Bayou Classic 20 Gallon Pot w/ basket that sits off the bottom?

[zgja2]

I am looking for a Bayou Classic 20 Gallon Pot w/ a basket that sits off the bottom? I know they do this in the 15 gallon size but I am looking to increase my capacity while keeping my process about the same. I can not seem to find this product and I have not gotten a response from customer service (not sure if i actually messaged corporate or just one of their dealers)

Any suggestions on finding this product or something similar or a number to their actual corporate office would be great. Cheers!

 

[augiedoggy]

I am looking for a Bayou Classic 20 Gallon Pot w/ a basket that sits off the bottom? I know they do this in the 15 gallon size but I am looking to increase my capacity while keeping my process about the same. I can not seem to find this product and I have not gotten a response from customer service (not sure if i actually messaged corporate or just one of their dealers)

Any suggestions on finding this product or something similar or a number to their actual corporate office would be great. Cheers!

I thought the basket was deigned for turkeys so I dont think youll find it in a 20 gallon size...

there are places like arbor fabrication that will make you a custom sized fine stainless mesh basket for any size you need with feet to keep it off the bottom... I believe a bag will net you better efficiency myself if you recirculate since the liquid will all be forced through the grainbed and not just some with an easy path around the basket. But I dont know your system so im just guessing.

 

[RedlegEd]

I am looking for a Bayou Classic 20 Gallon Pot w/ a basket that sits off the bottom? I know they do this in the 15 gallon size but I am looking to increase my capacity while keeping my process about the same. I can not seem to find this product and I have not gotten a response from customer service (not sure if i actually messaged corporate or just one of their dealers)

Any suggestions on finding this product or something similar or a number to their actual corporate office would be great. Cheers!

Grasshopper, you just need to use your Google-fu skills...
On Amazon, they have an 82 qt Bayou Classic Kettle as well as an 82 Qt Perforated basket, both pretty pricey. I'm not sure why you want/need a basket as a Wilser Bag doesn't need one for support (but that much grain you'd definitely need a winch or pulley block to lift it.) If you are going to direct heat your mash, you can get/make a false bottom/standoff to protect the bag. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[zgja2]

Grasshopper, you just need to use your Google-fu skills...
On Amazon, they have an 82 qt Bayou Classic Kettle as well as an 82 Qt Perforated basket, both pretty pricey. I'm not sure why you want/need a basket as a Wilser Bag doesn't need one for support (but that much grain you'd definitely need a winch or pulley block to lift it.) If you are going to direct heat your mash, you can get/make a false bottom/standoff to protect the bag. Hope this helps. Ed

Thanks for the link. I still don't think that will work. That kettle has no narrowed lip for the basket to rest on. To me at least it looks like that basket will fit completely down inside the kettle, resting on the bottom.

The reason i need the basket is to keep the bag off the element and for ease of lifting (i have a ratchet pulley attached to the ceiling). I direct fire the mash while recirculating. Do they make a false bottom big enough to clear the element?

 

[RedlegEd]

Thanks for the link. I still don't think that will work. That kettle has no narrowed lip for the basket to rest on. To me at least it looks like that basket will fit completely down inside the kettle, resting on the bottom.

The reason i need the basket is to keep the bag off the element and for ease of lifting (i have a ratchet pulley attached to the ceiling). I direct fire the mash while recirculating. Do they make a false bottom big enough to clear the element?

Hi. [I believe] the basket's lip rides the rim of the kettle, so it sits above the bottom by about 3-4". How far up is your element? I built an electric rig from a Bayou Classic 44qt (my element is about 1.5" up from the bottom,) and then got an ArborFab basket with feet that sits above my element. Before that, I was using a bag and made my own false bottom from a 2" x 12" cake pan that I drilled and slotted. A lot of folks also just use a SS Pizza screen with SS Bolts as legs. Hope this helps. Ed

ETA: [I believe]

 

[zgja2]

Hi. [I believe] the basket's lip rides the rim of the kettle, so it sits above the bottom by about 3-4". How far up is your element? I built an electric rig from a Bayou Classic 44qt (my element is about 1.5" up from the bottom,) and then got an ArborFab basket with feet that sits above my element. Before that, I was using a bag and made my own false bottom from a 2" x 12" cake pan that I drilled and slotted. A lot of folks also just use a SS Pizza screen with SS Bolts as legs. Hope this helps. Ed

ETA: [I believe]

I love the idea of the Arbor basket. I just was looking for a more economical solution. The Kettle alone is going to be a hard sell to the wife let alone the basket too. Apparently I "need to stop spending money on MY hobbies" Not that i have not tried to make it OUR hobby.

 

[zgja2]

Anyone else have any elegant and economical solutions for a 20 gal direct fired, recirculated EBIAB rig?

