max lbs of malt in a 5.5 gallon pot?

[OleBrewing]

I have done similar but one 5gal cream can and 3 gallon sparge pot with close to 9.5# stove top for several brews. Used nylon paint strainer for grain mashed in 5gal and rinsed in 3gal. Stirring is essential in both mash and rinse. Even after all said and done I had to boil some wort in separate kettle as the 5gal was not big enough to contain it all. And honestly some of the best beers I have made were done this way.

 

[RM-MN]

After it finally cooled down, I was kind of shocked at how much sludge was in the pot, and that came thru the siphon into my bucket. Wish I'd bagged the hops, as that was part of the issue, but wow there was a lotta crap in there! Anything I can do to lessen that in the future?

Sure! Close your eyes as you dump it all into the fermenter. The yeast seem to like at least some of what is in that "sludge". Let the yeast have all the time they want so they can do their thing, give them more time to clump up and settle out, and a little more time for the "sludge" to compact in the bottom of the fermenter. Once it is compacted you can siphon the beer off above the "sludge" and discard it when finished.

 

[Grizwold1]

So how quickly does this devolve into me pricing out 50 lb sacks of grain?!?

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

Followup: The 5.5 gal pot can fit 7.5 lbs grain and 3.5 gal water easily (BIAB), and I bet I could make up to 9 lbs grain work. Biggest upgrade was getting some Reflectix insulation (or this cheap alternative) to keep my mash temp stable, and make it possible to get a good boil going, even with more than 3 gal water.
Still haven't purchased my first 50 lb sack yet, but probably soon

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

You only need to stock six base malts at 55-pound quantities.

Would a 5 gal bucket be big enough to store 55 lbs of base malt? How about a 6 gal bucket? Does anyone use those little desiccant packs to keep moisture out of their grain?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Roughly 5lb/gal. When I open a fresh 55lb bag, I get two very full 5gal buckets plus the malt for the first batch.

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

@DBhomebrew : Should I get "gamma" lids for the buckets, or is a standard lid ok?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Much depends on the environment in which they'll sit. Gammas will be more protective against humidity, etc.

 

[z-bob]

Would a 5 gal bucket be big enough to store 55 lbs of base malt? How about a 6 gal bucket? Does anyone use those little desiccant packs to keep moisture out of their grain?

Two 6 gallon buckets would do it. I use two 5 gallons and standard lids, and have a little bit left over. I leave that in the bag and tape it up; use it in my next brew.