So I had recently acquired everything I needed to upgrade to an all grain system. Then on Monday evening I found a 8 gallon morebeer better kettle on Craigslist with a high pressure burner and wort chiller for 120 dollars. Naturally, I couldn't pass this up. The kettle alone was worth it. My question is should I make this into my mashtune or use a 12 gallon ice chest. For my hot liquid tank I have a 8 gallon aluminum turkey fryer kettle. I don't want to start the aluminum debate. So I guess my real question is what would be best for the mashtune, the ice chest or morebeer kettle. What would yield better results? Oh, my main kettle is another morebeer better kettle so I'm good there. Thanks in advance.
All grain set up decisions
- Thread starter Mobeers
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TheOnionKnight
Active Member
How big is your main BK? I would use that new kettle and burner you scored as the HLT. Install a sight glass on it and you're good to go. Then use the 12 gallon cooler as your MLT.
jhall4
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's really fair to ask the question "what's going to yield better results"
It's possible to get great results with absolute crap equipment. It's also possible to get crap beer with great equipment.
The question to answer is what is going to fit your brewing style better.
There are trade offs with every piece of equipment. In this case, are you the type of brewer that wants a more granular control of your mash temperature or are you the one who wants to RDWHAHB and just let your mash sit for an hour? Either way you can brew some great beers, both are capable of yielding great results so make the choice you think is better for you.
It's possible to get great results with absolute crap equipment. It's also possible to get crap beer with great equipment.
The question to answer is what is going to fit your brewing style better.
There are trade offs with every piece of equipment. In this case, are you the type of brewer that wants a more granular control of your mash temperature or are you the one who wants to RDWHAHB and just let your mash sit for an hour? Either way you can brew some great beers, both are capable of yielding great results so make the choice you think is better for you.
jeepinjeepin
Well-Known Member
I can't imagine trying to maintain a steady mash temperature in a metal pot, aluminum or stainless, without an automated RIMS or HERMS system. Use the cooler for MLT.
Mobeers
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I don't have a RIMS or HERMS so i guess I'll go with the cooler and save the aluminum pot until I can make the RIMS system. I was just wondering if one way was better or not. As far as the cooler goes, I have a 12 gallon and 8 gallon. H 12 gallon is bigger obviously but my concern is spreading the grain bed out to much and making it to thin when i drain the mash or is this not a if concern? Thanks!
jhall4
Well-Known Member
Are you batch sparging or fly sparging?
jeepinjeepin
Well-Known Member
Mobeers said:
I assume you are making 5 gallon batches. What is a high gravity beer for you. That determines how much MLT volume you need. An 8 gallon should be big enough but a 12 gallon would let you make bigger beers and even lower gravity 10 gallon batches.
Mobeers
Well-Known Member
The highest I go is around 8 for IPAs and yes it is five gallon batches. I had read in palmers book that you want around 3-4 inches of grain bed in a mash tune and with most of the brewing I would be doing I don't think I will achieve this, it will be around 2-3 inches deep. Is this a concern?
jeepinjeepin
Well-Known Member
Ok, you should be fine with the 8 gallon. You could still use the 12 gallon as a HLT.
Have a look here. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/
Have a look here. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/
jhall4
Well-Known Member
For batch sparging it doesn't really matter. It's possible to get too thin and not get enough of a filter bed going as you drain, but it's no where near as critical as when you fly sparge...
Why do you think you'd want to switch? After batch sparging 427 batches, I'm more sure than ever that I don't want to fly sparge.
John is talkling about fly sparging. That advice has no bearing on batch sparging.
Mobeers
Well-Known Member
Ok so let me get this straight. To batch spare, you simply dump/transfer all of the mashed liquids into the boil kettle at one time? This would make my concern null and void which is a good problem, I think. And the quality and efficiency of my brews won't be affected?
No effect on quality at all, other than reduced risk of tannin extraction compared to fly sparging. After your mash rest, you comletely drain the mash tun into the kettle. Then you stir in all your sparge water at once, vorlauf, then drain that into the kettle. That's it! See my webpage for details.
+1 on the batch sparge!
jhall4
Well-Known Member
Kind of... You still lauter out the wort.
The difference is in how you add the water.
When you're fly sparging, you add it constantly while you're lautering. When you batch sparge, you lauter the first runnings. Add sparge water. Lauter second runnings. Possibly add more sparge water and lauter 3rd runnings. I don't think it's common to go much beyond that.
So you're not really doing it all at once. As far as efficiency goes. No, not really. As with everything, sparging can be executed well or it can be executed poorly. With either fly or batch sparging, it's all about perfecting your technique which will yield good efficiencies with either method.
I mash in a converted keg with a lid from one of my boil kettles and a ratty old blanket draped over. I generally lose 3 degrees in 90 minutes--less if the tun has a lot of grain in it, more if it's cold (<60) outside. An aluminum MLT would definitely lose a little more, but then I am not very conscientious with the ratty blanket. One could definitely do a better insulation job.
I am paranoid about mashing in plastic, plus I got a screamin' deal on some old guy's converted kegs, otherwise I wouldn't have parted with the $$$ for a stainless MLT.
Don't let concerns about temp loss enter into your decision unless you frequently brew with a coat on.
Don't let paranoia scare you from using a cooler. They're made of HDPE and I've never been able to find any health risks associated with it.
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