Small Batch - need a volume "filler"

[Langerz]

Background - I got Blichmann Brew Easy 20x20 over Christmas and brewed my third batch today. This was the first time doing a 5 gallon batch vs 10 gallons. (I will probably mainly do 10 gal but did an NEIPA and wasn't sure I would consume it fast enough to stay fresh).

Things worked out ok, but volume was "just enough". By the time I got the grain bed covered with enough water the water in the bottom kettle was right on the edge of the temperature probe being covered and I had to watch things a bit closer than normal because occasionally the water dropped below the probe.

An easy solution would probably be add another gallon or two of water but I'd rather not just waste wort. I had a thought that if I could find something like a stainless steel garden gazing ball I could just throw in the bottom kettle to displace volume and then remove it before I boil. A 10" ball would be about 2.25 gallons and about perfect. Most of the garden gazing balls I've seen aren't completely sealed though and since they are pretty thin walled they may float.

Anyone done something like this and have a lot cost option?

 

[adhomebrew10]

Not familiar with that setup. I assume you were sparging and had this issue? Can you help me understand more details? You might be able to adjust your mash thickness ratio to compensate. Would love to help if I can.

 

[Langerz]

Not familiar with that setup. I assume you were sparging and had this issue? Can you help me understand more details? You might be able to adjust your mash thickness ratio to compensate. Would love to help if I can.

I believe it's officially a Kettle RIMS systems (my brewing vocabulary isn't always perfect). There are two kettles stacked on top of each other. The top kettle is the mash tun with a false bottom and the Blichmann autoparge arm. The bottom kettle has a heating element. Flow from the top kettle to the bottom is by gravity. There is pump that then circulates from the bottom to top through the autosparge. Takes a bit to balance but eventually the pump/auto sparge flow matches the gravity drain flow and you have a constant recirculation. There isn't a separate sparge step since you are kind of sparging through the whole mash. Mash temp is maintained by the recirculation.

The challenge with the smaller batch is you need to set the autosparge to maintain a couple of inches on water above the grain bed in the top tank. With a 5 gallon batch (and a decently big grain bill - 8% IPA) with enough water in the top tank there was only about 3 gallons in the bottom with is about right were the temperature probe is sitting. The balance between top and bottom isn't always perfect so occasionally the level in the bottom kettle drops below the probe.

Not sure how clear that is. Probably easier to see at the link below.

https://www.blichmannengineering.com/breweasy.html

 

[day_trippr]

Reminds me of folks that bought 20 gallon Blichmann kettles back when they were top doggie but found out an occasional 5 gallon batch didn't reach the stock BrewMometer location. The "solution" was to buy the 1/2" hole plug that Blichmann sells, and drill a new, lower hole, to relocate the BrewMometer...

Cheers!

 

[hottpeper13]

I don't know the diameter, I would try 1 qt ball canning jars filled with water or whatever you need warmed up. Maybe make oatmeal while mashing and have breakfast while boiling.

 

[madscientist451]

I’d just make 2 more gallons of beer. Or freeze the extra wort and after 3 batches you have enough for another 5 gallon batch.

 

[Bobby_M]

A few thoughts. Scale up your 5 gallon batches to 6.5. Are you really getting a full 5 gallons into your keg or a full 48 bottles? I usually try to jam 5.75 to 6 gallons into the fermenter so I can be somewhat wasteful and get very clean beer through the process.

When you want to do 5 gallon batches, use a mesh bag and do it as a single vessel BIAB in the boil kettle half of the system. Be careful though, you just might have the easiest brew day and you'll ditch the mash tun altogether. The thing that baffles me is that a single 20g kettle is large enough for just about any 10 gallon batch by itself. Splitting that process between 2 kettles is unnecessary unless you're doing a 10 gallon 15% ABV beer or a low gravity 15G batch.

Backtracking to your original theme, You could probably make the displacement work by dropping a smaller kettle of water into the boiler. A cylindrical shape will displace a lot better than a sphere.

 

[Langerz]

A few thoughts. Scale up your 5 gallon batches to 6.5. Are you really getting a full 5 gallons into your keg or a full 48 bottles? I usually try to jam 5.75 to 6 gallons into the fermenter so I can be somewhat wasteful and get very clean beer through the process.

When you want to do 5 gallon batches, use a mesh bag and do it as a single vessel BIAB in the boil kettle half of the system. Be careful though, you just might have the easiest brew day and you'll ditch the mash tun altogether. The thing that baffles me is that a single 20g kettle is large enough for just about any 10 gallon batch by itself. Splitting that process between 2 kettles is unnecessary unless you're doing a 10 gallon 15% ABV beer or a low gravity 15G batch.

Backtracking to your original theme, You could probably make the displacement work by dropping a smaller kettle of water into the boiler. A cylindrical shape will displace a lot better than a sphere.

I do already shoot for 6 gallons in the fermenter you get 5 in the keg

I hear a lot about BIAB being easier but am an odd one that disagrees. I did brew in a bag for a year before this and at least for me this set up is way easier. I’ll admit I also moved to indoor and electric which is a big part. But I’m mostly set and forget brewing other than when the timer beeps telling me to add hops or whatever. Sure there’s two kettles to clean but I just circulate pbw so multiple kettles don’t add that much effort

A smaller diameter kettle is a good idea and agreed better than a sphere.

 

[Bobby_M]

I do think you may be discounting the convenience of indoor electric even more than you think. I never did BIAB outside on gas, but I have run other systems on gas outside. It's night and day. My eBIAB process is very set and forget as well, but less stuff going on in general. Either way, it solves your problem at the same time. Worth a try or not.