Need some advice

[Pommy]

OK so Im planning on upgrading my set-up for AG. I have decided that I will be brewing no more than 6 gallons at a time until I finally get that brew pub :rockin:

So im thinking of looking to get:

8 gallon+ (30L) brew kettle
8 gallon (30L) mash tun

Basically, what else do I need? Such as how many watts for the burner? What should I consider for a wort chiller? What else?

I've done a fair amount of searching but its all a bit daunting to someone who has never seen a rig first hand and knows nobody in the real world who brews more than Coopers kits. I bought a brew kettle a few months ago and have found it to be too small so have decided to save money in the long run by investing in a more efficient set-up on a step by step basis.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Frodo]

A refractometer will make life easier when you're doing AG batches so you can measure the gravity of the sparge on the fly.

Do you have another large cooler you can use as a hot liquor tank? Whether you're batch or fly sparging, it's easiest if you can drain all the runnings into your boil kettle directly instead of using your boil kettle as the hot liquor tank and draining into a secondary container, then having to tranfer later into the boil kettle.

Also, use gravity in your favor. Even if it's relativey "ugly", try to figure out how to get the hot liquor tank above the mash/lauter tun, and the boil kettle lower than that. It might mean putting the HLT (hot liquor tank) on top of your grill, the MLT at waist level on a table, and the boil kettle (to collect runnings) near the ground.

 

[Pommy]

Yeah Im expecting to be using a few stacks of beer crates for my first production line I was thinking that I would probably use my fermenter wrapped in towels for my sparge initially then use my current brew kettle (plus some insulation) for the HLT once I upgrade my current brew kettle. Looking at my measures now Im thinking that if my mash tun is full Im not going to be able to sparge to my kettle because that would be too much wort to fit in or will the grains displace enough to cover the sparge water?

 

[Pommy]

sorry, after a few homebrews the conversions from metric can confuse me The full mash tun should be the volume including the sparge water meaning that a batch sparge would mean the mash tun would be full, fly sparging would mean I could go over the 6% limit for AG I think I figured earlier because I wouldnt fill the MT all at once. If Im completely wrong please kindly humour me and explain the simple math I have failed to grasp.

 

[PJM]

I'm in the process of doing the same thing. I just bought a new kettle. I decided to go big in case I want to do some 10 gallon batches down the road. Here's what I got http://www.waresdirect.com/products/Restaurant-Supply/Update-International/60-Qt168824

I also ordered some copper coil so I can make a wort chiller. Here: https://coppertubingsales.com/storefront/product_info.php?cPath=21_117_119&products_id=755

I still need to pick up the cooler for a mash tun but decided to go with a 60 Qt. I will need to get fittings and valves for the MT and for the kettle.

 

[Yooper]

An 8 gallon boil kettle will be fine, but I'd go a bit bigger if possible. I boiled over a 5 gallon batch in a 15.5 gallon keggle, so I imagine a smaller kettle might give you fits that way. I'd get a 10 gallon, if possible. If you're making a 5-6 gallon batch, you'd start with 7 gallons or so, and you want some headspace to reduce boilovers.

I also think an 8 gallon MLT is too small. I have a 10 gallon round cooler MLT, and the biggest grain bill I can put in there is about 23 pounds of grain. I can make a "big" beer like a barley wine or a small beer like a mild, with that cooler. If you can't get a 10 gallon MLT, the 8 gallon one will do but you will have to do a grain bill of 20 pounds and an OG of 1.085 or less to fit in there (6 gallon batch). That might be fine, as long as you don't want to go over that.

Edit- all of my measurements are in US gallons. Sorry about that!

 

[schmagy]

I too would go with the 10 gal kettle. I would also Highly recommend Brew in a bag method for 5-6 gallon batches..... I quickly found that 10 gal batches were the exact same amount of work... Brew in a bag allowed me to put my money tward the equipment i wanted for the long term with out undersized equip laying around.

1 big brew kettle that can later be turned into a HLT for 10 gal batches
Mesh grainbag
1-30 qt turkey fryer setup @ $60

I later added another burner for ease of transfer... but i made great beer really cheap..... best starter AG setup out there.

 

[TotemWolf]

I boil 6.5 gallons in an 8 gallon pot and do just fine, but I wish I had bought the 10 gal.
The 8 will work but you need to watch it when you first bring it to a boil. Hot break will boil over if your not careful.


BTW: I'm buying a 10 gal if and when I got the brew funds that I don't spend on other brewing toys.