Advice on process

i am brewing a 2 40 gallon batches stagered. The first day I will brew 40 gallons.
I am going to use a XL Immersion chiller the 50' ft one.
This is the part I wanted to run by everyone. I am using https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/2-54-barrel-s-s-conical-fermenter-build-135991/
this for the first time (i have a commercial pressure washer to clean the first time) and I think the best way to clean it the final time is to use the hot water coming out of the Immersion chiller to clean for the last time prior to pitching.

I do not have a pump so I am going to use 5 gallon bucks and carry them up the ladder. This shouldnt be a problem right?

Once I have the wort in, I will us my 02 tank to get some 02 back into it. By now the once hot fermenter should have cooled from the wort temp.

Then pitch 5 gallons of yeast.

Next day brew next batch and pitch the other 40 gallons of wort.

Does anyone see any problems with this method?

I want to make insure no little bugs gets a hold of 80 gallons.

I would take a spray bottle full of some sort of sanitizer, iodophor or starsan, and spray the entire surface just before pouring in the wort. I'd seal it up tight and let it sit until the next day. I'd pitch the yeast after both batches are in.

Just be careful with the buckets. It sounds like a great way to hurt yourself Maybe have a partner hand you the full bucket once you are already near the top of the ladder. Otherwise it sounds fine.

What are you boiling in to do a 40gal batch?

Oh and I'm curious how a 50ft immersion chiller is going to cool 40gallons of boiling hot wort. Either you are doing 4 ten gallon batches, or you know something I don't know! A 50 ft chiller would get lost in that much beer it seems to me.

Yeah the immersion chiller is what I am a little concerned about too. It says its good for 20 gallon boils. So hey why not double it what could happen
No really what could happen?
I am using a 55 gallon drum to boil in.
The starter for this is 17 gallons according to Mr. Malty. I just dont see that happening so I am going to pitch in the first batch (from great advice here) and then let it take off fermenting then add the second wort.

bumpin it up baby

are you using a single 50 ft immersion chiller to try to chill a 40G batch?

nealf said:

are you using a single 50 ft immersion chiller to try to chill a 40G batch?

Click to expand...

yes. water temp is 64.

No offense, but it seems kind of crazy to be basically winging it with such a huge (expensive) batch. Under pitching, buckets, undersized ic...

Cross your fingers.

HokieBrewer said:

No offense, but it seems kind of crazy to be basically winging it with such a huge (expensive) batch. Under pitching, buckets, undersized ic...

Cross your fingers.

Click to expand...

None taken. I dont believe I am underpitching.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cold_Steel
Now that is a thought! My kettle is 55 gallons so I was going to do 2 brews. If i stager the brew session say a week apart or maybe 3 days I could get away with a 7 gallon starter. Right?
Would that cause problems with head space or contamination when I add the next batch?

Don't need to be 3 days apart; you only need enough time for high krausen, 12-24 hours, at which point the yeast will achieve a saturation concentration in the wort. So adding the fresh wort will cause one more generation of yeast which will take only about 2 hours to occur.

I would pitch 5 gallon starter into 40 gallons. That is <10x which is fine. Pitching 2 2L starters into 5 gal mitigates sanitation there so assuming you build from two packs, and sanitiation is good your yeast will be VERY pure.

Hopefully you have some inline oxygenation system so the fresh wort will be oxygenated. This will also help.

From a sanitation standpoint the step method is superior to a single fermentation because you only have half the wort in the fermenter during the lag phase as opposed to all of it, so the resulting yeast can be re-pitched into subsequent batches with confidence.

the bucket, yeah i would like to have a pump but i dont. I dont thinks its a big deal. I worry about little bugs the most

I'd go and get a pump if I where you.

Are you doing this out side? if so there are a lot of uncontrollable factors like wind an dust that by making 5+ trips with a bucket and pouring it in to the fremanter are key places to get a contaminate x5.

you might want to consider cooling the wort to 160ºF then transferring it, at least at that temp the positive pressure from the heat of the wort will keep stuff from falling in, and kill most stuff that does get in. It might take a couple days to cool to pitching temps though.

No it will be inside.
this
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/medium/IMG_2860.JPG

March pump and tubing, $150.

Spoiled 80 gallons, worthless...

Waiting for pics.

Ok so what are the odds things are going to go well? Just the odds.

I admire you for trying, probably you wont have a problem. I think it good you have an enclosed space you are working in. so thats one plus. I think you will learn a lot, and you might have problems with this big experiment, but it should work out, people have been brewing for centuries with out the equipment we have available.