Way, way, way over the top Sam Adams Utopia clone - #2

Ok, I'm trying to work out the logistics of brewing this beast given what we have for equipment.

We will have on hand the following.

2 15.5 gal sanke kegs with false bottoms
2 12.5 gallon kegs
2 rubbermaid-type mash tuns/

4 burners.

Here are a few realities learned last year.

Last years recipies (87 # of grain in total) maxed out the two 15.5 gallon keggles we used as mash tuns.

I've mashed 17.5 # of grain in my rubbermaid and it was pretty close to maxed out.

Chris says his rubbermaid can hold 30 # max.

This years recipe has been modified and now consist of 112.5 # of assorted grains. We need to split that up within the 4 mash tuns.

If we put 35 # in each keggle (at 1.5 qt's/# we need 52.5 qts to mash in, or 13.1 gallons. Gonna have to use less strike water.) that will eat up 70 of the 112.5 lbs of grain. We should be able to squeeze in 27 lbs in Chris's MT and 15 in mine. That eats up all the grain.

OK how about 37/37/25/13.5? Now, if we drop the strike water to 1.25 qt/# we'll have
37 X 1.25 = 46.25 qt's in each keggle (11.6 gallons per keggle)

25# X 1.25 = 31.25 qt's (7.8 gallons in the larger rubbermaid)

13.5# X 1.25 = 16.9 qt's (4.25 gallons in the smaller rubbermaid)

That means we need 35.25 gallons of strike water out of which we might get 20 +/- into the kettles. Do that again to sparge and we should end up with 40 odd gallons that we'll need to boil down. I think that is going to be very dependant on what we get for gravity readings off the first runnings.

Ok, I need to leave this alone for a while. Discuss amoung yourselves.

PTN

Paul the raised bottom keggles are both yours, and they are both 15.5 gallons? and you have a 12.5 gallon? I have a 12.5 and 15.5 with no raised bottom.... Those are 2 brew pots and two hot water tanks atleast....

Now Looking at this further, 1.25 per pound sounds better. I think we can do this pretty easily. And we will be boiling down only 40 gallons. Thats not so bad as compared to 52 gallons I was getting... WIth 1.25 and a 20 gallong batch sparge we get 44gallons to boil down to 14 at a 6 hour boil with a hopeful loss of 5 gallons an hour.

I need to stand around in a garage with you for 6 f'ing hours???

(Note to self...I better throw my sleeping bag in the back of the truck, I'll be in no condition to drive home after consuming enough alcohol to make that tolerable.)

actually its more like 10..... Heating water, mashing, sparging, boiling and chilling....

If we dump out the mash tuns and do a couple of quick cleanups we can get 4 keegles going for the boil.

(And I stand a better chance of not getting brought up on manslaughter charges.)

PTN

Maybe I can talk Alice into writing me a script for Ativan.

PTN

Maybe I can talk LeeAnne into sharing hers?

You still didn't answer my question about the number of keggles we will be using

Yes, I have three, the two 15.5's with false bottoms and a 12.5 without. I forgot that you have the two, I aways get confused when I look at your brew sculpture.

So we use the two 12's and your 15.5 as brew kettles to get started and quickly wash out one of mine.

With 4 keggles banging away we should be able to boil off large volumes rapidly. We shoud kimchee rig a couple of plywood sheilds to help contain the heat and direct it upwards, sort of like the one I use as a wind sheild.

Or we place all the burners alongside the outside wall and just use a few longer pieces. It only needs to be about as tall as the top of the burners. hey, do you have any cinder blocks?

GREAT!!! Yeah I get confused when I look at my sculpture too... Its being redone next weekend. I'm taking off the top level since I use the pump now anyway...

I have some patio bricks (12x12) but only a few... but I won't need them for my 2 burners and kegs as they fit perfectly with little heat loss. I can get a mash boiling before the batch sparge is done draining. Remember to fill the tanks of propane!!! I have 3 tanks 1 full 1 half full and one empty... I will get them both filled.

Four weeks till the big day.

Now we need to decide about the second most important part of the day, what are we eating? I'd offer to do the turducken thing again but that was definately a once a year project. Maybe I'll make a big batch of my High Steppin' Chili. That stuff definately warms you up. (Oh wait, there will be open flames. Maybe that's not such a great idea.)

PTN

I may have a source for a few smoked pork butts. I will let you know. I don't have time to cook em ( I get back from England the Tuesday before the brew) , but I will buy em.

Ohhhhh, Ohhhhh, Ohhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had a stroke of genius! Burns Day is 2 days after our brew day. We should make a Hagggis!!!!

PTN

As of right now I plan on making this brew day but I just accepted a job offer this week and am going to be sent to Florida for training. I think its going to be the week of the 17th but I'll find out the details on Monday. If you guys need to borrow any brew gear let me know. Ya know, an extra propane tank, rice hulls, etc...

