OnTap Magazine

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED BY METHOD: Equipment Needed Extract Kit Method Partial Mash Method All-grain Cooler Box Method Urn and BIAB Method All-In-One system Method (standard setup) Cooler box (converted) Pot with tap Hop bag / spider Possibly Grain bag Hydrometer Thermometer Immersion Chiller Counterflow Chiller If included Grain Mill (but shops offer this service.) Measuring Jug PACKAGING EQUIPMENT COMPARISON: Serving or Bottling equipment Bottling Glass Bottling Plastic Keg Mini Keg Syphon Capper Bottling bucket CO2 bottle Dispensing System Taps Tapping device RECIPE COMPILATION: The most common way to get going in the smartphone era is to download an app. There are several worth looking at, but I have had some success with Wort, Brewfather, and my current favourite, the Grainfather app. Beersmith is also a classic and also have PC or web versions. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 1. https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/ 2. Youtube, check out channels such as Clawhammer Supply and David Heath Homebrew. 3. Your local homebrew store. 4. Join a local homebrew club, even if you are just getting started. In this edition, you will read of how Byron Lombard’s first all-grain brew attempt went. With the cost of entry level all-in-one brewing systems very affordable these days, most new brewers are tempted to go for this easy solution and having brewed using all of the above methods myself over the last 20 years, I can say with some measure of authority that the best system is the system that you know very well and I am certainly a fan of a system that doesn’t leave me loads of different components to clean. However, there are many quality and award-winning homebrewers in South Africa who are using any of the three all- grain methods above. There are even some brewers using three-vessel systems made from old kegs or stainless-steel pots, which is like having a miniature commercial brewery at home. These are generally custom built, so I have omitted them for reasons of simplification. THE ALL-IN-ONE SYSTEM ALL-GRAIN METHOD 3 There are a number of them out there these days. Grainfather is a well-known and respected brand, so is the Dematech system as well as the Kegland Brewzilla range. It all depends on budget vs features. These systems generally come fitted with what you need to brew a batch of beer from start to finish. 46 | Autumn 2024 | ontapmag.co.za