Kettle too big for 3g batches

[Nemanach]

When I built this system someone here said it would be too big for 3g finished batches, my math said otherwise so I went with it. I wanted the extra room for larger batches if I felt like it and not worry about boilovers. It’s fine for lower gravity beers but last week I tried a 1.067 SG batch and found the grain wasn’t completely covered. This is a 15.5 gallon Bayou Classic with the steamer basket and bag to hold the grain.

I’ve thought of a couple solutions but wanted to get the feedback from HBT.

-Do larger batches. Problem is that it takes me forever to finish 5g. I keg and I don’t really want to bottle to give it away.
-Turn the diptube a bit to leave more in the kettle and increase recipe size. This has the benefit of allowing room for trub to settle out if I wanted to start doing that. Right now hops are in a spider but all the break material goes to kettle.
-Fill up the volume below the steamer with something to raise the liquid level. Maybe I could use some CPVC tubes with sealed ends, that might float the basket though. Could fill them with water or something first though.
-Increase boil off rate to increase starting volume. I use a 5500w element with a DSPR controller set to 28% and a steam slayer. I’m getting .55 gallons per hour boil off rate.

Any other good ideas?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I think if you take the basket out you’ll have a lot more room. You just cannot turn the burner on if your bag is touching bottom, of course.

 

[Nemanach]

That would solve the problem but I’m recirculating so I can do automated step mashes

 

[TallDan]

Maybe I could use some CPVC tubes with sealed ends, that might float the basket though. Could fill them with water or something first though.

Uh. This is a terrible idea. You're basically putting pipe bombs in your kettle.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Hmmm....
Perhaps a BIAB false bottom from brewhardware.com would
reduce the volume outside the mash as you could lower it tight to the element?

Slip a tall boy perforated empty beer can over your element to keep the bag off the element, and don’t use the basket?

Or two 12 oz cans depending on element length? Sort of an element gaurd instead of basket or FB...

Or if you prefer more blingy roll a
Piece of stainless sheet and place it over your element?

Thinking the kettle may be too large is giving me deja vu “all over again” lol

 

[TallDan]

Increasing boiloff and/or batch size is the only option i see with the OPs existing equipment. That's probably not a great solution.

I can't think of anything cost effective that I would want to have sitting in a kettle below a false bottom near a heating element to take up space.

Instead of a false bottom for $35, i think you'd be better off buying a Bayou classic 1124 from Brewhardware for $67. Sell the 15g or keep it for those bigger batches that you may only brew occasionally.

 

[kh54s10]

Fill the space under the basket with marbles???

 

[TallDan]

Fill the space under the basket with marbles???

One way or another that’s going to restrict flow around the marbles. They might also overheat if they’re in contact with the heating element causing scorching or in an extreme case maybe breaking the marbles.

 

[kh54s10]

One way or another that’s going to restrict flow around the marbles. They might also overheat if they’re in contact with the heating element causing scorching or in an extreme case maybe breaking the marbles.

I don't think restricted flow in the little wort left would be a concern, and I doubt that they would overheat and scorch and I think it would take an awful lot of heat to break the marbles. But if that is a concern the OP could create a dam around the element to keep the marbles off.

 

[TallDan]

What are you going to make the marble damn out of? What’s that going to cost?

 

[Nemanach]

Uh. This is a terrible idea. You're basically putting pipe bombs in your kettle.

Eh, it might be a terrible idea but it isn’t because it’s a pipe bomb. A temp rise from 70 to 170F will be well below the working pressure of CPVC.

If it were filled completely with water it may crack the CPVC but water has considerably less energy than a burning propellant in a pipe bomb.

 

[TallDan]

Eh, it might be a terrible idea but it isn’t because it’s a pipe bomb. A temp rise from 70 to 170F will be well below the working pressure of CPVC.

If it were filled completely with water it may crack the CPVC but water has considerably less energy than a burning propellant in a pipe bomb.

Pressure capacity decreases as temperature increases. Can you be sure it’s not going to touch the heating element and burn?

 

[kh54s10]

What are you going to make the marble damn out of? What’s that going to cost?

Already mentioned - beer cans.....

 

[November]

Instead of a false bottom for $35, i think you'd be better off buying a Bayou classic 1124 from Brewhardware for $67. Sell the 15g or keep it for those bigger batches that you may only brew occasionally.

This. Keep the 15g and for less than 70 bucks the problem is solved and you've increased the flexibility of your system with more brewing options.

