BIAB - 10 Gallon Batch in a Keggle??

[Antler]

I'm planning on using a 15 gallon blichmann kettle when I move to 10 gallon batches. I want to go full volume, no sparging. I may be wrong but I understand from this thread I need enough room for 16 gallons for 10 gallons + boil off and grain absorption? You guys think the 15 gallon is a little small for doing the 10 gallon batches?

 

[tesilential]

Mash as much water as will fit with the grain. After the mash, remove the grain bag and put it into an empty fermenting bucket. Add remaining water to grain, stir, then remove and toss grains. Now combine "sparge" water with original mash wort and voila, you have your full boil volume.

I brew 5 gal BIAB in a 5.5 gal pot all the time.

 

[Antler]

Mash as much water as will fit with the grain. After the mash, remove the grain bag and put it into an empty fermenting bucket. Add remaining water to grain, stir, then remove and toss grains. Now combine "sparge" water with original mash wort and voila, you have your full boil volume.

I brew 5 gal BIAB in a 5.5 gal pot all the time.

I know I can do that, that's not the question. Do I have room in a 15 gallon kettle do 10 gallon batches without any sparge

 

[Seven]

I know I can do that, that's not the question. Do I have room in a 15 gallon kettle do 10 gallon batches without any sparge

A 15-gal kettle probably won't be big enough for a 10-gal no sparge BIAB batch. It will also depend on the OG of your beer. You may want to consider getting a 20-gal kettle.

Check the BIAB water volume calculator here for some ideas about how much water is needed for any given recipe. Then add the kettle space required for 20+ pounds of grain to this figure and you'll see why a 15-gal kettle may not cut it.

 

[Antler]

Thanks guys. I'm glad I saw this before ordering my kettle

 

[AnchorBock]

Search 80 qt pot on ebay. Theres an aluminum kettle you can get with a basket for about 65 bucks shipped, scratch and dent.

I line the basket with my bag, dont trust the voile with 25+ lbs of wet grain.10 gallon batches wont work too well in a 15 gallon kettle without some sort of sparge.

 

[Daddymem]

I've done 10 gallon BIAB in my 15 gallon kettle a number of times. 24# of grain is no problem, I use a rubbermaid bin to drop the bag into because it is a bit heavy and I don't use a pulley system. I don't know what other people are doing. I sewed up my own bag and have done dozens of batches and it still will do a 10 gallon batch no problem. Check here for mash volume requirements: http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

 

[Seven]

I've done 10 gallon BIAB in my 15 gallon kettle a number of times. 24# of grain is no problem, I use a rubbermaid bin to drop the bag into because it is a bit heavy and I don't use a pulley system. I don't know what other people are doing. I sewed up my own bag and have done dozens of batches and it still will do a 10 gallon batch no problem. Check here for mash volume requirements: http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

Do you do a sparge when brewing 10-gal batches in a 15-gal kettle?

 

[Daddymem]

Totally depends on the grainbill, volumes, and OG. The 24# one I did was for a partigyle so I needed 7 gallons preboil of Tripel for me, then the bag went in another kettle for 3.5 gallons pre boil of Dubbel from my rig and another 3.5 gallons from another brew rig (this mash was pretty thick for BIAB). The last 10 gallon batch I did was a Centennial Blonde and I did full volume no-sparge. But remember, nobody says you have to put all your water into the mash, you don't even have to sparge with the left out water, you can just top up your preboil volume. Thinner mashes and a mash out do better for BIAB so full volume when you can but don't sweat it.