2.5 Gallon Batch Mash Tun

[inkman15]

I'm going to be scaling down my batch size for the first time from 5 to 2.5 gallons and am hoping I can still use my 10 gallon cooler mash tun for it rather than BIAB. I assume I'll be brewing something in the 6-7% range so I'll have around 6-7lbs of grain. Is that okay in that size vessel?

 

[brew_darrymore]

You'll end up with too much headspace and will likely experience mash temperature loss.

There's a solution though. You can reduce the headspace by cutting a piece of styrofoam and putting it just above the surface of the mash.

 

[jekeane]

You'll end up with too much headspace and will likely experience mash temperature loss.

There's a solution though. You can reduce the headspace by cutting a piece of styrofoam and putting it just above the surface of the mash.

+1 to this

Even a piece of tin foil on top of the mash bed can help.

I personally would avoid doing it BIAB because it may make you question all your life choices including but not limited to your decision to do 3 vessel brewing. : )

 

[ChelisHubby]

I personally do this with mild beers I only lose 2 degrees over 60 minutes. So yes you can.

 

[inkman15]

Thanks for the responses. I'm going to try the foil trick.

 

[dmtaylor]

It's time for you to consider BIAB. When I scaled down about 10 years ago, that's what I did. I still use the cooler for the rare big batch or big beer. But otherwise, brewing in a bag might be the way to go. It's just so gosh darn easy with small batches.

 

[stella_tigre]

I did a partial mash biab by using my grannyware canner, which is about 4 gallons, and putting it in the oven set to 150. Perfect temp control!

 

[inkman15]

It's time for you to consider BIAB. When I scaled down about 10 years ago, that's what I did. I still use the cooler for the rare big batch or big beer. But otherwise, brewing in a bag might be the way to go. It's just so gosh darn easy with small batches.

I actually began my brewing career about 6 years ago with BIAB, so I'm very familiar with it. Last week I did a test 1-gallon batch to see how the smaller recipes thing would work out and found I had a really hard time keeping my mash temperature where I wanted it. I kept it in a warm oven but it kept dipping too low and then I'd try to compensate by turning the heat back on but would get afraid of it getting TOO hot (my oven's lowest setting is 200). All said and done, my OG was about 1.060 when it should have been closer to 1.066. So, I'm hesitant to mash this way again and risk efficiency

 

[tagz]

Maintaining mash temp will be hard. Your best bet is to use your full water volume in the mash. It will still probably lose a good deal of heat but 3 gallons will hold better than 1.5. I would also start high (155) so that if you loose 5-7 degrees you'll still be in range.

 

[dmtaylor]

I do 1.7-gallon BIAB batches on a regular basis. I aim for mid-150s F at the beginning of the mash, and allow to fall to mid-140s by the end of the mash. Average temperature over the course of the mash is about 150 F. And let me tell you.... it works great. Beers turn out great, with proper attenuation, etc. I think people are overly ga-ga over perfection of mash temperatures. It just doesn't matter that much, it really doesn't. As long as you're in the zone of 145-160 F for at least 40 minutes, you're really doing fine, especially if your average mash temp is in the tighter zone of 148-155 F.

 

[Aristotelian]

I do BIAB 2.5 gallons. I use a 16 quart kettle for both boiling and mashing. To maintain mash temp I put it in the oven at 200 degrees.

 

[Weezy]

When you get to these smaller volumes, you can maintain mash temps very easily on the stove top set at very low temp and stirring occasionally.

You can also pick up a 16-quart SS pot at WalMart for ~$11.

 

[chask31]

I use the 16qt Walmart pot as a kettle also. Mash and boil in it. I use a 3 gal kettle to sparge.

 

[bford]

I did a partial mash biab by using my grannyware canner, which is about 4 gallons, and putting it in the oven set to 150. Perfect temp control!

I wish my oven would go down to 150.... it stops at 175

 

[bford]

I do BIAB 2.5 gallons. I use a 16 quart kettle for both boiling and mashing. To maintain mash temp I put it in the oven at 200 degrees.

So 200 won't move the temp of the mash up? I thought that might be the case but didn't want to try it out myself.