Still haven't left extract

[brewprint]

Have a few more questions. My main concerns are placement of the thermometer and what kind of thermometer.

I was going to purchase a Wilser bag and a 12 gallon pot. I realize 90% of everyone on here gets a 15 gallon pot but that just seems like overkill for what I want. I only want to do 5 gallon batches.

Please advise on the best thermometer and placement option.

 

[mkyl428]

Have a few more questions. My main concerns are placement of the thermometer and what kind of thermometer.

I was going to purchase a Wilser bag and a 12 gallon pot. I realize 90% of everyone on here gets a 15 gallon pot but that just seems like overkill for what I want. I only want to do 5 gallon batches.

Please advise on the best thermometer and placement option.

You don't have to mount a thermometer, I use a digital instant read thermometer I got at Target for $10.
http://www.target.com/p/taylor-white-silver-taylor-pivot-digital-thermometer/-/A-13370918?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=13370918&CPNG=Kitchen&kpid=13370918&LID=26pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=13370918&kpid=13370918&gclid=CjwKEAiAmOymBRD0_evS4aTh2hUSJAB7FkhyY9Wk3IEQcZdKPzWRcUrjK_d88TsdNWISPSlXCvlRoRoCAZnw_wcB

A 12 gallon pot is plenty I use a 10 gallon you could probably even do less but it would be a tight fit. I regularly mash 15lb grain bills just fine in a 10 gallon pot.

 

[Psylocide]

I did 12 lbs of grain in a 6.5 gal pot... that was interesting, to say the least. 12 gal will be just fine.

Stuck my thermometer right in the grain bed after mashing in.

 

[brewprint]

You just stick that in there during your mash when you want to check temps?

 

[kh54s10]

I do my 5 gallon batches on my 3 tier system, all 10 gallon vessels.

I do 3 gallon BIAB inside on the stove in a 20 qt. aluminum stock pot.

A 12 gallon pot should be plenty for most brews.

 

[mkyl428]

You just stick that in there during your mash when you want to check temps?

Yep..... I stir well first, then stick in the thermometer, make sure you give it enough time to give an accurate reading, but essentially yeah that's it super easy!!!!:fro:

 

[btbnl]

A 12 gallon pot is plenty I use a 10 gallon you could probably even do less but it would be a tight fit. I regularly mash 15lb grain bills just fine in a 10 gallon pot.

Assuming 1.5 gallons/hour boil-off and 1 pint/pound grain absorption, a 12 gallon pot could take up to about 27lb of grain in a 5 gallon batch!

 

[brewprint]

Yep..... I stir well first, then stick in the thermometer, make sure you give it enough time to give an accurate reading, but essentially yeah that's it super easy!!!!:fro:

Okay great.

Typically when you are mashing for 60 minutes do you find that the temp pretty much stays the same?

 

[mkyl428]

Okay great.

Typically when you are mashing for 60 minutes do you find that the temp pretty much stays the same?

Sometimes it drops some, just make sure the bag is off the bottom of the kettle (I use bungee chords for this) then turn on the burner for a couple minutes while monitoring the temp, and constantly stiring. Any time you direct fire the kettle with a grain bag in it it's a good idea to stir to avoid scorching.

You can also insulate the kettle with a blanket or coat or something similar.

 

[djt17]

Okay great.

Typically when you are mashing for 60 minutes do you find that the temp pretty much stays the same?

I wrap my kettle in an old sleeping bag. Typically only lose a couple degrees during mash. I would be worried about tearing the bag if you mounted a thermometer.

 

[brewprint]

Sometimes it drops some, just make sure the bag is off the bottom of the kettle (I use bungee chords for this) then turn on the burner for a couple minutes while monitoring the temp, and constantly stiring. Any time you direct fire the kettle with a grain bag in it it's a good idea to stir to avoid scorching.

You can also insulate the kettle with a blanket or coat or something similar.

If your mash temp drops and you have to get it back up do you subtract that time from your schedule?

