We agree! Moving the panel up was a brilliant choice by Anvil/Blichmann. Our original Foundry is still running great though so we haven't had a need to update to the newer model. We highly recommend this piece of gear though!
Great video. I would suggest letting the grains settle for a few minutes before starting the recirculation pump. I started it right away on one brew and got a stuck mash. It was an easy fix, but maybe it'll save someone else a headache.
That is a great point! We didn't use any this brew day but we're also no strangers to using rice hulls to help prevent stuck mash. Thanks for tuning in and for the tip!
Man I was all set to buy the Anvil 10gal kettle and 7.5gal fermenter. Then started looking at this unit..... and trhe new version that's out now, with some improvements. About $500 including the pump/recirculation kit, sparge screen, etc. Seems like a hell of a deal.
There ring you insert when you lift out the grain basket it looks like it should be in place from the beginning. Notice the corners of the ring insert are shaped so all you do is lift the basket, turn it 1/4 turn and set it down on the ring. At least that's what it looks like to me.
I don't start my timer until an actual rolling boil begins. That's when I set my timer for 60 minutes and add my first hop additions. Thanks for watching!
Nice system.. the only problem I have with these so called all in one systems.. is that you still need a separate kettle to heat sparge water. So really the least you can do is a two kettle system.
word.. but a lot of people make the jump from extract to this kind of system and have that old 5 gallon kettle. Or just have a 3-5+ gallon chili pot, turkey fryer etc around. Fair point though!
@@ladikermis7804 Correct on still needing another vessel. These "all in one" systems are better because mash temp consistency, especially when using the recirc pump. Your mash temp doesn't have any hot or cold spots. These systems are still as much work as my old three vessel, but take up less space when stored and I don't have to run for propane anymore. Definite advantages. You can also whirlpool with these units.
I've seen people on other similar systems use it as a true all-in-one. Mash with recirculation with full-recipe water (allow for evaporation), no sparge necessary. Just make sure your mash hits the optimal pH range. Once you find your brewhouse efficiency and boil-off rate, you should have no problem calculating the grains and water needed to hit your starting gravity.
High quality video guys, as someone who has never brewed. I'm torn between getting the foundry set up or just a badass northern brewing kit for around the same price as the 6.5 gallon foundry set up?
I'm in the same boat. We have some time to think about it though, because it looks like Anvil is sold out of the Foundry stuff until some time in July. :-)
@@SteveDBallantyne I was lucky and found a 5 gallon glass carboy and a 5 gallon stainless pot. So I guess I'm going to start with a BIAB first and see how it goes.
Nice set up but still more complicated than a brew kettle and a bag put a little amylase enzyme in your wort to bring up the efficiency and you’re good to go. I wash my grain when I lift my bag doing so with 168 degree water, I don’t see a need to recirculate.
I brewed beer back in the dark ages, before it was legal in fact, and am thinking about starting up again. These simple systems or BIAB seem like the way to go for simplicity and cost. This may be a dumb comment, but with the recirculation pump why not add sufficient water during the mash to eliminate the need for a separate sparge. Seems like that would maximize efficiency as well as clear the wort without the extra equipment and hassle.
I don't think it's a dumb question, but while you're recirculating you're putting those sugars back through the grain bed. So there are some still getting trapped, inevitably.. The idea is clear the concentrated wort (the liquid already concentrate/full of sugar), and then flush the grains with hot (clean) water to absorb more than an already concentrated sugar water could take in.
In other videos I've seen a flow control clamp and it's recommended slow it down as much as possible. I've seen at least one vid where rice hulls were needed.
Use the flow control clamp. If not, it will flow too fast, the diffusion plate will likely get somewhat clogged and the grain will overflow the basket. Then you'll have wort full of junk.
I have the Anvil Foundry. For anyone in the US looking to use this system, if you have 110 V only you will be disappointed. That's not an Anvil problem, it's a physics thing. After using my system on standard household current 3 or 4x, I went to the 'Po and spent $60 to tap into a 220 dryer supply in my garage. The 110 will NOT be sufficient to boil the wort. It is a sluggish, lazy surface disruption, at best. I now brew with the 220 and it's game on. Great standard option on this unit and it's all but necessary. Otherwise, you'll have a 7 hour brew day. It does make very good beer.
