Bbl size

[Bighokie]

When one notes their brewhouse capacity as say 3 bbl, does that mean the max liquid capacity of their system (boil kettle or fermentor) or does it refer to the final beer output that gets kegged? I'm thinking the first option, so a 3 bbl system, allowing for headspace and trub would actually produce maybe 75% of that, like 2.25 bbl or so. Thanks

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

The finished product capacity, so the capacity to produce 93 gallons of beer

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Indeed the amount of beer it can produce. I have a 1/2bbl system but my actual kettles hold 30+ gallons. I can produce 1/2bbl of virtually any gravity beer after losses.

Sometimes systems will be rated with a max gravity. So, for example maybe it is 3 bbl at 18°p or something like that.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Hmm, I didn't know about rating by max gravity, but that makes sense .

Hokie, I think you'll find that the vessels are always between 50-100% larger than the production capacity of the system ....just like Sandy's big baller rig

 

[Bighokie]

Sounds good, thanks for the input. So my 3 keggle system would equate to a 1/3 barrel system since I can produce 10 gals at most of a double ipa.

 

[Bighokie]

So when i see an advertisement for a new 3 bbl system should I assume the same...that I can produce approx 93 gals of finished beer?

 

[stru]

Yes, that is correct.

 

[stru]

Our system is 3 bbl, but will hold about 5 bbl in the kettle, pre-boil. We only fill to 4.2 bbl, though. We keg 3 bbl every time.