My One Vessel AG System

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
MagicSmoker said:
Mine is going to be 11" diameter by 15" tall with a swinging handle and squeeze plate for $125 + shipping. This sounds pricey at first, but I actually expect this thing to pay for itself over time. I don't like to reuse the paint strainer filter for mashing (it's too much of a pain to try to get all of the grain out of them, I feel) and I don't trust them to not get burned or otherwise do something funny during the boil. Finally, using the BIAB filter basket during mashing *and* boiling should reduce the amount of wort volume lost to trub without requiring any tedious whirlpooling, etc. All in all, I see a significant reduction in the less fun parts of brewing as a result of this BIAB basket filter from Chad. Now, let's see if the reality is as good as my imagination :fro:

Your going to love your basket, mine works great. I couldn't get mine to work during the boil however, it would form a large air bubble underneath then burp and splash water around.
 
Your going to love your basket, mine works great. I couldn't get mine to work during the boil however, it would form a large air bubble underneath then burp and splash water around.

I've been thinking about that, as a matter of fact. The idea I came up with was to lay a couple of metal bars across the top of the basket, to keep it from rising up during the boil, but another member here suggested an even better solution (which I will just quote from the thread):

You could just use a spring clamp or two to elevate it slightly off the bottom

So, I have high hopes for this being used as both a BIAB mash filter, and a regular hops filter. Chad says he'll be making mine this weekend so hopefully I'll get to try it out on the following weekend (4/20 - should be a good brewing day :cross: )
 
Didn't work for me. Just tested with some water and I attached the basket to the side of my kettle with a vise grips. Once it got up to boil temp it would just boil under the basket and burp up around the sides. I think there's just too much resistance from that basket to get that good rolling boil to come up through it.
 
Thanks for the after-action report, wobdee, even if it isn't a positive one.

Next plan of attack is to use the BIAB filter basket to filter the wort as it poured from the BK into the fermenter. I'm bound and determined to get double use out of this thing!
 
Next plan of attack is to use the BIAB filter basket to filter the wort as it poured from the BK into the fermenter. I'm bound and determined to get double use out of this thing!

I've been thinking thru this as well, mainly as a way to filter out cold break before transfer to fermenter - mainly since I've used an immersion chiller.

Suggestion: at flameout, could you lower the basket back into the kettle - especially those whose basket is almost the same size as the kettle - prior to cooling. Might that filter out the cold break.

If you siphon from the kettle instead of draining thru a ball valve, could you lower the sanitized basket back into the kettle after cooling but prior to siphoning in order to filter out cold break and other trub?

Respectfully submitted,
Keith
 
kzimmer0817 said:
I've been thinking thru this as well, mainly as a way to filter out cold break before transfer to fermenter - mainly since I've used an immersion chiller.

Suggestion: at flameout, could you lower the basket back into the kettle - especially those whose basket is almost the same size as the kettle - prior to cooling. Might that filter out the cold break.

If you siphon from the kettle instead of draining thru a ball valve, could you lower the sanitized basket back into the kettle after cooling but prior to siphoning in order to filter out cold break and other trub?

Respectfully submitted,
Keith

I've thought about that as well but my little 4x10" basket works so well I really don't get that much trub and the little bit I do get doesn't seem to effect the flavor or clarity of my brews. I do small 2.5 gl batches so maybe returning the basket at FO may benefit people who brew larger batches?
 
....
Suggestion: at flameout, could you lower the basket back into the kettle - especially those whose basket is almost the same size as the kettle - prior to cooling. Might that filter out the cold break.

If you siphon from the kettle instead of draining thru a ball valve, could you lower the sanitized basket back into the kettle after cooling but prior to siphoning in order to filter out cold break and other trub?
...

I've successfully used my 300 micron 4 x 10 hops filter to keep hops/yeast out of the auto-siphon when racking from the fermenter to the bottling bucket. I hung the filter on the side of the bucket at the beginning of the siphoning, then after transferring about half of the beer I unhooked the filter from the side of the bucket and let it drop right onto the yeast cake (with the auto-siphon still inside the filter). The beer flowing through the siphon remained pretty clear (though this was a black IPA, so, a fairly dark beer!).

However, when I tried to use the hops filter for transferring cooled-down wort from the kettle to the fermenter, as you proposed, the filter clogged up so badly the auto-siphon would run dry. In other words, the filter works great transferring beer, even with hops and yeast in it, but doesn't work so great transferring wort.
 
It's been awhile since I posted on this thread so I just want to give a little update.

