Equipment question for first all grain brew

[ptmahoney]

It's happening - I'm making the jump to all grain brewing.
Here's the decision I'm trying to make. I like the simplicity of the systems using beverage coolers for HLT/MLT, but knowing my own tendencies I'm going to be itching to move towards a pump purchase and recirculating mash process before too long.

I guess my question is this - does anyone see an issue with using my existing 8 gal kettle for a HLT, and then using a 10 gal kettle for a MLT? My idea is to collect the wort in a 6.5 gal bucket during the sparge and then transfer to the 8 gal kettle for boiling. In theory I can't think of why this would be a problem, but feel free to throw spears if you've got 'em.

Eventually I will purchase another kettle for a standard three pot system, just wondering if this would work for now.

Cheers

 

[Sadu]

If you have 2 kettles you can start off well with BIAB.

Mash in the 10 gallon. While that's happening heat your sparge water in the 8 gallon. When that's done move the bag into the 8 gallon to do a batch sparge and start boiling the 10 gallon. Then pour the sparge water from the 8 gallon into the 10 gallon kettle.

I then fill the empty smaller kettle with iced water which later gets recirculated through an immersion chiller but this part is optional.

This will give you much better efficiency than single-pot biab and you don't need to spend much on gear that you won't keep long-term - just the bag.

 

[MaryB]

Your plan will work just fine. Watch for boil overs though because that is going to be a full kettle!

 

[smyrnaquince]

Keep a spray bottle of water or StarSan handy to spray to foam to prevent a boilover.

 

[kh54s10]

If you are collecting the wort in a bucket, then doing the boil, why not use the 10 gallon for the boil? The 8 will work if you really watch for the boil over, but the 10 will give you more leeway. You can easily boil over the 10 gallon pot also, ask me how I know!!

 

[SpahrBrewing]

Keep a spray bottle of water or StarSan handy to spray to foam to prevent a boilover.

You spray star-san directly into your wort?!

 

[kh54s10]

You spray star-san directly into your wort?!

I wouldn't do it because I am cheap, don't want to use up Starsan that I paid for that way, but it certainly wouldn't hurt the beer or you.

 

[ptmahoney]

If you are collecting the wort in a bucket, then doing the boil, why not use the 10 gallon for the boil? The 8 will work if you really watch for the boil over, but the 10 will give you more leeway. You can easily boil over the 10 gallon pot also, ask me how I know!!

Facepalm. Not sure why I didn't come up with this common sense solution. Also, what I had planned on being a 10 gal pot morphed into a 15 gal keggle that I got on the cheap, so I don't think boil overs are going to be a problem on a 5 gal batch. I'll still end up watching it like a hawk though I'm sure.

 

[brewpool]

Facepalm. Not sure why I didn't come up with this common sense solution. Also, what I had planned on being a 10 gal pot morphed into a 15 gal keggle that I got on the cheap, so I don't think boil overs are going to be a problem on a 5 gal batch. I'll still end up watching it like a hawk though I'm sure.

Famous last words

 

[JayInAmes]

Famous last words

Heh, yep. I can laugh now, after boiling over a 5 gallon Kolsch.

 

[JordanKnudson]

Famous last words

Haha yes! I brew in a 15 gallon kettle, and while boilovers are hardly ever a problem, "hardly ever" is the key phrase. I had a 6 gallon batch of rye saison coming to a boil (roughly 8 gallons of wort in the kettle), and the hot break started to form. No sooner did I look away -- thinking there was nothing to worry about -- than SWMBO says, "Hey hon, I think you might want to do something about this." Turn around to find that foamy mess of protein oozing over the sides of the kettle. Cut to me frantically skimming the stuff off for a good minute until it finally retreated. Thank god I brew outside!

 

[Limbrizik]

Fermcap! Prevents boilovers like a charm.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/fermcap-s-1-oz

 

[brewpool]

Haha yes! I brew in a 15 gallon kettle, and while boilovers are hardly ever a problem, "hardly ever" is the key phrase. I had a 6 gallon batch of rye saison coming to a boil (roughly 8 gallons of wort in the kettle), and the hot break started to form. No sooner did I look away -- thinking there was nothing to worry about -- than SWMBO says, "Hey hon, I think you might want to do something about this." Turn around to find that foamy mess of protein oozing over the sides of the kettle. Cut to me frantically skimming the stuff off for a good minute until it finally retreated. Thank god I brew outside!

Yep. I've brewed about eight all grain 5.5 gallon batches in a 16 gallon kettle. Boil overs seemed behind me after the switch to all grain...until the Pliny clone I tried last Friday. Didn't boil over but it was the first time an all grain recipe went nuts and foamed like it did.

 

[brewbama]

A spray bottle full of water, a quick dip of a copper immersion chiller, and/or a quick hand on the throttle will all prevent boil overs without adding whatever ferm cap is to your brew.

 

[MaryB]

MY Chinook IPA boil today had me worried for a minute, came to within 2 inches of the top of the kettle then subsided after some quick stirring. 7.5 gallons in a 15 gallon kettle!

 

[Sailingeric]

I was struggling with efficiency with crushed grains from my LHBS so I got a mill, the Cereal Killer, and that really helped on my most recent brew day, over a10% increase.