We should be ok with the gear we have Marc but thanks.



You don't happen to know were we can get a freshly slaughtered sheeps heart, lungs and liver, do you?

Tell us about the new job. You go from injured and no work for a year to the most marketable guy around. You gotta be doing something right.

PTN

paulthenurse said:

You don't happen to know were we can get a freshly slaughtered sheeps heart, lungs and liver, do you

PTN

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Well first you get a sheep.....probably need a kilt to keep it authentic. Use yeagers garage as a primitive sheep vital organ extraction facility. I saw the turducken thread so this should be a walk in the park

A year? I wish. Try 3. This was job application #224 since last December after wrapping up my workers comp case. Yeah I kept a job application log; I'm kind of a dork. Anyways, its not the best job but its full time and better than what I'm doing now. I'll be working in Dispatch and Operations in a distribution center for a company that sells high end gym equipment. If all goes well and I'm still there in a year it should lead to a operations manager position.

Oh and a sheep's heart, lungs and liver??? Hmm... there's a couple butcher shops around. There's one in East Bridgewater and one on Rt 18 in Weymouth. I haven't been to either of them but I've heard good things about the one in E.B.

jppostKW said:

Well first you get a sheep.....

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That's why I asked DWWO.

PTN

paulthenurse said:

That's why I asked DWWO.

PTN

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Because of previous sheep handling abilties?

DrinksWellWithOthers said:

A year? I wish. Try 3. This was job application #224 since last December after wrapping up my workers comp case. Yeah I kept a job application log; I'm kind of a dork. Anyways, its not the best job but its full time and better than what I'm doing now. I'll be working in Dispatch and Operations in a distribution center for a company that sells high end gym equipment. If all goes well and I'm still there in a year it should lead to a operations manager position.

Oh and a sheep's heart, lungs and liver??? Hmm... there's a couple butcher shops around. There's one in East Bridgewater and one on Rt 18 in Weymouth. I haven't been to either of them but I've heard good things about the one in E.B.

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Well, good luck. I've hired and fired dozens of people over the years and I would hire you, you are a quick study, work hard and have a good attitude. Somebody will recognize that and give you an opportunity.

Do you know the name of the place in EB? Or what road it's on? I need to head down that way this week to get some fresh milk.

PTN

jppostKW said:

Because of previous sheep handling abilties?

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He got mad skilz!

Jebus H Chripes! I'm in another sig?

Yea cuz not everyone can be a Da Vinci with safety scissors when it comes to analogys that get straight to the point

paulthenurse said:

Do you know the name of the place in EB? Or what road it's on? I need to head down that way this week to get some fresh milk.

PTN

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Crocetti's Oakdale Packing Co.
378 Pleasant St, E. Bridgewater
(508) 587-0035

It's probably 5 minutes from E.B. center. Not sure if sheep heart and lungs is something they deal with on a daily basis so I'd give them a call first.

jppostKW said:

Yea cuz not everyone can be a Da Vinci with safety scissors when it comes to analogys that get straight to the point

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That's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

I'm tearing up.

PTN

DrinksWellWithOthers said:

Crocetti's Oakdale Packing Co.
378 Pleasant St, E. Bridgewater
(508) 587-0035

It's probably 5 minutes from E.B. center. Not sure if sheep heart and lungs is something they deal with on a daily basis so I'd give them a call first.

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Just sent thme an e-mail. I hope they don't hurt themself laughing when they read it.

PTN

The talk of haggis seems to have brought this thread to a screeching halt. WUWT?

PTN

Anyway lets bring it back to beer.

When have our threads ever had more than a smattering of on topic beer talk in them? Don't go trying to make yourself look all Mr On Topic. Don't make me bring up McKenzie and the Michilin Man sweater.

PTN

test runs on equipment went well today. new keggle and tun for cuinrearview only had a snafu with the cooling from the 10*F temps today. my new polarware and 10g tun only had a volume/boil-off issue.

So the menu for the day is shaping up to go with the beer everyone will bring!!
Paul is bringing chilli
I am making Clam chowda

DWWO: Can we use your burner? It looks like it we may be helped along with 4 instead of 3 burners for the boil.

yeager1977 said:

DWWO: Can we use your burner? It looks like it we may be helped along with 4 instead of 3 burners for the boil.

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Sure, not a problem.

yeager1977 said:

So the menu for the day is shaping up to go with the beer everyone will bring!!
Paul is bringing chilli
I am making Clam chowda

Click to expand...

Don't forget the Haggis. I got an e-mail back from that butcher shop Marc steered me to and he directed me to some dude who sells sheep guts out of the back of his pickup on the side of Rt 138 in Raynham. I bet his business will be booming as Burns Day approaches.


Hey Marc, you live in Raynham, right?

This is starting to get a little weird.

PTN

ok thats scary. Whats the real story? ANd DWWO thanks! You get a bottle!