Sorry, to answer your question, it takes about an hour to get to temp, then a slow, sub standard boil for the duration. So plan for a one hour boil to take 2 hours. If it's cold where you're brewing, forget about it.
So for this being an "All in One" system you still need another pot, another heat source for sparge water, and a HLT? That seems to defeat the purpose of an all in one, right? Could this have been done with a full volume mash since you appear to have the capacity?
That is a great point! Most (from my anecdotal experience) will use their stove top and a large pot they may already own to heat up the sparge water and you could actually use that same pot as your HLT, we just happened to have the extra cooler around because, well, we own way too much brewing equipment lol. Technically, you could do a full volume mash since the unit is 10.5 gallons (the one we used in the video, at least) but it depends on the size of your grain bed! We don't typically do full volume mashes because we find that sparging seems to increase our efficiency. - joshua
You technically wouldn't need an HLT at all. You really wouldn't need an external heat source/extra pot either if you wanted to skip the sparge (would just need more mash water).
or before you start your mash, you can begin boiling the sparge water in the Anvil and using the recirc. pump can transfer it to the cooler, then start your mash. I'm about sanitation so yeah it's more work but i don't mind preboiling my sparge water
A lot of people make the jump from extract to this kind of system and have that old 5 gallon kettle. Or just have a 3-5+ gallon chili pot, turkey fryer etc around. Fair point though! As, others mentioned you can still use the system without a sparge.
If you already have kettles with valves and already have a good chugger pump like personally already have. Thats why i see no need for one of these systems. I usually add a extra pound of grain for biab for efficiency and. I also have options got a nice propane setup stand for outside and a portable electric burner or inside have a flat glass stovetop that works very well. But i still like these systems they have been on my mind to get one justify the cost compared to what i already have its hard, if i did not have the equipment that i have already would jump on it in a heartbeat.
are you indoors? or it appears to be maybe in a garage. do you have any issues with steam? i would love to be able to brew in my garage with the door closed in the winter but im unclear on how much steam can cause damage...
We did the brewing inside of a large open area room and had no issues with steam. I don't know enough to say with 100% certainty BUT I would be willing to bet that you should be able to use the Foundry inside of your garage and not have any issues related to excess steam. - joshua
I would spend the money. The tall, small diameter design of the basket makes it difficult to move the mash around. Narrow and deep. Use the pump and stir a few times.
Am I the only homebrewer who cannot see the need for progressing to ALL-GRAIN brewing??? I am told that we brewers who buy a KIT are not real brewers. We are just playing at it. And if I bought a couple of thousand dollars of equipment I could hold my head high amongst other homebrewers and talk endlessly about grains, hops, sparging, etc. I am told that with the all grain system I could brew ANY beer I desire. Well I buy my beer kits online and one of my suppliers gives me a choice of 177 different beer kits the other supplier has 180 on offer. Plus I could add DME, dextrose, raw sugar or dry hop the brew or use a specialist yeast if I wished to “tinker” with the kit. Extracting the malt from the grain is best done by the professionals. Bread bakers don’t grind their own flour in a table-top milling machine so why should I go to all the time and trouble and EXPENSE of steeping and sparging? My kit has a date on it. How old is the grain in the homebrew shop? You can’t tell. NO, all-grain is not for me. I will save the money I would need to spend on massive stainless steel pots and coolers and stick to buying one of the 180 varieties of beer kit.
That's an interesting perspective, Graham! I know a ton of folks who also choose to brew extract only (or partial-mash recipes) and they consistently produce fantastic beer. I think as long as you're brewing and happy with the beer you're making, then you're doing good. Thanks for the comment! - joshua
It's not for everybody. I started with extracts years ago. Gave it up and when I decided to get back in it I wanted to go all grain to have better control over my recipe plus it should end up costing less in ingredients. It's each brewer's choice.
80 or under is what Joe had said, I believe, and stressing that under 80 is where you need to be. My apologies if we ever gave off the impression to you that we're "experts" on anything; you must be new here! :) cheers, joshua
Thanks for the DETAILS! Great vid.
thank you for this. I am getting this system this week. I can't wait to start brewing.
Clean and methodical video. Informative.
