Adjusting my process for new kettle

[z-bob]

I bought a used 8 gallon kettle from a member of the local homebrew club. It's very heavy and has a ball valve installed. In the winter I'm brewing in the kitchen and not sure I could safely lift this thing down from the stove with 6 gallons of hot wort. Can't lift the bag out while it's on the stove cuz the vent hood is in the way. I'm doing 4 gallon brews; that's the limit of my gas stove and the limit of my previous 22 qt canner. Will step it up to 5 gallons when I can boil outside.

So... Mash with about 4 gallons of water, raise the temperature a little, and drain into a bucket? Then batch sparge the same way with another couple of gallons? Or do a full-volume mash and forget about sparging? (still, drain most of it into a bucket until I can pull the bag out and squeeze it)

Previously I was getting the best efficiency when I mashed with about 2/3 of the total water, squeezed the bag, batch sparged for 5 or 10 minutes, then squeezed it out again. I tried that full-volume-no-sparge thing once and got terrible efficiency but I might have screwed something up.

 

[RM-MN]

You will always gain a little efficiency if you sparge, even if you sparge at the same temp and use cold water. There is no need for raising the temperature before you sparge either unless your conversion is not completed due to grains that aren't crushed very well. With full volume I got about 80% efficiency, with a small sparge I've gone over 85% regularly.

 

[z-bob]

I just realized something. I still have the old kettle.

Why not mash in the 22 qt canner like I always have (and I know my grain bag will work; it's stretched awfully tight with the new kettle and might rip.) Squeeze and pour off the first runnings. Sparge. Squeeze. Put it all in the new kettle and boil. That will even work if I step up from 4 gallons to 5, I just increase the sparge water.

I can revamp the whole process if I want to when I'm brewing outside in a few months.

 

[RM-MN]

I just realized something. I still have the old kettle.

Why not mash in the 22 qt canner like I always have (and I know my grain bag will work; it's stretched awfully tight with the new kettle and might rip.) Squeeze and pour off the seconds runnings. Sparge. Squeeze. Put it all in the new kettle and boil. That will even work if I step up from 4 gallons to 5, I just increase the sparge water.

I can revamp the whole process if I want to when I'm brewing outside in a few months.

That sounds like a reasonable solution. When time comes to move outside, you can get Wilserbrewer to make you a bag that fits the new pot so you don't have to worry about ripping the old one. Next winter you can go back to this method with the old bag.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Rather than mashing and sparging in the 22 canning pot, mash in the 22, dunk sparge in the 8 gallon and combine in the 8 gallon.

You're only moving 1/2 the wort that way.

 

[z-bob]

Rather than mashing and sparging in the 22 canning pot, mash in the 22, dunk sparge in the 8 gallon and combine in the 8 gallon.

You're only moving 1/2 the wort that way.

that's a good idea. Thanks.

 

[wilserbrewer]

that's a good idea. Thanks.

Yea, brewing is enough work, I try hard to make it as easy as possible.

I love the line, "if you want to know the easy way to do something, ask a lazy man"

 

[wilserbrewer]

Another hair brained idea is to mash in both pots full volume, then combine to the fermenter for larger batches stovetop.