15 gallon HERMS go back to my roots ?

[wmubronco]

Been a long time since I posted. Kids, life.... you know the story. Basement space is coming around to finally move my setup from garage to basement.

I've been asked, "when are you going to brew again," "do you still brew," and told, "you need to go back to your roots!"

Lets rewind, started stovetop, then propane, both basic setups with coleman converted cooler. Then eventually jumped into the 15 gallon HERMs system (240v with control panel and 2 pump setup). First batch or two were decent, and typically made 10 gallon batches, with an occasional 15.

Lets just say my process wasn't tip top and my quality went down over the years, just like old age.

Anways, been pondering the idea of going back to the 5 gallon batches, in hopes of recycling some of my equipment. The idea of the AIO systems seem ideal, but perhaps the BIAB idea could work with some of my existing components.

Look forward to any feedback. Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes you can easily BIAB in the boil kettle assuming your element isn't really high off the bottom of the kettle. Just grab a false bottom, a bag, and a locking rope hoist.

https://www.brewhardware.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=biab&Submit=

 

[wmubronco]

Yes you can easily BIAB in the boil kettle assuming your element isn't really high off the bottom of the kettle. Just grab a false bottom, a bag, and a locking rope hoist.

https://www.brewhardware.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=biab&Submit=

Starting to lean this way. What's my option to not have a HLT anymore? Or would I want to keep for heating sparge water while mashing BIAB method in the BK?

 

[Bobby_M]

No need to sparge. I use a single vessel, full volume mashing. No stress, just scale your batches to account for 70% efficiency and be amazed at the wort quality.

 

[wmubronco]

No need to sparge. I use a single vessel, full volume mashing. No stress, just scale your batches to account for 70% efficiency and be amazed at the wort quality.

Thanks again.

BK turns into 1 stop shop, keeping my element and getting a false bottom to keep grain bag above. I would no longer need my brew panel, so my option to substitute in order to read temp and control water temperatures throughout the process would be a simplified controller?

I would still be able to retain my CF chiller and can reduce 2 pumps to just one, right?

My BK is a 20gal, that seems a bit overkill for just a 5 gallon batch no?

 

[Closet Fermenter]

No need to sparge. I use a single vessel, full volume mashing. No stress, just scale your batches to account for 70% efficiency and be amazed at the wort quality.

Question: When you do this, do you reach strike temperature, then lower the bag in, (or fill it), or just start with grain in and start timing the mash once you reach your mash temperature?

 

[doug293cz]

Question: When you do this, do you reach strike temperature, then lower the bag in, (or fill it), or just start with grain in and start timing the mash once you reach your mash temperature?

Normally, you heat the water to strike temperature (slightly higher than first rest temp to account for the grain lowering the temp slightly when added) before adding the grains. I place the empty bag in the kettle while heating to strike temp. If you want the grain to see some of the lower rest temps (protein rest, acid rest, etc.) you can start heating with the grain in the BK.

Brew on

 

[doug293cz]

Starting to lean this way. What's my option to not have a HLT anymore? Or would I want to keep for heating sparge water while mashing BIAB method in the BK?

As Bobby says, the simplest is to just go full volume, no sparge, but you can also just sparge with room temp water, with no loss of efficiency (if the starch to sugar conversion is 100% complete at the end of your mash rest.)

Brew on

 

[Bobby_M]

Question: When you do this, do you reach strike temperature, then lower the bag in, (or fill it), or just start with grain in and start timing the mash once you reach your mash temperature?

You COULD mash as you ramp up to temps but then you're doing a step mash. It's not always advantageous and sometimes you don't want it.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

You COULD mash as you ramp up to temps but then you're doing a step mash. It's not always advantageous and sometimes you don't want it.

Thanks again! One more: do you leave the bag in the kettle until you raise to mash temperature, (hold it there for a period), then remove; or do you just lift the bag after the mash and start heating to the boil?

 

[Bobby_M]

Thanks again! One more: do you leave the bag in the kettle until you raise to mash temperature, (hold it there for a period), then remove; or do you just lift the bag after the mash and start heating to the boil?

I don't mind answering incremental questions at all but maybe a lot of this would be answered in a more complete way by sharing this.

 

[wmubronco]

As Bobby says, the simplest is to just go full volume, no sparge, but you can also just sparge with room temp water, with no loss of efficiency (if the starch to sugar conversion is 100% complete at the end of your mash rest.)

Brew on

Haven't watched what Bobby posted in here. On the 3 vessel system I would sparge with post mash water to bring my volume up to what is needed while in parallel, bringing total volume up to boiling in the BK, so when I've collected all BK volume I'm already at a rolling boil.

In an AIO, am I supposed to be sparging with additional water or is full volume supposed to be prior to the mash step. Think I am confusing myself.

 

[doug293cz]

Haven't watched what Bobby posted in here. On the 3 vessel system I would sparge with post mash water to bring my volume up to what is needed while in parallel, bringing total volume up to boiling in the BK, so when I've collected all BK volume I'm already at a rolling boil.

In an AIO, am I supposed to be sparging with additional water or is full volume supposed to be prior to the mash step. Think I am confusing myself.

In no-sparge, full volume is prior to the mash.

Brew on

 

[wmubronco]

Recall the 1st video from a reply in Yoopers post about going to AIO system. I think the 2nd video answered my above question. So you are at full water volume before mash?

Curious about water chemistry then. I used to do minerals for mash water and a separate chemistry additions for the sparge water.

Guessing now everything is added to full volume prior to mash...

 

[wmubronco]

Brewfather app allow you to choose full volume profile settings? Just started to poke around on it.

Yes it does. Been a minute since I've been I'm the game and always used my excel sheets for recipes. They really do make it quite easy these days!

 

[Bobby_M]

So you are at full water volume before mash?

Curious about water chemistry then. I used to do minerals for mash water and a separate chemistry additions for the sparge water.

Guessing now everything is added to full volume prior to mash...

Exactly. It actually makes it a lot easier. One volume, one weigh-out of salts.

Brewfather app allow you to choose full volume profile settings? Just started to poke around on it.

Yes it does. Been a minute since I've been I'm the game and always used my excel sheets for recipes. They really do make it quite easy these days!

Yes, in the equipment profile you set to "no sparge"