Example: Let's say you mash at 152 and 25 minutes later you check it and it's at 149. Then you turn on the heat and it takes 5 minutes to get back up to 152. Do you continue from the 25 minute mark or include that 5 minutes in your mash time?

 

[djt17]

Leave it alone; 3 degrees isn't going to hurt anything. I never even open my kettle after dough in until the mash is complete.

 

[RM-MN]

If your mash temp drops and you have to get it back up do you subtract that time from your schedule?

Example: Let's say you mash at 152 and 25 minutes later you check it and it's at 149. Then you turn on the heat and it takes 5 minutes to get back up to 152. Do you continue from the 25 minute mark or include that 5 minutes in your mash time?

At 25 minutes my mash is over and I pull the bag and turn up the heat. :rockin:

At 149, the enzymes are still converting so you don't have to add the 5 minutes that it takes to raise the temperature.

 

[Psylocide]

I mashed all night, lost 22°... got great conversion.

So, just go for it and don't overthink it. I certainly didn't.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/hoppy-wheat-overnight-mash-biab-515150/

 

[mkyl428]

If your mash temp drops and you have to get it back up do you subtract that time from your schedule?

Example: Let's say you mash at 152 and 25 minutes later you check it and it's at 149. Then you turn on the heat and it takes 5 minutes to get back up to 152. Do you continue from the 25 minute mark or include that 5 minutes in your mash time?

I wouldn't really sweat it, but if I do fire it back up, no I still use the same mash time I was using from dough in. I usually don't fire it back up unless it has dropped 5° or more.

Also like RM-MN said if you crush fine enough some people only mash for like 15 min and get great efficiency, I haven't tried it but I have heard from many it works...

This is easy!!! Just jump in there & do it!

 

[brewprint]

Okay I figured I was over thinking it.

I know when I do go to the LHBS to get grains I will run it through the mill twice.

When you all look up recipes for BIAB do you just use regular AG recipes?

 

[Psylocide]

Okay I figured I was over thinking it.

I know when I do go to the LHBS to get grains I will run it through the mill twice.

When you all look up recipes for BIAB do you just use regular AG recipes?

Yep.

 

[mkyl428]

Okay I figured I was over thinking it.

I know when I do go to the LHBS to get grains I will run it through the mill twice.

When you all look up recipes for BIAB do you just use regular AG recipes?

You got it! The recipes are the same. There you go over thinking it again

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I use a 15 gallon pot to permit the occasional 10 gallon batch. I place an upturned stainless steel petal style steamer over the bottom of the pot to keep the bag out from under the dip tube. I've never scorched the bag, although it did get caught under the tube once. (Ya gotta make sure you keep your bag off the tube he he he) When the thermo probe starts reading low, I stir. Almost always the temp goes right to where it belongs. During the mash heat stratifies. Warmest on top, cooler on the bottom. Stirring redistributes the heat. I rarely have a need to refire the kettle during a 60 minute mash. When I was brewing outside in colder weather I got a couple layers of reflectiv that I velcroed to the perimeter of the pot and the lid after I had turned off the burner. Now I just push out a couple 10 gallon batches towards the end of brewing season to see me trhough til spring!!!

 

[MMJfan]

I drilled a small hole in the lid of my kettle and just stick my digital thermometer in through the lid and then cover my kettle. I will usually check and stir after 30 minutes, but I never worry about losing 3-4 degrees over the course of the mash.

Take the plunge! You won't regret and you will be asking yourself why you waited so long to take the plunge!

 

[jahdub]

Checking the temperature of a mash that hasn't been stirred / recirculated wont tell you much. I stir my mash, then check the temp with my thermapen.

They're pretty kickass thermometers, but I'm not sure I'd have bought it if it wasn't $20 off and I wasn't going to use it for cooking, too.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

I suppose I should consider a digital thermometer, but I just toss in my floating thermometer and leave it in during the mash.

 

[brewprint]

I suppose I should consider a digital thermometer, but I just toss in my floating thermometer and leave it in during the mash.

Do you use the cheap one that costs around $7 at the LHBS? The one with the red rubber handle.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

That's the one.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

I should also point out that I tend to be very "eh, what's the worst thing that could happen" when it comes to beer making, so I may not be the best person to dispense advice.

