Boilermaker or convert cooler for mash tun

[ackgod]

Hey guys,

I got a 15 gal BoilerMaker kettle for christmas and I am very excited to move to all-grain brewing. Previously I have only had a 5 gal pot to do partial boils in with steeping grains. I am new to this and am trying to wrap my head around the process of using the BoilerMaker as a mash tun.

Originally I was thinking I would buy a 10 gal Rubbermaid cooler to convert into a mash tun as I will be doing the boil in the Boilermaker, but would love to save some space by not having the cooler and instead get the false bottom for the BoilerMaker and use it for both the mash tun and boil kettle.

So my question is, how would that work? Is that something that people do or do you need to have another large pot to do the boil in after transferring the liquid from the mash? Does the kettle hold the temp as well as a cooler? If I was mashing and boiling in a single Boilermaker would i drain the liquid from the mash into a bottling bucket, clean out the grain from the Boilermaker then transfer the wort back into it and start my boil? Or should I just avoid all that and do my mash in a Rubbermaid cooler? Also, I'm thinking I will be batch sparging instead of fly sparging if that makes a difference.

Sorry for the run on post. Any help would be appreciated and tips on using my new pot!

 

[Bobby_M]

You'd be limited to doing a no-sparge where the entire volume of water used would have to be in the kettle/mash tun and that limits the gravity of beer you can make. Use it as a hot liquor tank first, mash in the cooler, drain first wort to bucket, move sparge from kettle to the mash tun, run that off into the kettle and add the wort from the bucket, boil.

 

[bjzelectric]

I would just go ahead and get a cooler to convert to a MLT. It will keep the temp steady and for longer. Plus, that way you could use the BM to heat youre strike water in, mash in the cooler, drain the runnings back into the BM and use youre 5g pot to heat youre sparge water in. This would save you some time b/c you could start heating youre first runnings while sparging.

 

[ackgod]

Cooler it is then. thanks!

 

[chemman14]

are you planning on doing 5 gal batches? I have heard that the 15 gal boilermaker is too large for 5 gal batches

 

[ackgod]

once i have enough storage for 10 gal batches i will probably mostly do those. I have heard that the 15gal is a little big for 5 gal batches (because the thermometer is mounted at 6.5 gallons) but i think i also read that even the 10gal thermometer is mounted a little to high for 5 gal batches at the 5.5gal mark.

 

[jaxn]

...Use it as a hot liquor tank first, mash in the cooler, drain first wort to bucket, move sparge from kettle to the mash tun, run that off into the kettle and add the wort from the bucket, boil.

This is exactly what I have been doing with my 15gal Blichmann, and I recommend it.

are you planning on doing 5 gal batches? I have heard that the 15 gal boilermaker is too large for 5 gal batches

It's too large if you want to use the thermometer, but you don't really need that for the boil, anyway. If you use the 15gal for HLT, then you will need to fill it past 7 gallons to get an accurate temp reading.

This is why I recently got a cheap turkey fryer and some weldless fittings to use as an HLT. It's just easier but not totally necessary.

 

[phatuna]

Well, I agree that a cooler for a mash tun is easier, but I would also like to note that my last batch was a 10 gallon SG 1.082ish beer. the grain + water would not fit into my 10 gallon cooler.

So I mashed in my 15 gallon keggle (just added my SS braid to the outflow valve). I drained my 1st runnings into an ale pail. drained batch sparges into another ale pail and the remaining went into a pot that I had laying around.

Once all of my runnings were collected, I rinsed out my keggle, removed SS braid, added all runnings, then started the boil.

maintaining temperature wasn't too difficult, likely because of the large grain bill (34 lbs), but firing up the burner every 15 minutes is not too bad.

I agree with the others in that a cooler is easier, but I would also say that it can be done mashing in your boil kettle.

 

[FreebootersBrewing]

As far as the Brewmometer height in the 10 gallon Boilermakers, Blichmann moved it at some point. I have two 10 gallon BMs, the first one I bought about a year and half ago and the thermometer hole is at the 5 gallon point. I just bought another one a couple months and the holes are now drilled at about the 4 gallon mark.

Just fyi.

 

[scone]

Why not mash in the boilermaker, drain to bucket, batch sparge with water you've heated in your 5g pot, drain to bucket, then dump the grains, rinse, and put the wort back into the boilermaker to boil.

Saving yourself a cooler, valve assembly, some storage place, and yet another piece of equipment that must be cleaned...

 

[aModestMouse]

You'd be limited to doing a no-sparge where the entire volume of water used would have to be in the kettle/mash tun and that limits the gravity of beer you can make. Use it as a hot liquor tank first, mash in the cooler, drain first wort to bucket, move sparge from kettle to the mash tun, run that off into the kettle and add the wort from the bucket, boil.

what he said

 

[schristian619]

I boil 5 gallon batches in a 15 gallon boilermaker. Correct, the thermometer is too high, at about the 6.5 gallon mark. But I enjoy not having to worry about boil overs. I just use an additional thermometer to test if cooled enough (sanitized of course).

 

[ackgod]

I'm thinking as others have said that it would be faster / more efficient to drain the first runnings into the boilermaker and swap it out with the sparge water 9in the 5gal pot on the burner) and get the wort starting to boil.

I end up with more equipment if i get the cooler, but the price of a cooler and valve assembly and ss braid is just a little more than the false bottom for the BM. Also it seems that people only use the BM as a MLT if they have a HERMS system or similar set up.