Why do 10 gallon batches?

[fretsforlife]

You get double the beer at effectively the same amount of work. You can also experiment a bit w/ it and try different yeasts on different fermenters if you want. Ultimately, I've found that it is no different in time to brew 10 gallons vs 5 and means in the end less work!

This is exactly why I switched to keggle brewing. I brewed up 10 gallons of a stout, and split them 5 and 5 with two different yeasts. I hope to broaden my knowledge and perception of different yeasts this way by doing side by side comparisons.

Also, I found that I was kicking kegs way to quick, only to have to spend another day on another 5 gallon batch.

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

How much grain/liquor can you get into the MLT? Curious if there is room to hit the % extract needed in the partigyle method. I've seen Bobby M's thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/, but am not clear which set of numbers to look at at one time.


In the course of the last day or so, I've gone from wanting to do BIAB to 5 gal batches, to 10 gal batches, and now on to a mix of 10 gal batches and partigyle (possibly up to 3 runnings). Does this make sense??

My MLT is a 60qt Igloo Cube. Plenty of room for the batches I do. I've never done the Parti-Gyle method so I can't help much there.

 

[Clonefarmer]

Is there anything else I am missing, should consider, be aware of, before moving ahead with a 10 gal system (not including equipment)?

Lifting a kettle with 12 gallons is difficult. Try and plan ahead to minimize lifting or have someone help.

A sturdy mash paddle helps with the larger mash.

 

[AussieBrewerInColorado]

Like a lot of others here, I like to be able to do a bigger batch to experiment with yeasts and dry hopping etc. You can make two very different beers from the same base beer.

 

[cbauer210]

10 gallon batches sound awesome. I only brew 5 gal batches but once it is ready Me and my girl drink it in about a week. I literally can't brew it fast enough.

 

[coastwx]

I first went to a larger MLT so I could do two 5 gal boils of the same wort with different hop schedules and yeast. Then came the 20 gal brewpot for my birthday that allowed a 10 gal in essentially the same time as 5. I had a bachelor weekend last fall and thought, I wonder if I could sync a second mash as I do the first boil and squeeze 20 gal in a day. It worked well and now 40 gal later my pipeline is jam packed, both bottles and kegs. I actually want to brew more than I need to, but like a previous poster said, it's so cool to have a large variety to choose from.

 

[AussieBrewerInColorado]

awesome Coastwx, do you know how much the 20gal brewpot cost? One thing to remember, apart from the larger capacity brewing equipment, you also need more carboys and kegs! I only do primary in 6.5 gallon (too many messes with huge fermentations) so I need to make sure I have two available for a 10 gal batch as well as two 5 gal carboy's in the near future for secondary, and 2 cornie's for after that.

 

[Bulls Beers]

I like to make lagers, by the time it takes me to get my lagers to where I need them, I have to do 10 gallon batches. It takes me longer to make, then drink'em..

 

[coastwx]

awesome Coastwx, do you know how much the 20gal brewpot cost? One thing to remember, apart from the larger capacity brewing equipment, you also need more carboys and kegs! I only do primary in 6.5 gallon (too many messes with huge fermentations) so I need to make sure I have two available for a 10 gal batch as well as two 5 gal carboy's in the near future for secondary, and 2 cornie's for after that.

This place has a local store. I think I got this pot for less than the price shown here.

If I had to do it over, I'd go the keggle route, although the extra 5 gal I have over a keggle provides plenty for sparging. I was actually able to do a 12.5 gal batch of a session pale.

 

[rudu81]

My MLT is a 60qt Igloo Cube. Plenty of room for the batches I do. I've never done the Parti-Gyle method so I can't help much there.

The 60qt is square vs the 40qt round, right? Any trouble getting the wort out of the cooler?

Lifting a kettle with 12 gallons is difficult. Try and plan ahead to minimize lifting or have someone help.

A sturdy mash paddle helps with the larger mash.

Would you recommend building a sculpture before going with the partigyle or 10 gal boils?

I'd like to make my own mash paddle. Sounds like something fun to do and within my reach!

One thing to remember, apart from the larger capacity brewing equipment, you also need more carboys and kegs! I only do primary in 6.5 gallon (too many messes with huge fermentations) so I need to make sure I have two available for a 10 gal batch as well as two 5 gal carboy's in the near future for secondary, and 2 cornie's for after that.

