Moving to bigger beers and batches ?s

[JohnP24]

I have done many extract kits in the last year but now want to move up to all grain to "save money" and it seems like it is just the natural progression to move away from extract kits. Many posts recommend 15 gallon pots because inevitably you will want to brew 10 gallon batches. On the one hand I can't see myself brewing 10 gallon batches, but on the other hand a year ago I would have said that about all grain brewing.

So my dilemma is this. Do I spend the money and get the "over-the-top" 15 gallon BK for the flexibility of future 10 gallon batches? I want to go cheap but not to the point I sacrifice so much time, effort and money building a brew kettle from parts. I believe I am set on getting a pot with fittings already attached. The Blichmann kettles seem to be a fan favorite and keep their value if I decide 15 gallon is too large.

I don't own a step bit nor do I care to break several straight bits trying to drill my own starter holes. Possibly scratching the kettle every time one breaks. Plus I don't have to stress over which ball valve and thermometer to buy. IMHO Blichmann's ball valve seems to be the cat's meow in that is easily broken down for cleaning. But is this really necessary when you consider how many valves are not able to be taken apart or at least as easily? Is it really necessary to have an adjustable thermometer to view while sitting in my lazyboy waiting for the boil to begin?

I found this kettle for $240 with free shipping. It looks good to my novice eye, but has a couple negative reviews regarding the depth of the false bottom leaving about 2 gallons dead space.

If I were to use this kettle for a MLT doesn't it make sense that the false bottom supports could be bent or cut down to make less dead space? If I used the kettle for a BK then I wouldn't even worry about the false bottom and would scour the internet for a kettle without the FB to save some more money.

I don't know the value of a site gauge so the Blichmann 10 gallon Boilermaker at $329 + shipping does not seem like a better value. It does however have removable thermostat and ball valve for cleaning purposes and replacement if needed whereas the above kettle is welded.

I have read countless posts about various setups and it only seems to confuse me because everyone wishes they had bigger and better. Does it ever end? Is the guy with the 3 tier Blichmann 15 gallon Boilermaker's satisfied with a gravity feed system or is he looking for a brushed stainless steel single tier system with a March Pump, 3-220,000 BTU burners, counter flow chiller, digital thermometers, etc for $6000? OH OH OH Tim Taylor Grunts!

Does anyone ever downsize?

If only their was a one size fits all solution for every level it sure would make life easier. I suppose each beer recipe ever concocted deserves the imagination of the brewer and their personal system no matter how basic or complex!

I welcome all feedback!

 

[Pratzie]

I went with keggles cuz 1 they were much cheaper even when I pieced in the hardware I wanted (valves, sight glass kits, etc) and 2, I can now do 10 gallon batches of any gravity, or any 5 gallon ridiculously high gravity batches and not have to worry about any boil over or any of that jazz.

I was giving serious consideration to the 10 gal Blichmann ur talking about and then after reading more and more gave serious thought to the 15 gallon (forum banter chanting in my head "GO BIGGER... GO BIGGER!"). And then I came across the keggles and realized I could save the money and spend it elsewhere on other things in my kit.

As far as that particular kettle I have no opinion or experience with it, but something to consider about reducing dead space is a domed false bottom with a dip tub. That should help minimize the loss even more but again I can't talk for total experience since my keggles have curved bottoms that the dip tubes reach into, not completely flat ones like that kettle.

Seems to me u have some decisions to make about just how big u wanna go. I think i'll be good with what I have as far as kettle/MLT/Batch size but I don't like making LOTS of one type of beer, but regular five gallon batches of many different styles that I can enjoy and then share with friends and improve on.

Either way, double Cheers for the Tim Allen Grunts!

 

[JohnP24]

Thanks for the reply. The keggle idea has crossed my mine especially when I read the threads regarding polishing the kegs. Lots of work but boy they look sweet!

If I go that route then I need to decide on the hardware. I have the angle grinder and diamond blade to cut the lid out and even make the lid into a false bottom. A Porter Cable random orbit sander/polisher too so it makes sense to go this route cost wise.

