5-6 gallon batches in a 14 gallon conical?

[phillip_h]

I'm planning to treat myself to a new stainless conical (14 gallon SS Brewtech BME) with some Christmas bonus money. Up until now, I have been a 5 gallon batch brewer, but I would like the option of moving up to 10 gallon batches.

The only issues that I can see:

- the thermowell is mounted at the 5.5 gallon mark in the conical that I want, so my temp readings may not be accurate if there isn't enough wort in the fermenter.

- This conical has built in immersion chiller coils, and the cooling will be less efficient with less wort contact.

Any thoughts?

 

[BudBernerBrewer]

Same thing here, same chronical. I plan to up the recipe to 8 gallons to rise the level. Racking on to new batch. Keg some and bottle the rest.

 

[BudBernerBrewer]

Should have been racking on to cake, new batch. Also keeping ambient lower in brew area to use heat more than cooling after initial fermentation blast

 

[phillip_h]

Should have been racking on to cake, new batch. Also keeping ambient lower in brew area to use heat more than cooling after initial fermentation blast

Well, I'm in south Texas, so I don't think I'll ever need to add heat to my fermenter. It's freaking 79°F in December.

 

[BudBernerBrewer]

Haha my swmbo is from houston, so I know what you are saying, had to visit mother in law and do "the list" to fix all the crap on her house. Finally get a nice day in the 70's and people would be wearing a down coats...while riding a bike. I am planing on making a diy glycol chiller for lagering. With that running I think you could cool with a slightly larger batch, but it would probably run a lot. I use block ice and it still needs changing a couple times a day. We have a cold front next week and I will just scoop out a bowl of water, set it outside and it will freeze before the ice bath needs it...high in the teens lows minus 4 or 5. You should have a lot of window ac units to convert to a chiller.. so many probably pick one up for under 50 bucks.. good luck