Build Mash/Lauter Tun for Extract Brewing?

[-CHRIS-]

I have made a few batches of beer using a extracts and a 7 gallon pot on a turkey fryer burner. All the recipes have just included boiling the wort so temperature control has been really easy. I now have a couple of kits that require 155 degree temperatures which will be harder with my current setup.

I think in the spring I will be ready for an all grain system and am considering electric since it just seems easier. I do have natural gas at the house, but I don't see the benefit of all gas, but I am doing research on this topic.

I also make maple syrup and as a result have a few "keggles" as you guys call them to drip sap into the evaporator.

I am thinking about building the mash/lauter tun from theelectricbrewery.com to use as a boil kettle. With the temperature controller I will be able to maintain any temperature and the recirculating pump I will remove the variable of stirring the wort. I guess this is pretty similar to a BIAB setup as well.

Does this make sense? I want to have something that is reusable when I go to all grain.

Chris

 

[beardedsmoker]

What's cost on that? You can get an immersion circulator fir as little as $100 from an on line food supply store. Bet it would do the same and keep temp perfect 155* all the time. And can use any vessel you wanted. I did a batch tonight and had a horrible time keeping it between 150-155. Spiked it to 170 a couple times. Definitely doing a mash ton or something next time.

 

[Zinc_Saucier]

I am thinking about building the mash/lauter tun from theelectricbrewery.com to use as a boil kettle. With the temperature controller I will be able to maintain any temperature and the recirculating pump I will remove the variable of stirring the wort. I guess this is pretty similar to a BIAB setup as well.



Does this make sense? I want to have something that is reusable when I go to all grain.



Chris

Only problem is that there isn't a heating element in the mash tun in the electric brewery build, so you'd have to modify the design. I would suggest building the boil kettle instead and going BIAB (either with AG or with extract/steeping grains). That way you can expand later to the full Kal setup if you want, or stay with BIAB for as long as you want.

 

[RM-MN]

Give BIAB a try with your current turkey fryer setup. It will handle a 4 gallon batch easily and a 5 gallon with some care. Mill your grains fine so you get quick conversion (you don't need a full hour with finely milled grains, I do 2o to 25 minutes) and your worry about keeping the temperature constant becomes pretty minor as you will be using a lot more water which will tend to hold the heat better. Wrap the pot with a towel, coat, or sleeping bag to keep from losing heat.

Where your problems come into play with the turkey fryer is in the amount of water recommended by certain software and the hot break. If you can control your burner to keep the boil slow, you don't need as much water to start with. I might start with 6 gallons. Hot break is more of a problem because your turkey fryer is a little tight for room and you get much more hot break with all grain. What I have been doing to mitigate that problem is to start with a little less water with the intentions of doing a dunk or pour over sparge. I withhold the sparge until the hot break has subsided, then add it. This will trigger a second hot break but much smaller and easier to keep under control. Once the hot break subsides you shouldn't have much to worry about in respect to boil-overs but to keep the wort to just a slow rolling boil. If you discover that you boiled off too much water, add some back. It's only water that you boil away so adding it back won't dilute your beer.

 

[-CHRIS-]

Only problem is that there isn't a heating element in the mash tun in the electric brewery build, so you'd have to modify the design. I would suggest building the boil kettle instead and going BIAB (either with AG or with extract/steeping grains). That way you can expand later to the full Kal setup if you want, or stay with BIAB for as long as you want.

Looking through it again, you are right. I guess I don't need to stir/circulate the wort when it is boiling using extracts?

Chris

 

[Zinc_Saucier]

Looking through it again, you are right. I guess I don't need to stir/circulate the wort when it is boiling using extracts?



Chris

Correct, there's no need to recirculate in the boil kettle for either extract or AG