ANVIL FOUNDRY ALL-GRAIN BREWING SYSTEM

[renstyle]

Phew, just got thru all 21 pages. Long time lurker, first time poster.

Regarding the 6.5 version:

Looking to ferment in corny kegs, as I have several 5 gal I just picked up for a song.

I realize this will limit my batch size to approx 4.5 gal into the fermenter/keg, which is fine as smaller batches work better for me, but I'd prefer to maximize my volume in the fermenter if possible.

I am keeping the 10 gal round cooler mash tun + brew bag a buddy of mine used with his old propane setup for MIAB/batch sparging.

So I'm only looking at the foundry as a decent boil kettle for the majority of my batches.

Being able to use 120V or 240V with the proper outlets out of the gate is a distinct advantage compared to other similar options.

The 6.5 is recommended for 3 gal or smaller batches, but that was assuming kettle volume would be needed to account for the grain in the pipe during mashing, which I'd only use occasionally.

The 10.5 is currently a bit on the big side for the brews I'm planning, based on what I've been reading in the thread. (I like the variety with smaller batches, 5 gal of any one is tough to work thru these days).

How close would I be pushing it after accounting for hop/trub loss in the kettle (and avoiding boil overs) to get 4.5 gal of wort into the fermenter, 5.5 gallons pre-boil ish? Has anybody tried this?

Great info everyone, I've learned alot just by reading.

Cheers.

 

[mbg]

Phew, just got thru all 21 pages. Long time lurker, first time poster.

Regarding the 6.5 version:

Looking to ferment in corny kegs, as I have several 5 gal I just picked up for a song.

I realize this will limit my batch size to approx 4.5 gal into the fermenter/keg, which is fine as smaller batches work better for me, but I'd prefer to maximize my volume in the fermenter if possible.

I am keeping the 10 gal round cooler mash tun + brew bag a buddy of mine used with his old propane setup for MIAB/batch sparging.

So I'm only looking at the foundry as a decent boil kettle for the majority of my batches.

Being able to use 120V or 240V with the proper outlets out of the gate is a distinct advantage compared to other similar options.

The 6.5 is recommended for 3 gal or smaller batches, but that was assuming kettle volume would be needed to account for the grain in the pipe during mashing, which I'd only use occasionally.

The 10.5 is currently a bit on the big side for the brews I'm planning, based on what I've been reading in the thread. (I like the variety with smaller batches, 5 gal of any one is tough to work thru these days).

How close would I be pushing it after accounting for hop/trub loss in the kettle (and avoiding boil overs) to get 4.5 gal of wort into the fermenter, 5.5 gallons pre-boil ish? Has anybody tried this?

Great info everyone, I've learned alot just by reading.

Cheers.

I have seen more than a couple regret getting 6.5 instead of 10.5. Many small batchers use the 10.5 with the optional small batch ring.

 

[renstyle]

I have seen more than a couple regret getting 6.5 instead of 10.5. Many small batchers use the 10.5 with the optional small batch ring.

I hear ya on the itch to upgrade, that mash ring is intriguing.

That's why I wanted input on the max wort somebody with a 6.5 has attempted, so I can see what works best for me now. Somebody further up the thread was also doing MIAB, but the batch sizes were smaller IIRC. Wasn't sure if that was personal preference or a size limitation of the kit.

I've assisted friends on brew day, all propane thus far, this is my first system. Would like to go electric from the get go.

With my batch size restricted to 4.5 max in the fermenter/keg, the 6.5 made me curious.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

I don't have a foundry, but I have the 120V Digiboil and I ferment in kegs. One thing to keep in mind is that you don't necessarily need to limit yourself to 4.5 gallons. I ferment right around 5 full gallons in the keg (I fill it up to the top, just where it starts to curve). I add fermcap and set up a blowoff tube for the first 3 days. I typically get some blowoff, but not too much. So if you did want to, you can go above 4.5 as your starting point.

