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Guide

How to brew all-grain: BIAB and all-in-one

How to brew all-grain beer with brew-in-a-bag or an electric all-in-one: milling, strike water, mash temperature, draining, boil and chilling.

Updated November 2026 · 8 min read

A rotating sparge arm spraying water over the grain bed in a mash tun
Photo: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The short version
  • All-grain means you make the wort yourself: crushed malt soaks in hot water (the mash), enzymes turn starch into sugar, and you drain that sugar water into the kettle.
  • Brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) and electric all-in-ones do it in one vessel. Three-vessel systems use a separate hot-liquor tank and mash tun.
  • Mash temperature steers body: about 148–150°F (64–66°C) for a drier beer, 154–156°F (68–69°C) for a fuller one, per Palmer.
  • Use the strike water calculator, take a pre-boil gravity reading and keep notes; your second all-grain batch will be far more predictable than your first.
  • Electric systems need a GFCI-protected circuit; propane burners belong outdoors only.

Learning how to brew all-grain is the step where homebrew recipes stop depending on someone else’s extract. You buy base and specialty malt, crush it, mash it and collect your own wort. The reward is control over fermentability, color and malt character, plus a lower ingredient cost per batch for most recipes.

This guide covers the two simplest single-vessel methods, brew-in-a-bag on a kettle and electric all-in-one systems such as the Anvil Foundry, Grainfather G30 and KegLand BrewZilla. The process is the same in both; the all-in-one simply adds a heating element, a controller and a lifting basket. Numbers come from Palmer’s How to Brew, maker manuals and the formula boxes on our tool pages.

BIAB, all-in-one or three-vessel?

All three make the same beer. They differ in how many pots you clean, how much you lift and what power or gas you need.

A mesh brew-in-a-bag liner hanging inside a kettle on a home stove
Brew in a bag needs only a kettle and a mesh bag.Photo: Plutor, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

All-grain methods compared

BIAB on a kettleElectric all-in-oneThree-vessel
Vessels1 kettle + bag1 unit with basketHot-liquor tank, mash tun, kettle
Heat sourceStove (small batches) or outdoor propaneBuilt-in element, 120V or 240VPropane outdoors or electric panels
Temperature control~ Manual; insulate or re-heat✓ Controller holds mash temp~ Depends on build
Grain lift~ Heavy wet bag; use a pulley or rack✓ Basket lifts and drains on its stand✓ No lift; you drain by valve
Indoor use~ Electric or small stovetop only✓ With a suitable GFCI circuit~ Electric builds only
Space✓ Smallest✓ Small✗ Largest
Learning curve✓ Easiest✓ Easy~ Most steps

Source: Palmer, How to Brew; Anvil, Grainfather and KegLand manuals

For a first all-grain batch, BIAB in an 8–10 gal (30–38 L) kettle you already own is the least expensive way in. If you brew in a garage or apartment and want to stay off propane, a 120V all-in-one is the usual upgrade.

Ingredients and milling

A 5 gal (19 L) pale ale typically uses 9–11 lb (4–5 kg) of grain: mostly a base malt such as American 2-row or Maris Otter, plus a pound or two of crystal or specialty malt. Recipe kits list the exact bill.

Close-up of a bed of crushed malted barley
Crushed malt: husks cracked open, not shredded.Photo: Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Crush matters. BIAB can use a finer crush than a traditional mash tun because the bag does the filtering, and many BIAB brewers ask the shop to “double crush.” If you mill at home, a two-roller mill with an adjustable gap lets you tune it. Add a handful of rice hulls with high-wheat or oat grists to keep the bag or basket draining.

How do you brew all-grain, step by step?

  1. Plan volumes

    Work backward from the batch size: fermenter volume + kettle loss + boil-off + grain absorption. The boil-off calculator gives pre-boil volume. All-in-ones often boil off about 0.5–1 gal (2–4 L) per hour; measure yours.

  2. Treat the water

    Remove chlorine or chloramine (one Campden tablet treats about 20 gal) and add salts if the recipe calls for them. See brewing water chemistry.

