All grain without a HLT

[gotbags-10]

Hoping to get into all grain. All I have now is my 10g mash tun and a keggle. Can I brew without a hlt? How would I go about doing so? Temporary of course until I can get some more funds from SWMBO.

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

What size batches are you doing? If you are doing 5 gallons or less, use a small pot to heat mash and sparge water.


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[Spartan1979]

Heat your mash water in the BK. Then heat your sparge water in the BK while you drain into a bucket. When the BK is empty, transfer from the bucket to the BK.

I also read somewhere on here that the temp of the sparge water doesn't really matter. I don't know if this is true or not, but if you try this, then you could drain from the MLT to the BK.

 

[QuercusMax]

I have a 5 gallon canning pot I use as my HLT. You can also heat water in your brew kettle and put it in a bucket before you run out your first batch. If you're batch sparging you don't need a fancy HLT.

If you want to fly sparge - well, then you will need to do something more complicated, but it can be as simple as another cooler with a valve.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Heat your mash water in the BK. Then heat your sparge water in the BK while you drain into a bucket. When the BK is empty, transfer from the bucket to the BK.

I also read somewhere on here that the temp of the sparge water doesn't really matter. I don't know if this is true or not, but if you try this, then you could drain from the MLT to the BK.

This is exactly what I used to do.

 

[judsonp]

You could easily do no-sparge with that. (Heat mash water in keggle. Mash in. Heat remaining water in keggle. Add once mash is done. Lauter out of mash tun to keggle.)

You could also do no-sparge BIAB, which wouldn't even require the mash tun.

You could do batch sparging if you can grab a food-safe bucket. Your sparge water doesn't really need to be heated. (Heat mash water in keggle. Mash in, wait. Lauter. Dump in sparge water and stir. Lauter again.)

(Edit: I forgot the alternative version of the above, which is to heat your sparge water in the keggle and to lauter into your food-safe bucket. Also works.)

I also read somewhere on here that the temp of the sparge water doesn't really matter. I don't know if this is true or not, but if you try this, then you could drain from the MLT to the BK.

It seems to work for me, and I don't notice an efficiency difference. I haven't done any serious comparisons, though.

 

[Natdavis777]

+1 for running off into buckets. You can get ones at Lowes that have half gallon increments on the side. I brewed like this for 3+ years

 

[retheisen]

If you have a spare $120 ... grab one of these ... http://www.eccotemp.com/eccotemp-l5-portable-tankless-water-heater/ (you may need to short the overtemp sensor that limits you to 130 degrees F). Instant strike and sparge water on demand. Plus, if you are a camper you can take hot showers while camping (when you are not brewing).

 

[johnmac22]

Heat your mash water in the BK. Then heat your sparge water in the BK while you drain into a bucket. When the BK is empty, transfer from the bucket to the BK.

This. I started with all grain right off the bat and had to improvise this way. Bought a HTL kettle during the boil

 

[sparkeee277]

Hoping to get into all grain. All I have now is my 10g mash tun and a keggle. Can I brew without a hlt? How would I go about doing so? Temporary of course until I can get some more funds from SWMBO.

I use the exact same set up.... All I have that you don't is a $20, 8 gallon aluminum pot from Walmart. I use it to heat my mash and sparge water, then run everything with gravity.

 

[jleiii]

I've got a system like this....

I'm in the process of building a system with a RIMS, 1 pump and 2 kettles. I did my first batch a few days ago and other than screwing up on 1 grain, the process worked very well, especially since it was the first round.

I have an 8 gallon Megapot 1.2, a 7 gallon SS kettle, a home made drop-in mash basket (SS shell, 300 mesh bottom), 18" RIMS from BrewHardware and a chugger pump. Both pots have valves. The practice run (water and pbw) showed I would loose 4F to the RIMS, Mash basket and 7 gal kettle. I'll dial that in as I do more batches.

I fired up the Mega pot with 7 gallons of water (will go to 8 next time) heated up to strike temp, and pumped 5 gal into the Mash basket/kettle. It is the HLT to start. Fired up the RIMS at 152, and doughed in. The RIMS bounced about for a few minutes, and then settled in nicely. The 300 mesh screen is pretty fine (I made it as a BIAB alternative), and it took me about 15 min of stirring with the paddle to get it to a steady state flow. Since the mash basket sits in the pot the flow rate has to match the drain rate through the screen or the level around the basket (~1/4" gap) and pot will run down and suck in air. Once I hit this point it was hands off for the rest of the mash time. I'll probably make another mash pot since I have lots of SS sheet left, and use a courser screen.