For the foundry, the 120v option is 1600W. Do you know if it's a single element? With the Digiboil, there's a 1000W element and a 500W element. I turn off the smaller element during the boil, leaving only the 1000W element to do the work. I have about 0.5 gallons of evaporation over the course of an hour. When I have both elements on, it's closer to a full gallon so you'd need more starting water if you used the full 1600W in the Foundry.

Anyway, I typically have 5.75 gallons after my mash, but it swells to 6 gallons once it reaches a boil. After an hour-long boil, I'm down to 5.25 gallons and after filtering out the hop sludge, I get 5 gallons into the fermenter. A 6.5 gallon kettle would be pushing it unless you were there to stir the wort right when it gets to a boil. Once the boil gets going and you're done with the hot break, you'll get a nice rolling boil but it won't be strong enough to overflow the kettle.

If you're only targeting 4.5 gallons, you can obviously use less than 5.75 gallons as your starting point. 5.5 gallons would be a good starting point. But I'd definitely keep an eye on the kettle once it's getting close to boiling, for the first couple batches at least. It does seem doable to me, but it would be close to the limit.

 

[Knightshade]

Phew, just got thru all 21 pages. Long time lurker, first time poster.

Regarding the 6.5 version:

Looking to ferment in corny kegs, as I have several 5 gal I just picked up for a song.

I realize this will limit my batch size to approx 4.5 gal into the fermenter/keg, which is fine as smaller batches work better for me, but I'd prefer to maximize my volume in the fermenter if possible.

I am keeping the 10 gal round cooler mash tun + brew bag a buddy of mine used with his old propane setup for MIAB/batch sparging.

So I'm only looking at the foundry as a decent boil kettle for the majority of my batches.

Being able to use 120V or 240V with the proper outlets out of the gate is a distinct advantage compared to other similar options.

The 6.5 is recommended for 3 gal or smaller batches, but that was assuming kettle volume would be needed to account for the grain in the pipe during mashing, which I'd only use occasionally.

The 10.5 is currently a bit on the big side for the brews I'm planning, based on what I've been reading in the thread. (I like the variety with smaller batches, 5 gal of any one is tough to work thru these days).

How close would I be pushing it after accounting for hop/trub loss in the kettle (and avoiding boil overs) to get 4.5 gal of wort into the fermenter, 5.5 gallons pre-boil ish? Has anybody tried this?

Great info everyone, I've learned alot just by reading.

Cheers.

I think....the answers you're looking for aside from somebody with a 6.5 answering your question directly might be in the manual. Couple tidbits.

120V = 1/2 G boil off per hour
240V = 1G boil off per hour

Since you're only looking at utilizing the Anvil as a boil kettle...

The manual states that if you have 8 lbs of grain, utilizing a no-sparge method and are running 240V, you need 4.8 gallons of water. The malt pipe, along w/the 8 lbs of grain are displacing a fairly large amount of space in the boil kettle portion of the Foundry. So one could make a reasonable assumption that you'd be fine? Possibly send an email to Anvil directly, they might provide a definitive answer?

I was at one time considering the 6.5G version myself for much the same reasons you have. I have a cooler mash tun, smaller batches seemed more appealing/reasonable. Fast forward a couple of months and I'm only 2 brews in, but not dealing with the mash tun from a connections, space, clutter standpoint...golden. I also dreaded the idea of possibly deciding to upgrade later since I feel like my original path into brewing last December was to purchase a Picobrew and that burned a fairly large hole in my pocket. I did decide to order the small batch ring w/my order to kind of satisfy my inkling towards originally thinking about the 6.5G unit. I received the Foundry 2 months ago, and I still haven't received it. I decided to cancel it and received confirmation yesterday. My thinking w/that decision was that I have 5G kegs (and 2 1.75G kegs..) anyways, and the level of effort with a big/small batch is the same anyways so...

