Noob_Brewer
Well-Known Member
lol yeah I was thinking 0.030 but obviously put in a "gravity" reading instead. Brain and hand-typing not in sync on that one.
I mill once at .035, don't use a brew bag, I recirculate and have excellent efficiency since I started lifting the basket out two times during the mash. I also use a very accurate temperature probe to check the actual mash bed temp after stirring the top third of the grain bed. I have found that if I want the mash bed temp to be 152, I have to set the Anvil at about 157.Digging this up from the archives, got a few questions for y'all, especially if you are using a brew bag:
1. Do you constantly recirculate throughout the mash? I want to say that not recirculating for most of the mash has given me better numbers. Then again, a stream of wort strain down probably isn't a good recirculation system, thinking about a spray valve.
2. Spray valve worth it?
3. Do you double mill your grains? I used to do this with BIAB kettle, but just stopped with the Foundry basket, but I have a bag now so I should probably get back to a double mill setting.
Im against the spray valve personally. I switched from the recirculation disc long ago in favor of putting Locline through the lid and the wort exists below the wort line to avoid splashing. I have a TC connection on top of my lid to accommodate this. As far as recirculating goes, I start recirculating until about 12minutes after doughing in to let the grains settle. Seems to work well overall. For crush, given you are using a bag, I've been going with 1.030" using a cereal killer. Definitely get some flour but it converts very well. I honestly don't understand double crushing. If the mill setting doesn't change, what are you gaining with the second pass?
Cheers!
SL, most of the folks using the lockline are using the regular stuff for the wart return below the wart level in order to reduce the splashing, ie. oxi ingress. I have used a short piece of 1/2 inch tubing attached to the hook think that comes with the recirc setup, it works. Recently I have stopped recircing and haven't noticed any real change. I will usually do a dunk sparge and get 75-85% efficiency.Very nice, appreciate the responses, everyone!
Can I bug you to PM me your Locline setup pics? Do you perforate it for additional sparge water exit points?
This one looks pretty sweet. Loc-Line - 51837 Coolant Hose Circle Flow Nozzle Kit, 16 Piece, 1/2" Hose ID: Cutting Tool Coolants: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
I use this in my lid Mash Recirculation Return and/or Sparge Kit (locline) TC x BLQD with a TC bulkhead that I also got from Bobby_M.Very nice, appreciate the responses, everyone!
Can I bug you to PM me your Locline setup pics? Do you perforate it for additional sparge water exit points?
This one looks pretty sweet. Loc-Line - 51837 Coolant Hose Circle Flow Nozzle Kit, 16 Piece, 1/2" Hose ID: Cutting Tool Coolants: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
Yeah… tried that and my youngest just won’t let it happen (he’s almost two). Just getting the water started while they were around I had to fish a toy out of it, clean up about a gallon of water because he turned the spigot on, had grain thrown in my face as I milled it (twice), and nearly knocked the entire thing over trying to look inside. He’s a tornado and my wife has basically said I can’t do that again.@aceluby - Stating the obvious here, use the timer to get the water heated up so as soon as the kids are in bed you can get started. Or do what I do (I time mine with my kid getting out of the house on the bus since I tend to brew in the AM) and actually mash in about an hour before the time you are truly "free". They can get a kick out of helping (mine's 6 years old) pour in the grain and stirring. After that you can still do stuff with them while the grain sits there converting in the hot water. You might still get a chance or two to come back and stir / lift and lower the basket to get it all merged in. Once they are in bed / out of the house is when you can remove the grain and start boiling.
Also of course get stuff set up the night before. Equipment out, water in the Anvil, minerals added, grain milled, and so on. So that the next night you are just going right to it.
Im on 240V with the 10.5gal. I boil at 87% and get about 0.75gal of boil off. mid-high 80s is a solid boil with minimal issues with boil overs/foaming. I've never gotten 1 gallon boil off in 60min boil but then again, I haven't boiled at 100% throughout the boil either.For those with a 10.5, being used on 240V, what % power are you using to hit approximately 1 gallon of boil off per hour? Assuming you're doing a roughly 5 gallon batch.
I'm determined to get 240V installed in my garage (vs. the current 120V) and am just getting ahead here. I'll do my own dry run with just water but would appreciate a target to start off with.
