New Kettle- best way to use it?

I have a new 10 Gallon Blichmann kettle with the false bottom feature for mash/lauter. My other pot is a 30qt turkey fryer pot that I have been using to brew with for about 6 months. 5 gallons batches are my interest.

I am thinking of using the Blichmann as a mash/lauter tun in a sort of BIAB method. Mashing the correct grain/volume, heating the sparge water in the turkey pot, and then adding the sparge water to the kettle. Then a drain off to the turkey pot.

I have the feeling that I am not thinking this through properly. Can anyone give some pointers on all grain with this set-up?

The way I'm reading this, it sounds like you're saying you won't be collecting multiple runnings, just adding the hot sparge water to your mash after conversion, no? In this case, it basically just serves to bring your mash up to mash-out temp. Since you have the false bottom, there's really no reason to use a bag. Really, you could use any of the popular techniques. Have you considered trying a modified fly sparge? Basically, once your mash is complete, start draining your first runnings (fairly slowly) then ladling sparge water into your mash at around the same rate it is flowing out. For a 5 gallon batch, this might take 20 minutes max, and you'll get mad efficiency. Maybe that didn't answer your question...

Thank you for helping Brulosopher!

I guess it does mean that I am trying avoid multiple runnings. And it might be because I don't have that third pot yet.

Right now, just the two pots is what I have... one for the mash/lauter tun (it's the only one big enough for the 7+ gallon boil), and one for heating the sparge water.

Maybe I just need to get the third one. I figured that the hot wort would ruin the plastic fermenting buckets or leach chemicals into the wort.

jethro55 said:

Thank you for helping Brulosopher!

I guess it does mean that I am trying avoid multiple runnings. And it might be because I don't have that third pot yet.

Right now, just the two pots is what I have... one for the mash/lauter tun (it's the only one big enough for the 7+ gallon boil), and one for heating the sparge water.

Maybe I just need to get the third one. I figured that the hot wort would ruin the plastic fermenting buckets or leach chemicals into the wort.

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Eh, I've use the same bucket on double batch brew days for the last 5 years... and I'm still alive . Go ahead and do it, you'll get better efficiency that way.

Brulosopher said:

Eh, I've use the same bucket on double batch brew days for the last 5 years... and I'm still alive . Go ahead and do it, you'll get better efficiency that way.

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OK. I need a picture. Are you saying I can drain the hot wort into the plastic bucket and then transfer to boil? I apologize up front for the ignorance.

jethro55 said:

OK. I need a picture. Are you saying I can drain the hot wort into the plastic bucket and then transfer to boil? I apologize up front for the ignorance.

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That's exactly what I'm saying

jethro55 said:

I have a new 10 Gallon Blichmann kettle with the false bottom feature for mash/laughter. My other pot is a 30qt turkey fryer pot that I have been using to brew with for about 6 months. 5 gallons batches are my interest.

I am thinking of using the Blichmann as a mash/lauter tun in a sort of BIAB method. Mashing the correct grain/volume, heating the sparge water in the turkey pot, and then adding the sparge water to the kettle. Then a drain off to the turkey pot.

I have the feeling that I am not thinking this through properly. Can anyone give some pointers on all grain with this set-up?

Click to expand...

A 10 gallon Blichmann with false bottom would be ideal for full volume, single vessel 5 gallon BIAB batches. My friend and I use a 20 gallon Blichmann with false bottom to do the same, but for 10 gallon batches. The false bottom serves no purpose during the mash but it is a great filter for break and hops when transferring to the fermenter.

Brulosopher and robcj,
You guys have given me the ideas that I needed. I'll give it a try both ways.

The ladling method for fly sparge sounds ideal.

I might not understand the BIAB method thoroughly, is there a need to remove the false bottom for the boil?... to prevent scorching of the trapped trub? It sure would be handy to just lift the grains out and proceed to boil.

Good beers to you both !

Is someone using the boilermaker with the false bottom to boil in? I'd be worried about scorching the relative small volume wort below the false bottom. Maybe it wouldn't but I am not sure.
The guy Lonny Mac who popularized the "Brutus 10" DIY brew rig has a different setup now that uses two vessels. You might look that up on his webpage as I am not very familiar with it, but recall seeing in a year or more ago.
Hot wort and plastic buckets are fine. Papazain had advocated mashing and sparing with them as a cheap mash tun.
One trick I've used and that's to put a clean muslin sack or nylon hop straining back on the end of the tube I use to run off to boil kettle to catch any particles of grain that didn't get filtered by the false bottom. Anyway, I think I'm drifting off topic now..
Enjoy your new Blichmann!
TD

BIAB, brew in a bag for a five gallon batch in a ten gallon pot is very simple! Heat 7 gallons to 160 degrees, add grain in grain bag and keep at 150 - 155 degrees for an hour, stir well, remove bag and boil wort....done!

You can either insulate your kettle with blankets during the mash, or add slight heat to maintain temperature.