Shout out to your kicks and shirt game! It is on point!!
This is over a year ago before the instrument panel was raised much higher up on the kettle -- much more convenient now..
We agree! Moving the panel up was a brilliant choice by Anvil/Blichmann. Our original Foundry is still running great though so we haven't had a need to update to the newer model. We highly recommend this piece of gear though!
Great video. I would suggest letting the grains settle for a few minutes before starting the recirculation pump. I started it right away on one brew and got a stuck mash. It was an easy fix, but maybe it'll save someone else a headache.
That is a great point! We didn't use any this brew day but we're also no strangers to using rice hulls to help prevent stuck mash. Thanks for tuning in and for the tip!
No problem. I'm a fan of your podcast. In hindsight I should've also used more rice hulls.
wow, the open valve was really impressive, Glad I ran across this video/ thanks
Thank you. We have a real talent for catching our brew day flubs on camera!
Man I was all set to buy the Anvil 10gal kettle and 7.5gal fermenter.
Then started looking at this unit..... and trhe new version that's out now, with some improvements.
About $500 including the pump/recirculation kit, sparge screen, etc. Seems like a hell of a deal.
Was I the only one who noticed the classic open valve on that HLT cooler? ;) Its not a brew day until you spill something lol
lol, you'll notice the camera man starting to crouch down with the camera to close that valve and also the hard cut to the next scene!
There ring you insert when you lift out the grain basket it looks like it should be in place from the beginning. Notice the corners of the ring insert are shaped so all you do is lift the basket, turn it 1/4 turn and set it down on the ring. At least that's what it looks like to me.
This is exactly how it is set up in other videos.
When do you start the 60 minute boil timer? Right when you start heating after the sparge or once the wort starts boiling?
I don't start my timer until an actual rolling boil begins. That's when I set my timer for 60 minutes and add my first hop additions. Thanks for watching!
Hilarious watching Todd in the background
That guy just HAS to be in every video, man! lol
Nice system.. the only problem I have with these so called all in one systems.. is that you still need a separate kettle to heat sparge water. So really the least you can do is a two kettle system.
Technically 3 kettle if you put your grain basket in a kettle to capture any late drippings. I do that with my current all in one system.
I just use room temp water. Worked out for me so far.
word.. but a lot of people make the jump from extract to this kind of system and have that old 5 gallon kettle. Or just have a 3-5+ gallon chili pot, turkey fryer etc around. Fair point though!
@@ladikermis7804 Correct on still needing another vessel. These "all in one" systems are better because mash temp consistency, especially when using the recirc pump. Your mash temp doesn't have any hot or cold spots. These systems are still as much work as my old three vessel, but take up less space when stored and I don't have to run for propane anymore. Definite advantages. You can also whirlpool with these units.
I've seen people on other similar systems use it as a true all-in-one. Mash with recirculation with full-recipe water (allow for evaporation), no sparge necessary. Just make sure your mash hits the optimal pH range. Once you find your brewhouse efficiency and boil-off rate, you should have no problem calculating the grains and water needed to hit your starting gravity.
do you still need to shake the bucket for aeration before the yeast pitch if you've already poured in the wort through the tap the way you did?
High quality video guys, as someone who has never brewed. I'm torn between getting the foundry set up or just a badass northern brewing kit for around the same price as the 6.5 gallon foundry set up?
I'm in the same boat. We have some time to think about it though, because it looks like Anvil is sold out of the Foundry stuff until some time in July. :-)
@@SteveDBallantyne I was lucky and found a 5 gallon glass carboy and a 5 gallon stainless pot. So I guess I'm going to start with a BIAB first and see how it goes.
Hi, how do you set up and run the chiller? One end on a garden hose or faucet? How about the other end? Thank you
It would just go to a drain/floor/yard/etc.
Nice set up but still more complicated than a brew kettle and a bag put a little amylase enzyme in your wort to bring up the efficiency and you’re good to go. I wash my grain when I lift my bag doing so with 168 degree water, I don’t see a need to recirculate.
For $550 that price does seem very impressive but I'm worried if that's too cheap for quality?