I think I have this system pretty well tuned in. I'm getting 80% efficiency on 1.050-1.060 beers and 75% efficiency on larger beers.

The mash basket has held up well with over a dozen brews so far.

The hop basket works great for smaller less hoppy beers but for anything over 2 oz I just throw the hops in the kettle and use a hop bag to strain them out when transferring to my fermenter.

Another good use I found for this basket is a yeast washer. I'll set it inside a large pitcher and strain my yeast cake through it to remove my dry hops after racking to my kegs.

The only regret I have is I wish I would of went with a 220v induction plate instead of the 1800w. I need to keep the lid partially on to maintain a good rolling boil but so far I haven't had a problem with DMS so I will continue to use it as is.
 
...Another good use I found for this basket is a yeast washer. I'll set it inside a large pitcher and strain my yeast cake through it to remove my dry hops after racking to my kegs.

The only regret I have is I wish I would of went with a 220v induction plate instead of the 1800w. I need to keep the lid partially on to maintain a good rolling boil but so far I haven't had a problem with DMS so I will continue to use it as is.

Nice and informative thread!

It's a good idea for dual purposing, but for yeast washing aren't you concerned about thorough sanitation of that basket? With all that mesh and welds there are areas that are impossible to clean or Starsan to get into. And with use that build-up gets progressively worse. I know it goes through boils, but it also spends time drying out in the open.

I hear you on the power limitation. But you have a nice setup and it is very portable.

Regarding the lid, I do stove top boils and I too need the lid on part-time (and partially) to retain a rolling boil. I think I read somewhere that the main danger of DMS precursors is the drip back of condensation that forms on the bottom of the lid. I haven't tasted any in mine, but I keep the lid off as much as I can. If those drips are the problem and can be drained off some way that would be a good solution.

As long as you have boil off, I have a good gallon of boil off per hour, DMS should be minimal. Look at commercial kettles, they are mostly covered and have a relatively small area that is (force) vented. There's a lot of dripping back there too.

Pilsner malt is more susceptible to DMS formation, so I tend to avoid using that for now.

To Skidsmint:
Something I noticed, in that video, that Chugger is running at full bore. Isn't that a little fast for a circulation mash? Doesn't it start cavitating when it runs out of supply-side wort?
 
IslandLizard said:
Nice and informative thread!

It's a good idea for dual purposing, but for yeast washing aren't you concerned about thorough sanitation of that basket? With all that mesh and welds there are areas that are impossible to clean or Starsan to get into. And with use that build-up gets progressively worse. I know it goes through boils, but it also spends time drying out in the open.

I hear you on the power limitation. But you have a nice setup and it is very portable.

Regarding the lid, I do stove top boils and I too need the lid on part-time (and partially) to retain a rolling boil. I think I read somewhere that the main danger of DMS precursors is the drip back of condensation that forms on the bottom of the lid. I haven't tasted any in mine, but I keep the lid off as much as I can. If those drips are the problem and can be drained off some way that would be a good solution.

As long as you have boil off, I have a good gallon of boil off per hour, DMS should be minimal. Look at commercial kettles, they are mostly covered and have a relatively small area that is (force) vented. There's a lot of dripping back there too.

Pilsner malt is more susceptible to DMS formation, so I tend to avoid using that for now.

To Skidsmint:
Something I noticed, in that video, that Chugger is running at full bore. Isn't that a little fast for a circulation mash? Doesn't it start cavitating when it runs out of supply-side wort?

I always worry about sanitation but so far so good. I guess I could use hop bags for dry hopping but just seems easier to use the filter.

During the boil ill place my wooden spoon across the rim and set the lid on top which gives the lid a little angle or slant so the condensation rolls off. I also lift it off once in awhile and shake it off.
 
Good thread. I wonder if using glass marbles at the bottom would decrease the bubble size? Oh yeah, and don't forget the fermcap.....never had a boilover since I started using it.
 
IslandLizard said:
Nice and informative thread!

It's a good idea for dual purposing, but for yeast washing aren't you concerned about thorough sanitation of that basket? With all that mesh and welds there are areas that are impossible to clean or Starsan to get into. And with use that build-up gets progressively worse. I know it goes through boils, but it also spends time drying out in the open.

I hear you on the power limitation. But you have a nice setup and it is very portable.

Regarding the lid, I do stove top boils and I too need the lid on part-time (and partially) to retain a rolling boil. I think I read somewhere that the main danger of DMS precursors is the drip back of condensation that forms on the bottom of the lid. I haven't tasted any in mine, but I keep the lid off as much as I can. If those drips are the problem and can be drained off some way that would be a good solution.