 

[renstyle]

I don't have a foundry, but I have the 120V Digiboil and I ferment in kegs. One thing to keep in mind is that you don't necessarily need to limit yourself to 4.5 gallons. I ferment right around 5 full gallons in the keg (I fill it up to the top, just where it starts to curve). I add fermcap and set up a blowoff tube for the first 3 days. I typically get some blowoff, but not too much. So if you did want to, you can go above 4.5 as your starting point.

I was also planning on having fermcap for some batches, depending on the yeast I decide to use. Good to know a little more wort in the fermenter is possible, and knowing the things to watch out for.

For the foundry, the 120v option is 1600W. Do you know if it's a single element? With the Digiboil, there's a 1000W element and a 500W element. I turn off the smaller element during the boil, leaving only the 1000W element to do the work. I have about 0.5 gallons of evaporation over the course of an hour. When I have both elements on, it's closer to a full gallon so you'd need more starting water if you used the full 1600W in the Foundry.

The foundry has 3 elements, when running 120V the max output is also 1600W. Since the controller handles temp and burner intensity, not sure which elements are used at lower temps.

Anyway, I typically have 5.75 gallons after my mash, but it swells to 6 gallons once it reaches a boil. After an hour-long boil, I'm down to 5.25 gallons and after filtering out the hop sludge, I get 5 gallons into the fermenter. A 6.5 gallon kettle would be pushing it unless you were there to stir the wort right when it gets to a boil. Once the boil gets going and you're done with the hot break, you'll get a nice rolling boil but it won't be strong enough to overflow the kettle.

The 0.25 of kettle loss that you see, is that with or without a hop bag?

If you're only targeting 4.5 gallons, you can obviously use less than 5.75 gallons as your starting point. 5.5 gallons would be a good starting point. But I'd definitely keep an eye on the kettle once it's getting close to boiling, for the first couple batches at least. It does seem doable to me, but it would be close to the limit.

Another thought that a friend mentioned to me: I could partial boil, say 3.5 gal and then top off with boiled/distilled in the fermenter/keg prior to pitching?

 

[renstyle]

The manual states that if you have 8 lbs of grain, utilizing a no-sparge method and are running 240V, you need 4.8 gallons of water. The malt pipe, along w/the 8 lbs of grain are displacing a fairly large amount of space in the boil kettle portion of the Foundry. So one could make a reasonable assumption that you'd be fine? Possibly send an email to Anvil directly, they might provide a definitive answer?

I have emailed Anvil/Blichmann regarding the wort-only capacity, sans malt pipe.

I was at one time considering the 6.5G version myself for much the same reasons you have. I have a cooler mash tun, smaller batches seemed more appealing/reasonable. Fast forward a couple of months and I'm only 2 brews in, but not dealing with the mash tun from a connections, space, clutter standpoint...golden. I also dreaded the idea of possibly deciding to upgrade later since I feel like my original path into brewing last December was to purchase a Picobrew and that burned a fairly large hole in my pocket. I did decide to order the small batch ring w/my order to kind of satisfy my inkling towards originally thinking about the 6.5G unit. I received the Foundry 2 months ago, and I still haven't received it. I decided to cancel it and received confirmation yesterday. My thinking w/that decision was that I have 5G kegs (and 2 1.75G kegs..) anyways, and the level of effort with a big/small batch is the same anyways so...

I realize it's splitting hairs for not alot of gain. As this would be my first kettle purchase, I could re-purpose it as HLT for when I eventually get a bigger rig.

My buddy mentioned that I could do a partial boil and top off the fermenter with a gal of distilled during aeration, prior to pitching if desired, so that's an option as well.

I also have some 2.5 gal kegs I'm looking at for serving, and even at 4.5 in the fermenter, I'm still in small batch territory. ;-)

 

[reefermike]

Just a simple question , if your true intentions are small batch brewing but want the option to brew some higher gravity beer , should you opt for the larger of the two anvils. Its always been a preference to have several different types on draft . i think smaller kegs would work better for me.

