Grounded Brewing Kettle sale.

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Since I bought 2 kettles I am curious on how viable a 2 vessel system (full volume continuous recirculating mash) would be with these kettles if I got a false bottom made for one of these.
 
I've never been too interested in BIAB, being used to three vessel since I started all-grain. However, I came across an old gift certificate for https://www.brewinabag.com/ that I got from a homebrew contest. So, i contacted them and ordered a bag for this kettle. I'll at least give it a shot, maybe even use that top tangental port for something! :)
 
I decided to pull my Spike out of the box since it showed up Thursday. Same lids, same handles, same rolled lips
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I bought one of these grounded brewing kettles. I've been brewing 5 gal all-grain batches using a rectangular cooler for mashing and a basic 10 gal SS vessel for heating water and boiling wort. On my kitchen stove.

Want to explore BIAB in my basement, using this kettle with a heating element installed. Or, an induction stove if thats possible. Doubtful that my kitchen stove can bear the weight. And its going to be a hard to lift the grain bag and generally uncomfortable to use.

1. Will it be possible to boil 10+ gal with an induction stove?
2. Will an 240V heating element do a better job. Do i need a false bottom with this?
3. Can i even brew in my basement, the only ventilation being a couple of small windows.

Any suggestions on which would be easier and where to start would be appreciated :)

thank you
 
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mtcbrew said:
I bought one of these grounded brewing kettles. I've been brewing 5 gal all-grain batches using a rectangular cooler for mashing and a basic 10 gal SS vessel for heating water and boiling wort. On my kitchen stove.

Want to explore BIAB in my basement, using this kettle with a heating element installed. Or, an induction stove if thats possible. Doubtful that my kitchen stove can bear the weight. And its going to be a hard to lift the grain bag and generally uncomfortable to use.

1. Will it be possible to boil 10+ gal with an induction stove?
2. Will an 240V heating element do a better job. Do i need a false bottom with this?
3. Can i even brew in my basement, the only ventilation being a couple of small windows.

Any suggestions on which would be easier and where to start would be appreciated :)

thank you
Click to expand...
Best accessory for BIAB is a place to hang a pulley over the kettle. Really simplifies lifting the bag.

You don't need much ventilation if you use this.

Brew on :mug:
 
I got my 2 kettles and am very impressed by the quality. I transferred the valves from my SSbrewtech BME kettle to try a BIAB session this weekend. As the other guy said the valve / pickup from the SSbrewtech cronical works perfect as well as the bottom valve from the BME kettles. They don't have the valve setup listed online so I emailed to see if they will sell a la carte (I want my kettle to match) I am contemplating the viability of making a Brutus 2 vessel system using direct fire to get up to temp, then mach recirculation RIMS with my 120v setup, then pump wort to BK. I dunno. Here is a pic of mine with the valves on.
 

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i do not buy to much from morebeer - but if you need replacement SSbrewtech parts - IE stuff they typically do not sell individually - more beer carries a large selection including the racking arm, ball valve with push fitting dip tube, and the push fit dip tube with trub dam(out of stock though). i have gotten the general hint that they do not like selling individual parts too much unless you have their system and you go through customer service - specifically the trub dam dip tube. https://www.morebeer.com/category/ss-brewing-technologies.html?page=3

i would advocate you buy directly from them if you can but i know i have tried looking for the trub dam dip tube by itself and its been a bear. i think it will push right into the TC dip tube 5/8 hole with o rings. then you can use any TC 1.5 valve. i am not a fan of the npt thread on the outside of the SS brewtech valve.
 
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I was able to buy the racking arm/adapter assembly, but after looking at Spike V3 again, I ended up buying a 15 Gallon spike with false bottom so that I will #1 have matching pretty kettles, but also because I didn't want to have to figure out a false bottom setup among other things. I will probably be posting up my kettle with racking arm assembly for sale shortly. All unused, with the packaging that it came in, just to get my money back out of it.
 
If you decide to sell it let me know... I am considering making one into a mash tun.
 
If I do not have a hook up for an element yet, is it a waste of money to buy plugs for 3 of the 4 ports for now and just boil a 10 gallon batch? Was thinking of doing that or a BIAB 5 gallon until i can get my electrician out.
 