Currently I have 2 ale pail primaries, 2 5 gal better bottles, and 3 ancient 5 gal(SWMBOs great grandfathers) wine vessels. With going to this system I intend to keg, so investment in everything is in the cards. Just have to figure out how much it will cost and where to get it all from.

This has really helped me and moved me toward better brewing

 

[tekknoschtev]

The single most important reason I'm considering moving to 10 gallon batches is that so after a party, I still can enjoy the beer I put effort into making. This only became a problem recently. Tapped a keg right before a party, a keg of beer I was very excited to consume (my first experimentation on a recipe, although it was a mild experimentation). I didn't drink much during the party, trying to make sure things were kept tame. After the party, I got 2 pints of beer before it started sputtering at me. I was sad. It was then I vowed to do 10 gallon batches of beers I know we all like.

I'm also considering it because I have the equipment, the grain, the time, and really no reason not to. We have 4 fermenters, 9 kegs, and plenty of space for it all, so if we can keep those kegs full, we'll never run out of beer in the fridge. It'll also allow us to have some session beers or beers that are ready for consumption faster while we allow others to age and turn into something amazing!

 

[Clonefarmer]

Would you recommend building a sculpture before going with the partigyle or 10 gal boils?

You don't need a sculpture, but it'll help. I don't use a rig or sculpture. I do have to lift the full kettle onto the burner. Than after the boil I lift it onto a table to drain into the fermenters. The full kettle weighs about 135 pounds. You can probably use a higher burner and transfer vessels to avoid all that lifting.

I'd like to make my own mash paddle. Sounds like something fun to do and within my reach!

One of the guys from my homebrew club makes really nice paddles from a single piece of cherry. He soaks them so the grains raise than sands them. He said he does this a few times than puts mineral oil on them.

 

[Clonefarmer]

One of the guys from my homebrew club makes really nice paddles from a single piece of cherry. He soaks them so the grains raise than sands them. He said he does this a few times than puts mineral oil on them.

Here is the paddle:

Here's a closer pic of the paddle with a Partigyle mash (45 lb mash :rockin

 

[coastwx]

The square Igloo Ice Cube I use works great. I use a paint stirrer like this on a drill along with a brew spoon to mix thoroughly.

10-12 gal is very heavy, but I'm able to lift it up on a stand to fill the carboys, but it's a challenge. My neighbor usually brews with me though.

 

[r8rphan]

To the OP...

Here is a link to my single keggle brew rig.... just to give you an idea of how simple a single keggle and MLT gravity fed system can be.. 10G batches are a breeze now for me..

PMBS build thread

The only change I want to make is to add another bucket or two for collecting the wort from the MLT.. those buckets with six and a half gallons of wort in them are a little heavy to lift and pour back into the keggle... 3 to 4 gallons will be much more manageable...

I also want to switch to fly sparging instead of batch sparging... It's more efficient and seems like less work once it's set up...

There are also some threads on here where everyone has posted pictures and descriptions of their brew rigs.. You can get a lot of ideas there.. everything from the ultra budget, to the cadillacs... Do a search for "show us your brew rig" or "Show us your sculpture" or the like...

All in all, I'm very glad I made the switch to 10G.. Brew day is more streamlined now, and I actually have a pipeline going so that I'm not gonna be drinking green beer anymore...

And yes, more time aging/conditioning makes a difference.. a pretty big one.. it allows the various flavors and bitterness and alcohol to mellow and blend..... which is why green beer is not as good...

I've been obsessed over a lot of hobbies in my lifetime.. Aside from music, this is probably the most rewarding one I've ever been into.. and one of the least expensive...

 

[WTF_Brewing]

New member here and my first post
I have been wanting to home brew for some time and I now have permission to start. I want to set myself up with quality equipment to start out with extract brewing, and leave room to go AG in the future. I also want to go straight to kegging since bottling is kind of a PITA (I have helped the old man bottle a few times).
I know 90% of the time I will be making 5 gal batches, but I can see the need to brew up 10 for parties and such of the more popular brews. I was thinking about getting the 15 gallon Blichman pot to accomodate the occasional large batch, but the Bilchman site recommends the 20 gallon pot for a 10 gallon batch. That seems a little excessive to me.
Earlier posts said people were using a 15 gallon kettle for 10 gallon batches and it looks like the thermometer would still be submerged with only 5 gallons. With the price of these pots, whichever I get, will be the one I'm stuck with for a very long time.
Are there any drawbacks to only doing a 5 gallon batch in a 15 or 20 gallon pot? Should I just get the 10 gallon pot and call it good?
Thanks!