 

[renstyle]

Just a simple question , if your true intentions are small batch brewing but want the option to brew some higher gravity beer , should you opt for the larger of the two anvils. Its always been a preference to have several different types on draft . i think smaller kegs would work better for me.

I wasn't looking at the option to brew big beers per se, but that could be an option down the road.

Mostly I'm working with what I already have on hand, then deciding what I would like to add to the mix.

I have a dozen 5 gal cornys that I picked up cheap. I also have a pair of 2.5 gal cornys that I got on sale. While I have a 10 gal cooler+bag bequeathed to me by a friend, I have no other fermenters, nor kettles, as all his kit was propane.

My goal is to use some of the 5 gal cornys for fermentation. Up to this point I've only worked with PET carboys and the occasional glass, and at atmospheric pressure.

I have a spunding valve and would like to experiment with pressure fermentation as well as closed transfer between vessels to a final serving keg.

The idea of capturing fermentation CO2 in a starsan filled keg while transferring the sanitized water to a third, spunded keg (cuz I have them) is also intriguing. Would make cold crashing-O2 infiltration mostly a non issue. That's a bit in the weeds tho. ;-)

Since my top limit is 4.5 to 5 gal in the primary, I'm looking at (max) 4 to 4.5 gal transferred into the serving keg, which is perfectly adequate for my needs. As I mentioned previously, should I move forward with a different, bigger fermenter then I'll need to look at a bigger kettle. I'd be fine re-purposing this 6.5 as the HLT, or even use it in combination with a larger unit for bigger beers. <THAT> idea is really far out in the weeds right now.

I was initially checking out NB's GigaWort, then realized it was only 4.4 gal kettle capacity, which made that option a hard "no".

Going with a DigiBoil, while 5 gal capable, would likely need the neoprene jacket (or a DIY reflect-X alternative) due to the single wall of the kettle, and the 120V/1600W limitation, plus I'd have to source a chiller. The costs kept adding until it was quickly approaching: the Anvil 6.5...

The Anvil 6.5 is the only other kettle that I've seen that straddles the fence, all the other kettles can easily to full 5 gal batches (6+ gal in the kettle during boil), which isn't something I need at this time.

The dual action 120V/240V capability of these Anvil units, both the 6.5 and the 10.5 is what kept them at the top of the heap. I'm nearly done putting together an in-line 240V GFCI cable so I have the option to use 240V at my place (dryer uses NEMA 14-30) or switch it back to 120V and brew at a friend's house.

I was mainly curious as to the full-wort boil capacity of the 6.5 for sub-1.060 batches. It appears the consensus is:

"It'll be tight, but it'll work... WATCH THAT POT!"

which is something I'm used to with propane. That's for a 4.5 gal batch into the fermenter.

Working with 3.5 or 4 gal in the kettle, then topping off a bit with distilled or spring water just before pitching would work also, but was unsure if it would be necessary every time. Sounds like it isn't thankfully.

 

[myndflyte]

The dual action 120V/240V capability of these Anvil units, both the 6.5 and the 10.5 is what kept them at the top of the heap. I'm nearly done putting together an in-line 240V GFCI cable so I have the option to use 240V at my place (dryer uses NEMA 14-30) or switch it back to 120V and brew at a friend's house.

Just an FYI. You need to cut off the plug and wire up a 240V plug if you want that. So switching voltages would require switching the plug.

 

[Bill Huelsman]

I’ve had the 10.5 gallon Foundry since November 2019. Done at least a dozen brews on it. My likes:

Much easier and simplified brew day! having one vessel to clean verses 3 saves time.

Small footprint, if your space is limited, this is a perfect system! Everything you need fits inside, malt pipe, chiller, hoses and pump, and a few accessories like refractometer, stainless hop tube and a few other items.

