Insulating My Pot

[rodwha]

I've been doing BIAB in my 5 gal aluminum pot and having great difficulties maintaining a temp and keeping it even.

I have an old towel that I've folded into three lengthwise and it'll wrap around with a bit extra. I've secured it with a long string of elastic. Folding it into 3 doesn't quite cover the whole thing, but it'll certainly cover the grains/water.

I'll be trying it out maybe next week.

With this in place there shouldn't be any need to keep the burner on light, right?

 

[Drizzt]

I turned everything off and wrapped mine with 2 comforters it held temp great. Even outside


I'm not sure if my the flavors in my beer are off or complex 😳

 

[HBngNOK]

I've been using a sleeping bag, but this is on the near horizon for my next BIAB batch

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f244/my-biab-process-refinements-470976/#post6068931

 

[rodwha]

At first I was considering cutting up an old comforter from when I was a kid, but decided to just use this towel that's coming undone at the seam.

I certainly hope this is enough insulation. I figured it certainly can't hurt and can still become a spills clean up towel if nothing else.

 

[rodwha]

I was looking into insulating jackets but didn't find anything I was interested in.

I'm also wanting to upgrade to a larger (8 gal) pot soon, and so don't want something that may not work later.

Nice jacket though, and really what I figured I'd find. Where does one find that, and how much for it?

I have trouble getting myself to tear up one of my sleeping bags.

 

[Drizzt]

I didn't cut anything I just wrapped the heck out of the pot


I'm not sure if my the flavors in my beer are off or complex 😳

 

[rodwha]

Hmmmm….

 

[fatnoah]

I stick my 5gal pot/mash tun/brew kettle in the oven when I BIAB. I have it preheated to 200F then turn off the oven and stick the pot in there. Never lose more than 1-2 degrees in the course on an hour mash.


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[rodwha]

It's a great idea, but my pot has plastic on the handles. I'll be sure to make sure my next does not!

 

[fearwig]

Get the base of the pot off the ground (onto a stand or gas stove grates or something is ideal) and control your headspace however you can--even if it means adjusting up your grist-water ratio within reason. Most of your heat does not just radiate out the sides of the pot, there's no point in insulating that way.

Fill your headspace and you will wonder why you ever tried to put a sleeping bag around your mash tun, believe me.

If you do want to try the oven, 200F should not harm the handles at all.

 

[HBngNOK]

..........
I have trouble getting myself to tear up one of my sleeping bags.

I set the kettle on the floor, atop some scraps of wood, unzip the sleeping bag and drape it over the covered kettle, tuck the bag in, and wait. The next time I think of it when I'm in Lowes or Home Depot, I'm going to get a roll of that Reflectix insulation material and fit it around my brew kettle.

 

[MikePote]

I stick my 5gal pot/mash tun/brew kettle in the oven when I BIAB. I have it preheated to 200F then turn off the oven and stick the pot in there. Never lose more than 1-2 degrees in the course on an hour mash.

Same here. I preheat to 170 (lowest setting) and turn off before I pop it into the oven. Never lose more than a degree or two.

[/QUOTE]
It's a great idea, but my pot has plastic on the handles. I'll be sure to make sure my next does not! [/QUOTE]

Your plastic handles will be fine. Try the oven.

 

[shetc]

Fill your headspace and you will wonder why you ever tried to put a sleeping bag around your mash tun, believe me.

How do you fill the headspace?

 

[NTexBrewer]

I use the oven method for my small brew pot.

With my larger brew pot I use my son's winter jacket that he grew out of last year. With the jacket zipped up I just slip it over the top and then fold it over and bungee cord it to keep the top sealed well.

I too have noticed that the fuller my brew pot the better it holds it's temperature.

 

[fearwig]

How do you fill the headspace?

I try to have a mash volume very close the volume of my kettle-tun. That's really the best way. Grist-water ratio is very flexible if you watch your pH, up to at least 1qt:1.5lbs.

I just got a 20 gal kettle I intend to use as a tun for 15 gal batches, and I am thinking it's going to be a little harder now since it's so big (though the larger liquid volume will buffer things some too). I kind of want to design a floating lid that sits over my mash, but I know that won't be happening immediately.

 

[shetc]

About to do my first BIAB, using an 11 gallon pot to do a 5 gallon batch. I guess there will a fair amount of head space.

 

[fearwig]

Depends on the grain bill but yeah, probably. Now that I have an 80qt tun I'd need what... 53# of grain for zero headspace at 1.5qt/lb... probably not making any batches like that any time soon.