 

[sjlammer]

I have a 15.5 gallon keggle, and it is tight for a 10 gallon batch. I am looking to get a 20 gallon Bk

10 gallons of finished beer
+ 0.5 gallons trub/yeast
+ 0.5 gallons break/hops
+ 0.5 cfc and tubing
+0.5 gallons shrinkage
+ 1.5 gallons of boiloff

= 13.5 gallons into the Bk.... 15 is cutting it close

I have to watch mine like a hawk

 

[Clonefarmer]

I have a 15.5 gallon keggle, and it is tight for a 10 gallon batch. I am looking to get a 20 gallon Bk

10 gallons of finished beer
+ 0.5 gallons trub/yeast
+ 0.5 gallons break/hops
+ 0.5 cfc and tubing
+0.5 gallons shrinkage
+ 1.5 gallons of boiloff

= 13.5 gallons into the Bk.... 15 is cutting it close

I have to watch mine like a hawk

Fermcap or Defoamer help.

 

[rudu81]

...so after a party, I still can enjoy the beer I put effort into making...After the party, I got 2 pints of beer before it started sputtering at me. I was sad. It was then I vowed to do 10 gallon batches of beers I know we all like.

It'll also allow us to have some session beers or beers that are ready for consumption faster while we allow others to age and turn into something amazing!

It's a reason I'm afraid to share my beer too much. Brewing for my own taste means I have to share something really good. Easier to share what you have a lot of than a little of.

You don't need a sculpture, but it'll help. I don't use a rig or sculpture. I do have to lift the full kettle onto the burner. Than after the boil I lift it onto a table to drain into the fermenters. The full kettle weighs about 135 pounds. You can probably use a higher burner and transfer vessels to avoid all that lifting.


One of the guys from my homebrew club makes really nice paddles from a single piece of cherry. He soaks them so the grains raise than sands them. He said he does this a few times than puts mineral oil on them.

Here is the paddle:

Here's a closer pic of the paddle with a Partigyle mash (45 lb mash :rockin

I think that initally I'll be able to squeeze by without a rig at first because I'll be doing 5 gal initially to get comfortable with the method. Once I can produce good beer on the system I'd ramp up to either 10 gal batches or the partigyle.

Those pics are sweet!! I've seen some of the threads here about making your own, which spawned my ideas.

The square Igloo Ice Cube I use works great. I use a paint stirrer like this on a drill along with a brew spoon to mix thoroughly.

Glad to hear that square works as easy as round. I'll have to do research and cost comparison on that. If I wanted to get crazy on the mash, I could take my 1/2" chuck drill and my concrete mixing paddle (looks like a giant egg beater), but that'd probably be overkill for me.

To the OP...

Here is a link to my single keggle brew rig.... just to give you an idea of how simple a single keggle and MLT gravity fed system can be.. 10G batches are a breeze now for me..

PMBS build thread

The only change I want to make is to add another bucket or two for collecting the wort from the MLT.. those buckets with six and a half gallons of wort in them are a little heavy to lift and pour back into the keggle... 3 to 4 gallons will be much more manageable...

I also want to switch to fly sparging instead of batch sparging... It's more efficient and seems like less work once it's set up...

And yes, more time aging/conditioning makes a difference.. a pretty big one.. it allows the various flavors and bitterness and alcohol to mellow and blend..... which is why green beer is not as good...

...this is probably the most rewarding one I've ever been into.. and one of the least expensive...

Thanks for the post! I've actually looked at your PMBS in the DIY forum, and think it's pretty cool. My thoughts had been to start with two keggles as HLT and BK, but using your idea I could get a couple 5 gal buckets and use one keggle. I just have to figure it all out and what will work for my needs.


Now I'm pondering whether to go keggle or pot, gas or electric. If I could brew outdoors year round I'd probably go gas, but winter in Cleveland does tend to suck.