 

[brewprint]

The way that I see it is; why spend more cash if it's not going to make the beer faster or better or easier. I bought a 1/2 auto siphon recently. It came with the same size tubing as my 3/8 and takes a lot of effort to put the tube on and remove it. Plus it's not that much faster. Money wasted. That's something I cannot stand doing.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

The more I read the more over thinking I see. After all there are only about 50 beers in a batch. By the time you figure they are not so good they are already half gone anyhow.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

I have been making na beers with a pregnant wife, so my standard for good beer has been drastically lowered .

I would say I use maybe 50-60% of my brewing rig. It took me over a year to use my propane element for the first time, and my wort chiller seems like too much hassle. A lot of my equipment came from a friend who was getting out of brewing, but I got into homebrew to make cheap craft-quality beer. Anything that complicates the process or adds cost beyond my current setup seems counter-intuitive to my goals. I have too much crap to sanitize on brewing and bottling days as is.

 

[brewprint]

I enjoy over thinking this. That's part of the fun :rockin:

It gives me something to do. My wife says I'm a busy body.

I haven't been drinking much during the week so I need something to do. I browse the Internet over thinking how to make better beer faster and cheaply. The cheap part isn't working.

 

[madscientist451]

You can use a step mash calculator to raise your mash temp, just add the calculated amount of boiling water and stir. Or don't do anything, lots of people just say get the mash started and forget about it for an hour.
I think mashing is important, but your fermentation temps are even more important. Without a good clean fermentation, you don't have anything.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

People bash on them, but my Corona mill is the best $25 I spent on brewing equipment. My LHBS has great selection of bagged grain from Breiss, but no mill. I may feel different once I go from BIAB mini-mashes to AG batches, but right now I like the extra workout and grinding is therapeutic when I remember that base malt is $1.00 - $1.49 / lb vs $3 - $4 /lb for extract.

 

[MMJfan]

People bash on them, but my Corona mill is the best $25 I spent on brewing equipment. My LHBS has great selection of bagged grain from Breiss, but no mill. I may feel different once I go from BIAB mini-mashes to AG batches, but right now I like the extra workout and grinding is therapeutic when I remember that base malt is $1.00 - $1.49 / lb vs $3 - $4 /lb for extract.

BIAB is AG is it not?

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

Sho is

 

[mgonbrewlab]

Yes. But I still use about 50% extract and make up the rest with base and specialty malts mashed BIAB style, hence BIAB mini mashes vs AG brewing in a bag.

 

[doug293cz]

Yes. But I still use about 50% extract and make up the rest with base and specialty malts mashed BIAB style, hence BIAB mini mashes vs AG brewing in a bag.

If you can handle partial mash BIAB, the process for AG BIAB is just the same, just bigger vessels or smaller batches.

Brew on

 

[hendo80]

Get the bigger kettle. I have a 16 gallon bayou classic (Amazon) and don't regret it for a second. I have nearly boiled over with a 17lb grain bill. Just remember, you don't start with 5 or 6 gal of water, you start with somewhere between 8.5 and 9.5 gallons of water depending on absorption and boil off.....add the grain and presto, you are maxing out your kettle. Granted, if you can really really control your boil, or you are ok with topping off, you can get away with less.

anyway, I had the exact same thought (10 or 12 gallon kettle) when I was looking at kettles and am glad I got the larger kettle.

 

[Culinarytracker]

I enjoy over thinking this. That's part of the fun :rockin:

It gives me something to do.

I also enjoy the brainstorming and researching. However, it is a lot more fun and effective for me AFTER I've dove in and done it once or twice.

The cheap part isn't working.

I heard that!

 

[mgonbrewlab]

If you can handle partial mash BIAB, the process for AG BIAB is just the same, just bigger vessels or smaller batches.

Brew on

True, but I had a ridiculous amount of extract from when my LHBS dropped a line they carried and sold off their stock at 75% off. Fire sale beer ! Plus, easing in and all that