Hi. I'm currently brewing 5 gallon BIAB batches in an 11 gallon kettle. This has worked well, but it limits how much grain I can use. I'm about to move into a house next month, and I want to take the opportunity to upgrade my system. My thoughts for now are to go with a 5 gallon two vessel HERMS system by adding a coil to my current kettle and using that as my hlt. Then I could buy a 10 gallon kettle for the mash tun. I figured this will allow me to do batches with more grain. Does this seem like a reasonable way to proceed? I was even thinking that eventually I could get a 15 gallon kettle and start doing 10 gallon batches of session beers. Is this going to be reasonable, or should I aim for something else? I want to figure this out before I move into the new place if possible.
Converting from eBIAB to two vessel.
- Thread starter Lynchy217
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Have you looked into doing BIAB with a sparge step? I was able to do BIAB in a 10 gallon kettle with beers up into 7 and 8% ABV by incorporating a sparge.
Setsumi
Well-Known Member
I moved from BIAB to 2 vessels. My BK is 80lt and MT is 60lt. I split the water between the 2 vessels not always in equal volumes. I circulate wort and water between BK and MT while heating the BK, one pump and gravity. Look into Brutus 20. This way I gan put 60lt of .06 finished beer in kegs. Or I can do 40lt of BIG beers.
It does take a mindshift to circulate wort into fresh water but with a mashout og does not suffer.
It does take a mindshift to circulate wort into fresh water but with a mashout og does not suffer.
Neobrew: I have done sparges before, but I use a steamer basket, so I'm still limited by space. A sparge will let me use 17 or 18 pounds of grain, but I still can't do things like 20+ pounds for imperial stouts and the like.
Setsumi: Interesting, so you're basically doing a full volume mash in two vessels? Which vessel do you check temperature in? My original thought was that I could keep the water in the kettle clean during the mash, then use that clean water to sparge after heating it up for mashout. I think the main concern I have with that system is that the coil will get in the way during boil, which the brutus 20 approach doesn't have. I'll have to look into it. Thanks.
Setsumi: Interesting, so you're basically doing a full volume mash in two vessels? Which vessel do you check temperature in? My original thought was that I could keep the water in the kettle clean during the mash, then use that clean water to sparge after heating it up for mashout. I think the main concern I have with that system is that the coil will get in the way during boil, which the brutus 20 approach doesn't have. I'll have to look into it. Thanks.
You might also check out this technique. It's basically taking wort and using it to do a second mash with new grains. It seems that the second run through extracts just as much sugars as the initial mash with clean water.
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/brew-strong-triple-mashing-2/
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/brew-strong-triple-mashing-2/
Setsumi
Well-Known Member
I start the mash with about halve the water while the rest heats up in the BK, I have only one burner. When the water in the BK reach temp I start circulating and monito the temp of the mashtun run off.
This works, I just did a brew this way (just double mashing.) If you can't get all the needed grain and strike water in the MLT in one shot, it's a good option. The mash efficiency actually turns out to be a little bit higher than if you had mashed all the grain at once. But, the efficiency increase isn't worth the hassle, if you have room to mash all the grain in one step. If you are doing a sparge, the second mash gets sparged with wort from the first mash, otherwise you'll dilute your wort too much.
Brew on
jonestrada
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2017
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 17
For a nice and easy two-vessel system, buy two pumps, a Blichmann AutoSparge, and a whirlpool return. Set everything up as shown and get to brewing.
2 vessel RIMs!!
Sorry... can't help it!
Sorry... can't help it!
enormous13
Well-Known Member
Do you have a write up of your system, or a post about your process? I'd really like to hear more above this 2 vessel thing. I did some searching about the Brutus 20 concept, which I think your kit is based on, but it seems like most the info is from the early twenty-teens and not much has been written about it recently.
I also know @TexasWine has a 2 vessel system, that I think he moved to from BIAB, maybe he could help out here.
Last edited:
lump42
The Lajestic Vantrashell of Lob
Why not keep the 11 gal EBIAB setup and make a rectangular cooler MT with a SS hose braid. Could be easily done for under $50. USe the MT for large batches and for your standard batches keep using your current setup.
jonestrada
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2017
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 17
I'm going to brew on the system this Saturday and will film a video of the process. I've brewed with a 1 pump/2 tier systems where the heating element in the BK acts as a giant RIMS tube and the AutoSparge regulates the re-circulation through the grain bed.
I built my system off of these two videos:
enormous13
Well-Known Member
I'd def be interested in seeing that video.
jonestrada
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2017
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 17
Didn't have as much time to film as I wanted to, but I got a rough video of the system in action.
Brewed a Brut IPA and hit 74% brew house efficiency on the new system. Brewing was a breeze once I adjusted the AutoSparge.
Brewed a Brut IPA and hit 74% brew house efficiency on the new system. Brewing was a breeze once I adjusted the AutoSparge.
So this is a 2 vessel recirculating system, but unlike the videos above, you're using a bag in your mash tun? Are you using a false bottom as well to prevent the bag from clogging the drain valve?
jonestrada
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2017
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 17
Yeah, the only difference is I used a false bottom and a bag in the mash tun.
I also used to use the 2-vessel/1-tier/1-pump layout and will probably go back it it. Matching the flows from both pumps is a little more complicated than what I want to deal with on a brew day.
Here's my old 120V electric/propane system using 2-vessel/1-tier/1-pump:
Last edited:
Yeah, the only difference is I used a false bottom and a bag in the mash tun.
I also used to use the 2-vessel/1-tier/1-pump layout and will probably go back it it. Matching the flows from both pumps is a little more complicated than what I want to deal with on a brew day.
Here's my old 120V electric/propane system using 2-vessel/1-tier/1-pump:
I really like this approach. I have a Brewbuilt kettle that will work perfectly as a mash tun in this scenario. There's a nice false bottom available for it and it has a cutout in the lid that I think will be perfect for the autosparge. I'll pick up a Spike kettle set up for the heating element and I can hit the ground running. I have one chugger pump already, so I'll probably just go with the two tier setup.
I really like the bag option because it makes cleanup so much easier. I mash in a cooler now and I switched from a bazooka screen to a bag in the cooler and really like that. Thanks for posting all the pics and information.
Similar threads
