BIAB kettle size

[r4dyce]

Hi there,

I'd like to try BIAB in the 2-3 gallon range in order to keep everything doable in my kitchen. Is there a general rule of thumb for BIAB kettle size? I.e. Is a 6 gallon pot big enough for 3 gallon BIAB?

Thanks!

 

[VagueSkunk]

Glad you asked this question because I am in the exact same situation! Looking forward to reading the answers...and your thread gets a free bump to the top of the page

 

[PADave]

General rule of thumb is double your batch size for BIAB. I use a 10 gallon with no problems for 5-6 gallon batches.

 

[doug293cz]

Yeah, 2X batch volume is a good estimate. Up to 3X batch size still works well.

Brew on

 

[r4dyce]

Thanks guys

 

[RM-MN]

I can do a 2 1/2 gallon batch in a 5 gallon pot with average gravity and no sparge. Big beers will be more difficult to fit without adding a sparge step. I just did a 1.055 batch that was 3 gallons by adding a sparge.

 

[violinguy]

I'm doing 3 gallon batches in a 21 quart pot with sparge. I brewed the first one last week with little problem. I'll be bottling it on Monday-ish. You could do bigger batches with a medium sized kettle, but be careful not to fill too much or risk boil over. I don't think I would ever try to boil 5 gallons in my 21-quart pot.

 

[NSMikeD]

I can do a 2 1/2 gallon batch in a 5 gallon pot with average gravity and no sparge. Big beers will be more difficult to fit without adding a sparge step. I just did a 1.055 batch that was 3 gallons by adding a sparge.

same here. Most beers will nicely fit the the 5 gallon kettle. On bigger beers, the sparge step is a can of corn and a well worth trade off since the kettle fits into my (warm) oven which is great for holding mash temps.

 

[r4dyce]

Follow up question: I've found a nice 6 gallon pot on Amazon, coincidentally there seems to be a 7.5 gallon version that's actually a few bucks cheaper for some reason... Any disadvantages to a bigger pot besides size? Kind of figuring I might as well go bigger in case I make bigger batches later but wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking something.

 

[PADave]

Follow up question: I've found a nice 6 gallon pot on Amazon, coincidentally there seems to be a 7.5 gallon version that's actually a few bucks cheaper for some reason... Any disadvantages to a bigger pot besides size? Kind of figuring I might as well go bigger in case I make bigger batches later but wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking something.

The more head space you have, the harder it is going to be to maintain mash temps. 7.5 gallon is kind of a bad size. Too big for 2.5 gallon, and too small for 5 gallon.

 

[jd1984]

Just did a 5 gal batch with 10.75 lbs of grain in an 8 gal pot today. That was pushing it to its absolute max though.

 

[catdaddy66]

The more head space you have, the harder it is going to be to maintain mash temps. 7.5 gallon is kind of a bad size. Too big for 2.5 gallon, and too small for 5 gallon.

I use a 7.5 gallon pot for 5-5.5 gal batches all the time. I have a good system to keep hot break manageable despite "headspace" less than an inch from the top.

It can be done but it. Is. TIGHT!

I think it's a moot point though because I doubt a pot that size could fit in the oven.