What Size Pot for BIAB, 5 Gallons, 1.084?

[Clint Yeastwood]

I'm doing BIAB today, and I can't believe how easy it is. I think it's time the Braumeister was put out to pasture.

I'm doing a 1.056 ale. Five-gallon batch. My pot is an Update International stainless 10-gallon job. I only had around 4" of room between the wort and the rim.

Will this pot handle a 1.085 ale? Has anyone else gotten away with it?

 

[danb35]

My last beer was a Hazy DIPA with a OG of 1.087, and the total mash volume was a little over 10.5 gal. You could hold a couple of quarts of water out of the mash, but keep in mind you still need to be able to stir it. And, of course, the thicker you make the mash, the lower the efficiency will go.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

So I may have to go to 60 quarts. Wish I could use cheap aluminum, but it has to be induction-ready.

 

[danb35]

I use a 15-gal kettle--plenty of room for 5 gallons of anything (and that's 5 gallons packaged--I aim for about 5.5 gal into the fermenter). I've only brewed one 10-gal batch, of an Oktoberfest with an OG of about 1.055, and I needed about a gallon and a half of top-up water after the mash.

 

[MaxStout]

I think I have that same 10 gal Update Int'l kettle, though I don't use it much anymore. If yours is like mine, it's kind of wide--wider than tall. In which case you might get a little more boiloff. There are some calculators that can determine how much volume is needed for grain + strike.

Another option if it looks tight, is to hold back a couple gallons. Do your mash, then after mashout and the grain bag is removed, add in the water and bring to a boil. Some people do a pour-over sparge, but I don't. I just dump it in. If you preheat the hold back water in another vessel, you can get to a boil faster. I do BIAB on the stovetop in winter, using an 8 gal Megapot. I don't go above about 1.060 brews and it's tight, but the 2 gal hold back helps.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

This thing worked flawlessly for 5 gallons at about 1.054. I squeezed the bag a little. I read somewhere that it didn't really hurt anything. Maybe Brulosophy. I came out at 1.076 and had to add two saucepans of boiled water.

I think I'll get a bigger pot if I can find a price I like.

 

[RM-MN]

The size of pot you need depends on 3 things.
1. How much mash efficiency/brewhouse efficiency you manage. If your efficiency is low you need more grain which takes up more space and retains more water. Using a sparge increases your efficiency but adds water.
2. Boil off. How hard and how long you boil determines how much water you turn to steam and lose. For most beers, a slow rolling boil for 30 minutes will suffice. If you have a lot of pilsner malt you may need more of both.
3. Daring! How daring are you with your boil pot. I started out worried about a boil over with a couple inches of space above the wort. Now I start with half an inch. You have to be vigilant and stir down the foaming as it approaches the boil. Turn your back for 2 seconds and you have cleanup to do.

 

[jtgoral]

I use 60 qt pot for 5.5 gallon batches. One needs to start with ~8 gallon of water and ~10lb of grains for average batch. Grains take extra space in the kettle.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I'm thinking about it. This pot works fine with 11 pounds of grain, and my biggest beer only takes 13.5. I think I can get it in there.

Maybe I'll brew this week and see what happens. If I have trouble, it looks like I can get a similar pot, one size larger, for $125.

I use Fermcap, so I'm not worried about foam going over the top.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Do you have a 5G bucket? Maybe one you're already using for fermentation or bottling? Add a batch sparge. Figure your water split so first and second runnings are roughly equal and you'll bump your efficiency up to 8% on top of freeing space for more grain.

I'm an outlier, pushing volumes to their max. That said, I can put a solid 4.25G into the fermenter at 1080 using a 5G kettle.

 

[jtgoral]

One has to think about heating the pot, too. I forgot last week to put in a dummy bottom and burned a hole in the bag. A small problem Got a new one ASAP.

I use Avantco 3.5kW induction burner, so the pot must work with it. The way I used to test compatibility was to use a fridge magnet. If it sticks to the pot one can use induction heating. The heater is 240V and I connect it to the dryer outlet in my basement.

 

[BrewZer]

I use 60 qt pot for 5.5 gallon batches. One needs to start with ~8 gallon of water and ~10lb of grains for average batch. Grains take extra space in the kettle.

It kinda depends on the grind, though. I grind at 0.025 and have no trouble getting 8 gals and 14 pounds of grist into a 44-quart pot. I usually finish with between 5.5 and 6 gallons.

 

[IslandLizard]

I use Avantco 3.5kW induction burner, so the pot must work with it. The way I used to test compatibility was to use a fridge magnet. If it sticks to the pot one can use induction heating.

If the magnet test is positive, yes, the pot is induction compatible.

However, the opposite is not always true: When the magnet doesn't stick that does not automatically mean the pot is incompatible with induction. I have a few kettles/pots a magnet won't stick to, but they work A-OK on the induction plate. The only way to be sure is testing it.

On some (many?) modern day pots, there may be an etching or engraving on the bottom with the induction-compatibility symbol.

 

[jtgoral]

It kinda depends on the grind, though. I grind at 0.025 and have no trouble getting 8 gals and 14 pounds of grist into a 44-quart pot. I usually finish with between 5.5 and 6 gallons.

I think I would fit into 44 qt pot, too. I enjoy the safe side

 

[MaxStout]

If you do feel like living on the edge with full boils, there's this.

