Okay so here shortly I am going to go to all grain. I have converted a 10 gallon cooler into my lauter tun. I am planning on using my 16qt stainless steel pot for heating up my striking water and sparge water. My question is this. Have any of you bought a turkey fryer w/ 30 qt aluminum pot and used that for your full boils? I live in texas so in the summer ill be doing this in the garage so it will be pretty warm. I know most of the fryers have a btu rating of about 35,000. Also, planning on building an wort chiller, any ideas as to what to coil it around to form it? Thanks guys!!!:rockin:
AG full boil w/ turkey fryer?
- Thread starter Runyanka
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hammer one
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Turkey fryers are the cheapest way to a full boil. Remember to build a oxide layer before you do your first boil.
Sumo
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I use one everytime I brew. It works great. Mine was a cheap made in china brand. I bought it on craigslist brand new, never been opened for 25 bucks. I love it. That pot works well on the stove top too. The heat transfer is great. As for the chiller coil. I use a corny keg as a mold.
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Runyanka
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And how is this accomplished? Do i boil something other than wort in it prior to use?
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Runyanka
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Are you talking about the isluation with the "heat barrier" aluminum covering the batting? This is a good idea, I was also looking into this radiant barrier stuff that I wrapped my hot water heater in this winter.
TeufelBrew
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I have the Bayou classic 30qt aluminum pot and burner. Haven't had to do any modifications to help it reach or maintain full boil. Even in 17F weather on last brew day, it got to boil and stayed with no problems at all. I think there are pics in my gallery of my brew setup. It works, well.
With that said, be VERY careful of boilovers in a 30qt pot for 5gal batches. You start with more than 5gal of wort and boil it down. I have a fan trained on the top of my pot and a squirt bottle of filtered water on hand.
Have you developed some way to control fermentation temps? Getting those dialed in and controlled will help no mater what method you use to make wort.
For your wort chiller, an easy way is to wrap around a corny keg. Search the sight with the drop down menu at the top or head to the equpiment section and look at all the pic's in DIY there. Things you haven't even dreamed of yet and folks are making them and doing show & tell in that forum.
With that said, be VERY careful of boilovers in a 30qt pot for 5gal batches. You start with more than 5gal of wort and boil it down. I have a fan trained on the top of my pot and a squirt bottle of filtered water on hand.
Have you developed some way to control fermentation temps? Getting those dialed in and controlled will help no mater what method you use to make wort.
For your wort chiller, an easy way is to wrap around a corny keg. Search the sight with the drop down menu at the top or head to the equpiment section and look at all the pic's in DIY there. Things you haven't even dreamed of yet and folks are making them and doing show & tell in that forum.
JoeMama
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Yessir - thats exactly what I use for my pot. But like I said, make sure you wrap the edges with flashing tape (aluminum tape) otherwise that stuff will burrrrrrrrrrn. Ive had some nasty (interesting) outdoor fires before I did that and had to reinsulate my pot.
-Me
JoeMama
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Just boil some water in it first to get that nice 'whitish film' on it. You will be good to go then!
-Me
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Runyanka
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Yeah usually dont you start out with about 6.5 gallons of wort and boil it down to 5 gallons? I guess that only leaves a gallon of head room. Also, is it hard to control the temps on the turkey fryers, I noticed most of them come with a long thermometer, which is a bonus. Also, do they use alot of propane for doing full boils, eg. boiling striking water, sparge water, and then full boil?
TeufelBrew
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I'm usually at around 7gal for 60min boil. Gives me about 5.5 into fermenter and a solid 5 into keg. That's why I'm really careful about the fan and water to dissipate heat when it reaches full boil. Remedied that just a week ago, found 15gal Polarware with therm, SS spigot, false bottom, Bayou Classic SQ14 burner and a Schirron plate chiller for $200 on CL
Temp control for what? Unless your are direct fireing your mash, you don't need to do anything but bring the wort to a boil then keep it there. You can adjust the flame with control on your regulator that will work for everything you need. All you need to be specific on is the mash in and sparge temps. The included thermometer should work for that.
I have 2 tanks on hand, when one empties I switch and fill the empty, that day, no loligaging, DO IT NOW. Forgetting and not having propane SUCKS!
Otherwise, I've done 4 batches on current tank and it's not empty yet. Average 6 without even thinking about the spare, even with some 90min boils in there.
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Runyanka
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TeufelBrew
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Fire that mother up and get to the temp you want, turn it down to low flame and load your water into mash tun. If you have cooked with gas stove top, it's the same thing, very rapid response to changes in the gas control.
Best advice is to read what you can and absorb what will go in at the time. Look at equipment and see what you can envision working in your space. Then go try it. Surprisingly, even mistakes can make damned good beer.
ibrewdou
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HA! even mistakes making damn good beer, I can testify to that
flyangler18
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FermcapS FTW. Trust me.
BeerPressure
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I also use the bayou classic with 10PSI regulator and it works great. The only thing i've done was gotten a bigger kettle since I had problems with boil overs.
Even when brewing in 15F weather it gets to a boil quickly.
Even when brewing in 15F weather it gets to a boil quickly.
Yankeehillbrewer
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I have the same 30qt setup, but if I could do it over again I would. If I were you, I would get at least a 10 gallon pot, and a Banjo burner. Considering,of course, that you have the funds to do so.
All the boil overs are getting old. The burner is pretty good though, i can get a nice boil going. I would also suggest not using the Thermometer that comes with the Turkey Fryer. They don't measure acurately at the temps we use. You should use the same Thermometer for everything to ensure your consistent.
All the boil overs are getting old. The burner is pretty good though, i can get a nice boil going. I would also suggest not using the Thermometer that comes with the Turkey Fryer. They don't measure acurately at the temps we use. You should use the same Thermometer for everything to ensure your consistent.
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