they any good?

It IS a (BIAB) all-grain brew as far as I can tell, only with a half hour mash rather than a full hour, and then you chuck a load of extract in? So why not just spend an extra half hour and do it properly? That webpage is very misleading – you don’t need to spend £££ on a Grainfather. Look up BIAB (brew in a bag) brewing.

I’m guessing you probably have all the kit you need (except the mashing bag?) Just find a recipe, buy the ingredients & follow it.

I was just going to say that BIAB is hardly any more effort. Do no chill as well and you brew whatever you like, at considerably lower cost.

Ah OK. Cheers guys. I’ll have a look for a recipe. Thought it may have a few short cuts.

Yep, have the kit. Have a large jam pan so can do in batches?

If you want to make saison this is a decent clone of saison Dupont: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.candisyrup.com/uploads/6/0/3/5/6035776/saison_dupont_clone_-_040.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjF24v5yojmAhWBonEKHfH_AZcQFjAJegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw36s8a4780plYJpkpa8NRdE

You need to ferment it hot – stick your bin in a trug filled with water and use a fish tank heater.

must admit I’ve not brewed for a couple of years now, used to rate The Malt Miller website though.

You can just buy whatever ingredients you want or you they have some ingedient-only recipe kits too
https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product-category/ingredients/recipes/all-grain-recipes/

you can also buy the BIAB bag you’ll need for about £7

I personally wouldn’t brew in batches, too much hassle, I’d just do whatever I could with the pan you’ve got. If you get into it you can just buy a bigger pot at some stage, they don’t have to be expensive. In some ways less is more if you enjoy the actual making of the beer as a hobby – if you’re making 40 pint at a go it’s a long time between brews unless you give it all away or you’re an alcoholic 😂, whereas if it’s only 10 pints then you can get on to the next brew quicker and try something else 😃 Used to enjoy making small batches – quicker & a lot easier logistically.

Could you not make 18 pints and de-cant into a 10ltr mini pin?
Then either serve from that or use it as a post ferm conditioning tank then bottle from that with a wand

I found the best way was to brew the standard 20l batch in propper (ish) equipment. Then keg it in corny kegs. Not the cheapest solution, but does make it easy to drink at bbqs etc without having to bottle it. And if anyone wants some they can just fill a bottle from the keg.

P.s. if anyone wants a ~23l batch 3 tunn brewing settup (hlt, insulated mash with false bottom, kettle with dual 2.5kw coils, copper coil imersion cooler) Ive got a full set. Built myself so its cheap but functional. Moved onto a grainfatheralike, which has its pros and cons, i prefer the 3 tunns but dont have the space.

I found the best way was to brew the standard 20l batch in propper (ish) equipment. Then keg it in corny kegs.

yeah, I have a couple of cornies stashed away that I bought years ago before the price went a bit crazy – don’t have the space right now (live in a flat!) but when I move into a house I’ll be going down this route (and also building a kick-ass kegerator!!) mainly as I loathe bottling 😂

Cheers for the replies. I wandered in to town today at lunch and managed to pick up Brew your own big book of homebrewing at the charity shop. win.

Just ordered an all grain kit to try first (9litre), then may have a go at some of the recipes if that works out OK.

Do most bottle their beers? I just have a large keg that I got with my first kit. Any other decent dispensing systems? Seems to be a fair amount of stainless growlers about with the c02 dispensing systems. are they any good?