Going All Grain

I just finished writing a post in which I said it is not necessary to ever switch to all grain. So why did I switch? And is it a switch or just and additional tool in my toolbox?

Why did I switch?

1. I wanted to make my own recipes.  I'm not talking about tweaks or modifications to a kit. I wanted to build from the ground up.  Not saying you can't build a recipe with extracts, but what is in Amber LME?  What proportions?  With all grain, I can add an ounce or a pound or 10 pounds of C10, C20, C40, C120, flake rye, midnight wheat, flaked maize, a dozen different base malts, you name it.  The possibilities are endless. Then, you can start playing with mash temperatures.  5 degrees can mean the difference between a full-bodied, sweet beer and a thinner dry beer.
2. It feels more genuine.  Yes, I know that malt extracts are made from barley and wheat, but there is something that feels much better about starting with the base materials.  It is rumored that some commercial breweries use concentrated brewers wort, but I haven't seen them.
3. I wanted the challenge.  Extract brewing yields very consistent results.  If you follow the instructions, and your volume is right, there is no need to measure OG.  It will match the instructions.  This is what makes it great for beginners - If you can follow the instructions, its hard to screw up.  After 16 extract brews, I was getting a little bored and I wanted the chance to make new mistakes, learn some new skills, and have to work a little harder.
4. Improvement to the quality of the finished product (beer!).  While I think you can make very good beer with extract brewing, I think you can make even better beer with all grain.
5. Budget.  This one is total bullshit.  I remember being surprised by the cost of LME when I bought ingredients not in kits.  I was told that all grain was cheaper.  On a beer with a large grain bill, I suppose this makes a difference.  But now I own 2 more stainless kettles, a big propane burner, a cooler mash tun, and a variety of other equipment. It's going to take me a long time to make up the equipment cost with the difference in ingredient cost.  If budget is the only reason you're considering making the leap to all grain, reconsider.

Is it a switch?
Since I started brewing all grain, I've brewed 2 more extract brews. I had ordered these kits before my first all grain brew, and had to use them up.  I don't think I'll make any more, at least in the foreseeable future.  I'm really enjoying the all grain process, and when I plan to brew, making the beer with extract is not an option that crosses my mind anymore.  There's always the possibility, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

How did I do it?
In early 2015, I was about 90 percent convinced that I wanted to start with Brew In a Bag.  Based on my online research, this seemed like a good, simple, intermediate step. With that in mind, I bought a 10 gallon kettle and a propane burner. Then sort of back-to-back, I got a free 10 gallon beverage cooler, I took an all grain brewing class at Bailee's, and I realized I was going to have to built some kind of steam-resistant A-frame structure to suspend the spent grains for BIAB.  After the class, I felt a lot more confident in my ability to execute the traditional method.
So, I drilled a hole for a kettle valve in my 5 gallon kettle to convert it to a hot liquor tank, I scrounged a metal topped table, some milk crates and some landscape ties from my garage and basement, added a valve and bazooka screen to the beverage cooler, and built a sparge "arm"out of cpvc, Add some high temp tubing and voila - my brew house is born.

Brand New Brew House

Sparge Arm Trial Run