 

[wsmith1625]

Will this pot handle a 1.085 ale? Has anyone else gotten away with it?

I just brewed a 1.090 Belgian strong ale in my 10 gallon kettle, full volume with 8 1/4 gallons of water and 18#'s of grain. It was right at the top, but it remained in the pot.

 

[wepeeler]

If you do feel like living on the edge with full boils, there's this.

View attachment 839735

I use that when doing 11 gal batches in a 15 gal kettle. About an inch of space between the wort and the rim. Works like a charm!

Also, @Clint Yeastwood , get a 15 gal kettle. You can do 5 gal batches, big beers and even double batches with zero worries.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

One has to think about heating the pot, too. I forgot last week to put in a dummy bottom and burned a hole in the bag. A small problem Got a new one ASAP.

I need to take care of this. Didn't even think about it.

 

[odie]

I subscribe to the 3x rule. It will cover ANY high OG beer you will ever do.

If you are never going to do a RIS or similar or only do those half batch...then you can get away with a 2x kettle.

however, the size and cost difference between 2x and 3x batch size is minimal.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Yeah, it's just that I would have to blow around $170 for the kettle and bag.

 

[DBhomebrew]

rule

suggestion

*goes to cellar to contemplate batches of imperial stout and barleywine brewed in a 1.25x kettle*

 

[odie]

suggestion

*goes to cellar to contemplate batches of imperial stout and barleywine brewed in a 1.25x kettle*

as a BIAB full volume mash? I must know your secrets...

 

[DBhomebrew]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see OP anywhere upthread ruling out a sparge. What I have seen is an interest in brewing in the pot he's got.

 

[jtgoral]

as a BIAB full volume mash? I must know your secrets...

It is.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Looks like I'm using too much water. The Braumeister calls for 23 liters, so I used 24 for my first BIAB. I was tired of having to add a lot after the boil. Now I see recommendations for 1.5 liters per pound of grain in a BIAB setup, so for 13.5 pounds (my only big beer), I get 20.25 liters. That saves me around a gallon's worth of space in the kettle during the mash, but I will definitely end up adding water afterward, if my first BIAB mash is any indication.

I never really thought about efficiency increasing with the amount of water. I figured things would just work out. Using 24 liters of water and 11 pounds of grain, I ended up with what looked like a little more than 5 gallons of wort in the fermenter, at my target OG. The gravity of the wort after moving the bag was 1.076, or around 20 points high. I had to add a gallon or so of hot water after the boil.

My efficiency made me completely happy. I know people complain about BIAB efficiency, but I got about the same amount of wort as always. Maybe because I used so much water? I used 9 pounds of Maris Otter, 2 pounds of 10L crystal malt, and for some reason, 4 ounces of table sugar. Same as always.

Beersmith predicted 1.061. Maybe I would have gotten that if I had ended up with exactly 5 gallons. I don't know exactly how much wort I had, because I filled the fermenter by eye. I left maybe 3" of space in a 6-gallon Torpedo. It may have been more than 5 gallons. Maybe some day I should put a mark inside the fermenter or kettle to tell me when I have 5 gallons, but I like going a little over to cover any losses.

 

[jtgoral]

Looks like I'm using too much water. The Braumeister calls for 23 liters, so I used 24 for my first BIAB. I was tired of having to add a lot after the boil. Now I see recommendations for 1.5 liters per pound of grain in a BIAB setup, so for 13.5 pounds (my only big beer), I get 20.25 liters. That saves me around a gallon's worth of space in the kettle during the mash, but I will definitely end up adding water afterward, if my first BIAB mash is any indication.

I never really thought about efficiency increasing with the amount of water. I figured things would just work out. Using 24 liters of water and 11 pounds of grain, I ended up with what looked like a little more than 5 gallons of wort in the fermenter, at my target OG. The gravity of the wort after moving the bag was 1.076, or around 20 points high. I had to add a gallon or so of hot water after the boil.

My efficiency made me completely happy. I know people complain about BIAB efficiency, but I got about the same amount of wort as always. Maybe because I used so much water? I used 9 pounds of Maris Otter, 2 pounds of 10L crystal malt, and for some reason, 4 ounces of table sugar. Same as always.

Beersmith predicted 1.061. Maybe I would have gotten that if I had ended up with exactly 5 gallons. I don't know exactly how much wort I had, because I filled the fermenter by eye. I left maybe 3" of space in a 6-gallon Torpedo. It may have been more than 5 gallons. Maybe some day I should put a mark inside the fermenter or kettle to tell me when I have 5 gallons, but I like going a little over to cover any losses.

I am pretty happy with BeerSmith I use for many years. This is how it shows my last beer. I used less water then recommended. Only 8.25 gallons. Measured OG came quite close. What really counts is if the beer tastes good

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I finalized two trial recipes for new heavy beers: Happy Halfwit Winter Ale and Steppe Mash Imperial Stout. Beersmith thinks 1.092 and 1.084, respectively. I believe I'll try the Stout first, since it uses more grain. If that works, I should be fine until I decide to push the envelope.

 

[wsmith1625]

Beersmith reports the mash volume. Click on the Mash tab and look at what the mash volumes are. If over 10 gallons, cut back on the strike water and add a sparge.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I'm changing the name of the stout. It is now Steppe Brother. I shall reserve Steppe Mash for something else.