Keggle for BIAB and future in HERMS

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.

Beernik

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
4,193
Reaction score
1,011
Location
Camano Island, WA
My long term plan is to build a traditional three vessel HERMS, mainly because I want to take as much of the heavy lifting out of my brew day as possible. But building the HERMS is going to be a slow, long term process.

By "slow, long term" I mean I wanted to start on it last year and I'm only just barely getting to it. It may be a few years before I get it complete.

In the meantime, I want to use the keggle for BIAB so I can do 8 to 10 gallon batches. So I'm trying to decide what modifications I need to make to the keggle for BIAB and have them be compatible with a future as the mash tun for a HERMS.

I also have a weldless SS ball valve with a bazooka screen that I've been using on my cooler mash tun that I can use for this job.

I am thinking of installing the ball valve with bazooka screen and a 6" thermowell into the keggle. I would use a dial or digital thermometer in the thermowell right now. In the future, I would put a temperature probe in it for monitoring mash temps.

I'm also thinking of installing a port in the top so I can add a pump and recirculation arm to it. It's probably not necessary at this time but it works with the long term plan.

As far as taking the bag out, I've used a ladder as an A-frame when frying turkeys. But for this, I've been thinking of building a box frame with slotted angle iron and mounting a small hand winch or pully on it for pulling the bag. 25lbs of soggy grains is heavier than the turkeys I fry. I want to let the winch/pully do the work for me.

When I start building the single tier frame for the HERMS, I can canibalize some of the angle iron for it.

A couple questions I have:

1) Will this plan work?
2) Am I fine with the bazooka screen for now or should I get a false bottom now? The long term plan is for the bazooka screen to end up in the BK, where I'm only dealing with trub.
3) How high should I install the ball valve and thermowell?
4) Do I need a sight glass at this time? I don't think I do.
5) Would I be better off with a shorter thermowell?
6) Would I be better off skipping the thermowell and installing a thermometer port instead?

Thanks.
 
I would suggest making the opening in the top of the keggle as large as possible for BIAB.

I would not bother with a kettle mounted thermometer, but prefer to use a simple hand held digital that you can move around the mash and check for hot and cold spots.

For lifting the bag, I feel a ratchet pulley works well. For large grain bills, it helps to raise the bag slowly and let it drain as it comes out of the pot, resulting in lifting less wort and just the grain.

False bottom and braid not required IMO.

Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/
 
I cut an ~11 inch diameter hole in it. That left a ~2.25 inch lip around it. I can grind it down more but it would be a PITA and I'm not sure it's worth it. How short of a lip do you recommend?

I know the thermometer mount and false bottom aren't necessary now. But it is part of the long term plan. I was thinking of the bazooka screen now as a trub/hop filter.

I was going to stir the mash to avoid hot and cold spots until I get the recirculation set up.
 
Back
Top