16qt Kettle, 5.5gal Buckets - how much exactly?

[frankdontsurf]

I'm forced for now to keep it on the stove-top. I have a 16qt and a 8qt SS kettle.

I will be doing BIAB and starting with a Hefe.

I'm thinking of throwing 4 gallon batch worth of grains in 3 gallons of water (7.5lbs). I've never done this, I don't know if it will even fit it my kettle?

The idea was to let it mash out for 60-90minutes, check it with iodine.. While bringing about 6 quarts of water to a boil, let it cool. Do my boil down to 3 gallons, then add the gallon of water to my fermenter once I have the wort in there?

This would give me a total of 4 gallons in my 5.5 gallon pail. Avoiding any blow-out issues and maximizing my volume without affecting quality...

Or should I just keep it to 3 gallons??

 

[dwhite60]

I'd probably drop it back to 2.5 and be happy. You won't stress over your equipment.

There is no reason why you HAVE to do five gallons. A lot of people have missed out on the fun of homebrewing because they could not get the gear together to do five gallons.

Also, smaller batch, you'll have to brew more often, which is the fun part, to keep your pipeline full. I've got a 2.25 gallon APA fermenting right now. Next week it's going to be a cream ale. If I had done five gallons of APA I would not be able to do the cream ale due to space constraints.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[atcsat]

I'm forced for now to keep it on the stove-top. I have a 16qt and a 8qt SS kettle.

I'm thinking of throwing 4 gallon batch worth of grains in 3 gallons of water (7.5lbs). I've never done this, I don't know if it will even fit it my kettle?

The idea was to let it mash out for 60-90minutes, check it with iodine.. While bringing about 6 quarts of water to a boil, let it cool. Do my boil down to 3 gallons, then add the gallon of water to my fermenter once I have the wort in there?

What you're planning can and has been done, I have done it that way before. Many will frown on topping off fermenter. My quality went up when I moved out of the kitchen to full volume boils, but I can't pin it just on that. You will be at the max of your pots for sure, but it's doable. I suggest FermCap-S for your boil, very inexpensive and lets you boil right up to the top of your pot.

Good luck!

 

[madscientist451]

Spend $20 and get a 5 gallon round cooler from Walmart, spend a little more for the hardware for a valve/spigot. Put your BIAB in the cooler and aim for 3.5 gallon batches. Using a cooler instead of the pot for mashing, gives you a steady temperature, is less messy and provides plenty of volume. Simply multiply the ingrediends for a 5 gallon recipe x .75. Pre boil will be a bout 4.75-5 gallons Put about 3.35 gallons in your 16 qt pot, and about 1.35 in your 8 quart pot. Once volume is reduced by evaporation, you can combine the pots, probably after 30-40 minutes. Just try what you've got you'll figure it out.
If you have another $15, you can get a 12 quart pot at Walmart and not use the 8 quart.

 

[JohnSand]

When I brewed on the stovetop, I made 5 gallon batches in a 20 qt pot, BIAB.
Mash in the pot, pull the grains and sparge in another pot. Boil carefully, slowly adding sparge after the hot break. I found I could comfortably boil 4 gallons in a five gallon pot. I topped off the pot after flame out, and in the fermenter if necessary. I think of it as using extract methods, just making your own extract. Small batches are fine too, I still sometimes make half batches. But it's good to make as much as you can of a batch that you like. Homebrewing has always been about improvising.

 

[applescrap]

I'm forced for now to keep it on the stove-top. I have a 16qt and a 8qt SS kettle.

I will be doing BIAB and starting with a Hefe.

I'm thinking of throwing 4 gallon batch worth of grains in 3 gallons of water (7.5lbs). I've never done this, I don't know if it will even fit it my kettle?

The idea was to let it mash out for 60-90minutes, check it with iodine.. While bringing about 6 quarts of water to a boil, let it cool. Do my boil down to 3 gallons, then add the gallon of water to my fermenter once I have the wort in there?

This would give me a total of 4 gallons in my 5.5 gallon pail. Avoiding any blow-out issues and maximizing my volume without affecting quality...

Or should I just keep it to 3 gallons??

My experience topping the fermenter didnt produce great beer. Others have argued that they have had better results. I did 2.5 gallon batches using your exact 2 pots. As mentioned above its fun to make a lot of different batches and variety. But eventually it sucks to do the work for two and a half gallons. That being said I think I was doing the batches in two and a half hours. Cooling in the sink. Then moved up to $24 8 gallon tamale pot to do 5 gallon batches. With the 4 gallon pot I did 3 gallons and Grains. With a one gallon dunk sparge. For 5 gallons I just double that. Would still be on the stove probably but new stove kicked me out. I think I had one boil over. Right before it starts to boil be ready to turn it down.