I've been batch sparging for a while with my igloo square cooler and I'm debating a switch to a kettle with a false bottom and fly sparge. Anyone make the same switch and care to offer advice on the pros and cons?
Using kettle for mash
- Thread starter pretzelb
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I use a one-vessel system and love it. Less to clean and less to store. Then again, I live in a Manhattan apartment, so space likely plays a bigger role for me than it does for others. No particular cons, though I'm sure others have stronger opinions.
asterix404
Well-Known Member
When I was looking into this, the kettle with the false bottom, thermometer and spigot was about 350 or 400$. Both of those are required to basically do a mash tun from a kettle. I would recommend looking at a keggie MLT.
How do you have a single vessel system without doing BIAB? Where do you heat up sparge water or put the liquid coming out the mash?
How do you have a single vessel system without doing BIAB? Where do you heat up sparge water or put the liquid coming out the mash?
I cold sparge (with great results) and ferment in a sanke. I drain to the sanke, clear out the mash tun/kettle, and then transfer the liquid back in.
There are, certainly, cheaper ways to do it, but I'm pretty happy with my system. It's quite simple.
That said, I wouldn't switch just for fly sparging, though I know that some other people love it.
pretzelb
Well-Known Member
When I try to plan this in my head, the only thing I can see going awry is a mishap from being able to add more heat. With a kettle I can experiment with varying the mash temperature but that also means I could scorch the grain bed, though I'm guessing that is hard to do.
