All grain set up, need Help!

[RamsesBalboa]

Hello my name is Ramses I'm from Mexico, exactly Nuevo Laredo Tamaulipas, Border with Laredo Texas.
Saludos a todos!! (Hello everyone)
In advance sorry for my bad english.

Well l had been reading some post on this forums and also brewing a few batch from kits 5 gall extract and extract with some grains that came in the kit.
I want to brew all grain but i stop brewing months ago, and my project stops, this is what i have, i want to know what i need to complete my set up, the structure is custom made.
Everything else was brought from time to time because of my small budyet, now i have some savings and want to finish the set up and start brewing all grain ones for all.
Please Help me with what you recomend to but to finish this project set up, another pot or a cooler what size??, the fermentor/s?, conections, and the size of the two pot i all ready have are one of 80qts and the other is 100qts (the lid fits hardly because the pot is bend).
Here are the pictures of everything that i have.

PD: as i mention i live in the border with Texas, so have friends in USA so i can buy things with my credit card and ship to my friends address in the USA.
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Best regards!!!
And thanks!!! View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192005.027273.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192057.646896.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192076.824062.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192101.586389.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192147.687048.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192168.247965.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192180.037917.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192192.827196.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431192209.104884.jpg

 

[RamsesBalboa]

The rest of the pictures, sorry but i get Lost with much info and really want to start brewing asap, again thanks!!!

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[jrgtr42]

IN general, it appears you're pretty close. The big thing, besides plumbing the structure for water / wort transfer, is that you need a mash tun of some sort. You appear to have 2 kettles, I presume one is for boil and the other is for strike water / sparge water heating.
You will need a third vessel for a mash tun. Many people use coolers, especially the 10-gallon ones you see at construction sites, modified with a filter mechanism to separate the wort from the grains when mashing is over. Some people use a third kettle for that, which is nice if doing step mashes (raising the temperature part way through) or heating for mash out.

 

[Riot]

It looks to me like you really only need a cooler modified to be able to filter grain, and several food grade buckets with airlocks. You seem to be pretty set for the heating part of things with that stand and those propane burners

 

[RamsesBalboa]

Great to read that i am almost ready.
How many beer can i make with this set up?, how much grain i need to buy?.
Where did you recomend to buy the things i missing to complete and start brewing? (The kettle (with the false botton or the cooler, plumbing, the food grade buckets, and the grains/hops/yeast).
Here in Mexico is difficult and expensive, so any suggestion on the USA is welcome.

Thanks!! Jrgtr42, Riot for your coments

 

[MadHomebrewer]

Here is some basic instructions for building a mash tun. You can get the parts at most hardware stores. I would go with a 10 gallon cooler for your setup, but any sized cooler can become a mash tun. Just depends how much grain and size of batch you are brewing.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/g1580/how-to-build-your-own-home-brewing-mash-tun/?

Here is my little 2 gallon I built.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431373523.251080.jpg

 

[RamsesBalboa]

Thanks!! Madhomebrewer, so you think is better a cooler than a kettle?.
And 10 gall is the maximum capacity of my system?
Where to buy supplies, and the plumbing?

Best regards!!

 

[doug293cz]

Thanks!! Madhomebrewer, so you think is better a cooler than a kettle?.
And 10 gall is the maximum capacity of my system?
Where to buy supplies, and the plumbing?

Best regards!!

What is the capacity of your biggest kettle? That is what will limit how large a batch you can brew. Once we know that, we can give you a better estimate of the capacity of cooler that will be a good match. Coolers are better at holding mash temperatures than kettles, since they are insulated (although you can add insulation to a kettle.)

Brew on

 

[MadHomebrewer]

Yeah, we need to know how big your kettles are. I don't know why but I had 10 gallons in my head. Maybe because of the two kegs. If you want to run three burners you can mash in a third kettle or you can run two burns and mash in a cooler.

 

[MindenMan]

Please measure your kettles for height and width. We can figure their volume from those two numbers.

 

[RamsesBalboa]

1 kettke is capacity is 100qts size 19.29inch x19.29
1 kettle 80qts. Size 19.29x 18.1

 

[doug293cz]

1 kettke is capacity is 100qts size 19.29inch x19.29
1 kettle 80qts. Size 19.29x 18.1

Using the 100 qt kettle as your boil kettle, you could easily make 15 gal batches, for which you would need at least a 20 gal cooler for your mash tun (for up to 45 lbs of grain). If you wanted to make higher gravity beers (more grain) then you would need a larger cooler. With great care you could do 20 gal batches (of lower gravity), but 90 minute boils would require top off water, and you need to be very careful to avoid boil overs.

When mashing each lb of grain displaces about 0.08 gal of volume. You also need about 1.25 qts/lb (0.3125 gal/lb) of strike water. In total you need (0.08 + 0.3125) = 0.3925 gal of space in the mash tun for each lb of grain you want to mash. 0.4 gal/lb is easier to remember. So, mashing 45 lbs of grain would require a 0.4 * 45 = 18 gal mash tun plus whatever head space you need to avoid spilling while stirring the mash.

Brew on

 

[RamsesBalboa]

Thanks!!! doug293cz!!
I'll buy this one
http://m.sears.com/coleman-100-qt-marine/p-00682599000P

And start to look for connections fittings hoses etc, where and what kind do you recommend ?

Best regards!!

 

[doug293cz]

Thanks!!! doug293cz!!
I'll buy this one
http://m.sears.com/coleman-100-qt-marine/p-00682599000P

And start to look for connections fittings hoses etc, where and what kind do you recommend ?

Best regards!!

I don't know much about fittings, so someone else needs to weigh in here.

Brew on

 

[RamsesBalboa]

Don't Worry, thanks!!! again to all.
I'l buy the things that i need and search for a recepie and buy grains to start brewing, i'post the progress and the final result.