    LD Carlson Potassium Campden Tablets, 1 lbLD Carlson Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate), 2 oz
  3. Heat strike water

    With a kettle or cooler mash, heat water above mash temperature so it lands on target after the cooler grain goes in. Palmer’s strike equation does the math. Most all-in-ones heat the full volume to mash temperature first, so you can skip the offset.

    ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE Instant-Read Thermometer
  4. Mash in

    Stir the grain in slowly and break up every dough ball. Check temperature in several spots after a few minutes and adjust with hot or cool water.

  5. Hold the mash for about 60 minutes

    Keep the mash near your target. Insulate a BIAB kettle with a blanket or sleeping bag; an all-in-one controller holds the set point. Recirculating with a pump evens out temperature in systems that have one.

  6. Mash out (optional)

    Raising the mash to about 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes stops enzyme activity and thins the wort for draining. Do not go above about 168°F, which risks extracting tannins.

  7. Lift and drain the grain

    Lift the bag or basket and let it drain. A gentle squeeze of a BIAB bag is fine. Optional: rinse the grain with a little 168°F water (a sparge) to raise efficiency.

    The Brew Bag for 50–60 Qt KettlesThe Brew Bag Pro-Series for 10 Gal Coolers and Larger Kettles
  8. Measure pre-boil gravity

    Take a sample, cool it and read it. If it is low, boil longer or add a little dry malt extract; if high, top up with water. The dilution calculator handles both.

  9. Boil 60–90 minutes

    Boil uncovered so DMS precursors can escape. Pilsner-heavy grists are often boiled 90 minutes. Add hops and kettle finings on schedule.

  10. Chill, transfer and pitch

    Chill to pitching temperature, transfer to a sanitized fermenter, record the OG, aerate and pitch the yeast. From here it is the same as an extract batch.

    JaDeD Brewing Hydra Triple-Coil Copper Immersion ChillerNY Brew Supply Stainless Immersion Wort Chiller, 3/8 in. x 50 ft
Strike water calculatorEnter grain weight, grain temperature, water-to-grain ratio and target mash temperature; toggle the all-in-one mode if your system heats the mash.

Strike water temperature by mash thickness

Thicker mashes (less water per pound) need hotter strike water, because the cool grain pulls down a smaller volume. BIAB brewers who mash with the whole water volume use thin mashes and only a small offset. The chart applies Palmer’s initial infusion equation to grain at 65°F (18°C) and a 152°F (67°C) target in a preheated vessel.

Strike water for a 152°F mash, grain at 65°F

Palmer initial infusion equation: Tw = (0.2 / r) × (T2 − T1) + T2

1.25 qt/lb (thick)1.25 qt/lb (thick): 165.9°F165.9°F1.5 qt/lb1.5 qt/lb: 163.6°F163.6°F2.0 qt/lb2.0 qt/lb: 160.7°F160.7°F3.0 qt/lb (BIAB-style)3.0 qt/lb (BIAB-style): 157.8°F157.8°F
Source: Palmer, How to Brew: initial infusion equation (calculated)

Your vessel will lose some heat that the equation doesn’t model. Write down the strike temperature and the mash temperature you actually hit, and adjust next time. The brew-day log has fields for both.

Mash temperature, pH and efficiency

Two enzymes do most of the work. Beta amylase makes fermentable maltose and works best toward the low end; alpha amylase works faster at higher temperatures but makes more unfermentable sugars. That is why a 149°F (65°C) mash gives a drier beer and a 156°F (69°C) mash gives more body.

Hands checking mash temperature with a digital thermometer in a large pot of grain
Check the mash temperature in several spots after mashing in.Photo: Markus Braun, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mash pH should sit around 5.2–5.6 measured at room temperature, with most brewers aiming for 5.2–5.4, according to BYO. Pale grists with alkaline water often run high; dark grists run low. Our mash pH guide explains how to check and adjust it.

