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Going all-grain

BIAB, electric all-in-ones and three-vessel setups, plus the mill, chiller, water chemistry and pH meter that come with them.

Beginner kits & first brew 13Brewing systems & chillers 110Fermenters & temp control 25Kegging & draft 1Hydrometers & meters 21Ingredients & milling 40Yeast & nutrients 6Brewing chemicals & water 12Cleaning & sanitizing 3
Mash paddle resting in a stainless kettle of crushed grain and hot water
Photo: Spc. Amber Bohlman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Three ways to go all-grain

All-grain brewing means mashing crushed malt in hot water yourself instead of buying extract. There are three common routes. Brew in a bag (BIAB) adds a mesh bag to a kettle you may already own. An electric all-in-one puts mash, boil and controls in one vessel. A three-vessel setup uses a hot liquor tank, a cooler mash tun and a kettle, and scales to big batches.

RouteWhat you addStrengthsTrade-offs
BIABBag, 8–10 gal kettle, heat source✓ Cheapest, one vessel~ Lifting a wet bag; propane only outdoors
Electric all-in-oneAnvil, BrewZilla, Grainfather and similar✓ Indoors on 120V, temperature control~ Grain capacity limits big beers
Three-vesselCooler mash tun, HLT, kettle✓ Scales to 10 gal batches~ More gear and floor space

Beginner kits & first brew

All 13 in beginner kits & first brew

Brewing systems & chillers

All 110 in brewing systems & chillers

Fermenters & temp control

All 25 in fermenters & temp control

Kegging & draft

All 1 in kegging & draft

Hydrometers & meters

All 21 in hydrometers & meters

Ingredients & milling

All 40 in ingredients & milling

Yeast & nutrients

All 6 in yeast & nutrients

Brewing chemicals & water

All 12 in brewing chemicals & water

Cleaning & sanitizing

All 3 in cleaning & sanitizing
IBU calculator (Tinseth)Calculate beer bitterness in IBU with the Tinseth formula: add hop additions by weight, alpha acid and boil…Strike water calculatorStrike water temperature and volume for your mash with Palmer's infusion equation, plus step infusions and…Brewing water chemistry calculatorBrewing water salt calculator: gypsum, calcium chloride, Epsom, baking soda, salt and chalk to ppm, SO4:Cl…Dilution and boil-off calculatorDilute wort to a target gravity, and work out pre-boil volume from your boil-off rate, boil time and losses,…

How much grain will it hold?

Grain capacity sets the strongest 5-gallon beer you can brew. Listings state it differently, so treat these as maker figures.

Listed grain capacity

Maker or listing figures

VEVOR 30L (5 kg)VEVOR 30L (5 kg): 11 lb11 lbAnvil Foundry 10.5Anvil Foundry 10.5: 16 lb16 lbKegLand DigiMash 35LKegLand DigiMash 35L: 18 lb18 lb
Source: Product listings; Anvil per listing
Strike water calculatorStrike and infusion temperatures (Palmer), with an all-in-one toggle.
Electric brewing: GFCI and a licensed electricianPlug 120V and 240V systems only into a GFCI-protected circuit of the type the manual calls for, with no extension cords. A 1600 W system on 120V draws about 13.3 A (W ÷ V), close to a 15 A circuit’s limit. Have a licensed electrician install any new circuit, 120V or 240V.Source: Anvil Foundry manual (GFCI protection for 240V hookups); W ÷ V arithmetic
Propane burners: outdoors onlyRun jet burners in open air, away from the house. CPSC says to keep fryer-style propane burners out of the garage, off the deck and away from the house; a garage, porch or carport with the door open is still not outdoors. Burning propane makes carbon monoxide. Leak-check fittings with soapy water and never leave a boil unattended.Source: CPSC holiday cooking safety

The extras all-grain brings

A grain mill lets you buy uncrushed malt; a faster chiller matters more with full-volume boils; water chemistry and mash pH start to show in the glass. Add them one at a time.

Plan water additions with the water chemistry calculator and pre-boil volumes with the boil-off calculator.

Who should choose what

  • BIAB: brewers with a big kettle who want to try all-grain cheaply.
  • Electric all-in-one: indoor and garage brewers who want temperature control and one vessel.
  • Three-vessel: brewers planning 10-gallon batches who have floor space and like to tinker.

Whichever route you choose, track mash temperature, efficiency and volumes in the brew-day log for your first few batches.

Related reading: Anvil Foundry 10.5 review (with the 6.5), KegLand BrewZilla Gen 4 review and best grain mills for homebrewing.

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Going all-grain: questions

Is brew in a bag real all-grain brewing?
Yes. BIAB mashes the same crushed malt in the full water volume, then lifts the bag out. Efficiency can be a little lower than a three-vessel system, which you offset with a bit more grain.
Do I need a grain mill to go all-grain?
No. Many brewers start with pre-crushed grain. A mill pays off when you buy in bulk or want to tune the crush.
Can I brew all-grain indoors?
Yes, with an electric all-in-one or electric kettle on a GFCI-protected circuit. Propane BIAB has to happen outdoors, away from the house.
What water chemistry do I need for all-grain?
Start with your water report, treat chloramine with Campden tablets, and adjust calcium, sulfate and chloride with salts. The water chemistry calculator shows the ppm each gram adds.
How big a beer can an all-in-one make?
It depends on grain capacity: listings put the Anvil Foundry 10.5 at 16 lb and the KegLand DigiMash at 18 lb. For bigger beers, add extract to the boil or brew a smaller batch.