Help deciding how to best use the equipment I own

[Hannabrew]

Like most brewers, I bought too much early on without a clear plan for what I wanted. Then again, until you have more experience you don't know what you don't know.

Anyway, I am looking to make my mash temps more consistent using the existing equipment I own which (as it relates to this topic) is the following:

- 15G Spike BK w 3 valves (outlet, temp, and recirc)
- 10G AiH bargain SS Kettle with 2 valves (outlet and temp). Currently used as HLT. I can add another weldless port easily for option 1 below
- 10G FF cooler Mash Tun with weldless valve
- Chugger pump with silicon tubing and all the camlocks needed to do whatever
- Weldless LocLine for mash recirculation (not in use yet)
- Temperature controller and thermowell which at this point are only used in the fermenter

I currently heat my strike water in my BK, transfer to my MT, recirculate a few minutes, put the lid on and wait 45min. Then I recirculate for 10-15 min and mash out to my BK. I was just holding the silicon tubing into the mash before, thus why I purchased the lockline.

However a couple of things are causing me to think bigger.

First I'm interested in trying LoDO. Second, I was due to upgrade my IC since I got my 15G Spike BK so I purchased a new 50ft 3/8 SS IC. Lastly while the current MT does keep temp pretty well I hate the fact that I don't know until the end of the mash if it held temp or not. Also I'm taking pH readings now so I'll likely be opening the lid more often letting out even more heat.

This all got me thinking about the best option for utilizing all this equipment.

As I see it, I have a few options. I laid them out as potential processes with the options for each choice in red and blue text.

Any advice is much appreciated.

--
OPTION #1
2 Vessel No Sparge (SS MT and SS BK/HLT)

• Treat strike water + extra 4G or so extra for recirculation
• heat water in BK
• add grains to MT
• hook up pump from bk outlet to mt outlet
• underlet strike water from BK to MT (using markings in BK to determine volume)
• gently stir
  [*]pump from mt outlet to IC input, IC output to BK recirculating port
  [*]temperature controller taking temp of mash (where?) with pump plugged into it
  [*]if mash temp fall below set mash temp, pump starts recirculating
  [*]or
  [*]continuous recirculation
  [*]if mash temp falls, manually heat BK water appropriately
  
• after 60 minutes test conversion
• hook up pump from mt outlet to bk outlet
• mash out

OPTION #2
3 Vessel No Sparge (Cooler MT, SS BK and SS HLT)

• Treat strike water
• heat strike water in BK
• add grains to MT
• hook up pump from bk outlet to mt outlet
• underlet strike water from BK to MT (using markings in BK to determine volume)
• gently stir
  [*]hook up Pump from mt outlet to Locline Input in cooler lid
• or
  [*]hook up Pump from mt outlet to Locline Input in side of cooler (lid twists so would have to disconnect camlock when removing lid)
  
• then regardless of about method I would either
  [*]continuous recirculation and lose some heat
  
• or
  [*]recirculate in the beginning to stabilize temp and at the end for vorlauf
  
• after 60 minutes test conversion
• hook up pump from mt outlet to bk outlet
• mash out

OPTION #3
KISS. Don't change a thing. A few degree temp drop is not worth the effort

 

[wilserbrewer]

# 3

 

[oujens]

Not sure I have a great answer, but I am also experimenting with LODO and considering what I can do to change my setup.

Since switching to single vessel BIAB, I have no desire to ever use a cooler mash tun again. If I did add a mash tun, I would mash in a kettle but still use my bag to hold the grain. You can make an insulated jacket around your kettle to hold temps better. I would be leaning towards option 2.

I think to get full benefits of recirculating mash, you need to do it continuously. It seems it may be difficult to hold a steady temp with your setup (in either a cooler or insulated kettle). I am also not a fan of the idea that you run wort through your IC for sanitary reasons...Just not sure how clean you can get it and if anything would build overtime. I like to see where my wort is running to make sure its clean. That said, the LODO process does not require that you recirculate your mash. There are benefits but limiting oxygen is not one of them. Its really not difficult to implement steps that reduce oxygen in your process. You might find you already have some solutions on hand, and it probably doesn't take much to add something to your process if you don't.

In short, until you can have better control on your mash temp while recirculating, I would focus on other parts of the method that you can implement with your equipment and add wort recirculation to the wish list.

 

[dyqik]

#4 :
cooler for sparge HLT (water heated in boil kettle during mash), 10 gal kettle becomes the mash tun with rims recirculation, kettle as present.

I've just been forced into this option by the seal on the outlet of my mash tun cooler failing due to the cooler splitting, leading me to resurrect my 8 gal kettle as a mash tun. I was already using a 5 gal cooler as a HLT.

The HLT is the least important place to have stainless, because it only ever holds water and doesn't need serious cleaning.