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spiffy78 · 02-08-2013, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcb

Hi, lots of people do, I am on mobile so I can't point out specific posts. I use the same pot but when I went from 15 to 26g I also switched over to plate chillers.

Cool, thanks man.

What size basket do you use on your 26g kettle? Thanks for all the R&D on this, think I'll go with the 300 micron, just want to be sure it is sized right for my kettle.

**marcb** · 02-08-2013, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiffy78

Cool, thanks man.

What size basket do you use on your 26g kettle? Thanks for all the R&D on this, think I'll go with the 300 micron, just want to be sure it is sized right for my kettle.

You are very welcome, this started out as one of my 'science projects' and has worked out well! I use a 6" diameter by 14" long basket in mine and I'm very happy with it. Given your pot I would check the inside diameter of your IC and make sure that will fit, if it won't you can definitely make the basket longer to compensate for a narrower diameter. Chad can also fab you different hangers such that the basket is suspended over the middle of the kettle as opposed to hanging off the side. Let me know if you need additional measurements or pics off of my setup.

**marshallwms** · 02-09-2013, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcbaumannerb

Welcome as an official vendor Chad!

I'm going to be bottling an IIPA this weekend so in a few weeks I will know how well the hop utilization was (but based on my observations during brewing I think it will be fine.)

Just wanted to mention that I did a small batch yesterday - 3 gallons in my 8 gallon pot. It wasn't a hoppy beer, but I did use an ounce of whole hops and I was concerned that they might not be immersed enough (normally the basket hangs 2" from the bottom.) So I just set it in the bottom of the pot during the boil - and there was a full boil inside the basket. I'm guessing that the frame conducted enough heat up from the bottom of the kettle to keep the wort inside the screen hot enough to do a roiling boil.

Has anyone else tried to just set their basket on the bottom of their pot? Since normally hops just float freely in the boiling wort, why not do this all the time? I don't see where the hops would burn if indeed you get a rolling boil inside the basket. They seem tall enough that they could not tip over.

DrHops · 02-09-2013, 04:00 PM

I have tried this several times and it works great every time. I had the same end result as you, the wort boiled right though the basket without any issues.

ziggityz · 02-09-2013, 10:05 PM

Should these be ordered long enough to sit on the bottom of the kettle, or do you want the bottom of the strainer up a bit to allow boiling wort in? I was thinking of ordering the 4"x10" 300 micron. My kettle is 12" tall, and 16" diameter so I will have room for my 9 1/2" diameter IC.

**marcb** · 02-10-2013, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggityz

Should these be ordered long enough to sit on the bottom of the kettle, or do you want the bottom of the strainer up a bit to allow boiling wort in? I was thinking of ordering the 4"x10" 300 micron. My kettle is 12" tall, and 16" diameter so I will have room for my 9 1/2" diameter IC.

I'm not sure. The folks that boil it on the bottom seem to like the way that it works, mine don't reach the bottom of my kettle and I usually only do full to the brim batches so I haven't had the opportunity to try it out. I don't think it will enhance the outcome any except may cut down on the need to stir in the basket as often due to the bubbles agitating things on their way up.

**Paulgs3** · 02-11-2013, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcb

I'm not sure. The folks that boil it on the bottom seem to like the way that it works, mine don't reach the bottom of my kettle and I usually only do full to the brim batches so I haven't had the opportunity to try it out. I don't think it will enhance the outcome any except may cut down on the need to stir in the basket as often due to the bubbles agitating things on their way up.

That is my problem I believe with my spider (paint strainer bag) and my 20g blichmann; its not reaching the bottom. I tried ball bearings but the bag is simply too small. In all reality I do not want the bag to touch for obvious reasons but it hovers about halfway down.

**FATC1TY** · 02-11-2013, 01:50 PM

I found that if I leave the strainer on the bottom of my kettle, I do get the surge of bubbles agitating the basket, without the need to stir.

I have the bigger 14" on for my kettle, it won't tip if it just floats around freely.

However- I have gotten burned spots in the bottom of my kettle where the basket sits. Hops will settle and clog a bit on the bottom, and if you weight it down, the easiest way for the energy to escape is to take the path of least resistance. You'll trap some wort under it and burn it.

Have had it happen 3 times now, 1st on accident, and the other two I was experimenting.

**marcb** · 02-11-2013, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FATC1TY

I found that if I leave the strainer on the bottom of my kettle, I do get the surge of bubbles agitating the basket, without the need to stir.

I have the bigger 14" on for my kettle, it won't tip if it just floats around freely.

However- I have gotten burned spots in the bottom of my kettle where the basket sits. Hops will settle and clog a bit on the bottom, and if you weight it down, the easiest way for the energy to escape is to take the path of least resistance. You'll trap some wort under it and burn it.

Have had it happen 3 times now, 1st on accident, and the other two I was experimenting.

That was my original theory for not running it on the bottom and why I chose a shorter design. While it would be nice to not stir I find that stirring vigorously at each hop addition combines the hop pellets and wort into a nice split pea soup of hoppiness that seems to work well. I don't really see a way around burning the wort trapped in the bottom of the basket unless the bottom ring was mesh (which would diminish the strength quite a bit.)

LKHA · 02-12-2013, 02:00 AM

15.5 gal keggel do both 5 and 10gallon batches size and price to Iowa chad have used a paint bag spider in the past