New BIAB setup. Ss brewtech or Spike? Utah Diesel or Arbor Fab?

[hezagenius]

@dhoyt

Are you doing threaded or TC ports?
TC will give you flexibility if you ever want to do electric. They are easier to clean as well.
The downside is all the fittings are generally a bit more expensive than threaded.

 

[dhoyt]

@dhoyt

Are you doing threaded or TC ports?
TC will give you flexibility if you ever want to do electric. They are easier to clean as well.
The downside is all the fittings are generally a bit more expensive than threaded.

Definitely TC.

 

[dhoyt]

The SS brewtech 20 gal BME kettle has also caught my eye. It looks like the ports maybe low enough for a 5 gallon batch but I'm not sure the concave bottom would be work with a basket

 

[Vintage Iron]

I brew with a 15-gal Spike kettle using a RIMS/BIAB set up and love it! I agree with the comments about getting a larger kettle than you think you'll need.

Here is my set up while mashing in a "Ten-Fidy" clone a couple of months ago. I do a full-volume (no sparge) brew, so things can get tight in that mode. While this is probably the biggest ABV beer I'll ever make the kettle was about as full as it could get. (12-gal water and a full 5-gallon bucket of grains for a 5 gal batch)

Video Link:
https://i.imgur.com/3gescyB.mp4

 

[Redpappy]

I brew with a 15-gal Spike kettle using a RIMS/BIAB set up and love it! I agree with the comments about getting a larger kettle than you think you'll need.

Here is my set up while mashing in a "Ten-Fidy" clone a couple of months ago. I do a full-volume (no sparge) brew, so things can get tight in that mode. While this is probably the biggest ABV beer I'll ever make the kettle was about as full as it could get. (12-gal water and a full 5-gallon bucket of grains for a 5 gal batch)

Video Link:
https://i.imgur.com/3gescyB.mp4

that’s a 5 gal batch in a 15 gal kettle? That must be a BIG beer. Was it tasty?

 

[Vintage Iron]

that’s a 5 gal batch in a 15 gal kettle? That must be a BIG beer. Was it tasty?

Yes, that is a 5-gal batch. The OG ended up at 1.102 and it fermented down to 1.029. (9.6%) It still carbing up, but the initial taste test was yummy.

 

[Redpappy]

Yes, that is a 5-gal batch. The OG ended up at 1.102 and it fermented down to 1.029. (9.6%) It still carbing up, but the initial taste test was yummy.

Wow....sorry, I’m a 4-6 abc guy that is huge lol

 

[Bobby_M]

The impression that I get is that you haven't seen a batch brewed on an electric system. It's one thing to be nudged in that direction by strangers on the internet but to see it in person is almost 100% convincing. The perfect temp control, repeatable boil rate, lack of carbon monoxide, cheaper energy cost. The list goes on for a while. I would take a bag in an electric kettle over a basket in a propane kettle any day. The only real argument anti-electric is the initial setup cost that some people incur due to new electrical circuits needed and the controller being quite pricey.

Are you considering Ford's new Model T? Nah, I'm going to buy the nicest horse drawn carriage I can find. I joke, but that's a pretty accurate analogy having done it both ways for a lot of years.

 

[dhoyt]

I brew with a 15-gal Spike kettle using a RIMS/BIAB set up and love it! I agree with the comments about getting a larger kettle than you think you'll need.

Here is my set up while mashing in a "Ten-Fidy" clone a couple of months ago. I do a full-volume (no sparge) brew, so things can get tight in that mode. While this is probably the biggest ABV beer I'll ever make the kettle was about as full as it could get. (12-gal water and a full 5-gallon bucket of grains for a 5 gal batch)

Video Link:
https://i.imgur.com/3gescyB.mp4

Yeah I think I have settled on spike because of the customization they have. You can get ports in any configuration you like which is nice. I'm going to go with a 20 gal kettle like I originally was thinking. The big concern was that with a kettle that size I wouldn't be able to do 5 gal batches in it but it sounds like with direct fire it shouldn't be an issue. What I'm thinking about now is the ability to switch between direct fire and electric depending on the situation. So now I'm figuring how many ports I'm going to need. Electric coil, whirlpool, two temps depending on electric or direct fire... Price tag keeps going up! Hahaha

