Preparing for first AG Brew...Process Question

[eh1bbq]

Hey guys,

I've been looking all over and can't find anything. I'm wondering if y'all can help me out.

Just to preface this, I'm using 2 coolers and a 15G boil kettle. The kettle will be doing all of the heating of water, plus functioning as the boil vessel as well. I do not own pumps and would prefer not to get into that kind of investment in the same year as buying all the rest of my equipment.

This is my process idea and I would like some feedback on whether it will work or not.

Heat total brew day volume of water (+ extra for dead space) to ~180F. Pre-heat and empty HLT and MLT. Move all of 180* water into HLT cooler. Relocate HLT to top of platform (approx 3 ft lift). Transfer mash volume from HLT to MLT. Allow water in MLT to come down to calculated dough-in temp. Dough in. Cover HLT and let it sit while mashing. Sparge from HLT to MLT to BK.

Is there something I'm missing here? Any reason I can't heat total volume in one shot as opposed to heating multiple batches to multiple temperatures? Less energy (gas) required etc?

 

[unviewtiful]

That should work fine, there are only two reasons why you might heat the mash and sparge water separately:

1. Less volume to lift at once. Not very important if you have a brewing partner.
2. It will shorten the brew day to heat the mash water to strike temp, dough in, and then heat the rest during your mash. I always try to work multiple tasks in parallel if possible.

 

[Redlantern]

Sounds complicated.

I boil about 2 gallons and heat the mash run. Then I heat the mash water to temp, dump the preheat water,and dough in. While the mash is doing its thing, I heat the sparge water to 175 degrees and put it in my hot liquor tank at the the 175 mark 20 minutes before sparge. I know the water will be 168 when it comes time to run the sparge.

 

[eh1bbq]

That should work fine, there are only two reasons why you might heat the mash and sparge water separately:

1. Less volume to lift at once. Not very important if you have a brewing partner.
2. It will shorten the brew day to heat the mash water to strike temp, dough in, and then heat the rest during your mash. I always try to work multiple tasks in parallel if possible.

Thanks for this. The multiple tasks in parallel makes a whole heap of sense to me actually. I thought it might be less energy in gas to heat it all at once and mix brewing salt adjustments etc and campden all at once as well, rather than trying to manage multiple additions etc. How do you manage those things?

 

[BeardedBrews]

People traditionally separate the volumes because then your HLT can be smaller, plus you have a plenty of time to kill during the mash.

Heat 7 gallons to strike temperature
Transfer to MLT
Dough In and start 60 minute mash timer
Heat 5 gallons to sparge temperature (30 minutes)
Transfer to HLT (10 minutes)
Twiddle thumbs for the last 20 minutes of your mash
Fly sparge back into boil kettle


If the 20 minutes feels crunched to get ready for the sparge you could always weigh out both sets of mineral additions ahead of time.

Regarding the energy usage, there is some additional heat loss by heating the two waters separately, but I'd say it's small compared with the time savings by doing things in parallel.

 

[unviewtiful]

Thanks for this. The multiple tasks in parallel makes a whole heap of sense to me actually. I thought it might be less energy in gas to heat it all at once and mix brewing salt adjustments etc and campden all at once as well, rather than trying to manage multiple additions etc. How do you manage those things?

I just measure out the salts separately. The additions are typically the same per gallon for me, so just add whatever is appropriate for the volume that you're heating. I'll usually heat an extra gallon of strike water anyway, just in case I miss my mash temp.

Regarding the energy usage, there is some additional heat loss by heating the two waters separately, but I'd say it's small compared with the time savings by doing things in parallel.

While I agree there is additional heat loss heating up water in two batches, I think you'd make up for that loss in the fact that you won't be heating your strike water as high a temperature as the sparge water. You'll also save time not having to wait for the strike water to raise that last ~15 degrees, and then waiting for it to cool down in the mash tun.

 

[xpops]

Depending on what you're brewing and what water you're using, you might need to have separate water for mash and sparge based on salt addition requirements.

 

[BeardedBrews]

While I agree there is additional heat loss heating up water in two batches, I think you'd make up for that loss in the fact that you won't be heating your strike water as high a temperature as the sparge water. You'll also save time not having to wait for the strike water to raise that last ~15 degrees, and then waiting for it to cool down in the mash tun.

I'm 100% with you on separating the two waters, easier in the long run, even if it might possibly cost an extra $0.50 in propane.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Rather than heating preheat water separately, most find it easier to just overheat the strike water and let that serve as preheat. Just let it cool to strike temp either by stirring, or adding a handful of ice cubes to drop a degree or two.

Also, rather than elevating say your HLT and Mash tun, you can simply place the receiving vessel on the floor, then lift once collected. You can also work at one level, and use a gallon pitcher to transfer strike water very easily, easier IMO than setting things up on separate levels.