2 kegs

So I am getting two kegs for real cheap and I plan on converting them. I was wondering if I should make one a HLT and one a boil kettle and then use a cooler as a mash tun. Or make one a mash tun and one a boil kettle and just use the boil kettle as the boil and HLT/sparge tank

Right now I have one keggle as a boil kettle and 2 cooler for HLT and mash tun. I'm planning on making another keggle for a HLT.

My big thing is I want to be able to heat my mash tun so I can step mash but I only have two kegs so would it be a problem using one as dual purpose or would it be too cumbersome

I'm pretty new to AG but that sounds like a headache to use one keggle as a boil kettle and HLT.

I just finished making a 3 vessel system using 3 kegs, my thinking was the same on heating the mash tun and I love it. Do you have a large pot that you could use for a HLT for now? You are only heating up like 8 ish gallons at a time even for 10 gallon batches.

Although the only difference is a false bottom which you could always add later and mash in something else for now.

I'd go with the boil and hlt as keggles and the mash tun as an ice chest. I have stainless kettles for HLT and Boil but still use an ice chest for mash and it has worked out well enough that upgrading my mashtun (though something I want to do) is not high priority.

theonetrueruss said:

I'd go with the boil and hlt as keggles and the mash tun as an ice chest. I have stainless kettles for HLT and Boil but still use an ice chest for mash and it has worked out well enough that upgrading my mashtun (though something I want to do) is not high priority.

Click to expand...

I was curious about how big a beer you can do in a ice chest. Does it limit you at all

simcoe26 said:

I was curious about how big a beer you can do in a ice chest. Does it limit you at all

Click to expand...

It all depends on how big of a cooler you get. See here

Lots of people are using lots of different types of coolers (all shapes and sizes) for mashing, with great success.

Personally I'd go with a cooler MLT and use your kegs for HLT and BK for now, but we all know that you'll be keeping an eye out for that third keg soon.

Also, I've done some 2 vessel brewing in the past where a single large pot served as the MLT and BK, and I used a 10gallon cooler for my MLT. It worked great!

Heat the strike water, mash in. While mashing is happening, heat the sparge water. Sparge. Transfer back to BK and boil.

If you want to just stick to 2 vessels, you could absolutely do it this way.

I just purchased two kegs that i should be getting tomorrow, after extensive reading i have decided to use them as an HLT and a BK for now because i will be using an old 150 qt cooler for my MLT that way i can make bigger beers such as a weizenbock or old ales without having to worry about running out of room in my MLT for a 10 gallon 28lb grain bill.

I use two keggles, one for hot, other for boil. I also recommend, at least to start, a cooler for your mash tun. Easy, a manifold to drain, holds temp well...

How big a beer? I use the blue ice cube cooler and can hold a ton of grain... So I can do a pretty big beer...

I want to make beers like hop stupid and optimum. Overly Hoppy beers. So some where from the 8% Tim 10% range.

Also I am leaning toward the round cooler type. Any downside to those over a rectangle cooler

Depends if you want to use a manifold or a false bottom really, both hold temp well, its really personal preference

Is one better. A manifold or false bottle. I was thinking false bottom

I have manifold in my rectangular cooler but if you are gonna use a round cooler it is easier to buy a false bottom rather than bend copper! For my keggle i will end up getting a false bottom

simcoe26 said:

I was curious about how big a beer you can do in a ice chest. Does it limit you at all

Click to expand...

My ice chest is 13 gallons and I do 5 gallon batches up to any OG I have thought of... and 10G batches of 1.07 OG. 30lbs is the most grain I have crammed into it and it worked out fine. I have done 10G batches of belgian golden strong and such as starting at 1.07 before some sugar additions puts you up to where you want to be easily.

I'm happy with it. If I bought a new chest I would try to get 60 or 72 quart chest though to give that extra space because you never know when you need 10G of barley wine.