2 Vessel K-Rims Electric Brew Rig, All-Grain Method --> Recipe size and type??BIAB?

[JBrace]

Hoping I can get some clarification into the new brewing rig that I recently built and setup. I will be using an all grain method. Here are some specifications:

2 Vessel K-Rims Electric Brew Rig:
Two 15G Vessels - (1) contains the 5500W heating element (BK, HLT) and the other (2) operates as a mashing vessel (MASH)
Two pumps

Typical brew day summary:
- heat water in HLT (1) to mash temp, transfer water to MASH (2)
- mash for an hour, continuous circulation between both vessels (1&2)
- transfer wort to BK (1), boil for an hour
- counter flow chiller to cool, transfer to fermenter

Clarifications:
- no sparging step and no added water throughout
- as an example, lets say I'm making a 5.5 gallon recipe
- I will be starting the brew day with my total water volume split between the vessels (7-7.5G?)

QUESTION:

With this system, should I be treating the recipes I plan to make as BIAB?? I'm speaking in terms of initial grain weights & initial water volume.
Is this an over simplification, or am I thinking about this in the correct way?

Thank you for any help and advice!

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, in beersmith at least BIAB is the profile that engages full volume no sparge calculations. A workaround with any other calculator is to increase strike water volume until it tells you to sparge with zero gallons. Same end.

 

[Jsmith2154]

Hoping I can get some clarification into the new brewing rig that I recently built and setup. I will be using an all grain method. Here are some specifications:

2 Vessel K-Rims Electric Brew Rig:
Two 15G Vessels - (1) contains the 5500W heating element (BK, HLT) and the other (2) operates as a mashing vessel (MASH)
Two pumps

Typical brew day summary:
- heat water in HLT (1) to mash temp, transfer water to MASH (2)
- mash for an hour, continuous circulation between both vessels (1&2)
- transfer wort to BK (1), boil for an hour
- counter flow chiller to cool, transfer to fermenter

Clarifications:
- no sparging step and no added water throughout
- as an example, lets say I'm making a 5.5 gallon recipe
- I will be starting the brew day with my total water volume split between the vessels (7-7.5G?)

QUESTION:

With this system, should I be treating the recipes I plan to make as BIAB?? I'm speaking in terms of initial grain weights & initial water volume.
Is this an over simplification, or am I thinking about this in the correct way?

Thank you for any help and advice!

Kind of an old thread but...
Are you still using this system? Do you have any links to your build and or brew day? I’m trying to put together a similar setup.

 

[speckledhen]

Kind of an old thread but...
Are you still using this system? Do you have any links to your build and or brew day? I’m trying to put together a similar setup.

I'm not the original poster, but I have a similar set up. I switched to this so I wouldn't have to lift the brew bag when doing BIAB. It works just OK. I have a Blichmann auto sparge to control the flow into the mash vessel, but even with that I'm constantly watching the boil kettle to be sure the element is always submerged... Also, after I drain the mash vessel, I still need to squeeze the bag to get the best efficiency, or else a lot is left behind. It might be better if it was set up as a single pump/gravity system. The pump can't pull all the wort out because of the air pockets when the flow slows down or stops. I'm thinking about adding an element to the mash kettle, and recirculating just in that, and then transferring to the boil kettle. I'd still have to deal with squeezing the bag, (I push down on it while it's in the mash kettle), but that would alleviate the fear or dry firing the boil kettle element. Or I'll just get a pulley and stick to BIAB.

 

[Jsmith2154]

I'm not the original poster, but I have a similar set up. I switched to this so I wouldn't have to lift the brew bag when doing BIAB. It works just OK. I have a Blichmann auto sparge to control the flow into the mash vessel, but even with that I'm constantly watching the boil kettle to be sure the element is always submerged... Also, after I drain the mash vessel, I still need to squeeze the bag to get the best efficiency, or else a lot is left behind. It might be better if it was set up as a single pump/gravity system. The pump can't pull all the wort out because of the air pockets when the flow slows down or stops. I'm thinking about adding an element to the mash kettle, and recirculating just in that, and then transferring to the boil kettle. I'd still have to deal with squeezing the bag, (I push down on it while it's in the mash kettle), but that would alleviate the fear or dry firing the boil kettle element. Or I'll just get a pulley and stick to BIAB.

My previous set up was a bayou 9.5BK and an aluminum 11gl “mash tun” with two bazooka screens for it. Also a single pump. I would recirc in just the MT without heating and then transfer over. I would tend to leave a lot of wort behind or struggle to get the pump to drain sometimes. I chalked this up to the screens and not having a proper false bottom to spread the drainage. My current idea is two Blichmann G2 and two rip tide pumps. Basically their two vessel pilot just scaled down to smaller kettles. Element in the BK but not my MT. Pump 1 pushes recirc to the heated BK and pump 2 pushes wort back through the auto-sparge. All controlled by the brewcommander.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm probably a broken record on this topic already but my advise is always; Figure out why you really want a 2 vessel system over a simpler and less expensive single vessel eBIAB rig. Maybe you have a really compelling reason but I think for most people the reasons stated are based on a misunderstanding of the mechanics of one or both of these two choices. Here are some reasons often given.

1. I don't want to pull a bag out. Ok, use a rope hoist that locks. You lift it once and it just drains hanging there.
2. I have to be able to make bigger batches. Ok, use the right sized kettle for the single vessel instead.

Think about it... you're going to clean two kettles. You have to buy two pumps. You need to use the autosparge. What exactly do you think the pro is for a system like what you're describing as it relates to a single vessel build of the same caliber?

 

[Jsmith2154]

I'm probably a broken record on this topic already but my advise is always; Figure out why you really want a 2 vessel system over a simpler and less expensive single vessel eBIAB rig. Maybe you have a really compelling reason but I think for most people the reasons stated are based on a misunderstanding of the mechanics of one or both of these two choices. Here are some reasons often given.

1. I don't want to pull a bag out. Ok, use a rope hoist that locks. You lift it once and it just drains hanging there.
2. I have to be able to make bigger batches. Ok, use the right sized kettle for the single vessel instead.

Think about it... you're going to clean two kettles. You have to buy two pumps. You need to use the autosparge. What exactly do you think the pro is for a system like what you're describing as it relates to a single vessel build of the same caliber?

I’ve really come around on this. I had a shoddy version of the madfermentationist’s minimal sparge setup. I mangled the mashtun and switched to gas BIAB from then on. It’s a 9ish gallon bayou classic that I fitted with parts from your site. I want to move to electric but dislike grainfather etc. I’m intrigued by spikes new system and open to other suggestions. I brew primarily 3gl ~1.055 batches into the fermenter.