Near the end of the mash I fired up the Mega pot burner (still the HLT) and brought the remaining water (+ 1 gal, making 8 total) to 170F. I then switched from re-circulation to pumping (same flow rate as the mash RIMS) from the HLT to the mash pot while at the same time matching the flow from the mash pot into a 3 gal pot. Once I got about 2.5 gal in that pot, I shut off the mash valve and continued pumping the mashout water until the HLT was empty.

I then opened the mash valve again to allow it to drain into the former HLT, which is now the boil kettle, and poured in the 2.5 gal from the extra pot. From here it's boil as usual.

At some time in the future I may upgrade to a cheap 10 gallon pot and bigger mash basket to eliminate the need to drain into the 3 pot, or consider a cooler/mash tun. But, I really like my mash basket, and it's paid for. The cooler style adds yet more cost.....

During my brief BIAB period which grew into the mash basket, I was using the small pot for heating sparge water and pouring it over the bag (and later into the basket). I heated the mash water in the bag/basket pot, hoisted the bag/basket to drain after the mash, and then fired up the burner. I got the MegaPot for Big Brew Day back in May, and then I was able to drain into it and eliminate the hoisting.

Sorry, no good pics of this first run. But I can get some during the next run in the next few days if anyone wants to see it. I'll create a new post if the interest is high rather than camping on the OP.
John

 

[sparkeee277]

Jleiii, sounds like a cool system. I don't think I've ever seen a mash basket in action. Please post pictures when you can!

 

[DurtyChemist]

I brew in a bag in my keggle.

 

[jleiii]

I brew in a bag in my keggle.

Yeah, I guess this should have been the first reply!

There's an entire thread dedicated to this here on HBT, and entire sites elsewhere.

Gotbags-10 if your not familiar with BIAB then look at the first sticky in that forum. It will give you pretty much all the info you need plus some. This is the easiest way to get into all grain brewing with minimal equipment cost and you can slowly expand to any level from BIAB to full blown all grain as time and finances permit.

 

[Epimetheus]

Geeze, people make stuff so complex. More equipment! more cost! Heck with that. Make it simple

Use your brew kettle or anything to heat the water.
Use an online calculator to determine the temperature of the strike water, heating in the kettle (or whatever vessel)

Pour that water into your mash tun, and stir in the grain. Done. Now let it mash.

While it is mashing, heat more water in whatever vessel for sparging. Done.

If you don't' have all the properly labeled vessels, use your imagination and figure something out. Or spend more money if that works for you, no criticism from me!

 

[jleiii]

Jleiii, sounds like a cool system. I don't think I've ever seen a mash basket in action. Please post pictures when you can!

It looks like this:

 

[sparkeee277]

Nice, it's like a hybrid BIAB and easier to clean....... Where did you get the mesh bottom material?

 

[jleiii]

Nice, it's like a hybrid BIAB and easier to clean....... Where did you get the mesh bottom material?

Mcmaster Carr Strainer-Grade Type 304 Stainless Steel Wire Cloth
About $20 for 24x24 sheet.
The cylinder is .032 SS sheet also from McMaster. A 36" wide sheet makes a cylinder just under 12" in dia. It was 36x36 for $57.

Guess it's time to start a new thread. I'll post a link shortly.
This is one of MANY projects I've built. I just never find time to write about them in detail. I have a blog my daughter set up for me and I can't seem to find much time for that either. She's my only follower though.

Link to new thread.

 

[RonPopeil]

I'm AG and just use the BK as well. I also use a couple 5G painter's buckets. Use the bucket to measure your volumes and add straight to the kettle. If you want to treat your water then pour it all in the BK and treat it and then open the ball valve into your bucket to measure volume before you pour it into the mash tun. Simple answer, costs $10, and adds no real complication to the process. Just need a kettle with a ball valve.

The only trick with this is getting your temp right. Don't add all of your strike or sparge water to the tun at once. Leave yourself .5-.75 gallons to boil just in case you need to bump the temp up. Sometimes you do because you lose heat from transferring/splashing.

 

[skw]

I also read somewhere on here that the temp of the sparge water doesn't really matter. I don't know if this is true or not, but if you try this, then you could drain from the MLT to the BK.

It works for me. Straight tap water, not even from the heater.

 

[RonPopeil]

Heat your mash water in the BK. Then heat your sparge water in the BK while you drain into a bucket. When the BK is empty, transfer from the bucket to the BK.

I also read somewhere on here that the temp of the sparge water doesn't really matter. I don't know if this is true or not, but if you try this, then you could drain from the MLT to the BK.

Tried this. It's easier to catch your first runnings in a painter's pail. That way you have your kettle free if you need a temperature change, sparge or etc. I never go straight to the kettle anymore. Too many times I would need my kettle for something.