 

[AF1HomeBrew]

Yeah I think I have settled on spike because of the customization they have. You can get ports in any configuration you like which is nice. I'm going to go with a 20 gal kettle like I originally was thinking. The big concern was that with a kettle that size I wouldn't be able to do 5 gal batches in it but it sounds like with direct fire it shouldn't be an issue. What I'm thinking about now is the ability to switch between direct fire and electric depending on the situation. So now I'm figuring how many ports I'm going to need. Electric coil, whirlpool, two temps depending on electric or direct fire... Price tag keeps going up! Hahaha

Spike is pretty good with helping make decisions, if you email them. I have 4 ports on my 30 gal. Spike kettle that I use for boiling, and 3 ports on my Mashtun. If you don't use the TC port isn't being used t you can always put a cap on it.

 

[Vintage Iron]

Yeah I think I have settled on spike because of the customization they have. You can get ports in any configuration you like which is nice. I'm going to go with a 20 gal kettle like I originally was thinking. The big concern was that with a kettle that size I wouldn't be able to do 5 gal batches in it but it sounds like with direct fire it shouldn't be an issue. What I'm thinking about now is the ability to switch between direct fire and electric depending on the situation. So now I'm figuring how many ports I'm going to need. Electric coil, whirlpool, two temps depending on electric or direct fire... Price tag keeps going up! Hahaha

I purchased my 15-gal kettle used (actually two of them) from a guy who had a business making tea on a small commercial scale. The reason I bring this up is because I was actually looking for a 10-gal kettle, but couldn't pass up the price he was selling these for. I was shocked when the UPS guy dropped them off on my doorstep and I saw how big they are!

There are times the 15-gal kettles are nice for the extra space, and there are times where it's actually somewhat of an Achilles heel that the kettles aren't 10 gallons. Honestly, I think a 20-gal kettle may be a bit overkill for 5-gal batches. Have you seen a 20-gal in person? They're pretty big. Here are a list of pros/cons I've encountered with my 15-gal kettles as compared to the 10-gal Spike kettle a local friend/homebrewer has. Hopefully this will help in your decision making.

Pros:
1) I can brew monster ABV beers.
2) There is plenty of room for stirring in grains and the wider kettle diameter means less clumping when we mash in.
3) There is very little risk of boil over during initial boil start up. (hot break)

Cons:
1)These kettles are HEAVY. Spike products are high quality thick stainless steel. Just the empty kettle with no water in it is lot to carry. If I pick up the kettle by both handles with about 10-gal in it, you can feel the handles flex. I don't do that often! LOL
2) Because of the height and diameter of these kettles, they can be tough to clean. They don't fit in just any sink. You really need a "utility" type of sink to fit them in for cleaning. I didn't think of this when I purchased these kettles and I had to put in a new utility tub faucet in our basement sink as the old one wasn't tall enough to reach up over the top of the kettle.
3) The Spike kettles have a very thick copper-clad bottom, which is great. One thing I've noticed is that it takes a lot longer to cool this kettle (immersion chiller). I believe this is due to the bottom of the kettle being almost twice the size of a 10-gal kettle. (more mass) . A 20-gal kettle will have even more kettle mass to cool.

The bottom line is that I love these 15-gal kettles even though they are a bit of a beast compared to a standard 10-gal kettle. Having said that, I definitely wouldn't want anything bigger than this. Unless you plan on brewing double (10gal) batches, I would very much rethink the idea of buying a 20 gal kettle for 5-gal batches for the above reasons. Sometimes brewing lower ABV batches in these kettles can be a bit like doing finish carpentry with a sledge hammer; it gets the job done, but is kind of like a bull in a china shop.

Speaking of brew kettles, I will be brewing a cream ale (New Glarus Spotted Cow clone) later today. I'll try to take some pics of what that batch looks like so you get an idea of just how much extra space a 15-gal kettle offers for a 5-gal batch of a lower ABV beer.

