Hi there JR and welcome to the forum ,

The 19 L from a 32 L pot is do-able but will require a bit of juggling. When you decide on a recipe, post it up here and we'll get you sorted out.

1. Maybe have a look at this thread for some ideas on your BIAB bag. You can also buy them from various places online. A google for "BIAB bag" should come up with some sources. Make sure the material is polyester and has a thread count of 30-40 threads per cm.

2. A false bottom, depending on the kettle shape, can enable you to avoid stirring the mash when you are applying heat. So can a pulley set-up. If your kettle is tall and narrow, sometimes these methods won't work as the bag full of grain acts like a syringe. If this is the case, you'll probably just have to stir the mash during heat application.

3. Most home brew shops will crush the grain for you if you ask them to. If they don't, they probably aren't very knowledgeable on all-grain so find a shop that does. Don't race into buying a crusher.

4. If you can get a hand lifting the kettle, maybe you can put it in a laundry tub to chill it? Fill the tub with a bit of water and change it occasionally. You could also let the wort cool naturally in the kettle (covered) overnight and then transfer and pitch the next day. Another option is to transfer it hot into what is called a 'cube'. If you do this, you can pitch weeks or even months later.

As mentioned above, when you choose a recipe, we can iron out the details.


PP



4.

You could also let the wort cool naturally in the kettle (covered) overnight and then transfer and pitch the next day.

Hello, PP, I was wondering about this myself. If the lid is put on at the end of the boil, the contents will be sterile, and once the seal between lid and kettle is fairly tight, there should be little fear of infection - shouldn't there? This would remove the need for wasting water cooling your wort. Or am I missing some reason why the brew should be cooled rapidly?
Whilst on the subject, I had another brainwave (God, they don't half hurt). Is there anything to stop me transferring my boiled wort straight into my fermenting bucket, bringing it to a stream about 400 yards from my house, and standing it in the water? The stream is of a depth that I could stand it in the water without it being turned over or swept away, and I wouldn't be wasting water. I know I live in a country where it never stops raining, but we still have water issues, and I don't like wasting the stuff.

Good Day Colin(Skink),

1) really all you need to cool in the Kettle is a sterile way to allow the contraction of the wort to happen.

All you need ia a Stock Pot(kettle) lid that will NOT seal, and a santized Tea Towel covering the lid.

If your Worried about Infections after the Temperature drops below 140F/60C yoa can add 1-2 Campden tablets to steralize to cool wort.

2) If your Fermenter Bucket IS HPDE 2 with a small triangle on it, should be safe for 180F/85C wort, so if you can take some time before tranfering the Wort, there will be No troubles, unless the wort spills!!!!!

Another brain fart could be, is transfer the wort to the Fermenter and install an "S" type Double bubble airlock, and leave it where it is, Overnight to Pitch.

Of course, for Longer term Storage, there is "NO-CHILL" see http://www.biabrewer.info/viewforum.php?f=50

Good Luck on your Decision!!!

Josh has beaten me to it skink and he's covered everything .

Skink wrote:...Is there anything to stop me transferring my boiled wort straight into my fermenting bucket, bringing it to a stream about 400 yards from my house, and standing it in the water?...

Yes, your back .

Apart from breaking your back there is nothing wrong with the idea. If I did it, I'd let the kettle settle for about 15 minutes before transferring to lower the trub transfer a bit. Your kettle will still be very hot after this time (over 80 C probably).

I've chilled in the kettle overnight, I've transferred hot into the fermentor and let it cool there overnight. They are really just other forms of no-chilling. Some palates will taste a difference in some beer styles between a chilled and no-chilled beer. I don't think there is any reason for brewers to be scared of no-chilling. I suspect also that any flavour or aroma worries, if there are any, can be corrected with various hop management techniques.

(The S-airlock for the fermentor is a good idea. if you let hot wort cool in your plastic fermentor and it has an air-tight seal, you can get some pretty large distortion. It will come good again but I only put hot wort in the fermentor in the rarest of circumstances.)


PP

Well, I was going to bring it down very the road (very slowly) in the car. I'm not Hercules or anything...