TrickyDick said:

Is someone using the boilermaker with the false bottom to boil in? I'd be worried about scorching the relative small volume wort below the false bottom. Maybe it wouldn't but I am not sure.
The guy Lonny Mac who popularized the "Brutus 10" DIY brew rig has a different setup now that uses two vessels. You might look that up on his webpage as I am not very familiar with it, but recall seeing in a year or more ago.
Hot wort and plastic buckets are fine. Papazain had advocated mashing and sparing with them as a cheap mash tun.
One trick I've used and that's to put a clean muslin sack or nylon hop straining back on the end of the tube I use to run off to boil kettle to catch any particles of grain that didn't get filtered by the false bottom. Anyway, I think I'm drifting off topic now..
Enjoy your new Blichmann!
TD

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Thanks TrickyDick - I'll give Lonny Mac's set-up for Brutus 10 a lookover. I think I also read something that it won't boil correctly with false bottom installed. Maybe right from the Blichmann web site.

wilserbrewer said:

BIAB, brew in a bag for a five gallon batch in a ten gallon pot is very simple! Heat 7 gallons to 160 degrees, add grain in grain bag and keep at 150 - 155 degrees for an hour, stir well, remove bag and boil wort....done!

You can either insulate your kettle with blankets during the mash, or add slight heat to maintain temperature.

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wilserbrewer,
I did try this on a smaller 3 gallon scale with my turkey fryer pot. It works amazingly well...in the range of 70 % mash efficiency. And the hydrometer sample at bottling time was hands-down the best tasting sample I have had yet. I can't wait till it's ready to try in about 2 weeks. I am a believer in BIAB for sure.

jethro55 said:

I might not understand the BIAB method thoroughly, is there a need to remove the false bottom for the boil?... to prevent scorching of the trapped trub? It sure would be handy to just lift the grains out and proceed to boil.

Click to expand...

For BIAB, you don't need a false bottom, unless you're using whole leaf hops and plan to have it filter them out... but even then. Once you land one more kettle, you'll have a nice fly sparge setup, if ever you're interested in going that route. Until then, and if it were me, I'd simply remove the false bottom and BIAB, throw your hop pellets straight in the boil, then create a whirlpool at the end of the boil to settle your trub. Bam, done! Cheers

TrickyDick said:

Is someone using the boilermaker with the false bottom to boil in? I'd be worried about scorching the relative small volume wort below the false bottom. Maybe it wouldn't but I am not sure.

Click to expand...

My friend and I BIAB 10 gallon batches with a 20 gallon Blichmann. We mash and boil with the false bottom in place.

robcj said:

My friend and I BIAB 10 gallon batches with a 20 gallon Blichmann. We mash and boil with the false bottom in place.

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Good to know robcj. I'll give a try.

I got some more "experience" yesterday. I ran some tests for heating time versus temperature on my kitchen stove for the new 10 gallon pot and also for the 7.5 gallon turkey fryer pot. So far this has not been an issue for the partial boil extract recipes and 3 gallon BIAB batches. The simulation tests were conducted for a 12# grain batch single infusion mash per Beersmith. No grains were used for the tests, just water as spec'd by Beersmith.

I am able to get good heating rates on both. Strike temperature is reached in about 20 minutes with lids in place for the 4 1/4 gallons spec'd by Beersmith for the mash.

The sparge spec is for 5 1/2 gallons resulting in a 7.9 gallon boil. So the next test was to see how much volume that new pot can boil. Turns out that it can reach a rolling boil with the lid in place after about 90 minutes. But the boil is gone when the lid is removed. So, a full boil for a 5 gallon yield does not appear practical on this kitchen stove. And continued tests showed that the stove could not boil this pot with volume at 6 gallons (lid off).

Same tests with the turkey fryer pot show that it can boil 6 3/4 gallons without the lid. Probably will do 7 gallons. I did one BIAB batch at 6 3/4 - and things were just too close to boil over to use that as a routine.

The boiling ability difference between the pots is due to diameter. Heat loss from the surface being much less for the smaller diameter pot.

I can think of two options here.

1. Find a 9 or 10 gallon stainless steel pot with the same diameter as the turkey fryer. This lets me stay in the kitchen.

2. Step up to a burner, an additional 10 or 15 gallon pot for the boil, and move the activity to the garage and/or outside.

3. I am trying to think of an option that lets me continue temporarily with present equipment in the kitchen and allow for 5 gallon yield. Not sure if partial boil is acceptable or not. I guess I could mash more grain, limit sparge so that it gives me only 6 gallons boil volume and boil in the turkey pot. Top off water would be needed - either to the fermenter or to the boil as it boiled off below 6 gallons. Would something like this effect the final product?

jethro55 said:

I can think of two options here.

1. Find a 9 or 10 gallon stainless steel pot with the same diameter as the turkey fryer. This lets me stay in the kitchen.

2. Step up to a burner, an additional 10 or 15 gallon pot for the boil, and move the activity to the garage and/or outside.

3. I am trying to think of an option that lets me continue temporarily with present equipment in the kitchen and allow for 5 gallon yield. Not sure if partial boil is acceptable or not. I guess I could mash more grain, limit sparge so that it gives me only 6 gallons boil volume and boil in the turkey pot. Top off water would be needed - either to the fermenter or to the boil as it boiled off below 6 gallons. Would something like this effect the final product?

Click to expand...

I would recommend purchasing a burner and moving outdoors to full-volume single vessel 5 gallon BIAB batches in your 10 gallon Blichmann. Simple and effective. We use a $40 burner with a 20 gallon Blichmann to brew full-volume 10 gallon or larger batches with between 75 to 80% efficiency depending on the size of the grain bill. It is a great setup.