 

[AF1HomeBrew]

It really comes down to what style of beer and how much you want to brew at a time. A 20 gal kettle is pretty big if you are only doing a batch of a cream ale, but if you like Russian Imperial Stouts or other styles that require alot of grain you might appreciate the extra room in the kettle.

 

[Vintage Iron]

As promised, here are some in-use pics of a 15-gal Spike kettle.

First off is sitting in our basement utility sink.



You can see that the base of it barely fits in the sink.



And here it is with 9 gallons of water and 10lbs of grain. I'd describe it as 2/3 full:

 

[wilserbrewer]

That is a nice fitting bag i must say lol

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

It really comes down to what style of beer and how much you want to brew at a time. A 20 gal kettle is pretty big if you are only doing a batch of a cream ale, but if you like Russian Imperial Stouts or other styles that require alot of grain you might appreciate the extra room in the kettle.

Off topic but isn't spotted cow a farmhouse ale?

 

[Vintage Iron]

Off topic but isn't spotted cow a farmhouse ale?

That's what I always thought too. NorthernBrewer seems vague. Here is how the instruction sheet for the recipe reads:

"Those among us who are or were farmboys and -girls will correctly identify them as Holsteins; to the rest of the citified, sissified world they’re “spotted cows” This multigrained Midwestern take on the American cream ale is an uncomplicated, unfussy, lovable guzzler."​

After reading this description, it sounds like a Farm-house or Cream ale are both correct. (shrug) . Either way, I love this recipe. It always tastes even better than the real thing. Our basement smells amazing while it's fermenting!

 

[NewJersey]

I'm only 1 brew in on a 10 gallon eBIAB setup ND it was an 8% full volume mash. I think 9%would absolutely max out a 10 gallon pot, which is fine for me.
Whenever I get around to making something bigger than 9% I'm just gonna scale the recipe back to 4 or 4.5 gallons.
I like having the smaller and easier to handle/clean pot.

 

[Cato1507]

I use a 10gal eBIAB kettle but usually I go for 5-6%ABV and I find it perfect size for full volume BIAB.

 

[NewJersey]

I use a 10gal eBIAB kettle but usually I go for 5-6%ABV and I find it perfect size for full volume BIAB.

Depends on the style for me. For NEIPAs it's whatever, but for real IPAs I sometimes want 6ish abv and sometimes I crave 8ish. They're totally different beers

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm only 1 brew in on a 10 gallon eBIAB setup ND it was an 8% full volume mash. I think 9%would absolutely max out a 10 gallon pot, which is fine for me.
Whenever I get around to making something bigger than 9% I'm just gonna scale the recipe back to 4 or 4.5 gallons.
I like having the smaller and easier to handle/clean pot.

I love my 10G pot and have no wish to go bigger. Next time I brew a really big beer, I'll either go back to my cooler MT for that batch or, eventually, I'll use a K-RIMS set up. A dunk sparge is also an option and would probably help efficiency anyway.

 

[craigmw]

I have been brewing on a propane fueled BIAB rig for over 7 years that is based on a 20 gallon (actually 18.5) tri-clad kettle and have been able to brew 5, 10 and the occasional 15 gallon (with sparge) batches with relative ease, including some rather high OG brews (1.120 barleywines, etc). I just recently made the switch to electric BIAB using a DIY panel (with parts sourced from Auber, e.g. EZ-Boil DSPR320), a 22 gallon BrewBuilt kettle (with two 1.5" TC ports), a BrewHardware SS 5500W TC element and a Concord steamer basket with bolts affixed to the bottom to stand above the element. So far, I've brewed 5 and 10 gallon batches, including an 11 gallon RIS that came in at 1.112 (and finished at 11.5%!).

What I like about my new electric system is that it has very precise temperature control, especially during the mash. The DSPR320 prevents the chance of boilovers, and the rate of heating is not bad (though really not as fast as my Blichmann propane burner). It makes for a pretty quick brew day and I don't have to make sure to get my propane tanks filled.

