Here she is. I got it just a tad bit too tall so I the lid to the kettle rests on top of the basket so if you decide to go this route allow for more room than you think when it comes to height of the basket. It doesn't really effect anything really it's just a little tall. Also don't spend the money on the press plate, you can just go to webstaueantstore.com and buy a stainless steel pan lid that works just as good and is less than half the price of the press plate they offer.
Very interesting. Do you have any issues with clarity or do you get sufficient flow through the grain bed to end up with clear wort? That would be my only concern with the technique, but if you've got that figured out and are getting consistent extraction over 80% then kudos!
I use whirlfloc in the boil but otherwise I rack borderline crystal clear wort to the fermenter. I even pull this basket out before boil and use a big stainless steel frying pan lid to squeeze as much out of the basket as I can. This is a much more enjoyable and more consistent brew process compared to the Spike basket. Did the Spike basket work? Absolutely! Is this method easier, less time intensive, more efficient, and allows me to use the full potential of my 15g kettle (no dead space) IMHO 1000% yes.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, I am going to order one for my Wort Hog / Spike Solo set-up, and try to sell the spike basket. Would you please answer a few questions?
Nice custom build you've got there! Here's my answers to your questions:
Thank you for the very helpful reply. I think I will add a port to my Spike Solo lid. I am not has worried about scorching the burner since I added the 'T" valve to the outlet port on the pump.
I also recirculate to above and below my basket with the pump to keep temps more realistic. I don't like waiting for wort to have to go all the way through the grain bed and then land if a pool of basically barely moving wort when my temp probe is on one side of the kettle. The mini "whirlpool" in the bottom during mash I think helps with that as well as ensure no scorched element as well.
What does your game rack attach to on the basket? Photo? Is the basket handle strong enough to lift the weight of the grain?
Basket handle is def strong enough. It's solid stainless steel. I just slide the game rack through the basket handle and lift. Pics attached.
Big help. I’ll probably get one too. Had one on my previous system before upgrading to the 20 gallon Solo. Solo basket works great under 1.050 and I don’t have to babysit the recirculation. But brewed a 1.065 IPA yesterday and it’s a constant babysitting battle to make sure it doesn’t overflow.
While my system is not the "Solo" it is effectively the same, with the controller coming from High Gravity, and the pump and heater from Blichmann, so a high quality system, however I do miss my Grainfather G30, the brew days were much more relaxing, and less messy.
Matt, you are getting some real bad advice here. There a a few (very few) brewers who have trouble with the Solo. Their process is bad and they are unwilling to learn how to use this system. Almost all Solo owners have no issues. No rice hulls. No bags. No extra plumbing. No gadgets. No different basket. Just successful brewers using an out-of-the-box Solo system. They hit their numbers and have zero issues. Yes, this system is really expensive. Yes, there is a learning curve. But if you are willing to learn and become a better brewer, it’s worth the money. Good luck and brew on.
What's the timeline on pumps? I'm bout ready to pull the trigger on a Solo bottom-drain 15G
The next batch of Flows should go live any day now. Be sure to sign up for the back in stock notification on the site. Be aware they will most likely sell out fast. If you’re buying a system you should be good as systems have priority.
How fast are you recirculating to the top of the grain bed? i.e. Like a quart per minute? I’m adding Bobby’s method to split the recirculation to help temperature stability. But my only complaint with the Solo basket is on the bigger beers, you can get a “slow” sparge and not necessarily a stuck one. Which leads to no new heat flowing through the grain. And I have to stand there and babysit it to not overflow. I use a SStech recirc manifold and realized after reading on here I may be going faster than what’s needed.
I haven’t waited that long before, worried about not getting heat on top. I need a couple more pieces before I can split the recirculating. Willing to give that a try and play with the recirculation rate. I’m also biased to the full mesh baskets, had one before on my 5 gallon system before upgrading to the 20 gallon Solo. Which is also where my aggressive recirculation is coming from.
Wagon 6, I don’t have an exact flow rate since I never measured it. Here’s my process: Turn off the pump. Gently mash in stirring only the top couple of inches. Cover and let the mash sit for 10 minutes. Then stir the mash just enough to loosen it up. Avoid scraping the bottom of the basket with the paddle. Turn on the pump and adjust to about 1/4 flow. Then check the liquid level every few minutes and reduce the flow if the liquid is rising. Once things stabilize, check the level about every 10 minutes. At the end of the mash, give the mash one last stir, raise the basket, and Vorlauf for 15 minutes. Turn off the pump and let it drain. You’re right about big, sticky brews. Those have to be throttled back. Brew on.
I feel like I have to defend myself on this statement. I've used the spike basket many times with lots of success. I have a process for that basket that works just fine. My issue with the basket is it takes way more work to get an equivalent brew to my all mesh basket. I can be doing lots of other things during the mash (further shortening my brew day) with my mesh basket. With the spike basket I have to babysit it so that I know mash bed temps are where they should be, I don't have a stuck mash, etch. Also, I can stir the **** out of my mash when using the mesh basket and not have to worry about grain in my wort and it nets me roughly 7-10% higher efficiency (again another win as that's money and time saved). When mash is complete, I also don't need to vorlauf, further saving me another 10-15 minutes. The stirring during the mash and faster recirculation of the mash basket also lets me mash for 30 minutes or less and still hit my numbers.
For sparge arm/recirc solution, here is what I did:
Biggz - I would really like to talk with you about your experiences with the Solo system. Would you message me to start a converation? I am unable to do that directly for some reason. Thanks!
I just grabbed this from brewers hardware. The arm is one piece and the TC with bushing is another. Hoping to try it soon.