Can brew on 110 or 220 with a flip of a switch. 110 volt slows the ramp up time in a big way. And you don’t need to cut the end of the cord off to brew on 220. I simply made a adapter that goes in my 220 gfci circuit, to the standard plug. No issues at all.

Typical brew day can be 4-4.5 hours start to finish if doing a full volume mash. I have found that leaving the mash pipe in with the grains in, and draining slowly into my 10 gallon Megapot brings a much higher efficiency. I pump from the Megapot back into the Foundry. I heat all the water at once to initial strike temp (about 8 gallons typically). Then drain 3-4 gallons in to a 4-5 gallon stock pot. Use my Anova to heat it up to 170. Sparge as usual. Doing that adds 1-1.5 hours to the

You can step mash in the Foundry, you just need to manually change the temp on the controller. Be sure to double check the mash temp in the malt pipe.

Controller is super easy to set both temps and power levels on! My unit has the controller on the bottom, the new unit the controller is on the top.
Foundry customer service is top notch! On the Facebook forum for the Foundry, John Blichmann watches it very closely. All issues are resolved very quickly.
Dislikes:
Only good for 5 gallon batches, would love to see a 65 liter version.
No blue tooth.

 

[renstyle]

Just an FYI. You need to cut off the plug and wire up a 240V plug if you want that. So switching voltages would require switching the plug.

Can brew on 110 or 220 with a flip of a switch. 110 volt slows the ramp up time in a big way. And you don’t need to cut the end of the cord off to brew on 220. I simply made a adapter that goes in my 220 gfci circuit, to the standard plug. No issues at all.

That's what I'm doing as well. NEMA 14-30 (4 prong dryer with neutral bar removed) on one side - GFI - and standard plug on the other.

Being able to switch between 120/240 is great for flexibility. I'm already planning a (longer) brew day with a friend and they only have 120V available.

Think I'm gonna pull the trigger on a 6.5 and put it thru the paces. I'll report back my findings.

 

[senseichaz]

I don't have a Foundry yet, but my calcs say you can mash 21 pounds in 8.24 gallons of 'pot'. The basket might be an issue, but you could always mash in a bag instead.
https://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

The most I've mashed so far is 18 lbs. I had no problems with the mash. I did add a 1/2 lb of rice hulls, mostly because I had them. I think you could try a bag, but without the steel basket, you might wind up with the bag coming in contact with the heating elements. I've had burnout where significant grain leakage occurred and it ain't pretty!

 

[mbg]

Just an FYI. You need to cut off the plug and wire up a 240V plug if you want that. So switching voltages would require switching the plug.

Not really - if you look at one of my posts above Amazon sells a plug adapter to set you up for 220V w/o cutting the cord.

Mike

https://www.amazon.com/BloomGrow-11...r+for+usb&qid=1598284722&s=electronics&sr=1-2

 

[cswant88]

Maybe you misunderstood my post. Ditch the basket and don't recirculate. Just use a BIAB and there is nothing to stick.

I've got 2 batches on the system and I'm considering going this route, for capacity if nothing else. I did 18.5 lbs in the malt pipe this weekend and it was tight. The extra space would be nice. I'm looking for something to fit in the bottom to elevate the bag slightly off the heat and clear the pickup tube & temp sensor. You can still recirculate if you use something else to break up the stream. Anvil's perforated plate won't work without the malt pipe. It would allow for bigger beers too if you batch sparge and heat the water in a 2nd vessel.

 

[cswant88]

Phew, just got thru all 21 pages. Long time lurker, first time poster.

Regarding the 6.5 version:

Looking to ferment in corny kegs, as I have several 5 gal I just picked up for a song.

I realize this will limit my batch size to approx 4.5 gal into the fermenter/keg, which is fine as smaller batches work better for me, but I'd prefer to maximize my volume in the fermenter if possible.

I am keeping the 10 gal round cooler mash tun + brew bag a buddy of mine used with his old propane setup for MIAB/batch sparging.