I'd definitely recommend at least a 15 gallon kettle. I was concerned about being able to brew 5 gallon batches on my new kettle, but I had the TC ports installed just off the bottom, so even with the basket sitting above the element, there is still plenty of space in the kettle for my grain bag, even for a 5 gallon batch. With this new setup, I can also brew large 10 gallon batches, with that RIS coming in at 46 pounds of grist (which is about my current grain limit with that steamer basket). A 20 gallon kettle might even be preferable if you plan to do lots of 10 gallon batches.

 

[sloppybones]

FWIW, Spike dropped some details on their BIAB setups yesterday. The batch sizes make zero sense, but I am very intrigued.

 

[sloppybones]

Off topic but isn't spotted cow a farmhouse ale?

Yes, or at least according to the can. It tastes more like a hybrid wheat/cream ale to me though. Maybe more cream ale.

 

[cubalz]

I have purchased two Spike kettles in the last few years and the quality on both was second to none.

I totally agree! I personally own 4 of their kettles in all versions and they are all top notch. I can also attest that their customer service is great. Super responsive and helpful.

 

[MikeCo]

FWIW, Spike dropped some details on their BIAB setups yesterday. The batch sizes make zero sense, but I am very intrigued.

I received this and was also confused as to why the 10-gallon size can only do 2.5 gallon batches.

 

[SpikeBrewing]

I received this and was also confused as to why the 10-gallon size can only do 2.5 gallon batches.

The 10g system will only have a 120v element so then batch size is smaller in comparison.

 

[Yesfan]

I have a spike 15 gallon kettle and the quality is top notch. To be honest, if I was in the market for another kettle, I wouldn’t even research what else was out there. Straight to spike.

The 15 gallon kettle is ideal for 5 gallon batches. There are a lot of 10 gallon batches I’ve thought of doing that will not fit in my 15 gallon kettle without some type of extra step. You can still do it, but would need to incorporate some type of sparge step. Use this link below to get a better idea on kettle size.

http://www.biabcalculator.com

Agree about top notch quality. I have two of their 15 gallon kettles. Straight to Spike with me as well if I ever upgrade.

As for not being able to do to a lot of 10G batches a 15G kettle..... I don't BIAB, but I've rarely used my second 15G kettle as a mash tun for a 10G batch. My 10G tun has had plenty of room for mashes up to 22lbs of grain. One scenario you could do is just steep the specialty grains like you would for an extract if you need room for an extra pound or three of fermentable grain.

 

[Beer_EnGAneer]

Yeah I think I have settled on spike because of the customization they have. You can get ports in any configuration you like which is nice. I'm going to go with a 20 gal kettle like I originally was thinking. The big concern was that with a kettle that size I wouldn't be able to do 5 gal batches in it but it sounds like with direct fire it shouldn't be an issue. What I'm thinking about now is the ability to switch between direct fire and electric depending on the situation. So now I'm figuring how many ports I'm going to need. Electric coil, whirlpool, two temps depending on electric or direct fire... Price tag keeps going up! Hahaha

Careful with having it all with a rigid basket. To do a 5 gal batch in a 20 gal kettle, the ideal basket would have very low clearance/dead space below it. This very well might limit space for an element. If you later wanted to convert to electric, it might not be compatible with the same basket. Just keep it in mind when designing as every inch of height is ~1 gallon in a 17" diameter pot. (Can Arbor Fab do adjustable legs?).

Also, thinking through the basket with hooks: I'm guessing you'd always need a second person to place the bars while you lift (I often brew solo). I like my hoist, also because I am not all that strong, and wet grain gets heavy quickly as I try to hold it out away from myself after 170 degree mashout.

Sounds like your going with the 20 gal. If I did it again, I would. My 10 gal batches max out in the 1.06x range in my 16 gal kettle, with a sparge.

That said I really like the Brew Bag bags. I just use a Brew Hardware false bottom to keep the bag above the element and it works out great.

Thank you!
I came to this thread to learn more about baskets. But this is way cheaper than the basket and is way more elegant than me building a modified cooling rack to support the bag above my element.
I'm now ordering a Brew Hardware false bottom this week!