Question 1: How big of a stock pot is recommended for 5 gallon batches of all grain brews?
Answer: Well that depends on a couple of things. Are you looking for doing a Brew In a Bag set up or are you looking for a more traditional, multi-vessel setup? Doing a all grain batch you will want to go for a full wort boil, meaning you need a pot of at least 8.5 gallons to have enough to boil for 60 minutes and have about 5 gallons left. If you are in fact doing a single vessel BIaB setup at least a 10 gallon pot would be my minimum so you have enough space to mash the grains to get mid ranged gravity. Now if you’re going for big gravity brews +7.5% abv then maybe up to a 15 gallon pot would be good for you. Personally I am looking into getting this new 16 gallon pot with all of the toys for doing a single vessel setup http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0082X3D06/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687662&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B007V493PG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F1ZCRKSSB3J2CN2EDFF giving me the versatility of doing either a full boil high gravity beer (5 gallons) or a mid range 10 gallon batch. If I was starting over again I would get a 10 gallon pot with a spigot.
Question 2: What additional equipment would I
need for doing all grain brewing? And what equipment would you suggest to just
make things a little easier?
Answers:For all grain brewing if you have a good stockpot and don’t want to invest a lot of money in new equipment all you would need is a mesh bag for the BIaB method. http://www.morebeer.com/products/bag-29-brew-biab.html All you do is mash in the brew kettle and after the mash lift out the bag. It’s just like making a big batch of tea.
Or if you don’t mind the dishes, modified Igloo cooler mash tun makes single step mashing like a Ronco infomercial, just set it and forget it! Once I hit my strike temp stir in the grains and put the lid on it will under normal situations only loose about a degree and a half an hour! Mash starts at 156F 2 hours later, with no work, it still at 153F! http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/fermenters-favorites-all-grain-brewing-cooler.html
If you are looking to cut time on a brew day, one of the best investments you can make is in a serious beer burner. The turkey fryer is great for getting started but at 30,000 BTU’s it is going to take a long time to get that water up to temp. A good burner can cut hours off from your brew days! http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-equipment/burners-1/edelmetall-bru-burner.html
And finally my last suggestion for easier (quicker) brew day is a wort chiller. Not only will this help reduce the time you are waiting before you pitch you yeast it will reduce infection chance at the most vulnerable time in the brewing process. http://www.homebrewing.org/50-Wort-Chiller-with-12-tubing-and-garden-hose-fittings-_p_859.html
The links used are just for examples.
Hope that answers your questions, let me know if you have more.
Luke G