Tagobolts said:
If I do not have a hook up for an element yet, is it a waste of money to buy plugs for 3 of the 4 ports for now and just boil a 10 gallon batch? Was thinking of doing that or a BIAB 5 gallon until i can get my electrician out.
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If you have a pump, put a valve on that whirlpool port for chilling.
Spikybits said:
IMO probably not if you do a few batches like that... you will need the TC clamps and gaskets anyways. the caps are a 4 bucks each, so 12 bucks will be your real loss.
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Agreed. I'm getting a couple extra caps anyway, it'll be good to have some flexibility.
 
Spikybits said:
are any of you going to direct fire with a burner?
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Definitely! I have nothing electric right now and intend to brew before i get that all together, and may not ever go full electric. Even if I end up with a full electric solution, I have my blichmann burner running off of a NG line on my patio. On a nice day brewing outside beats brewing inside!
 
yeah i dont have 220, but everything in my apt is 20a. i was looking at the inkbird controler with a 1650 element and using a hotrod stick @ 2250 on a separate circuit to get me to mash and to boil, using the inkbird to keep me at mash and boil with the 1650 element - removing the 2250 stick for those periods.

propane just seems so much easier and cheaper.
 
Spikybits said:
yeah i dont have 220, but everything in my apt is 20a. i was looking at the inkbird controler with a 1650 element and using a hotrod stick @ 2250 on a separate circuit to get me to mash and to boil, using the inkbird to keep me at mash and boil with the 1650 element - removing the 2250 stick for those periods.

propane just seems so much easier and cheaper.
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Propane is only cheaper upfront. Those $15-20 refill/swaps start to add up. Natural gas, on the other hand, is awful cheap. What kind of stove do you have in your apartment? If it's gas, put it to work. If it's electric, you've got a 220v outlet there.

I'm generally an outdoor brewer when the weather is favorable and stove top when it's not. I think i'm going to get this element:
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/element5500_ripple_tc.htm
Plugged directly into a GFCI 120v outlet in my kitchen, that will be a 1375w element. Not enough to do anything useful on it's own, but sitting on top of a stove burner, it will speed up heating. Then if I decide to go all electric, I already have my element!
 
I have gas, but moving my stove out to access the line is out of the question; same with the gas dryer on my patio. Ido not have 220 at all. i went thru my box. propane or 2 circuits for 110 20a.
 
Essentially you can choose either ball lock style or cam lock disconnects, add them to the valves, and presto! The most simple pump circuit would be out the bottom valve of the kettle to pump inlet, then connect pump outlet to the lower tangential port. That would be for whirlpool / chilling (with immersion chiller). It gets a little more complex with plate chillers and additional hardware like RIMS.
 
Tagobolts said:
will just an adapter to the pump work for this? I saw a chugger pump for sale the other day. What would be the correct placement for the pump and connectors? This would save all the stirring that for sure!
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I’m going to use some relatively short hoses with TC barbs on the ends and TC ball valves on the kettle. I already have a chugger pump, but I think I’m going to buy a new riptide pump and have brew hardware solder the TC fittings right onto it.
 
TallDan said:
I’m going to use some relatively short hoses with TC barbs on the ends and TC ball valves on the kettle. I already have a chugger pump, but I think I’m going to buy a new riptide pump and have brew hardware solder the TC fittings right onto it.
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Did you end up buying a TC whirpool adapter for this? Wanted to order one that will fit in the smaller TC ports on the side. Also, how much liquid/wort is needed to cover the top TC port to suck the water out and whirpool? I got mine unboxed then had to put it in the garage so havn't had a chance to use it yet. I don't have any TC connections so wanted to buy some but could use some of your help to make sure I don't get the wrong things.
 
Tagobolts said:
Did you end up buying a TC whirpool adapter for this? Wanted to order one that will fit in the smaller TC ports on the side. Also, how much liquid/wort is needed to cover the top TC port to suck the water out and whirpool? I got mine unboxed then had to put it in the garage so havn't had a chance to use it yet. I don't have any TC connections so wanted to buy some but could use some of your help to make sure I don't get the wrong things.
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Doesn't need any sort of adapter, just a couple valves. I just hooked up the pump inlet to the center drain port and the output to the lower side tangental port. Worked great. Covering the top TC port with liquid isn't going to happen for whirlpool, it's way too high
 
Mine took 14 gallons to cover the top tangential port.
13 would leak out of it if no cap was in place, but not cover it.
 
I bought two of their kettles... And snagged the prototype mash tun too which is pictured below. Haven't used it yet but it's 20g so can do alot of mashing!
 

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