I'm on 240V with the 10.5 gal. I boil at 90% and get about 1.0 gal of boil off with a solid boil and no issues with boil overs/foaming.For those with a 10.5, being used on 240V, what % power are you using to hit approximately 1 gallon of boil off per hour? Assuming you're doing a roughly 5 gallon batch.
I'm determined to get 240V installed in my garage (vs. the current 120V) and am just getting ahead here. I'll do my own dry run with just water but would appreciate a target to start off with.
hah, this is pretty awesome to see. same exact set up as mine, but I haven't done anything over 14#.After conversing with @tracer bullet in another thread related to conversion efficiency on these AIO systems, I thought it would be good to post this here.
Well, I think Ive reached my limit for what I can do with the 10.5g foundry lol. Today I did my 3rd imperial stout on this system. For those of you who haven't seen, I ditched the malt pipe long ago for all my beers but it is necessary for these big beers. I use a brewzilla false bottom with a bag from wilserbrewer that was fitted to the kettle itself, not the malt-pipe. For beers that I need to sparge, like these imperial stouts, I drain the wort to a second vessel and "manually fly sparge" one quart at a time so that there is some liquid on top of the grain bed throughout the sparge. Not perfect, but it works. Nevertheless, I think I've reached the point of diminishing returns by pushing this system to its max.
1st Stout: 21.75 pounds (20.75lbs grain and 1lb rice hulls), and got 97% conversion efficiency and 80% mash lauter efficiency after mashing for 90minutes with a 2.5gal sparge. OG was 1.092.
2nd Stout: 25 pounds (24 lbs grain + 1lb rice hulls), and got 94% conversion efficiency and ~73% mash lauter efficiency. Same mashing and sparging as above. OG was 1.100.
3rd Stout (today): 25.75pounts (24.75lbs grain + 1lb rice hulls), and got 94% conversion efficiency and 71.7% mash lauter efficiency. Same mashing and sparge as above. OG was 1.102.
Hindsight is 20/20 lol: Today, I should have stirred the mash once more about 1hr into the mash to maximize conversion efficiency but didn't. Also, today I used a new pump which has more suction than the anvil pump. Combined that with this big grain bill, I didn't get a good lauter as I noticed the pump run dry but with sparge water still on top of the grain bed. Essentially I created a lil vaccuum and the sparge got stuck. Yes, I ran the pump VERY slowly but this didn't matter. SO not all the water ran through the grain bed (which is tall and narrow on this system) and I had to raise the bag a little earlier than I wanted. You can also see that my "vacuum comment" was likely right as the false bottom was starting to collapse.
So with all of these beers, I used a 2hr boil as well to help reach these gravities and I haven't used DME or any boil sugars/syrups in any of them. In the end, Im still happy with the outcome despite not hitting my numbers today like I was expecting due to the issues explained above. This system, with some modifications, can handle large grain bills and TBH anything 1.100+ is a big feat for a 10.5gallon foundry.
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So I bought a standard true weldless TC bulkhead from Bobby a long while ago so that I could recirculate through the lid with Locline on the inside allowing me to skip the Recirculation disc all together. Works great. Just remove the anvil lid handle and the bulkhead fits perfectly with no drilling needed. I imagine if @youngdh wanted to fabricate a lid handle that has a TC connection it would work....although it might go down as the most expensive lid handle in history lol.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15wlf.htm
I use this in my lid Mash Recirculation Return and/or Sparge Kit (locline) TC x BLQD with a TC bulkhead that I also got from Bobby_M.
This post here shows how I ran it within the system:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/anvil-foundry-all-grain-brewing-system.666090/post-9053773
EDIT: since the Locline discharges below the wort line, I never thought that a multiple point exit from the Locline was necessary. Although when I sample wort throughout the mash I rotate the Locline simply by turning the lid so that the discharge point changes throughout the mash. I really don't even think thats necessary but Im fidgety and makes me feel like Im doing something useful lol.
That would work since anvil diameter is 12.5 (says up to 19) but I’d buy a Wilser bag instead.can anyone here confirm if this bag will work as a malt pipe replacement? (i.e. brewing without the malt pipe)
https://www.morebeer.com/products/mesh-grain-bag-275-325.html
can anyone here confirm if this bag will work as a malt pipe replacement? (i.e. brewing without the malt pipe)
https://www.morebeer.com/products/mesh-grain-bag-275-325.html
That would work since anvil diameter is 12.5 (says up to 19) but I’d buy a Wilser bag instead.
