High Level Step by Step...?

[esobofh]

Folks,

I'd love to try and AG brew, but reading the forums here seems to be confusing me more than demistifying the process. It seems like the entire process is open to interpretation, and many folks have figured out their own to satisfy the tasks, order, and results.

Can someone give me a high level point-form look at what the steps are, and what we're trying to accomplish in each step? Or point me to a reference? I'd like to just see the basic steps required, as everything i read here seems to be an evolution and experiment as to what's required.

Thanks!!

[TheDarkSide]

http://www.howtobrew.com ( John Palmer's site )
http://www.suebob.com/brew/allgrain.htm

Also, ask these 's, go back and listen to some of the archives, or check out stuff on youtube.

As Justin says, "Don't get discouraged by this stuff...it's so easy"

Basically you're going to learn by doing!!!

[Lars]

Well, the reason there are so many ways to do it IS because it is that easy. Here is a very basic outline:
1. get some cracked grains (per recipe),
2. mix cracked grains with heated water(heat according to recipe),
3. rinse disolved sugars from grains (this can be done either by fly sparging or batch sparging),
4. then proceed to boil as you would with an extract brew.

Really, this is what ALL all grain brewers are doing, just using various methods. I think everyone gets a little overwhelmed before they actually do it. My advice is to just brew it. Jump in with both feet, drink the koolaid and enjoy the ride.

[esobofh]

Well, the reason there are so many ways to do it IS because it is that easy. Here is a very basic outline:
1. get some cracked grains (per recipe),
2. mix cracked grains with heated water(heat according to recipe),

Ok, I guess this outlines the area where i'm confused.

When you say cracked grains, are you saying that the barley is already "malted" i.e. sprouted?

It sounds like that's the case.. someone else has malted them, and they've been dried out, and we're just extracting the sugars from them?

Does anyone get raw dried grain, malt it, and then brew? or is that silly?

[DannyW]

Here is a really, really old web page I made on my first all-grain day in 2002 I had several people write and tell me they liked how simple it made the whole process seem to them after being scared by all the options and detail and terminology. Maybe it will help you too?

I'm a surprised at how much of that equipment I still use on every brew day.

[Sent From My iPhone]

Most of the grain you will be brewing with will be malted. "Cracked" means milled or crushed.

[esobofh]

Here is a really, really old web page I made on my first all-grain day in 2002 I had several people write and tell me they liked how simple it made the whole process seem to them after being scared by all the options and detail and terminology. Maybe it will help you too?.

Indeed, this is perfect, thanks Danny!

I'm now feeling very confident that I can put together a pretty sweet setup to accomplish this, I was just being held up by the terminology!!

One question still outstanding though... has anyone ever malted their own grains?

The reason I ask, is that I'm considering growing barley in my garden.. and doing a true e2e homebrew. I've done this with bread (grew wheat, cultured yeast, etc.. from seed to loaf, and i'm thinking my next project is going to be seed to pint.

[Quin]

Folks,

I'd love to try and AG brew, but reading the forums here seems to be confusing me more than demistifying the process. It seems like the entire process is open to interpretation, and many folks have figured out their own to satisfy the tasks, order, and results.

Can someone give me a high level point-form look at what the steps are, and what we're trying to accomplish in each step? Or point me to a reference? I'd like to just see the basic steps required, as everything i read here seems to be an evolution and experiment as to what's required.

Thanks!!

As mentioned above, buy John Palmer's book How To Brew. It gives a step by step procedure. It also has all the in-depth information you can get deeper into later once you have a couple brews under your belt. You will refer back to it even years later.