Upgrading kettle. Time to abandon BIAB?

[ClemTiger0408]

I am thinking about upgrading my kettle. I'd like to be able to make batches at a higher OG. Currently, with my 10 gallon kettle I can only achieve about 1.070 for a 5.5 gallon batch before I reach capacity.

The difference between a 10 to 15 gallon kettle is $60-$70. At that price point, doesn't it makes sense to buy a mash tun and 10 gallon kettle instead and abandon BIAB?

 

[Timzabel12]

I am plaining on doing biab in a cooler and boil pot. I just picked up a 70qt Coleman extreme plenty big to even achieve ten gallon batches.


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[Seven]

I am thinking about upgrading my kettle. I'd like to be able to make batches at a higher OG. Currently, with my 10 gallon kettle I can only achieve about 1.070 for a 5.5 gallon batch before I reach capacity.

Everyone's set up is different but you can easily brew high gravity beers with BIAB and your existing 10 gallon kettle by adding LME or DME (or other adjuncts) to the wort.

The difference between a 10 to 15 gallon kettle is $60-$70. At that price point, doesn't it makes sense to buy a mash tun and 10 gallon kettle instead and abandon BIAB?

You can go 3 vessel if you wish or you can get a bigger kettle for BIAB and keep enjoying the simplicity of single vessel brewing.

 

[solbes]

I think you need to think about the time of sparging with a 3 vessel approach also. It can take some time to vorlauf and fully sparge the grain bed. BIAB you lift it up and fire up the burner while its dripping through. Cost wise you will also have the false screen and gravity feed stand to purchase with a 3 vessel setup. And its more vessels to clean at the end of the day.

I don't think one is better than the other. I have a 15 gallon SS kettle and still BIAB (upgraded from 7.5G aluminum). I had always throught I would switch to a mash tun with fly sparge some day in the future, but now I'm not as certain. I still enjoy the simplicity of BIAB and have no current plans to switch.

 

[suckmyale]

I don't think you need to abandon BIAB, but you could add a cooler MLT, and do batch sparging for larger gravity beers, but keep your setup for smaller ones.

Below is an example of what I would do (and have done with an IPA) pending you have an existing pot that can hold 2 gallons....then you only need to buy a MLT, and you can make a manifold (CPVC is cheap, works well, and is easy to work with)

Heat your mash water(5G) in your existing 10G pot.
Empty in MLT.
Mash for 60/90minutes.
Vorlauf/sparge to existing 10G pot.

Heat 1/2 of sparge water(2G) in existing kitchen pot.
Batch sparge/collect in 10G pot.

Heat remaining sparge water(2G) in existing kitchen pot.
Batch sparge/collect in 10G pot.

Boil Size 7G - Estimated OG 1.076

 

[Hello]

I use a 3 vessel system and have since moving to AG. BIAB for me was a no-go as I had no way to easily lift the bag myself from the pot without making a mess. A pulley system was out of the question as I brew indoors and when I am not, I don't have a way to really get a pulley system in place outside. However, if I did, I think I would be doing BIAB. I have before and with small test batches it is still what I do (1 gallon).

I think BIAB can produce quality beer so if it is working for you, then why move away from it? You can still use your 10 gallon pot and add DME or LME, but I would simply get a bigger pot to continue to not use DME unless I was trying to recover from a mistake.

I also think some will do BIAB in a cooler, like mentioned above, and drain from the cooler to the boil kettle. This allows you to achieve higher gravity brews and keep your 10 gallon kettle. The addition of a cooler is cheap and because you're using a bag, you don't need the whole false bottom setup.

My opinion is 3 vessel systems may allow for larger batch sizes, but even that is debatable because some do 10 gallons with BIAB, or so I've read. 3 vessel systems will allow you to do back to back batches. If that never appeals to you then why move? Of course, I am certain some will say BIAB is inferior because of all the shiny toys and such you get with 3 vessel systems. I say that's a bunch of noise because there is no wrong or right here. Both ways produce great beer. If you're brewing to brag then that is *****ey and far less people care than you think.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I am thinking about upgrading my kettle. I'd like to be able to make batches at a higher OG. Currently, with my 10 gallon kettle I can only achieve about 1.070 for a 5.5 gallon batch before I reach capacity.

You should be able to get higher gravities out of the 10 gallon kettle if you add a small sparge step to your process. From the rackers calculator, you can mash 25 lbs of grain at 1.25 qts/lb giving you a mash of 9.8 gallons.

Start w/ 7.8 gallons strike, lose about 2.5 gallons to grain absorption, then sparge 2.5 gallons over / through the bag of grain to get back to a preboil volume of 7.8 gallons.

25 lbs of grain for a five gallon batch should get you a wicked high gravity! Perhaps not a convenient as a larger pot full volume mash, but will work and might even be a bit more efficient.....cheers!

 

[TexasWine]

You should be able to get higher gravities out of the 10 gallon kettle if you add a small sparge step to your process. From the rackers calculator, you can mash 25 lbs of grain at 1.25 qts/lb giving you a mash of 9.8 gallons.

Start w/ 7.8 gallons strike, lose about 2.5 gallons to grain absorption, then sparge 2.5 gallons over / through the bag of grain to get back to a preboil volume of 7.8 gallons.

25 lbs of grain for a five gallon batch should get you a wicked high gravity! Perhaps not a convenient as a larger pot full volume mash, but will work and might even be a bit more efficient.....cheers!

What he said! I don't think you're limited to 1.070 beers with a 10 gallon pot.

 

[Cyclman]

I do some bigger batches BIAB, but mostly small batches. I did a huge beer for a 2.5G recipe, the grains barely fit in the kettle, and even after sparging the grains and filling the kettle as high as I dared, I knew I needed to sparge more, so I put the grains in a colander, sparged into a bowl, then added the wort to the kettle as the wort evaporated.

Since, I have greater precision when doing BIAB, but for this early high gravity batch, it worked great, I still have a few bottles of that Chocolate Robust Porter.

 

[dobes]

Thanks to the help of some of the people here I got my BIAB going and I use a 8 gallon kettle and was able to get a 1.074 beer with a sparge. No extract used.

Looking at my setup I see no reason I couldn't go bigger. Of course there will be limits and I would have no problem adding some DME to help out.

 

[Mer-man]

Mash, then empty the grain bag and refill with more grains.
Mash the fresh grains in the sweet liquor.
Remove second set of grains.
Boil.