Question about mashing a large grain bill

[CraigH78]

Recently I made an IPA, 5 gal batch, that was a huge hit. Literally the entire keg was gone in a few hours with about 8 people. Ever since, they've been hounding me to make more. Typically I do 5 gal batches to try a new recipe, if its a keeper, I'll do 10 gal batches moving forward. That being said, I'd like to do that with this IPA.

My issue is 10 gallons makes my grain bill 27# total, too big for my 10 gal mash tun. What do you guys recommend to handle this? Partial extract to get me below 25 pounds? Split the specialty grains to a separate mash? 2 13.5# mashes? Any thoughts?

Thanks for any opinions!

Craig

EDIT: And getting a bigger mash tun isn't an option with the coming holiday season.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Something along the lines of this would handle it:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-70-qt-Xtreme-5-Cooler/47488640

 

[hottpeper13]

What about doing a thick mash and then sparge twice. At 1:1 the first mash would need 6.75 gal.

 

[CraigH78]

I fly sparge but I wonder if I sparged about 1/3rd and then let it rest for 15min or so, did another third and rested again.. hmmm I thought to do a thicker mash but my efficiency always seems to be a little low when I do.

 

[CraigH78]

Something along the lines of this would handle it:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-70-qt-Xtreme-5-Cooler/47488640

I have plans to convert a 1/2 bbl keg to a mash tun in the spring so don't want to build one just for this batch. Thanks though!

 

[Yooper]

Using extra light DME at the end of the boil in place of 4 pounds of two-row would work.

I can mash 23 pounds of grain in the 10 gallon Igloo. It's a tight fit, but it works.

3 pounds of extract would 'equal' about 4.5 pounds of two row.

 

[CraigH78]

Thanks Yooper, I will probably give that a try.

 

[Dcpcooks]

You could do two mash's and collect them both and then boil if your bk is large enough.

DME is faster and easier.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

I would tell my friends to stop slamming down my prized, hand crafted IPA
...or you could tell them to pony up some cash to buy you a bigger mash tun

 

[Smellyglove]

The easiest way to do it is like Yooper said and just add some DME to the boil.

However, if you have a somewhat purist look on this, and want to use grains, you can for example double mash it. Add maybe half of the grains, do a mash, empty grains, then mash the rest of the grains with the liquor you collected from the first mash.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

borrow a cooler and mash part of the grain in there, after you run process on the first half, dump the tun, dump contents of second cooler into you mash tun, and continue process.

 

[stz]

I do a few things.. You can one, some or all of these things depending on your situation in order to reach your desired goals.

- Add extract or sugar to the boil.
- Mash thicker and hope you don't get a stuck mash.
- Mash and dunk/batch sparge a portion of grain in a separate pot using a BIAB setup.
- Mash very thick and to hell with a stuck mash because you'll remove a portion and dunk/batch sparge that portion using a BIAB setup.

I'll often mash as thick as a I dare and if I get a stuck mash remove a portion to dunk sparge using a large mesh bag and secondary stainless pot combining the runnings from both back for the boil. If I don't get a stuck mash then great, I got away with it. Either method might require extract or sugar to nail my numbers. I'm not keen on mashing a separate portion because I can't always control the temperature, though I've a 36L pot that fits in the oven if needed.

 

[CraigH78]

I would tell my friends to stop slamming down my prized, hand crafted IPA
...or you could tell them to pony up some cash to buy you a bigger mash tun

I like that idea! Sounds like a good GoFundMe

Thanks everyone. I'll probably just go the DME route the first time and see how it comes out. If there isn't much of a flavor difference then I'll just leave it at that.

 

[bbohanon]

I would tell my friends to stop slamming down my prized, hand crafted IPA
...or you could tell them to pony up some cash to buy you a bigger mash tun

This is what happened to me with some of my NJ boss/co-workers..I was making so much beer for them that they all pitched in and got me a 100QT MT along with a new 20 gallon megapot brewpot (I was using a 15 gal MT and 15.5 keggle brewpot previously) as a thank you.

They get whatever beer they want and whenever they want it at this point.
:fro:

 

[Droot]

I use a 1/4 converted keg for my mash tun. It holds 21 lbs grain right to the top. I add DME if I want a higher OG.

Going to try doing a split batch, one Higher OG and a lighter beer for the little woman.

David