So I'm only looking at the foundry as a decent boil kettle for the majority of my batches.

Being able to use 120V or 240V with the proper outlets out of the gate is a distinct advantage compared to other similar options.

The 6.5 is recommended for 3 gal or smaller batches, but that was assuming kettle volume would be needed to account for the grain in the pipe during mashing, which I'd only use occasionally.

The 10.5 is currently a bit on the big side for the brews I'm planning, based on what I've been reading in the thread. (I like the variety with smaller batches, 5 gal of any one is tough to work thru these days).

How close would I be pushing it after accounting for hop/trub loss in the kettle (and avoiding boil overs) to get 4.5 gal of wort into the fermenter, 5.5 gallons pre-boil ish? Has anybody tried this?

Great info everyone, I've learned alot just by reading.

Cheers.

Why not get the 10.5 and do full volume mash? I think it would make your life easier not having to transfer back and forth to the cooler. The only down side is the extra $100, that could be a deal breaker if the budget is tight. You can keep your current cooler tun and do the batch sparge if you want to brew a huge beer one day.

 

[bleme]

You can still recirculate if you use something else to break up the stream. Anvil's perforated plate won't work without the malt pipe. It would allow for bigger beers too if you batch sparge and heat the water in a 2nd vessel.

I'm not sold on recirculation. I'm sure in some situations it can get you better efficiency, but not with the fine crush that BIAB allows.

 

[mbg]

I've got 2 batches on the system and I'm considering going this route, for capacity if nothing else. I did 18.5 lbs in the malt pipe this weekend and it was tight. The extra space would be nice. I'm looking for something to fit in the bottom to elevate the bag slightly off the heat and clear the pickup tube & temp sensor. You can still recirculate if you use something else to break up the stream. Anvil's perforated plate won't work without the malt pipe. It would allow for bigger beers too if you batch sparge and heat the water in a 2nd vessel.

@cswant88 See my post #825 - I modified the Grainfather false bottom and it fits perfectly.

 

[user 263363]

I'm not sold on recirculation. I'm sure in some situations it can get you better efficiency, but not with the fine crush that BIAB allows.

I don’t disagree with that statement. However, I do feel that the recirc helps with temp stratification due to the dimensions of the unit.

 

[bleme]

I don’t disagree with that statement. However, I do feel that the recirc helps with temp stratification due to the dimensions of the unit.

Only if you apply more heat. With a fine crush, most conversion is done in the first 15 minutes. With the double wall construction of the Foundry, you aren't going to see a significant temp drop in 15 minutes so there really isn't a need to apply heat.

It probably isn't a technique you want to use on every beer but for extra large grain bills, it will get the job done. A fine mesh bag opens up a lot more possibilities and options.

 

[renstyle]

Why not get the 10.5 and do full volume mash? I think it would make your life easier not having to transfer back and forth to the cooler. The only down side is the extra $100, that could be a deal breaker if the budget is tight. You can keep your current cooler tun and do the batch sparge if you want to brew a huge beer one day.

The main use for this unit will be for smaller batches, I'm not looking to go higher than 4.5gal for some time. By then I could repurpose the 6.5 as a HLT, etc.

My main inquiry was how much of a hassle it would be to put out MAX 4.5g batches, using kegs as fermenters.

I've got a dozen cornys to play with, not ready to invest in larger fermenters currently, and am going to experiment with pressure fermentation. I suppose it is an odd way of looking at the situation: working backwards from keg to tun, but it's where I'm at. So I'm fully expecting to transfer ~4 gal of beer to a serving keg, possibly more using a floating dip tube in the fermenter (which I have a pair of as well).

I realize there is a small-batch adapter that could be added to the 10.5 which will allow small batches, but for an extra cost. For my needs it's an additional expense with not alot of upside for what I'm doing right now.