I brewed beer back in the dark ages, before it was legal in fact, and am thinking about starting up again. These simple systems or BIAB seem like the way to go for simplicity and cost. This may be a dumb comment, but with the recirculation pump why not add sufficient water during the mash to eliminate the need for a separate sparge. Seems like that would maximize efficiency as well as clear the wort without the extra equipment and hassle.
Fresh sparge water helps get as much sugar extracted as possible. I use room temp water to sparge so no need for another vessel to heat the water.
I don't think it's a dumb question, but while you're recirculating you're putting those sugars back through the grain bed. So there are some still getting trapped, inevitably.. The idea is clear the concentrated wort (the liquid already concentrate/full of sugar), and then flush the grains with hot (clean) water to absorb more than an already concentrated sugar water could take in.
You were able to recirculate with the valve open all the way and no flow control without pulling the grain bed down? Did you use rice hulls?
In other videos I've seen a flow control clamp and it's recommended slow it down as much as possible. I've seen at least one vid where rice hulls were needed.
Use the flow control clamp. If not, it will flow too fast, the diffusion plate will likely get somewhat clogged and the grain will overflow the basket. Then you'll have wort full of junk.
Nice video! Learned a lot. How long did it take the Anvil to boil the wort? TYVM
I have the Anvil Foundry. For anyone in the US looking to use this system, if you have 110 V only you will be disappointed. That's not an Anvil problem, it's a physics thing. After using my system on standard household current 3 or 4x, I went to the 'Po and spent $60 to tap into a 220 dryer supply in my garage. The 110 will NOT be sufficient to boil the wort. It is a sluggish, lazy surface disruption, at best. I now brew with the 220 and it's game on. Great standard option on this unit and it's all but necessary. Otherwise, you'll have a 7 hour brew day. It does make very good beer.
Sorry, to answer your question, it takes about an hour to get to temp, then a slow, sub standard boil for the duration. So plan for a one hour boil to take 2 hours. If it's cold where you're brewing, forget about it.
Thinking about doing all grain and going straight to this system. Do you still like it? Do you recommend? Thanks
The Anvil Foundry is still my favorite all-in-one system as of right now. A fantastic bang for your buck! - joshua
@@HomebrewHappyHour how did the beer turn out? That' the real question :)
@@joegillum Pineapple galore, but lacking a bit of body
Mannequin Challenge at 5:55 😂
Hahahaha
Does the grain basket cool off the strike water at all?
possibly, but I can't imagine it's enough to cause too much of an issue
@@ladikermis7804 negligible
I want one of these but I am more into getting the 6.5 gallon version.
We brewed on the 10.5 but I imagine the smaller 6.5 version is just as wonderful!
What’s the largest grain bill you’ve ever brewed in your Foundry?
When did you add the dextrose/sugar?
I generally add a corn sugar (dextrose) addition towards the end of the boil (last 5-10 mins).
So for this being an "All in One" system you still need another pot, another heat source for sparge water, and a HLT? That seems to defeat the purpose of an all in one, right? Could this have been done with a full volume mash since you appear to have the capacity?
That is a great point! Most (from my anecdotal experience) will use their stove top and a large pot they may already own to heat up the sparge water and you could actually use that same pot as your HLT, we just happened to have the extra cooler around because, well, we own way too much brewing equipment lol. Technically, you could do a full volume mash since the unit is 10.5 gallons (the one we used in the video, at least) but it depends on the size of your grain bed! We don't typically do full volume mashes because we find that sparging seems to increase our efficiency. - joshua
You technically wouldn't need an HLT at all. You really wouldn't need an external heat source/extra pot either if you wanted to skip the sparge (would just need more mash water).
Just sparge with cold water, no difference in efficiency it’ll just take these all in ones longer to get to boil.
or before you start your mash, you can begin boiling the sparge water in the Anvil and using the recirc. pump can transfer it to the cooler, then start your mash. I'm about sanitation so yeah it's more work but i don't mind preboiling my sparge water
A lot of people make the jump from extract to this kind of system and have that old 5 gallon kettle. Or just have a 3-5+ gallon chili pot, turkey fryer etc around. Fair point though! As, others mentioned you can still use the system without a sparge.
working with hot heavy materials with flip flops ?
I thought the same thing, then realized I brew in flops all the time!
