Few lessons learn in first 10 gallon batch

Did my first 10 gallon batch and learned a few things I thought might be helpful for people making the same jump.

1. With a 60 minute mash, you need to start heating the 9 gallons of sparge water immediatly after getting the mash going. Especially when it under 30 degrees outside.

2. 10 gallons in a pot is moveable, but you wont be lifting and pouring it. A pump or gravity fed stand is needed. I was able to deal with it, by having a 8 gallon and a 5 gallon pot to transfer water and wort around. Definatly not ideal.

3. When you run a 20lb propane tank that hard for that long, in that cold temp, it will freeze up. Having a spare to switch to saved me.

4. My small immersion chiller doesnt really cut it for 10 gallon batches.

live and and drink

Besides the few logistical problems, the brew went well, and the blowoff was cranking away this morning.

I just did my first 10 gallon batch about 2 weeks ago and I calculated that the total weight of my kettle and boil water was about 150 lbs and that there was no way that I was moving it. I bought a new 1/2" autosiphon for the batch for faster transfer than the smaller one and so my old one could be used as a backup in case anything went wrong. I also made a new 1/2" dia 50ft immersion chiller for the batch and paired it with a paint mixer to slowly whirlpool the wort since I dont have a pump to run a Jamil Chiller.

Oh and I need to build a stand for my burner because there is not enough height when trying to siphon into my fermenters.

I weigh 140 lbs soaking wet and I lift 10-11 gallons of wort in my 20 gallon Stainless kettle from the ground to a 4' high counter top every time I brew alone! Granted, this is after I chill it down to 65F so I can just wrap my arms around the kettle and lift.

That was until I learned that siphoning the wort into the fermenter is for the birds! Now I just insert a sanitized funnel on my carboys and pour the wort in using a sanitized sauce pan which helps aerate and allows me to transfer my wort 2-3X as fast!

Well I did carry 11 gallons down the basement stairs. But with 9 gallons of 190 degree water I wasnt going to be lifting it and pouring it into the mash tun, that was allready on a table. I collected the first runnings in the 8 gallon pot. transfered the sparge water with the 4 gallon, until it was all in the mashtun, poured the 8 into the 15 then used the 8 to transfer the rest from the mashtun.

I dont think I will carry the kettle that full down the stairs again. Ill sanitize a few of my buckets and take it down that way. Being that I brew in the driveway and ferment in the basement, I have to transport it some way.

My next house is going to have a polebarn with a brew room, where all this will be in on spot.