Larger or high gravity batches with Anvil Foundry 6.5

[bwible]

I’ve been looking for a way to make high gravity batches with my Foundy 6.5. Here’s something I came up with. Could I use a cooler mash tun in conjunction with the Foundry to mash larger and/or high gravity batches? See photos below.

I have this Ikea step stool that is the perfect height. I am connenting the coolers ball valve to the foundry lid using a 1/2” to 3/8” hose adapter and 2 little pieces of hose, shown in the second photo. I would run the Foundry to the pump and the pump to the top of the cooler. I would have to drill a hole in my cooler lid for the metal piece that would usually fit in the Foundry lid. In the cooler it has its own false bottom. I would put a bag inside of that and the false bottom from my other mash tun as a deflector.

In theory, I should be able to use the Foundry to maintain the mash temps.

The cooler holds 12 lbs of grain. The Foundry holds 8. This would allow up to 20 lbs of grain for a batch.

Would this work? I have everything I need to put it together.

 

[kevin58]

It looks genius to me. Have you tested it out? I'm no physics major but would there be a risk of over flowing from the picnic cooler to the Foundry? I'm guessing you could control the flow with the picnic cooler ball valve though... just thinking out loud as I type.

 

[bwible]

It looks genius to me. Have you tested it out? I'm no physics major but would there be a risk of over flowing from the picnic cooler to the Foundry? I'm guessing you could control the flow with the picnic cooler ball valve though... just thinking out loud as I type.

I have not tried this. Yeah I guess if you had a stuck mash in the foundry you could have a problem. I might try it the first time just with water in the Foundry and grain in the cooler. I’m trying to do some 1.080 and 1.090 beers and trying to get around that 8 lb capacity. I’m looking for a 3 gallon batch so it should work at least in theory.

 

[tracer bullet]

I looked back at my notes, with the common Amazon grill grate false bottom, and bag, I had 4.5 lbs water and 11.5 lbs grain in my 6.5, I wrote down that it was full but it fit. I sparged in a pot with 1 gallon of water. Looks like I got an efficiency in the high 60's. I also show I ended up with about 3 gallons of wort after boiling.

I had a gravity reading of 1.115, but this was with 1,5 pounds of DME added. It was an Imperial stout so I did that knowing there'd be almost no discernible change in flavor having done so. You might be able to hit your intended gravities without any added DME, or very little and only as a backup plan?

If this looks like a fun project definitely go for it. I get it I think if you can modulate the flow from the 6.5 to the Igloo, and be sure it doesn't overflow (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) it sure seems like it would work.

 

[mac_1103]

I might try it the first time just with water in the Foundry and grain in the cooler.

So basically the Foundry would be a 6.5 gallon RIMS tube?

 

[bwible]

I looked back at my notes, with the common Amazon grill grate false bottom, and bag, I had 4.5 lbs water and 11.5 lbs grain in my 6.5, I wrote down that it was full but it fit. I sparged in a pot with 1 gallon of water. Looks like I got an efficiency in the high 60's. I also show I ended up with about 3 gallons of wort after boiling.

I had a gravity reading of 1.115, but this was with 1,5 pounds of DME added. It was an Imperial stout so I did that knowing there'd be almost no discernible change in flavor having done so. You might be able to hit your intended gravities without any added DME, or very little and only as a backup plan?

If this looks like a fun project definitely go for it. I get it I think if you can modulate the flow from the 6.5 to the Igloo, and be sure it doesn't overflow (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) it sure seems like it would work.

I was looking at Bobbys site for one of those false bottoms but he’s out of stock for now.

 

[bwible]

So basically the Foundry would be a 6.5 gallon RIMS tube?

This is what I do now since I retired in June - sit and think of ways I can improve my brewing

Seems like its going to have to be no sparge. I would put my water in the cooler at grain x 1.5 qts then there probably needs to be a gallon or 1.5 gallons in the Foundry. So its also going to be about planning and managing water to get the right amount out pre-boil and not have to boil for 3 hours or something stupid.

 

[Witherby]

There was an article in the May/June 2021 issue of Zymurgy about using a cooler mash tun in conjunction with an AIO. They did all of the mashing in the cooler and then heated sparge water in the Foundry during the mash. After sparging in the cooler they pumped the wort back to the Foundry for the boil. Seems like this would only make sense for high OG beers. But I think something like what you have in mind for a no sparge batch makes more sense, especially if you want to step mash or even just to better control mash temps. Definitely need some way to work around the grain limitation on the Foundry. I end up making smaller batches on my 10 but with a 6.5 that would be really small batches.

 

[jdauria]

Brilliant idea to use a cooler mash tun for larger beers in the 6.5. Wish I still had my cooler from my BIAB days as I have a few big beers coming up (Baltic Porter tomorrow and Doppelbock next month). I have been making my big beers by replacing some of the grain with DME to stay under the 8 lb grain limit.

 

[bwible]

Brilliant idea to use a cooler mash tun for larger beers in the 6.5. Wish I still had my cooler from my BIAB days as I have a few big beers coming up (Baltic Porter tomorrow and Doppelbock next month). I have been making my big beers by replacing some of the grain with DME to stay under the 8 lb grain limit.

I’ve also done that. I’ve put 8 lbs in it and gotten away with that. When you start talking barleywnes or other 1.090 and 1.100 beers even at a 3 gallon level it becomes 2 lbs of dme which gets a little more expensive compared to grain. For one barleywine I made I used 2 lbs of dme and .5 lb sugar to get to gravity. I’d like to not use dme if I don’t have to. Not saying you can’t make good beers that way though.

I also am on big beers for the rest of the year. I have my lagers chilling in preparation for the holidays to fill all my taps. I’m planning a RIS, probably an English Barleywine, and something to oak age. I’ve been wanting to take a shot at something like Founders Backwoods *******

 

[bwible]

There was an article in the May/June 2021 issue of Zymurgy about using a cooler mash tun in conjunction with an AIO. They did all of the mashing in the cooler and then heated sparge water in the Foundry during the mash. After sparging in the cooler they pumped the wort back to the Foundry for the boil. Seems like this would only make sense for high OG beers. But I think something like what you have in mind for a no sparge batch makes more sense, especially if you want to step mash or even just to better control mash temps. Definitely need some way to work around the grain limitation on the Foundry. I end up making smaller batches on my 10 but with a 6.5 that would be really small batches.

I’m going to have to go back and find that article. Thanks!