And here we see why an oversized bag can be a problem. An undersized bag brings different issues. If you are going to use a bag, get one properly fitted for your equipment - they just work better. Wilser is a good source.I used a bag without the malt pipe for the first time two weeks ago. All went well until I lifted the bag and it spread beyond the edges of the kettle and made a mess all over the floor. Granted my bag is the same one I used to use when doing BIAB in a converted keggle so one fitted to the Foundry might work better. For now however I'm going back to no bag.
I use a Wilser Bag made to fit the malt pipe of my Mash&Boil and the top goes over the outside of the kettle. When I pull it out, there’s no excess bag to expand and cause what you describe. Just have one made to fit and you won’t have that problem.I used a bag without the malt pipe for the first time two weeks ago. All went well until I lifted the bag and it spread beyond the edges of the kettle and made a mess all over the floor.
I use a Wilser bag (made for my old, fatter, kettle) inside my malt pipe. My first 2 batches on the Foundry I had stuck sparges. The dozen or so that I have done since using pipe/bag combo have sparged perfectly. It makes no sense why this works. Maybe an expert in fluid dynamics can explain it, but frankly I am afraid to mess with it.I used a bag without the malt pipe for the first time two weeks ago. All went well until I lifted the bag and it spread beyond the edges of the kettle and made a mess all over the floor. Granted my bag is the same one I used to use when doing BIAB in a converted keggle so one fitted to the Foundry might work better. For now however I'm going back to no bag.
The pump and recirculation kit make a big difference as far as hitting a target temp and keeping temp even throughout your mash. The heating element is at the bottom and if you are not recirculating wort with the pump there can be a big difference between the temp of the mash at the bottom of the unit and at the top of the unit. If you ditch the malt pipe be sure to use something on the bottom to keep from melting your bag or burning holes in your bag.With the Anvil Foundry 6.5, if I plan on discarding the malt pipe and just using a bag, do I really need to mess with the pump and re-circulation?
I would like to place the AF 6.5 on my counter top and just use gravity for transferring to my fermenter. Is recirculation worth it in the smaller form-factor?
Thank you. This was helpful.The pump and recirculation kit make a big difference as far as hitting a target temp and keeping temp even throughout your mash. The heating element is at the bottom and if you are not recirculating wort with the pump there can be a big difference between the temp of the mash at the bottom of the unit and at the top of the unit. If you ditch the malt pipe be sure to use something on the bottom to keep from melting your bag or burning holes in your bag.
Their little pump is the greatest thing. I love it. It is so quiet you can’t even hear it and all it does is work. I don’t much care for the clamp thing they give you to control the out flow but I’ve been too lazy to go find or rig up something better.
PH made a big difference for me. I had been hitting around 70%. After I got my water tested and got ez water calculator (or whatever water software you like) and starting adjusting my ph into the desired range I’m now using 84% efficiency when I enter recipes and am finding thats about spot on with the end result. I never thought it made a big difference. Now I’m a believer. Just a tiny bit of acid malt and a little gypsum was all it took for me.…pH is a thing but a small factor. Mash temps and time can affect gravity but Id' say crush is #1. With a bag anyhow, with a pipe it's mostly that dead space around the pipe.
220 is default.
Don't think that is an issue at all.There's a thing about it being 50Hz and not 60Hz. Check into it... Might be an issue?
You're probably right, and I kind of lean that way too. I just suggest finding out for sure. I bet the heater doesn't care. Whatever is controlling the heater however (the circuit board, generically speaking) could care. Before I took it overseas and found out afterwards.Don't think that is an issue at all.
I have the 6.5 and don’t use the pump - you just have to lift the basket a few times during your brew to keep from losing efficiency. Depends on how precise a brewer you are - I lose maybe 2-3 degrees in the mash with power off - you can always keep the temp stable in the mash leaving the power on and set a temp.With the Anvil Foundry 6.5, if I plan on discarding the malt pipe and just using a bag, do I really need to mess with the pump and re-circulation?
I would like to place the AF 6.5 on my counter top and just use gravity for transferring to my fermenter. Is recirculation worth it in the smaller form-factor?
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