Trying to get more beer out of my wort and less trub\hops!

[Clarke]

Oh Clark have a little faith...

I got mad faith in you guys.

I am a bottler, The only thing that discourages me from trying this now, is I just realized I would need more kettles and a plastic bucket is much cheaper and easier to stack and store.

I still love your unorthodox method and knowing it can be done this way may save me time and trouble someday, knowledge is power. :rockin:

 

[wilserbrewer]

Ok, stop by anytime, I'll lend you another kettle.
Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

I got mad faith in you guys.

I am a bottler, The only thing that discourages me from trying this now, is I just realized I would need more kettles and a plastic bucket is much cheaper and easier to stack and store.

I still love your unorthodox method and knowing it can be done this way may save me time and trouble someday, knowledge is power. :rockin:

Did you know that your HDPE plastic buckets are safe way above the boiling point of wort? You don't have to have another kettle, just dump the boiling wort right into the bucket and put the lid on. When it cools to pitching temp, add yeast and fill the airlock. The steam from the boiling wort will pasteurize the lid for you too although I always use Starsan on the lid first.

 

[Clarke]

Did you know that your HDPE plastic buckets are safe way above the boiling point of wort? You don't have to have another kettle, just dump the boiling wort right into the bucket and put the lid on. When it cools to pitching temp, add yeast and fill the airlock. The steam from the boiling wort will pasteurize the lid for you too although I always use Starsan on the lid first.

Yes, I do know this, this was my fist concern when I started brewing, was if an ice chest was safe at mashing temps because most ice chest are used for ice not hot liquids, so I researched it called the manufacture got the plastic types and temp ranges. The bucket is rated for (if I remember right 275F) well above boiling. I use my bottle bucket to sparge my BIAB.

Awesome you brought this up. Because when I asked my brew buddies if they knew if it was safe or not because an ice chest is used for ice not hot, they all had a "oh shoot" look on their face, not one of them knew... I was surprised...

 

[wilserbrewer]

I use my bottle bucket to sparge my BIAB..

Best practice is to use another bucket and not combine equipment use b/w the unboiled wort and the finished beer. Yes, I realize you sanitize after using it for the sparge, but wort is not sanitary pre boil, so in essence you are infecting and sanitizing repeatedly.

It is referred to as mixing equipment b/w the cold side and hot side of the brewery, and best to be avoided IMHO.
Cheers!

 

[Clarke]

Best practice is to use another bucket and not combine equipment use b/w the unboiled wort and the finished beer. Yes, I realize you sanitize after using it for the sparge, but wort is not sanitary pre boil, so in essence you are infecting and sanitizing repeatedly.

It is referred to as mixing equipment b/w the cold side and hot side of the brewery, and best to be avoided IMHO.
Cheers!

It's all good, I store my buckets in bleach water the night before I use them, rinse them out with boiled water... 3 years never a problem... I started with starsan but it is so expensive, bleach is cheap. I reuse the bleach water just pour from bucket to bucket... I can hear the cringing now. When one goes bad I will change my ways. but I got the idea from "The Joys of Home Brewing" 2nd addition

 

[masonsjax]

StarSan is expensive? Stuff lasts forever. I'm still using the first 16oz bottle I bought about 8 years and 300 batches ago. Save it in a bucket and reuse it. You don't need to mix a new batch every time.

 

[Clarke]

You don't need to mix a new batch every time.

I would mix it for almost every batch, somehow I managed to get it dirty plus, I felt I was losing so much in the bubbles and evaporation and I read somewhere that it only sanitizes not sterilizes, so I switched to bleach… I still use starsan for quick sprays but I do waste it for sure…

-edit- I just read that bleach only sanitizes too, so it is none issue

 

[BigFloyd]

StarSan is expensive? Stuff lasts forever. I'm still using the first 16oz bottle I bought about 8 years and 300 batches ago. Save it in a bucket and reuse it. You don't need to mix a new batch every time.

+1. That bottle of concentrate seems to last forever. I keep a few gallons handy in a 5-gallon food-grade bucket with a turkey baster inside (for squirting it through tubing) plus a spray bottle. The key is to have your equipment clean before dunking it into the bucket of StarSan.

With the availability of great stuff like StarSan, I use no bleach in brewing.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

FWIW Starsan doesn't store forever. Its only good if its still below a ph of 3.

I recently turned to a much cheaper alternative myself that we use in the brewery, not that I have any issue with starsan. Its called Sani-Q and can be had for $20 a gallon compared to $70 a gallon for starsan. Not only is it cheaper but it can be used in a stronger concentration as a disinfectant. It also leaves your gear smelling really nice and even says its for using in beer tanks.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/sani-q-buckeye-462601/

 

[masonsjax]

No thanks, I think I'll stick with no rinse, odorless, food grade phosphoric acid. I used to test my saved Starsan before each use with pH strips, but never once did it read above 3. At least at my house, the stuff lasts forever. I do mix up a fresh batch from time to time though.

 

[The_Bishop]

I make up a gallon of starsan with RO water each brew. Between using a spray bottle to spray sanitize stuff, or using a few cups in the fermenter and sloshing it around to wet all the surfaces, it seems to go a long way. Don't see the need for 5 gallons of the stuff at a clip unless you have some big equipment.

Also, the spray bottle works terrific for sanitizing the inside of hoses, put the hose up against the spray nozzle and squirt, a few pumps and the hose is filled with sanitizing foam.