The 120/240 capability was really having me do a side-by-side of both Anvil units. The 6.5 was covering about 90% of my needs once I got thru 21 pages. The only open question was what experiences others have had pushing the max size full-wort boil (from a separate tun), using the anvil just as a kettle.

The anvil manual lists 4.8gal capacity with 8lb grist @ 240V for no-sparge. This, along with anecdotes from other posters here in the thread seem to show that I can make my 4.5gal into the fermenter for MOST recipes with batch sparging in a tun (which I'm doing for most batches anyway) and without resorting to topping off the fermenter with extra water after the boil.

Putting $100 toward other brewery needs is a bonus, like over halfway to a good fermentation chamber. ;-)

 

[PhillyBrewDoug]

@renstyle It really depends on the styles of beer you want to brew. A DIPA's grist wouldn't fit, but a Bitter's would. I typically brew 3.5 gal batches on my 6.5 gal Anvil, with 4 gal going into the carboy. With no-sparge, that maxes me out at a 1.050 OG beer with ~7 lbs of grain. The pre-boil volume is 5 gallons, as 240v at 100% boil has a boil-off of 1 gal/hr.

This is just my experience, YMMV.

 

[zdc1775]

I've got 2 batches on the system and I'm considering going this route, for capacity if nothing else. I did 18.5 lbs in the malt pipe this weekend and it was tight. The extra space would be nice. I'm looking for something to fit in the bottom to elevate the bag slightly off the heat and clear the pickup tube & temp sensor. You can still recirculate if you use something else to break up the stream. Anvil's perforated plate won't work without the malt pipe. It would allow for bigger beers too if you batch sparge and heat the water in a 2nd vessel.

I haven't used it yet but I bought this based off a recommendation on the Anvil user facebook page. It fits with about a half inch around the sides. The guy who posted it used stainless nuts, bolts, and washers to build legs to get it above the valve.

 

[Knightshade]

Not really - if you look at one of my posts above Amazon sells a plug adapter to set you up for 220V w/o cutting the cord.

Mike

https://www.amazon.com/BloomGrow-11...r+for+usb&qid=1598284722&s=electronics&sr=1-2

I kinda wish I had looked into that, but after a recent spill in the garage, I went the sealed route.

 

[Hogarthster]

Working from home and going no where for last 4 months has saved me a load of cash. I pulled the trigger on the 10.5 last. Arrived with some serious dents inside the boiler which Anvil had no problems replacing. Hoping this reduces my propensity to burn myself during the brew day.

 

[cswant88]

@cswant88 See my post #825 - I modified the Grainfather false bottom and it fits perfectly.

How are you modding it, stainless bolts?

 

[cswant88]

I'm not sold on recirculation. I'm sure in some situations it can get you better efficiency, but not with the fine crush that BIAB allows.

I've noticed in my 10.5gal foundry the mash is 5-6 degrees cooler at the top than what the controller says is actual temp. I think this is just because the foundry is tall and narrow with a non-insulated lid. I imagine the grain bed exacerbates the issue by insulating the bottom area so the heating elements shutoff, thinking the temp is stable, all the while the top is cooling. Recirculating would help in this regard, since it's pulling heated wort from the bottom and dumping it in the top, keeping temp consistent throughout. Stirring every 10 minutes or so would suffice too. The old blanket on top trick would probably help a bit too.

 

[mbg]

How are you modding it, stainless bolts?

As mentioned above I bought a stainless Grainfather replacement false bottom. It needed about 3/4" spacer. I had some high temp food grade HDPE so used it to make spacers. I tapped threads for stainless bolts:

 

[Noob_Brewer]

As mentioned above I bought a stainless Grainfather replacement false bottom. It needed about 3/4" spacer. I had some high temp food grade HDPE so used it to make spacers. I tapped threads for stainless bolts:

View attachment 695783View attachment 695783View attachment 695784View attachment 695785View attachment 695786

Do you leave the pull ring on the plate? thought it might poke through the bag possibly due to weight of bag. I have one of these false bottoms en route now and was just going to use SS wire run through the false bottom to pull it out after mash and prior to boil. Your mod for the feet looks great. Was just going to bend the feet to make a "V" to get the height.

