BugAC
Well-Known Member
I am thinking of upgrading my brew system.
Question about using Kegs as mash tuns/boil kettles/sparge tanks, etc...
Currently, my brew system is 2 - 10 gallons water coolers and a 9.5 gallon stainless brew kettle for 5.5/6 gallon batches.
I have 1 keg with the top already cut off, another that i need to do work on, and i have a slim quarter keg, that i'd have to work on also. Next year, i plan on using a whole new brewing setup, so i'm wondering a few things.
1) The slim quarter keg, comes out to be about 8 gallons. Is this plenty enough room to use as a sparge tank for 10 gallon batches?
2) Unlike the cooler system, where i get my temps to a certain level, and then close the lid and wait for an hour, i'm assuming with a keg setup as a mash tun, you have to keep the burner on to keep the mash at a certain temp. (correct me if i'm wrong). Does this constant heat a) Scorch my grains? b) Increase the evaporation rate of the mash water?
3) Also, with moving to this kind of setup, i'd need to get a pump (or 2 if my brew rack doesn't have an elevated sparge area). I see the march 815 pump on homebrew sites. What other equipment would i need with the pump? Hoses? Also, with the pumps, can you control how fast you pump out your wort?
Follow up to my keggle/pump question.
How difficult is it to clean out the pump lines? Couldn't i just boil some water once the brewing is finished and pump it through to kill any bacteria/residue, etc...?
Question about using Kegs as mash tuns/boil kettles/sparge tanks, etc...
Currently, my brew system is 2 - 10 gallons water coolers and a 9.5 gallon stainless brew kettle for 5.5/6 gallon batches.
I have 1 keg with the top already cut off, another that i need to do work on, and i have a slim quarter keg, that i'd have to work on also. Next year, i plan on using a whole new brewing setup, so i'm wondering a few things.
1) The slim quarter keg, comes out to be about 8 gallons. Is this plenty enough room to use as a sparge tank for 10 gallon batches?
2) Unlike the cooler system, where i get my temps to a certain level, and then close the lid and wait for an hour, i'm assuming with a keg setup as a mash tun, you have to keep the burner on to keep the mash at a certain temp. (correct me if i'm wrong). Does this constant heat a) Scorch my grains? b) Increase the evaporation rate of the mash water?
3) Also, with moving to this kind of setup, i'd need to get a pump (or 2 if my brew rack doesn't have an elevated sparge area). I see the march 815 pump on homebrew sites. What other equipment would i need with the pump? Hoses? Also, with the pumps, can you control how fast you pump out your wort?
Follow up to my keggle/pump question.
How difficult is it to clean out the pump lines? Couldn't i just boil some water once the brewing is finished and pump it through to kill any bacteria/residue, etc...?
