Hey Guys! It is about time for me to move out of the kitchen with the electric range set up and to graduate up with the big boys and start brewing outside. I want a setup that is capable of comfortably brewing 10 gallons of any kind of beer that I would have any business making.
So, I figure, using the 2011 hbt RIS recipe, that would mean I would have to be able to mash 42 lbs of grain at (1.5 qts/lb) * (1 gallon/4qt), meaning I need to be able to boil 15.75 gallons of water at once, if I want to be able to heat my mash water in one go.
Finding a chest cooler large enough to convert into a mash tun is not a problem, what I do want some advice with is with the burner and kettle.
Burner:
Obviously propane of some kind, the stand needs to be strong enough to hold 126 lbs of water and kettle without there being any risk of a structural failure. I would like a burner that could heat up 15 gallons of water to a boil in 30 minutes more or less, so I would not have to wait very long.
Kettle or Keggle:
So here is another place were I feel like their is some room for some thought, to go for a kettle or a keggle. I don't have any power tools of my own to cut the top off of a keg, so if I did it on my own, I would have to buy a hacksaw and some sanding pads to smooth it down afterwards. If I went with a kettle, I would have something that is ready made, but would cost more for a container of the same strength.
Pumps:
What kind of pumps do people normally go with around here? It needs to be something that can safely pump near boiling water from my vessel and into my mash tun.
Could someone with a similar in visioned set up give me some advice and point me in the right direction? Perhaps give me some insight on some of the pro's and cons of different choices?
So, I figure, using the 2011 hbt RIS recipe, that would mean I would have to be able to mash 42 lbs of grain at (1.5 qts/lb) * (1 gallon/4qt), meaning I need to be able to boil 15.75 gallons of water at once, if I want to be able to heat my mash water in one go.
Finding a chest cooler large enough to convert into a mash tun is not a problem, what I do want some advice with is with the burner and kettle.
Burner:
Obviously propane of some kind, the stand needs to be strong enough to hold 126 lbs of water and kettle without there being any risk of a structural failure. I would like a burner that could heat up 15 gallons of water to a boil in 30 minutes more or less, so I would not have to wait very long.
Kettle or Keggle:
So here is another place were I feel like their is some room for some thought, to go for a kettle or a keggle. I don't have any power tools of my own to cut the top off of a keg, so if I did it on my own, I would have to buy a hacksaw and some sanding pads to smooth it down afterwards. If I went with a kettle, I would have something that is ready made, but would cost more for a container of the same strength.
Pumps:
What kind of pumps do people normally go with around here? It needs to be something that can safely pump near boiling water from my vessel and into my mash tun.
Could someone with a similar in visioned set up give me some advice and point me in the right direction? Perhaps give me some insight on some of the pro's and cons of different choices?