 

[mbg]

Do you leave the pull ring on the plate? thought it might poke through the bag possibly due to weight of bag. I have one of these false bottoms en route now and was just going to use SS wire run through the false bottom to pull it out after mash and prior to boil. Your mod for the feet looks great. Was just going to bend the feet to make a "V" to get the height.

I haven't used it yet but like you I'm worried to leave the eyelet in so will remove it and use a bent wire to remove it like you suggest.

 

[Knightshade]

So...if you do a brew as No Sparge

and decide to mash out at 170....and then you decide after the malt pipe has drained....to dip it back into the wort and let it drain again...

1. Useful?
2. Useless & Absolute Complete Waste of Time?
3. Doing More Harm Than Good?

 

[rhzx12r]

Do you leave the pull ring on the plate? thought it might poke through the bag possibly due to weight of bag. I have one of these false bottoms en route now and was just going to use SS wire run through the false bottom to pull it out after mash and prior to boil. Your mod for the feet looks great. Was just going to bend the feet to make a "V" to get the height.

I use this same false bottom and removed the ring because it kept coming loose dropping the nuts into the trub.

 

[hophands]

I just purchased the 10.5 capacity, look forward to giving it a test drive.

Been brewing 8ish years, been on hiatus the past 3 or so.

 

[Brewer20]

Check out the Anvil Foundry facebook group. Good info from some of the first users.

Which Facebook group there's a few of them with the same listing

 

[mbg]

Made me a mash paddle:

 

[Noob_Brewer]

Awesome paddle man!

 

[Noob_Brewer]

I’m not on Facebook so this forum will have to do for me with the foundry

 

[NSMikeD]

I have to go through this thread, for now I am bookmarking it. I have been brewing 2.5 gallons BIAB for years. I keg. I just pulled the trigger on the 6.5gal. I have updated a few of my favorite recipes in BrewSmith3 and still deciding on which one to use for my first brew. Fun getting every thing ready while I wait for the unit to arrive.

I since I had an old 220v dryer receptacle (now have a gas dryer) I have been enjoying moving an unused table and making a brew area (no more kitchen stovetop). I am making an adapter with inline GFI I saw on youtube so I needn't cut the cord.

In any case, I am glad I found this thread and look forward to EBIAB.

 

[renstyle]

I since I had an old 220v dryer receptacle (now have a gas dryer) I have been enjoying moving an unused table and making a brew area (no more kitchen stovetop). I am making an adapter with inline GFI I saw on youtube so I needed cut the cord.

You could keep the NEMA-5 plug (standard 120V) attached to the Anvil, then use the same receptacle on the end of your GFI cable that runs to your (hopefully) NEMA-14 (4 prong) dryer outlet. An older, NEMA-10 (3 prong) dryer outlet should still work, but realize that it's a deprecated standard that isn't allowed in newer houses (since 1996 code).

The ground/neutral situation has been addressed further up the thread.

TLDR: with the 11-12 amps at 240V the Anvil pulls to make 2800W, even using the neutral of a NEMA-10 should be sufficient for GFI protection, as the loads are purely resistive (most 240V breakers support minimum 20A) . With a NEMA-14, which has a dedicated ground, this isn't an issue, you'd just pull the 4th neutral bar from the plug and use just hot-hot-ground.

That way you can switch between 120/240 with just the switch on the Anvil and your adapter/GFI cable.

 

[renstyle]

I have to go through this thread, for now I am bookmarking it. I have been brewing 2.5 gallons BIAB for years. I keg. I just pulled the trigger on the 6.5gal.

What pre-boil volume do you shoot for with a 2.5 gal batch? 3.5 into the fermenter?