 

[coastwx]

Yeah, I bought a concrete mixing paddle and it works, but you have to be real careful because it mixes so well it's sloppy. The smaller paint one takes a bit longer, but more controllable. I move the mixer at full speed from corner to corner and use a mixing spoon to both keep the SS braid false bottom from being pulled into the circulating mash and to move unmixed dough into the circulation. You can really get good efficiency.

 

[rudu81]

Yeah, I bought a concrete mixing paddle and it works, but you have to be real careful because it mixes so well it's sloppy. The smaller paint one takes a bit longer, but more controllable. I move the mixer at full speed from corner to corner and use a mixing spoon to both keep the SS braid false bottom from being pulled into the circulating mash and to move unmixed dough into the circulation. You can really get good efficiency.

I figured that it'd be a problem with the concrete mixer, but the paint paddle sounds like a cool idea. Time wouldn't be a killer, as it probably is quicker than using a standard paddle. Speaking of that, do you get better efficiency over a standard mash paddle?

 

[humann_brewing]

time
time
time
I have found it a lot harder to find time to brew and 10 gallons allows be to brew less often.

 

[humann_brewing]

Here is the paddle:

Here's a closer pic of the paddle with a Partigyle mash (45 lb mash :rockin

dang, 45lbs in a keg, I guess I know it's possible now. what kind of FB do you have?

 

[humann_brewing]

10 gallon batches sound awesome. I only brew 5 gal batches but once it is ready Me and my girl drink it in about a week. I literally can't brew it fast enough.

wow

 

[Clonefarmer]

dang, 45lbs in a keg, I guess I know it's possible now. what kind of FB do you have?

We couldn't fit all 45 pounds in the keg at once. About 2/3 of a bucket full of spent grain had to be removed so the rest of the grains could be added. Then the mash was allowed to rest again. It was pretty close. I think a 40 pound mash with 1.1 mash ratio would have fit. It was a long day with quite a few mistakes and quick fixes

The keg has a copper manifold. I think it's got holes drilled. It's my friend mash tun that we used so I'll have to double check.

 

[humann_brewing]

We couldn't fit all 45 pounds in the keg at once. About 2/3 of a bucket full of spent grain had to be removed so the rest of the grains could be added. Then the mash was allowed to rest again. It was pretty close. I think a 40 pound mash with 1.1 mash ratio would have fit. It was a long day with quite a few mistakes and quick fixes

The keg has a copper manifold. I think it's got holes drilled. It's my friend mash tun that we used so I'll have to double check.

ahh, I was thinking of doing a 10G barleywine batch and was going to try about 36-37lbs but I have a 15" hinged FB so tha takes away a bit of space on the bottom.

 

[Clonefarmer]

ahh, I was thinking of doing a 10G barleywine batch and was going to try about 36-37lbs but I have a 15" hinged FB so tha takes away a bit of space on the bottom.

I think you could fit 37 lbs at 1.25. Check the Can I Mash It Calculator. The difficult part is trying to batch sparge with so little room.

The other issue that we ran into is keeping the temp even in such a large mash. If you have a recirculating pump that would make a huge difference.

 

[humann_brewing]

I think you could fit 37 lbs at 1.25. Check the Can I Mash It Calculator. The difficult part is trying to batch sparge with so little room.

The other issue that we ran into is keeping the temp even in such a large mash. If you have a recirculating pump that would make a huge difference.

yep, got a pump and rims going. The problem is that the return is at the top of the sidewall of the keg which takes away from filling it up "all" the way. We'll see it should hold quite a bit. I do 10 gallons of normal stuff with no troubles in the slightest but that is only like 18-24 lbs

ok, thread hijack over......

 

[whiskey_pickle]

Cause I can't do 15 gallons at this time!

 

[Malticulous]

I'm considering 20 gallon batches. All I need is a 100qt pot.
http://www.instawares.com/stock-pot-aluminum-100-alsksp011.alsksp011.0.7.htm

 

[GetLooseontheGoose]

My friend got a 100liter pot for his bk. I think he got it from a german site. Equivelant to 105qts

 

[Benthic]

<snip>
I was thinking about getting the 15 gallon Blichman pot to accomodate the occasional large batch, but the Bilchman site recommends the 20 gallon pot for a 10 gallon batch. That seems a little excessive to me.
Earlier posts said people were using a 15 gallon kettle for 10 gallon batches and it looks like the thermometer would still be submerged with only 5 gallons. With the price of these pots, whichever I get, will be the one I'm stuck with for a very long time.
Are there any drawbacks to only doing a 5 gallon batch in a 15 or 20 gallon pot? Should I just get the 10 gallon pot and call it good?
Thanks!