If you already have kettles with valves and already have a good chugger pump like personally already have. Thats why i see no need for one of these systems. I usually add a extra pound of grain for biab for efficiency and. I also have options got a nice propane setup stand for outside and a portable electric burner or inside have a flat glass stovetop that works very well. But i still like these systems they have been on my mind to get one justify the cost compared to what i already have its hard, if i did not have the equipment that i have already would jump on it in a heartbeat.
How many gallons of finished beer did you end up with?
We ended up with right at 5 gallons!
Do you have an approximate mash efficiency? I have been hearing everything from 55-85 %.
70% is pretty common/average
are you indoors? or it appears to be maybe in a garage. do you have any issues with steam? i would love to be able to brew in my garage with the door closed in the winter but im unclear on how much steam can cause damage...
We did the brewing inside of a large open area room and had no issues with steam. I don't know enough to say with 100% certainty BUT I would be willing to bet that you should be able to use the Foundry inside of your garage and not have any issues related to excess steam. - joshua
Roughly how long does it take to cool to 80 degrees?
it really depends on the temperature of the cooling water you're using. The colder, and more constantly cold that water the better. 20-45 mins roughly
How did this batch of beer turn out?
It was great! We've really enjoyed using the Foundry and have had solid results thus far.
Awesome, I have one ordered right now, can’t wait to brew again. Thanks for the video
@@brianwoodworth6531 it was super pineapple, calypso and galaxy featured.. missed the backbone a bit, but it turned out fine
Can you do BIAB with the Anvil?!
these systems basically are BIAB thats the point of the steel basket that removes the grain
Do you really need the recirc. pump?
It helps with efficiencies so technically no but most people like to get the most out of their grains whenever safely possible.
I would spend the money. The tall, small diameter design of the basket makes it difficult to move the mash around. Narrow and deep. Use the pump and stir a few times.
Am I the only homebrewer who cannot see the need for progressing to ALL-GRAIN brewing???
I am told that we brewers who buy a KIT are not real brewers. We are just playing at it.
And if I bought a couple of thousand dollars of equipment I could hold my head high amongst other homebrewers and talk endlessly about grains, hops, sparging, etc.
I am told that with the all grain system I could brew ANY beer I desire.
Well I buy my beer kits online and one of my suppliers gives me a choice of 177 different beer kits the other supplier has 180 on offer. Plus I could add DME, dextrose, raw sugar or
dry hop the brew or use a specialist yeast if I wished to “tinker” with the kit.
Extracting the malt from the grain is best done by the professionals. Bread bakers don’t grind their own flour in a table-top milling machine so why should I go to all the time
and trouble and EXPENSE of steeping and sparging?
My kit has a date on it. How old is the grain in the homebrew shop? You can’t tell.
NO, all-grain is not for me. I will save the money I would need to spend on massive stainless steel pots and coolers and stick to buying one of the 180 varieties of beer kit.
That's an interesting perspective, Graham! I know a ton of folks who also choose to brew extract only (or partial-mash recipes) and they consistently produce fantastic beer. I think as long as you're brewing and happy with the beer you're making, then you're doing good. Thanks for the comment! - joshua
It's not for everybody. I started with extracts years ago. Gave it up and when I decided to get back in it I wanted to go all grain to have better control over my recipe plus it should end up costing less in ingredients.
It's each brewer's choice.
Some people plant vegetables. Some people make their own clothes. Some people like to brew from grain.
Totally! You can make great, and totally customized or personal beers brewing extract batches!
Simple. All grain brewing is fun.
What kind of homebrew "expert" would suggest pitching yeast at 80 degrees?
80 or under is what Joe had said, I believe, and stressing that under 80 is where you need to be. My apologies if we ever gave off the impression to you that we're "experts" on anything; you must be new here! :)
cheers,
joshua
@@HomebrewHappyHour Well you're making instructional videos about homebrewing, no? Pitching yeast at 80 is going to result in a lot of off-flavors.
@@charleshatt1281 that depends on the yeast. Many Belgian yeasts you want to ferment at 80 so you pitch at 75 or 80
Does this chiller come with a sink faucet adapter? Or do you need a hose fit to run it?
It just comes standard with garden hose fitting, but not a sink adapter.
@@ladikermis7804 Thanks. The site says "no need to go to the hardware store!" Here I am going to the hardware store.