As long as you have boil off, I have a good gallon of boil off per hour, DMS should be minimal. Look at commercial kettles, they are mostly covered and have a relatively small area that is (force) vented. There's a lot of dripping back there too.

Pilsner malt is more susceptible to DMS formation, so I tend to avoid using that for now.

To Skidsmint:
Something I noticed, in that video, that Chugger is running at full bore. Isn't that a little fast for a circulation mash? Doesn't it start cavitating when it runs out of supply-side wort?

With the way that I designed my system, it's constantly agitating the wort and there's no cavitation. There's a tube that goes through the center of the mash that has holes throughout the tube. As the pump circulates, the wort comes out in all directions mixing the mash. Since the mash is moving all the time, the grains don't plug the screen and the wort flows freely.
 
Quick update. I'm ditching my 1800w Burton induction plate and going back to propane. It just seems like its losing power and not giving me the rolling boil it use to. I've tried insulating the kettle and it still won't boil unless i have the lid almost completely on. Maybe in the future ill look into some other electric setup.
 
Quick update. I'm ditching my 1800w Burton induction plate and going back to propane. It just seems like its losing power and not giving me the rolling boil it use to. I've tried insulating the kettle and it still won't boil unless i have the lid almost completely on. Maybe in the future ill look into some other electric setup.

Back to sniffin' fumes, eh?

I didn't need those brain cells anyway. :drunk:
 
Exhaust fan complete, brew on!



image-4163200920.jpg
 
A couple days ago I brewed my first 5 gal batch on this system, Metalhed's Cream ale. It had 9lbs of grain and called for 7 gal of water for a full volume BIAB. My kettle is only 8 gal so we decided to leave out 1 gal and add it as a sparge after mash out.

Everything went great and I just used a gal of hot tap water for the sparge pouring it over the basket with a pitcher as the basket sat on top of the kettle.

When we took the hydrometer reading we were surprised to see our gravity a full 10 points higher than we expected. Promash calculated 100% efficiency and we couldn't figure out why. I played with the numbers to see if we made some mistake but it still comes out high. Maybe it's just one of those things that happens once in awhile. I thought I might get a a few higher points by doing a sparge but not that much. I think my next batch I'll do another sparge and see what happens.
 
It's not a fluke. Sparging like you did will yield at least 5 extra points. Its my standard practice which caused me to up my default efficiency from 80 to 85% once I started doing it. Even after compensating for improved efficiency I still often overshoot my OG by a few points.
 
Another thing, you don't need to heat the sparge water. Cold water will give you the same results and provide an added benefit of cooling your grain, making it easier to handle when squeezing the last of the wort out of it.
 
My default is set at 75% with no sparge. I guess I'll up it to 80% and try a sparge with the next couple batches and see what happens.
 
This BIAB basket is exactly what I have been looking for. I have asked Chad for a quote for one including feet similar to yours to keep it above the pickup - only problem is I am in Australia so the postage might be a killer.

I want a single vessel recirculating HERMS and this is the missing link. My HERMS uses a household kettle jug with a custom coil from Gryphon Brewing (no other pots required).

Brilliant work Wobdee.
 
Hope it works out for you foles. I ended up cutting off the legs on my basket and changed out the kettle dip tube for a brass 90 elbow so it would sit closer to the bottom of the kettle. It was sitting a little high in the kettle for my liken.
 
With the added sparge and a fine crush I've been getting 90% mash efficiency. I think I have it pretty well tuned in.

I'm also going back to electric, just ordered a 3500w 220v induction plate. The propane burner worked great but I had to keep windows open to keep CO alarm from going off and that's not good when it's -20 outside.
 
Here's my new 3500w induction plate. It works great and don't even need full power to maintain a good rolling boil.ImageUploadedByHome Brew1394738937.892442.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Brewed up a Munich Dunkel and found this new thermometer is quite sensitive and drops faster than my dial thermometer. I lost mash temps at a rate of about 1 degree every 15 min. That's OK, I can just turn the burner on low for a minute or two and it brings it back to temp. I think I'll try some insulation on my kettle as well.
 
Brewed up a Munich Dunkel and found this new thermometer is quite sensitive and drops faster than my dial thermometer. I lost mash temps at a rate of about 1 degree every 15 min. That's OK, I can just turn the burner on low for a minute or two and it brings it back to temp. I think I'll try some insulation on my kettle as well.