Welcome Wilby!

I have the 15 gallon Blichmann kettle, and I have made both 5 and 10 gallon batches in it without a problem. You should be just fine.

Brian

 

[WTF_Brewing]

Welcome Wilby!

I have the 15 gallon Blichmann kettle, and I have made both 5 and 10 gallon batches in it without a problem. You should be just fine.

Brian

Sweet! That what I wanted to hear. Thanks.

 

[Brewenstein]

This place has a local store. I think I got this pot for less than the price shown here.

If I had to do it over, I'd go the keggle route, although the extra 5 gal I have over a keggle provides plenty for sparging. I was actually able to do a 12.5 gal batch of a session pale.

My brew partner bought this stock pot for us. One time I maxed out our system and made 16.5 gallons of an amber. The wort was within 3/4 inch from the top of the pot when the boil began (19 gallons pre-boil). I had to watch it very carefully and tweak the gas/flame, but no boil over ! I wouldn't want to do that very often however.

 

[FireDancer]

I am moving along a slow growth path. For several years I used a single 10gal pot for both HLT & BK, along with a 12gal cooler. I had to use my previous 5gal pot and buckets at times to hold wort during the sparge.

I still like the ability to stuff everything into the car and do a brewery invasion of a friend's house.

Lately I've moved to three keggles, but I still use my cooler MLT for now.

I have a 10 inch domed SS false bottom for my cooler. The cool thing is the tubing fits perfectly through the drain of the cooler without leaking. I didn't need to "destroy" the cooler as a cooler.

 

[rudu81]

I'm considering 20 gallon batches. All I need is a 100qt pot.
http://www.instawares.com/stock-pot-aluminum-100-alsksp011.alsksp011.0.7.htm

Out of curiousity, why 20 gallons?

yep, got a pump and rims going. The problem is that the return is at the top of the sidewall of the keg which takes away from filling it up "all" the way.

ok, thread hijack over......

Is building a RIMS (or HERMS for that matter) easy enough to do in stages? I mean in terms of getting the keggles/pots now and using them for smaller batches and then to modify later in a sculpture/rig.

Btw, no prob with a little hijack, it's always good to have more info and input!!!

I am moving along a slow growth path. For several years I used a single 10gal pot for both HLT & BK, along with a 12gal cooler. I had to use my previous 5gal pot and buckets at times to hold wort during the sparge.

I think that this is how I'll be starting, although I may be able to use my 22qt pot as HLT.

Lately I've moved to three keggles, but I still use my cooler MLT for now.

This is probably where I'll end up eventually. Do you use gas or electric?

 

[Ravenshead]

Does anyone else find temperature control easier for 10 gal batches? I find it much easier to avoid over-shooting temps and then maintaining them with 10 gallon batches.

Also, you can do secondary fermentation with only three fermenters. You just have to clean the first one before you rack the second.

 

[fretsforlife]

Does anyone else find temperature control easier for 10 gal batches? I find it much easier to avoid over-shooting temps and then maintaining them with 10 gallon batches.

Also, you can do secondary fermentation with only three fermenters. You just have to clean the first one before you rack the second.

I found this to be true, probably due to ablsolutely no head space in my MLT. With 5 gallon batches, id have about 6 to 8 inches of head space, and that can kill some of your heat over the course of an hour. My last ten gallon batch had so much grain in it that I could barely close the lid. I don't think I lost so much as a degree during the mash.

 

[FireDancer]

Do you use gas or electric?

I'm using a stand alone propane burner. I think it would be fun to have a RIMS tube, but that is for another day.

 

[arnoldk2]

If doing an all grain batch, some people will take the first runnings and that will be one batch and then they will collect the second runnings in another boil pot and that will be the second batch. Obviously the second runnings will have a lower O.G. but the cool thing about this that you will be making two totally different beers at once. You can use different hops and yeast in each boil kettle and it will produce two totally different bears.