What size partial mash and all grain can I do with my kettles?

[Poetaytoe]

So I currently have a 5g and a 2g kettle. What size partial/all grain batches can I make with this setup?

As a note, the 2g kettle is much higher quality so it holds heat much better. I would assume I'd be using this to mash and the 5g for the boil.

Thanks!

 

[m_stodd]

I have a 5g kettle (I think), and do 5g partial batches. The most I've mashed was around 10lb, and that was too much. I'd recommend start by mashing around 5-7lb and see how it goes.

 

[unionrdr]

I use the same SS 5 gallon kettle I started with for PB/PM BIAB. I do 5-6lbs of grains in 2 gallons of water in a large nylon bag with a cake cooling rack in the bottom to keep the bag of grains from burning on the bottom of the kettle. Use the 2G to heat 1.5 gallons of sparge water (what I do) while the 1 hour mash is going. After the mash,I use a polished SS collander I got at Bed,Bath & Beyond for $9 on top of the kettle to place the now draining bag of grains on. Then sanitize a 2C pyrex measure to slowly pour the sparge water evenly over the grains in the bag in the collander on top of the BK/MT.
Allow to drain well,then proceed to the boil.
**By the way,this gives 3.5 gallons of wort for your boil volume. Depending on how much grains/extract I use,I get 5 or 6 gallon batches with ice cold top off after chilling the wort down to 75F or so,before topping off to recipe volume in the fermenter.

 

[Poetaytoe]

I use the same SS 5 gallon kettle I started with for PB/PM BIAB. I do 5-6lbs of grains in 2 gallons of water in a large nylon bag with a cake cooling rack in the bottom to keep the bag of grains from burning on the bottom of the kettle. Use the 2G to heat 1.5 gallons of sparge water (what I do) while the 1 hour mash is going. After the mash,I use a polished SS collander I got at Bed,Bath & Beyond for $9 on top of the kettle to place the now draining bag of grains on. Then sanitize a 2C pyrex measure to slowly pour the sparge water evenly over the grains in the bag in the collander on top of the BK/MT.
Allow to drain well,then proceed to the boil.
**By the way,this gives 3.5 gallons of wort for your boil volume. Depending on how much grains/extract I use,I get 5 or 6 gallon batches with ice cold top off after chilling the wort down to 75F or so,before topping off to recipe volume in the fermenter.

Awesome! This is exactly what I was looking for.

Also- great tip on the cooling rack to keep the bag off the bottom!

 

[unionrdr]

Thanks. The cake cooling rack was an in the kitchen brewing & need something kind of idea. typical American solution I guess. The mashing/sparging brewing part def works well. done for some 12 brews or so now after switching to pm.