Leaning towards keggles at the moment after reading your response and other posts.

Like to hear everyone's woulda, coulda, shoulda stories first.

 

[Brewitt]

Started with a 5 gallon pot and extract. Did partial boils. Went to 8.5 to do brew in a bag. Partial mash and sparge with full boil an moderate ABV brews but worked for a while. However after falling in love with Russian imperial stouts and big DIPAs, decided to get a keggle. Put in spigot, thermometer and sight tube and never looked back. Brewing 8 gallon DIPAs and RISs. Just bottled 7 gal of 9.7 ABV RIS tonight. 30 lbs of grain BIAB with a 2 gal sparge. Wonderful. Go big!

 

[Hopper77]

Last August I was dead set on going to 10 gal batches by the first of this year. I got everything I need for them but the wort chiller. 4 kegs and taps. I mainly wanted to brew more beer less often. But after having 15 gallons in kegs and another 15 gallons in carboys waiting to be kegged I realized I didn't want 20 gallons of two different beers on tap I wanted 20 gallons of 4 different beers instead.

 

[JohnP24]

Brewitt, it is your article on freezing yeast combined with Brulosopher's article on Harvesting Yeast from starters and another post about creating a starter and splitting it into 5 batches that has me thinking I could save enough money over time to pay for a keggle or two. I hope to make a RIS soon and let it age till next winter. Even a bourbon barrel stout is in my near future. Oso's in Stevens Point made a phenomenal BBS and sold 800 of them for $12.50 per 750ml or 1L wine bottle.

Hopper77 I have added some kegs to handle more volume as I would really like to see what a beer tastes like after 6 weeks. Even the stouts and porters I make never reached 6 weeks from brewday to empty. I have never bottled and can honestly say I would not want to deal with 10 gallon batches being bottled. Heck 5 gallons and all those bottles would be bad enough. Perhaps I just need a faster pipeline :smack:

 

[woknblues]

I think you need to decide on your budget and get the best you can for that money. My budget happened to be $60, so I got the best I could afford, a 80qt aluminum off amazon. I easily drilled a hole and put a three piece valve in it. 4 crews and it's off. It opens and closes pretty good, and keep the beer in the kettle. Got it for $25 or so with a bulkhead from bargainfittings. Everything else is kinda eye candy or for convenience. A metal ruler marked off can tell you how much liquid you have. These cost about $5 or so. It's just what you like, what you hate, and what you tolerate. I like alot, hate very little and tolerate most.

 

[BrewerBear]

I use a ten gallon igloo cooler to mash in and have a 15 gallon polar ware bk. Did not get sight glass(it would be nice to tell volumes at a glance but is not an issue to me). With this setup I have done 10 gallon batches in the 1.060 range with out any issues and it does 5 gallon batches just fine.

 

[Brewitt]

Truth be told, I still mostly use my digital thermometer for mash temps as it is more accurate and can be moved around in the mash. The sight tube is nothing more than a convenience. The spigot is the only really essential part (siphoning is a pain). I have to say I got the keg from a friend who had it from a defunct brewery.

Freezing yeast has worked out great for me. Most of my yeasts are rescued from beers I like and the rest I buy once and never buy again. I generally don't wash, I just grow up a big unhopped starter using extract and nutrient, cold crash and freeze.

Bottling is a double edged sword. I hate the process, even more so as I brew bigger batches. However, I don't have a convenient place for a keggerator, I like being able to pick up some bottles and run off to a friends house, and I like having many beers on hand and letting some age rather than drinking everything to make room for the next. I have about 15 gal of beer bottled right now, five kinds including my new stout, two IPAs, a saison and a belgian quadruple. I do think it would be nice to have an APA or IPA on tap for everyday since I like them best freshly dry hopped. That might be a new project to consider or an alternative use for my current project, a refrigerator adapted to a fermentation/cold crashing chamber. So much to do, so little time.