8 gallons out of a 10 gallon pot??

[BigJoeBrew]

So looking to brew a pretty basic american pale ale or similar. I have been yielding 5.5 gallons usually, but want to try to maximize my 10 gallon brew pot. I mash/batch sparge 50/50 and boil carefully (rolling boil). What is the largest amount that you have put into your fermenters from at 10 gallon pot?

 

[kh54s10]

So looking to brew a pretty basic american pale ale or similar. I have been yielding 5.5 gallons usually, but want to try to maximize my 10 gallon brew pot. I mash/batch sparge 50/50 and boil carefully (rolling boil). What is the largest amount that you have put into your fermenters from at 10 gallon pot?

I only try to get 5.25 gallons.

I have a 2 gallon per hour boil off rate, so if I didn't add water after the boil had started I would have to fill my 10 gallon pot to the rim to get 8 gallons. As it is I start with just over 7 gallons and have to watch carefully to keep from getting a boil over.

I would max my attempt at about 6 gallons, but that wouldn't fit in my fermenters so I wouldn't do it.

 

[IslandLizard]

Normally my 8 gallon kettle can produce 5.5-6 gallon in the fermentor. But since I keg, 5 gallons is all I can package. That leaves 0.5-1 gallon for trub loss. Heavy dry hopping (NEIPA) will easily take up a gallon.

I've topped up my 8 gallon kettle during the boil with 3rd runnings to maximize batch volume. I can get 6.5-7 gallons that way, max, leaving only 1.5" of kettle headspace (1 gallon). With your 10 gallon kettle, you should be able to get 2 gallons more, the same way, yielding you 8.5-9 gallons.

Or boil the extra wort in a separate kettle and combine in the end in the fermentors.

 

[JohnSand]

You can make two five gallon batches with a ten gallon pot.
Just use the same methods used for extract, boil a thicker wort and top off. I have often made five gallons in a twenty quart pot with BIAB. After pulling the grain bag, I dunk sparge it in another pot (like a pasta pot) and start my boil. Watch your pot carefully to avoid boilover. As the wort boils down, add the sparge a little at a time. I've found that after hot break, I can boil 4 gallons in a 5 gallon pot. Top off to cool, and again in the fermenter after checking gravity.
This works, and has been published in BYO by respected authority. However, I now have a 15 gallon kettle. I used the above method for stove top batches.

 

[BigJoeBrew]

I keg also, but hopefully with only a little more effort I can keg 5 gallons and bottle the rest for lots of reasons. I figured there are numerous ways to go about getting to the end point I am looking for. I just hate have 6.5 gallons pre-boil and see all that extra space that could possibly be used if careful.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Another option would be to keg 3 1/2 gallons in a 5 gallon keg, just pre purge, or better yet run star SAN out under co2 pressure, not ideal but perhaps better than bottling.

With a sparge, and a kettle top up with wort, or even a bit of water, you should be able to produce 8-9 gallons in your 10 gallon pot.

 

[ChelisHubby]

Joe I have been using a 10 gallon tamale pot for the last couple of years. I brew a 3 vessel system nothing fancy. I was using 9.25 gallons of water before I mashed and would end up with 6.25 to 6.5 gallons for the fermenter. Now if you up your sparged volume to 9.5 Gallons you should end up with close to 8 gallons. Now you will have to up the grain bill and the hops to compensate. But now you need a larger fermenter or just 2 normal ones. I grew up in the area, how is the city of Fountains?

 

[Desertbrewer]

Get some FermCap. It's like $5 for a little vial that lasts forever, and works amazing to prevent boilover.

I have a 7.5 gallon pot and regularly run off 6.75 gallons of wort, 6 gallons post boil for a 5 gallon yield after fermentation.


If you watch your boil pretty sure you can fill your kettle up to about 9.25 gallons.

 

[bigplunkett]

I can barly get 8.5 out of my 12 gal pot if theres a lot off hops.