Moving up to 20 Gallons - choosing a MLT

[lschiavo]

My friend and I have been brewing together for about a year an a half now. We went 10 gallon right off the bat because we split the beer. Now we want to go to 20 because, although we both love brewing, it is hard for us to get together often enough.

I have a 1/2 barrel electric HLT which should work just barely for reasonable gravity beers. I will need to add another element though to give faster recovery for the HERMS.

He is buying a 30 gallon boilermaker for our kettle:rockin:

And I have to come up with the mash tun. We are using a 10 gallon round cooler now w/ false bottom. I know I need to go at least 20 gallon and I was thinking probably 25. I was also thinking of using a kettle instead of a cooler this time. I do not plan to directly heat the MLT.

So, what are you guys using for your 20 gallon system MLT? What would you recommend for me in size, material and any particular product?

 

[FSR402]

My friend and I have been brewing together for about a year an a half now. We went 10 gallon right off the bat because we split the beer. Now we want to go to 20 because, although we both love brewing, it is hard for us to get together often enough.

I have a 1/2 barrel electric HLT which should work just barely for reasonable gravity beers. I will need to add another element though to give faster recovery for the HERMS.

He is buying a 30 gallon boilermaker for our kettle:rockin:

And I have to come up with the mash tun. We are using a 10 gallon round cooler now w/ false bottom. I know I need to go at least 20 gallon and I was thinking probably 25. I was also thinking of using a kettle instead of a cooler this time. I do not plan to directly heat the MLT.

So, what are you guys using for your 20 gallon system MLT? What would you recommend for me in size, material and any particular product?

With my 80qt MLT the biggest beer I can do at 2o gallons is about a 1.050.
So anything bigger or more gallons I use my 55 gallon MLT.

 

[Hammy71]

Go cheap!! Just get another 10 gallon cooler set up and split the mash.

 

[lschiavo]

Go cheap!! Just get another 10 gallon cooler set up and split the mash.

I never thought of that but I would have to make some changes for it to fit.

 

[Beer_Maker]

Get one of these!

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?CategoryID=8550&product_id=6499-799

With 200 qts you could get somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 lbs of grain or 20 gal of 1.153 wort at 70% according to Beer Smith.

Go big or go home!

 

[stevehaun]

55 gallon HDPE blue barrel. Cut off about the top 25% and make a new lid. they are cheap. They are light. HDPE conducts heat very poorly. They are thick and easy to add a bulkhead fitting that will never leak. You could insulate if you want but I think with the thermal mass of 20 gallon batches, you won't lose much heat in an hour.

 

[Hex]

Get the false bottom with that boilermaker and mash direct-fire RIMS, drain your runnings into your smaller pots, after sparge is finished, scoop out the grain, take out false bottom, rinse kettle, dump in the wort, hop boil in same kettle.

 

[Dog House Brew]

150qt Coleman MaxCold @ Sam's Club for $68

 

[lschiavo]

I like all the options so far...

 

[Yooper]

My friend and I have been brewing together for about a year an a half now. We went 10 gallon right off the bat because we split the beer. Now we want to go to 20 because, although we both love brewing, it is hard for us to get together often enough.

Can I have your old system?

I think you should go all Blichmann kettles, and have Troy pay for them. Then sell me your cast-offs.

 

[HollisBrewCo]

I direct fire a 30 gallon blichmann kettle for my 20 gallon batches, if you go with a kettle I would suggest looking into some sort of automation if you don't insulate.

 

[BrewBeemer]

Get one of these!

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?CategoryID=8550&product_id=6499-799

With 200 qts you could get somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 lbs of grain or 20 gal of 1.153 wort at 70% according to Beer Smith.
Go big or go home!

Now that would be cool "20 gal of 1.153 wort".

 

[lschiavo]

I direct fire a 30 gallon blichmann kettle for my 20 gallon batches, if you go with a kettle I would suggest looking into some sort of automation if you don't insulate.

I am doing herms. I would insulate. I love all the feedback. So many options.

 

[lschiavo]

Can I have your old system?

I think you should go all Blichmann kettles, and have Troy pay for them. Then sell me your cast-offs.

Tell this to Troy. I will have a keg and 10 gallon cooler to get rid of....

 

[Yooper]

Tell this to Troy. I will have a keg and 10 gallon cooler to get rid of....

Hmmmm. A keg will just need a false bottom, and then will make a mighty fine MLT.

 

[PBHBeer]

This is what I would do

http://conical-fermenter.com/products/mash-tuns/

 

[Hex]

^sweet!

 

[lschiavo]

I cannot research it now. At first glance, it looks good.

 

[lschiavo]

Not big enough.

 

[lschiavo]

Sorry guys. Some of these posts made sense last night. Between a few Dubbels and trying to post with my phone something went wrong

 

[wildwest450]

If you have a herms setup just go with a big pot, no need to insulate it.


_

 

[lschiavo]

If you have a herms setup just go with a big pot, no need to insulate it.


_

That is what I was thinking but I have to refill the HLT and bring it up to mash temp before I can recirculate. Even with two elements in the HLT that may take a half hour. I guess I would have to experiment to see how much it would loose in that time.

 

[Atl300zx]

Not big enough.

That site has MLT big enough for breweries. Did you scroll down far enough?

 

[lschiavo]

This is what I would do

http://conical-fermenter.com/products/mash-tuns/

The 30 gallon is only about $100 more than a 25 gallon mega pot w/ false bottom. I think i like this.

 

[wildwest450]

That is what I was thinking but I have to refill the HLT and bring it up to mash temp before I can recirculate. Even with two elements in the HLT that may take a half hour. I guess I would have to experiment to see how much it would loose in that time.

Refill completely? On my setup I fill it all the way up (14gallons) for a 6 gallon batch, dough in with 5 gallons to achieve actual mash temp (around 170f), it will hold initial temp for 10 minutes or so. Then I just top up with cold water, it drops hlt tank to the low 150's, high 140's which is almost perfect for re-circ temps. The element can quickly recover from any temp over 120f.

 

[RegionalChaos]

I'd go with a plastic HDPE barrel. If not 55 gal, then a 35 gal one.

 

[lschiavo]

Refill completely? On my setup I fill it all the way up (14gallons) for a 6 gallon batch, dough in with 5 gallons to achieve actual mash temp (around 170f), it will hold initial temp for 10 minutes or so. Then I just top up with cold water, it drops hlt tank to the low 150's, high 140's which is almost perfect for re-circ temps. The element can quickly recover from any temp over 120f.

That is how mine has been working for 10 gallon batches. I I just fill it back up to whatever I need for sparge water and it recovers very quickly. Then I bump the temp up to mash out and circulate until the mash gets there.

I scaled one recipe up to 20 gallons. Beersmith shows just over 13 gallons for strike water. Over 15 for sparge...that could be a problem. I have been fly sparging but maybe I would have to batch without a bigger HLT.

 

[Bsquared]

You can also use your kettle to heat up your sparge water, then transfer it to the HLT after you empty your strike water from the HLT into the mash.

 

[lschiavo]

You can also use your kettle to heat up your sparge water, then transfer it to the HLT after you empty your strike water from the HLT into the mash.

Good point. That would certainly save some time.