 

[TallDan]

Already mentioned - beer cans.....

I don’t think the outside of beer cans are intended to be food safe at high temperature. Beyond that, I wouldn’t want to be handling cut up beer cans on my brew day. Fittings, hoses, false bottoms and kettles are enough to clean. I wouldn’t want to be cleaning beer cans and marbles.

 

[RM-MN]

When I built this system someone here said it would be too big for 3g finished batches, my math said otherwise so I went with it.

-Do larger batches. Problem is that it takes me forever to finish 5g.

Such a problem. Why can't you simply do a 3.47 gallon batch so you have enough water to cover the grain or maybe a 3.81 gallon batch. There isn't anything magical about 3 gallons or 5 gallons.

 

[z-bob]

Buy another kettle? 5 gallons ones can be pretty cheap. It'll probably fit inside your 15 gallon for storage.

 

[Nemanach]

Such a problem. Why can't you simply do a 3.47 gallon batch so you have enough water to cover the grain or maybe a 3.81 gallon batch. There isn't anything magical about 3 gallons or 5 gallons.

Not magical, but physical. 3 gallon kegs

 

[Nemanach]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I could certainly tie a bag of marbles down there and pull them out with the basket.

I hear the new kettle suggestions. It’s a little more than $70 with a bunch of soldered on fittings though.

In the short term I’ll just make larger batches and dump part of it. Not a huge deal and grain/hops are cheap. If it gets to be too frustrating I might just get a new kettle

 

[TallDan]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I could certainly tie a bag of marbles down there and pull them out with the basket.

I hear the new kettle suggestions. It’s a little more than $70 with a bunch of soldered on fittings though.

In the short term I’ll just make larger batches and dump part of it. Not a huge deal and grain/hops are cheap. If it gets to be too frustrating I might just get a new kettle

Do some quick math on how much you’re going to spend on the extra grain and hops on your next 10 batches. Depending on how you buy your ingredients and what you brew the kettle may pay for itself quickly.

 

[SanPancho]

Not magical, but physical. 3 gallon kegs

Buy a carb cap or two. With just a 2 liter bottle your extra beer is no longer wasted.

 

[Nemanach]

Buy a carb cap or two. With just a 2 liter bottle your extra beer is no longer wasted.

Now that’s an idea.

 

[TallDan]

-Do larger batches. Problem is that it takes me forever to finish 5g. I keg and I don’t really want to bottle to give it away.

Buy a carb cap or two. With just a 2 liter bottle your extra beer is no longer wasted.

Now that’s an idea.

 

[Nemanach]

67.628 oz > 12 oz

 

[IslandLizard]

Look back, when was the last time you brewed a larger batch? If larger batches are so sporadic, use a smaller kettle. Easier to clean and handle too.
Beats a gallon of marbles... Don't forget, they need to be washed each time.

 

[TallDan]

67.628 oz > 12 oz

Big bottles are still bottles, which you said you wanted to avoid. Also, if 5g is too much to go through in a timely fashion, I have a hard time believing that you’ll ever want to drink 2l in a day.

 

[Nemanach]

-Do larger batches. Problem is that it takes me forever to finish 5g. I keg and I don’t really want to bottle to give it away.

Big bottles are still bottles, which you said you wanted to avoid. Also, if 5g is too much to go through in a timely fashion, I have a hard time believing that you’ll ever want to drink 2l in a day.

Check the last sentence in my quoted post above. I’m sure you can tell the difference between 2 liters versus 12 ounces per bottle right?

 

[z-bob]

If you have a cabonator cap, you don't have to finish the 2L bottle in one day; it can take you a week. You have the means to recarbonate it if it starts going flat. You can also use 1L bottles.

 

[kh54s10]

I don’t think the outside of beer cans are intended to be food safe at high temperature. Beyond that, I wouldn’t want to be handling cut up beer cans on my brew day. Fittings, hoses, false bottoms and kettles are enough to clean. I wouldn’t want to be cleaning beer cans and marbles.

Relax. It was just an idea.....

 

[wilserbrewer]

Buy a carb cap or two. With just a 2 liter bottle your extra beer is no longer wasted.

It is not that difficult to measure out priming sugar for individual bottles, either by volume or weight for the couple extra bottles left in your fermenter.
Priming sugar calculator works well ime.

 

[SanPancho]

If you have a cabonator cap, you don't have to finish the 2L bottle in one day; it can take you a week. You have the means to recarbonate it if it starts going flat. You can also use 1L bottles.

Exactly