10 gallon batch on Stout 1 bbl setup?

[jas0420]

Hi all, I am selling my beloved BrewFlex 10 gallon system and eyeballing Stout Tank's 1bbl (40g Mash & HLT and 45g BK) kettles as the foundation of my next gen home brewery.

I'm upgrading so that I can split batches with friends, but want to still be able to brew a 10 gallon batch if the mood strikes me ("private reserve stock"). I anticipate two 5500w elements in both the BK and HLT (provided that I can come up with 60amps), controlled by a BCS-462.

I use Bayou Classic 62-qt pots on the BrewFlex and they are about 15.5" in diameter. The Stout Tank kettles are only about 4.5" wider in diameter so I THINK that I could still get away with a small batch but was looking for some reassurance from someone who has been down this road...

I am assuming that I can get the thermowell installed by Stout wherever I want, so I would probably go pretty low. I have seen where they stagger two elements on the vertical axis of the kettle too.... Coming in at different angles AND heights, so I was curious if they would both still safely fall below the liquid level in the boil kettle.

As long as I'm asking, my current system is HERMS. Is HERMS practical at 1 bbl scale? Up to this point, I've been doing single temp mash, but would like to leave as many options open in the future as possible.

Any other extrapolations from my current system that I might be thinking about incorrectly?

Thanks all!
Jason

 

[CoalCracker]

I have a 1bbl capable system and find that 15 gallon is about as small as I like to go. You can probably do a 10, just didn't try it yet. To do a small batch, I picked up a cooler for a mash tun.

Mine is HERMS. I find that if I'm doing a large batch, the HERMS doesn't really help. For a 15 it helps somewhat. I usually run it for about 10 minutes half way through the mash. Then again at mash out. The mass of the grain bed usually holds fairly steady. Now during the winter, I'll run it. Only because it's soo cold in the garage.

 

[jas0420]

Thank you!

On the batch size, I was starting to piece together a similar conclusion from a thread on another forum... The low end of his site glass started at 10g, and the top of the elements were right there as well so it would be cutting it realllly close. He also pointed out that there is about a 1 gallon loss on his setup which I hadn't even considered.... So yeah, 15+ is probably going to have to be the new norm. I joked with him that now I'm going to have to build a pilot brewery for home.

Regarding HERMS, if you had it to do over, would you take a different route now? RIMS? Direct heat in the mash tun? Are you heating your HLT with gas or electric? Could I ask how many watts you're using in the HLT if electric?

I really appreciate your insight!
Jason

 

[CoalCracker]

I don't think I'd do it different. I have brewed three batches on it so far and all have turned out fantastic. My first system was a HERMS and also worked great. I like the simplicity as well as the low scorching risk.

Not to mention, in the summer if the water is too warm to chill, I now have an immersion chiller as well!

 

[jas0420]

I just re-read your initial reply and I may have misunderstood... This time around it sounds more like you're not using the HERMS very much because you don't have to, not because it is inadequate for maintaining temps... more for clarification than temp control.

In re-reading my own initial question just now, I didn't word it very well... I was ultimately trying to figure out if HERMS could respond quick enough to handle any temp changes (protein rest, mash-out, etc) required over in the mash tun since there is soooooooo much more mass involved (and needing the temp raised) than the little 10 gallon batches that I'm accustomed to.... Probably a non-issue... Just one of the million questions that are bouncing around in my head as I plan this all out since I don't have any personal experience at that scale.

Thank you again!

 

[CoalCracker]

On a system this size, HERMS is a nice addition but wouldn't call it a necessity like it is on a smaller system. Temps stay WAYYY more stable. This is why I make my HEX removable. This way if I found no reason to need the coil, it's less space and connections I need. So far I am finding that with my three tier that if I leave the lid off my HLT, it keeps the mash tun above it fairly stable.

I start to raise temps about 10 minutes before the end of the mash. That is usually sufficient to get me up to 170 or so. I don't normally do a mash out only because as soon as I start runoff to the BK, I turn the element on and start heating the wort. Never have done a protein rest. Never found the need.

 

[jas0420]

Very interesting....