 

[singybrue]

Get one of these from Brewhardware: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/biabbottom17.htm

The perforated basket restricts flow too much in a recirc system in my experience

 

[augiedoggy]

I love the idea of the Arbor basket. I just was looking for a more economical solution. The Kettle alone is going to be a hard sell to the wife let alone the basket too. Apparently I "need to stop spending money on MY hobbies" Not that i have not tried to make it OUR hobby.

well you can get those arbor style baskets from a number of sellers on aliexpress... I believe they start out around $40 ther which is considerably cheaper than arbors prices... I have an arbor hop spider I paid like $70 for and just bought a second chinese made clone for $27 shipped... quality is very comparable politics aside.

 

[augiedoggy]

What about this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KI14M1O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The basket is shorter so you can easily make legs for it to stand on off the element out of long stainless bolts... Ive seen others do it.

 

[Nmnbrewer]

Get one of these from Brewhardware: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/biabbottom17.htm



The perforated basket restricts flow too much in a recirc system in my experience

I have a dozen batches ranging from 5.5 to 11 gallons and from 1048 to 1080 og through this system. Run the pump full bore the entire mash time with no restriction whatsoever. I also do not use rice hulls and my grain is set to .32. I'm not sure what I could be doing differently. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1501875850.700798.jpg

 

[singybrue]

I have a dozen batches ranging from 5.5 to 11 gallons and from 1048 to 1080 og through this system. Run the pump full bore the entire mash time with no restriction whatsoever. I also do not use rice hulls and my grain is set to .32. I'm not sure what I could be doing differently. View attachment 409701

I was referring to the turkey fryer type baskets.

 

[Nmnbrewer]

I was referring to the turkey fryer type baskets.

Gotcha.

 

[augiedoggy]

I have a dozen batches ranging from 5.5 to 11 gallons and from 1048 to 1080 og through this system. Run the pump full bore the entire mash time with no restriction whatsoever. I also do not use rice hulls and my grain is set to .32. I'm not sure what I could be doing differently. View attachment 409701

Yeah with the basket you shouldn't have a problem because the majority of the wort can just run out the sides near the top and recirculate around the basket and isn't forced through the grainbed like it would be otherwise.. this gives a bag the theoretical advantage here. Bit gives the basket more surface area and much shorter path through to drain so less likely to restrict flow. The higher the flow rate the more wort will just backup and run out the sides near the top with less actual grain penetration.

 

[zgja2]

well you can get those arbor style baskets from a number of sellers on aliexpress... I believe they start out around $40 ther which is considerably cheaper than arbors prices... I have an arbor hop spider I paid like $70 for and just bought a second chinese made clone for $27 shipped... quality is very comparable politics aside.

I have seen those but always been weary. Thanks for the insight!

I just searched for them and can not seem to find any but the hop filters. Any tips on finding the mash baskets on AliExpress?

 

[zgja2]

What about this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KI14M1O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The basket is shorter so you can easily make legs for it to stand on off the element out of long stainless bolts... Ive seen others do it.

This just might work. Certainly the right price. I will have to measure how much room my element takes up. Would have to be under 2.5 inches as that seems to be all this basket affords. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Nmnbrewer]

Yeah with the basket you shouldn't have a problem because the majority of the wort can just run out the sides near the top and recirculate around the basket and isn't forced through the grainbed like it would be otherwise.. this gives a bag the theoretical advantage here. Bit gives the basket more surface area and much shorter path through to drain so less likely to restrict flow. The higher the flow rate the more wort will just backup and run out the sides near the top with less actual grain penetration.

I had the basket made with 1/4" around the outside to minimize that. I've also noticed that by running the flow on full there is no temp stratification within the grain bed. The brew boss controller typically settles at 9% power after a few minutes of bouncing around the target temp. My mash efficiency has been 86-87% for the sessions that I've had. I'm happy with the consistency of that number.

 

[augiedoggy]

I had the basket made with 1/4" around the outside to minimize that. I've also noticed that by running the flow on full there is no temp stratification within the grain bed. The brew boss controller typically settles at 9% power after a few minutes of bouncing around the target temp. My mash efficiency has been 86-87% for the sessions that I've had. I'm happy with the consistency of that number.

Well that pretty good efficiency.. cant argue with that. I also average 86% with may setup and mashing at a much lower 1.5-1.8 gpm on the recirc flowmeter but with a much different setup. I retuned my pid before my last 11 gallon brew and my rims pid never went over 21% with an 1800w element and 9 gallons of mash wort liquid through the whole mash process.(mostly stayed around 18%)
The basket seems to work best with direct mash tun rims setups without the risk of air pockets or localized boiling under the mash Ive seen some people get causing scorching.

 

[zgja2]

What about this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KI14M1O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The basket is shorter so you can easily make legs for it to stand on off the element out of long stainless bolts... Ive seen others do it.

This may be my best option.

I do worry about when i do 5.5 gallon batches. This pot is so wide I might not be able to fully cover the grain with wort. Guess i could bump up all my boils to 90 mins to increase volume.

Thoughts?