You could try a blanket otherwise I got a roll of reflectix insulation at Menards for under $20 to wrap my keggle mash tun, we'll see how well it works on Sunday! I don't know how much I have left otherwise I'd just give it to you
 
You could try a blanket otherwise I got a roll of reflectix insulation at Menards for under $20 to wrap my keggle mash tun, we'll see how well it works on Sunday! I don't know how much I have left otherwise I'd just give it to you

Thanks, but I have some of that refleçtix as well. I'll give that a try next time
 
I am also looking into building something similar. One idea I had, would be to weld about 3-4 1x1 inch horizontal tabs(clips) on the bottom ring of the basket. Then inside the kettle install footings(brackets) that the basket would rest on. (My neighbour is a stainless welder).

My thinking is that the basket would not need feet and would not rest on the bottom of the kettle. Also, you could install some footings maybe 5-7 inches from the bottom. This would then allow you to use the basket for hops while still maintaining the rolling boil (not sure if this would work). Finally you could install some footings about an inch from the top. This would eliminate the need for the weber grill. To move from levels, lift and rotate basket to avoid hitting other footings.

One problem I could see would be scratching or cutting the screen on footings above the bottom ones. The edges would have to be smooth. Also, would those tabs be strong enough to hold the weight of 20 lbs of wet grains.

Thoughts?
 
I am also looking into building something similar. One idea I had, would be to weld about 3-4 1x1 inch horizontal tabs(clips) on the bottom ring of the basket. Then inside the kettle install footings(brackets) that the basket would rest on. (My neighbour is a stainless welder).

My thinking is that the basket would not need feet and would not rest on the bottom of the kettle. Also, you could install some footings maybe 5-7 inches from the bottom. This would then allow you to use the basket for hops while still maintaining the rolling boil (not sure if this would work). Finally you could install some footings about an inch from the top. This would eliminate the need for the weber grill. To move from levels, lift and rotate basket to avoid hitting other footings.

One problem I could see would be scratching or cutting the screen on footings above the bottom ones. The edges would have to be smooth. Also, would those tabs be strong enough to hold the weight of 20 lbs of wet grains.

Thoughts?

Not sure I understand what your proposing but I can tell you this basket prohibits a good rolling boil, it kind a jumps around and burps hot wort out the kettle, that's why I use a smaller hop basket during the boil.

I do use this basket for decoction boils and I attach it to the side with vise grips to hold it down. This keeps the burps down but the boil is mostly under the basket off to the side opposite of the vise grips. Not ideal but seems OK for my decoction method.
 
Also thinking of doing away with lifting the basket out by hand and setting on top of the grill. I'm looking into a ratchet pulley system or some kind of hoist.
 
Not sure I understand what your proposing but I can tell you this basket prohibits a good rolling boil, it kind a jumps around and burps hot wort out the kettle, that's why I use a smaller hop basket during the boil.

I do use this basket for decoction boils and I attach it to the side with vise grips to hold it down. This keeps the burps down but the boil is mostly under the basket off to the side opposite of the vise grips. Not ideal but seems OK for my decoction method.

Its a bit tough to explain. Essentially I would weld 1" angle brackets inside the kettle. I would then weld those same brackets to the basket sticking outward and matching the alignment of the brackets on the kettle. The basket brackets would rest on the kettle brackets. If you placed them at different heights in the kettle, you would have different height options where the baskets would sit.

My thought was if the basket was high enough, maybe a rolling boil would be possible while still using the basket for hop additions.

I plan on using my 15 gallon kettle.
 
Its a bit tough to explain. Essentially I would weld 1" angle brackets inside the kettle. I would then weld those same brackets to the basket sticking outward and matching the alignment of the brackets on the kettle. The basket brackets would rest on the kettle brackets. If you placed them at different heights in the kettle, you would have different height options where the baskets would sit.

My thought was if the basket was high enough, maybe a rolling boil would be possible while still using the basket for hop additions.

I plan on using my 15 gallon kettle.

OK, I get it, don't know if it will work though. It will move around on those brackets unless you have the basket secured somehow.
 
Maybe a design similar to the Braumeister where there would be a rod welded in the middle of the kettle and the basket would have a hole in the middle so you could slide it up and down and secure it at any level you want?
 
OK, I get it, don't know if it will work though. It will move around on those brackets unless you have the basket secured somehow.

The brackets on the kettle would be "U" shaped but square. This would allow the basket brackets to slide in and not move side to side.
 
Back
Top