I am ready to move to all grain brewing and I would like to begin with biab. What would be a rule of thumb for a comfortable batch size as a percentage of the pot size? Would 50 percent be reasonable? So for a 60 qt pot, would a 7.5 gallon batch size be doable? I am sure the size of the grain bill would also be important.
Comfortable blab batch size in a 60 qt pot?
- Thread starter Jackjama
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The rough rule is the pot should be double the batch size.
As for grain bill, a few extra pounds wont make a difference.
But your efficiency will drop a bit. Plus the larger grain bills are much heavier from the extra water.
15 gallon pot, 7.5 gallon batch is fine.
Most kits are 5 gallon, so you will have to design your own, and buy your own ingredients.
My suggestion is first try 5 gallon BIAB before moving up.
As for grain bill, a few extra pounds wont make a difference.
But your efficiency will drop a bit. Plus the larger grain bills are much heavier from the extra water.
15 gallon pot, 7.5 gallon batch is fine.
Most kits are 5 gallon, so you will have to design your own, and buy your own ingredients.
My suggestion is first try 5 gallon BIAB before moving up.
Hoosier-Brewer
Well-Known Member
When I bought my 62 qt Bayou Classic I did it with the intention of eventually brewing 10 gallon batches, which I read several people have done with that pot.
using the rackers calc "can I mash it"
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml/
for a 7.5 gal batch w/ 18lbs of grain and 11.5 gal strike water (2.6 qt/lb), the resultant mash is 13.1 gallons....so yes It can be done w/ room to spare.
So, I guess the rule of thumb that I use; kettle should be double batch size is relevant. A ten gallon batch w/ the same pot is borderline depending on grainbill.
For a ten gallon batch w/ 20 lbs of grain and 13 gal strike water the resultant mash volume is 14.6 gallons, so the kettle is maxed out and should yield approx. 11 gallons of wort...not really enough for a true ten gallon batch IME. So NG...kettle is somewhat limited to double batch sparge, however w/ a dunk sparge to increase preboil volume, a ten gallon batch could possibly be done w/ a 15 gal kettle.
Jackjama
Well-Known Member
Great information. I book marked the calculator. The five gallon first batch suggestion is also a good idea because it will fit me seven gallon fermenter. When i go to seven and a half gallon batches, my plan is to use two five gallon buckets. Does anybody see a problem going with two buckets for fermentation?
nope...just two buckets to clean instead of one...but two smaller containers will dissipate the heat of fermentation better...
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
I do BIAB in a 15 gallon blichman. 5 gallon batch I do single infusion and a really thin mash, no sparge. for a 10 gallon batch I do 1.5 Qt/Lb, drain the runings and do a sparge, then return all the runings to the brew kettle for the boil. Just need to drain the first runings into a fermenter to hold temporarailly while I heat the sparge water.
I've thought about a BIAB setup. I'll have to check that out.
William, at the risk of being considered a nit-picking pain in the ass...I just respectfully don't like the idea of putting unsanitary first runnings in a fermenter...I know, I realize the fermenter will be sanitized prior to use as a fermenter...but best practice is not to mix (pre / post boil) or hot and cold side equipment. Sorry, just my peeve.
Spare bucket, pot, kettle, anything but the precious fermenter. cheers!
>.For a ten gallon batch w/ 20 lbs of grain and 13 gal strike water the resultant mash volume is 14.6 gallons, so the kettle is maxed out and should yield approx. 11 gallons of wort...not really enough for a true ten gallon batch IME. So NG.
I think a 15 gallon pot can easily handle a 20 lb 10 gallon BIAB batch.
You can mash at around 2 Q/lb. So thats 40Q (10G) + the volume of the grain (less than 2 gallons).
Say you lose 2 gallons, leaving 8G.
Because BIAB may lose efficiency for higher gravities or larger grain bills, you can sparge with 3 gallons, putting you at 11.
[Just watch out for boil over]
From Boil off and kettle loss you will end up with 9.5G ...
and
...
you can add in a gallon of chilled water at the end - it will help get you to pitching temperature - and stir it in well.
You end up with two 5.25 G buckets worth of wort.
No harm in adding a gallon at the end, especially since it helps you lower the 10.5G batch a few more degrees.
I think it would be wasteful to not take advantage of your 15G kettle for 10 gallon batches.
A 20G kettle would be an unnecessary additional piece of equipment to buy.
Also, 20G Blichmann Boilermakers are not really well suited to 5G batches. The thermometer is situated way too high. (though of course it can be used that way).
I think a lot of people use 15 gallon kettles for 10 gallon batches. The only real risk is the extra chance of a boilover.
I think a 15 gallon pot can easily handle a 20 lb 10 gallon BIAB batch.
You can mash at around 2 Q/lb. So thats 40Q (10G) + the volume of the grain (less than 2 gallons).
Say you lose 2 gallons, leaving 8G.
Because BIAB may lose efficiency for higher gravities or larger grain bills, you can sparge with 3 gallons, putting you at 11.
[Just watch out for boil over]
From Boil off and kettle loss you will end up with 9.5G ...
and
...
you can add in a gallon of chilled water at the end - it will help get you to pitching temperature - and stir it in well.
You end up with two 5.25 G buckets worth of wort.
No harm in adding a gallon at the end, especially since it helps you lower the 10.5G batch a few more degrees.
I think it would be wasteful to not take advantage of your 15G kettle for 10 gallon batches.
A 20G kettle would be an unnecessary additional piece of equipment to buy.
Also, 20G Blichmann Boilermakers are not really well suited to 5G batches. The thermometer is situated way too high. (though of course it can be used that way).
I think a lot of people use 15 gallon kettles for 10 gallon batches. The only real risk is the extra chance of a boilover.
+1
I don't know if 150-155 water will kill lactobacillus and your grain will have them.
In fact, you dont even have to sparge with 168F (or 180F) water. Hot water will be good enough. You will begin the boil with the grain bag out, and can let it sit in a pot with hot water for 5 minutes.
Yes agreed, sure it can if you sparge and top up w/ water after the batch. I thought we were looking at a full volume no sparge "BIAB". cheers
>>Yes agreed, sure it can if you sparge and top up w/ water after the batch. I thought we were looking at a full volume no sparge "BIAB". cheers
You can use a 15 gallon pot for 12 gallons of wort, but because of the threat of Boil Over you may want to consider Fermcap.
You can use a 15 gallon pot for 12 gallons of wort, but because of the threat of Boil Over you may want to consider Fermcap.
djbradle
Well-Known Member
I used a 12.5 gallon pot for a starting 10 gallon boil down to 8 gallons of wort minus trub and such. I carried that pot down the stairs into my basment and set it on my soapstone sink. . . .the pot alone dry weighs 22 lbs, yea I won't try that again. I did carry it to another side of the kitchen with a mash of 17.5 pounds with a 1.5 qt/lb mash, heeeeavy!
Above all I had the 10 gallons boiling fairly vigorously over two gas stove burners so a 10 gallon batch is doable wihtout a boilover unless there are many addition of hops and dme.
Above all I had the 10 gallons boiling fairly vigorously over two gas stove burners so a 10 gallon batch is doable wihtout a boilover unless there are many addition of hops and dme.
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