Efficiency is how much of the grain’s potential sugar ends up in the kettle. BIAB without a sparge often lands lower than a three-vessel system with a full sparge; a finer crush, a squeeze and a short sparge all help. Consistency matters more than the number itself, because recipes scale to your own efficiency.

Safety for all-grain brew days

All-grain adds weight and heat. A wet grain bag for a 5 gal batch can weigh over 20 lb (9 kg) and holds near-boiling liquid. Use a pulley, a rack or the system’s basket stand, wear heat-resistant gloves and keep children and pets out of the brew area.

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

Mistakes to avoid on your first all-grain batch

  • Skipping the volume plan. Grain absorbs water and the boil evaporates more than you think. Calculate pre-boil volume first.
  • Dough balls. Dry clumps of grain don’t convert. Stir thoroughly when mashing in.
  • Reading temperature in one spot. Mash temperature varies; check several places, or recirculate.
  • Sparge water above 168°F (76°C) or very high sparge pH. Both extract astringent tannins.
  • Covering the boil. A lid traps DMS and invites boil-overs.
  • Running a 120V system on an extension cord or shared circuit. Follow the manual and use a GFCI-protected outlet.
  • Not writing anything down. Without notes, you can’t learn your system’s efficiency or boil-off.

Who should choose which setup

  • Smallest outlay, already own a big kettle: BIAB with a quality bag, outdoors on propane or on a strong stove for small batches.
  • Garage or apartment, 5 gal batches, 120V: an all-in-one such as the Anvil Foundry 10.5, Grainfather G30 or BrewZilla 35L, on a dedicated GFCI-protected circuit.
  • Faster heating and bigger beers: a 240V system or the 240V setting on a switchable unit, with the circuit installed by a licensed electrician. See electric brewing safety.
  • Ten-gallon batches and repeat brewing: a three-vessel system is still the most flexible, at the cost of space.

Coming from extract? Brew one or two batches of a recipe you already know, so any difference you taste comes from the process. Our extract guide covers everything that happens after the boil.

Gear picks for this guide: best all-in-one electric brewing systems and best BIAB bags and hop spiders.

VerdictBIAB and electric all-in-ones make all-grain a one-pot job. Plan your volumes, hit your mash temperature, keep the pH in range and take notes, and the second batch on any system will be more predictable than the first.
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,…

Questions

Is all-grain brewing worth it?
If you want full control over malt character and body, or you brew often, yes. All-grain lets you set mash temperature and choose any malt. It adds about an hour or two to brew day compared with extract.
How long does an all-grain brew day take?
About 4–6 hours for a BIAB or all-in-one batch: heating water, a 60-minute mash, draining, a 60–90 minute boil, chilling and cleanup.
What temperature should I mash at?
Most recipes mash between 148 and 156°F (64–69°C). Lower temperatures give a drier, more fermentable wort; higher temperatures give more body. Follow the recipe and hold it for about 60 minutes.
Do I need to sparge with BIAB?
No. Full-volume BIAB mashes with all the water and skips the sparge. A short rinse with hot water can raise efficiency a few points, but it is optional.
Can I brew all-grain indoors?
Yes, with electric equipment on a suitable GFCI-protected circuit and good ventilation for steam. Never use a propane burner indoors or in a garage.
What size kettle do I need for 5 gallon all-grain BIAB?
At least 8 gal (30 L) for a full-volume mash; 10 gal (38 L) gives room for bigger grain bills and a vigorous boil.
Should I mill my own grain?
Not for the first batches. Pre-crushed grain from a shop works well. A mill pays off when you buy base malt in bulk or want to fine-tune the crush.

Sources

  1. John Palmer, How to Brew: mashing and the initial infusion equation
  2. BYO Mr. Wizard: Mash pH importance
  3. BYO: Water treatments (Campden and salts)
  4. BYO: Charged up! (electric brewing basics)
  5. Brewer’s Friend docs: Strike water
  6. American Homebrewers Association: How to brew
  7. CPSC: Holiday cooking safety (keep fryers and burners out of the garage)