Will my grain build be to big for my pot

[Gunshowgreg]

After a previous thread I realize that BIAB may be for me after doing several batches with a picnic cooler. I have about a 10-11 gallon pot and I was curious if an approximately 15 lbs grain build would be too big for my pot. I lose about 1.5 gallons of water per hour and when I did the calculations I see that I need about 9.5 gallons of water for this recipe. it has a 2 hour boil. I used the calculator on MoreBeer. Is there any other techniques I can use and still be a BIAV guy. U want to switch to this for simplicity and the ability to save time.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

www.biabCalculator.com If you reduce your boil-off rate and your boil time, you can mash a lot more than 15#. Given your specifications, your total mash volume comes out to 10.13 gallons, so you are at the limit. Why are you boiling so hard and for so long?

 

[Gunshowgreg]

www.biabCalculator.com If you reduce your boil-off rate and your boil time, you can mash a lot more than 15#. Given your specifications, your total mash volume comes out to 10.13 gallons, so you are at the limit. Why are you boiling so hard and for so long?

It's what the recipie calls for. It's a scotch ale

 

[Gunshowgreg]

www.biabCalculator.com If you reduce your boil-off rate and your boil time, you can mash a lot more than 15#. Given your specifications, your total mash volume comes out to 10.13 gallons, so you are at the limit. Why are you boiling so hard and for so long?

What an awesome calculator btw. I put it my actual #s based on what I had in front of me and it told me about 9.7 gallons of water but most importantly it told me that my pot was too small

 

[Gunshowgreg]

Would putting my brew bag I a cooler with the grains and water be a better option for me if I wanted to keep the recipe the same? Just add what I can then after collecting wort from first batch add the rest of the water as the calculator told me to?

 

[wilserbrewer]

I would BIAB mash in your kettle omitting 4 gallons, then dunk sparge in a bucket, another pot or your cooler.

It is easy, you don’t have to heat the sparge water unless you want to...

This will bump your efficiency as well which is a good thing for large beers.

Biab w dunk sparge step...

Then when you learn that dance, you can try a pour over sparge...

Both sparge methods are possible workarounds for smaller kettles that can’t fit a full volume mash.

Some choose to sparge for the efficiency benefits as well.

 

[Gunshowgreg]

I would BIAB mash in your kettle omitting 4 gallons, then dunk sparge in a bucket, another pot or your cooler.

It is easy, you don’t have to heat the sparge water unless you want to...

This will bump your efficiency as well which is a good thing for large beers.

Biab w dunk sparge step...

Then when you learn that dance, you can try a pour over sparge...

Both sparge methods are possible workarounds for smaller kettles that can’t fit a full volume mash.

Some choose to sparge for the efficiency benefits as well.

The pot I use is a crawfish pot with the metal strainer for lifting all of you sea food out. If I use that with the pulley and have it suspended over the pot to drain. Can I pour water over the bag while it being in the gin at strainer? You say I dont need to heat the sparge water?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Yes and yes

 

[LittleRiver]

If your kettle has a drain valve, here's a sparge sequence that I find to be easier and less messy than either a dunk sparge or a pour over:

• mash with half the total volume of water
• drain the wort into a bucket, leaving the bag and grains in place in the kettle
• add the second half of the water to the grains, stir thoroughly
• raise the bag and tie it off so it can drain into the kettle, fire the heat for the boil
• add the bucket of wort to the wort that's in the kettle

Let the bag hang over the kettle during the entire boil. If you let gravity fully drain it there's no need to squeeze it. By the end of the boil it will have cooled off and gotten much lighter, making it easy to handle for grain disposal.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

What an awesome calculator btw. I put it my actual #s based on what I had in front of me and it told me about 9.7 gallons of water but most importantly it told me that my pot was too small

The temperature calculators on it work very well for me.

You can also try running off a gallon or so into a separate pot and boiling that down to syrup to get the caramelized flavors using a smaller pot and then doing a shorter overall boil. The point of the long boil in a scotch ale is those caramelized flavors and the OG increase from dilution. A pound of DMI can get you the ABV and a separate boil in a smaller pot to create a syrup can get you the caramelized flavors. In other words, there are options/work-arounds available.

 

[Gunshowgreg]

The temperature calculators on it work very well for me.

You can also try running off a gallon or so into a separate pot and boiling that down to syrup to get the caramelized flavors using a smaller pot and then doing a shorter overall boil. The point of the long boil in a scotch ale is those caramelized flavors and the OG increase from dilution. A pound of DMI can get you the ABV and a separate boil in a smaller pot to create a syrup can get you the caramelized flavors. In other words, there are options/work-arounds available.

I considered that also