Min in 10 gal kettles??

[Turfgrass]

5 gallon batches are just to large for me, bc I like to brew often and experiment. Would I be able to squeeze out a 2.5-3 gal size from a 10 MLT and BK? Brewing with a three vessel electric HERMS setup. Thank you.

 

[dlettow]

I've done 3 gallon batches before using my 10 gallon cooler mash tun and 15 gallon kettle. No issues, except the excess head space in the mash tun did cause slightly more of a temp drop than normal. However, if you're running a herms setup, that should be a concern.

Just be sure you have enough volume to cover the heating element in the bk. Mine needs a minimum of 3 gallons to cover it, and with a three gallon batch I never fall below about 3.75 gallons (3.25 gallon into fermenter + .5 gallon trub I leave in the bk)

 

[IslandLizard]

What @dlettow said. Also adjust your equipment profile, chances are you'll have the same boil off as with a 5 gallon batch, and possibly the same loss to 'trub' left behind in the kettle. They tend not to scale well with recipe size.

 

[IslandLizard]

You can still use your 5 gallon kegs. Just do a 100% liquid pre-purge and fill through the liquid post/QD. You only use 5.5 gallons of CO2 that way. Simply purging a 3 gallon headspace to acceptably low O2 levels is about impossible.

Or get some of those 2.5 gallon Torpedo kegs.

 

[Turfgrass]

I have some 2.5 kegs.

Also using BS3 to figure this out some. Just don’t want to make any mistakes.

Should I still use the false bottom, or do BIAB?

 

[IslandLizard]

Should I still use the false bottom, or do BIAB?

BIAB is mighty convenient for smaller batches. Less equipment, less cleanup, high mash efficiency, what is there not to like?

 

[Turfgrass]

BIAB is mighty convenient for smaller batches. Less equipment, less cleanup, high mash efficiency, what is there not to like?

Yeah, think I’ll remove the false bottom from the MLT and use a bag.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, think I’ll remove the false bottom from the MLT and use a bag.

Why use the MLT? Your boil kettle may have dedicated ports, thicker bottom, etc.

I guess you could do a recirculating mash in the bag. Although for smaller batches a directly heated and well stirred mash may be a lot easier, I do that for some 5 gallon batches. Then use the MLT (with false bottom) and the bag for lautering and sparging.

Divert hot water from the chiller into the emptied MLT for cleanup.

 

[kevin58]

I've been considering building something like this for use indoors in the winter.