Cooler MLT or second burner/pot for first AG brew?

[dlaflamm]

So, I've been brewing extract on and off for about 15 years and have been much more active in 2013. I recently found a deal on Craigslist that I couldn't pass up -- $1500+ worth of equipment for $250. Seriously, I looked up the prices for everything new and it was over $1500. My "problem" is that I need to figure out which equipment to use for my first all-grain brew day. I know, I know. Not a bad problem to have, but it is something I could use some advice on.

Batch size will be 5 gallons. I plan to batch sparge for this first try at AG.

I'm stuck on deciding whether to use my 10gal cooler MLT or use my second Blichmann burner and 10 gal (unported) pot for the HLT. I may be able to add a port to that second pot, though I only want to bother with that if the latter setup provides significant advantage. My 10gal Boilermaker will remain my boil kettle.

I do have a March pump that I've been using with my Therminator for some time. I don't have a gravity stand, though could put something serviceable together.

I'd like to keep the length of the brew day down, thus the decision to batch sparge for the first try at AG. I think the second burner/pot would also save some time since I could start boiling the first runnings while batch sparging(?). I'm not sure of this -- couldn't I also fill the cooler HLT with enough hot water at the start for both the mash and the later sparge? It seems like it might be simpler and require hauling less equipment from my basement (e.g. need only one burner and pot).

Thanks in advance!

 

[rgauthier20420]

If I were you, I'd use the 2nd burner and pot as your HLT and the cooler as your MLT. The cooler holds temp so well that you won't need any addition throughout your 60 minute mash. All you'll need to do is stir every 15 minutes or so. Either way, you'll need to put a port and valve into the 2nd pot to be able to use it in a system because it's going to have got liquid in it and most of the equipment outside of food grade hoses won't handle the temps.

Conclusion: Put a 3 tier gravity system together, use cooler as MLT and pot as HLT and port the pot. Use the burner to heat your sparge water in your 2nd pot (now your HLT).

I usually don't worry about turning the flame on until I'm starting to collect my 2nd runnings because I don't want things to start boiling until I've got full volume or it'll through off hop additions.

Great find and good luck!

 

[dlaflamm]

Thanks! I should have also mentioned that I have and plan to use a cooler MLT.* Does that change your response at all?

 

[rgauthier20420]

Oh so you've already got a cooler as your MLT but picked up another one that's ported and has a valve? Am I reading that right? If so, that's exactly how my set up is. I'll describe my process and you tell me.

From left to right, I've got cooler HLT, cooler MLT, and kettle. I put all my water into my kettle and begin heating to my strike temps. Once there, I pump the water into my MLT and begin my mash. While the mash goes, I'll heat the left over water in the kettle to my sparge temps and then transfer to my HLT. All of the water comes from my kettle and is pumped to the vessel that needs it.

If this is what you've got, it's the route I'd go because it's pretty simple.

 

[groundchuck]

Thanks! I should have also mentioned that I have and plan to use a cooler MLT.* Does that change your response at all?

I would go with RG's suggestion. I have two coolers (one for the HLT and one for the MLT) and one keggle/burner. My "future" upgrade is to replace the HLT cooler with another burner and Keggle. I have no plans to replace my MLT cooler with a keggle/burner. It holds the temps just fine through the mash.

This is my set up now (eventually I'll replace the HLT cooler).

 

[dlaflamm]

Perfect. Just what I needed to know. Thanks!

The 2 coolers were both part of the recent equipment windfall, as was the second Blichmann burner and second 10gal pot. Also got 6 Better bottles, a stir plate, 2x 2L flasks, oxygenation system, immersion chiller, 6 cases of 22oz bottles, another cheap 5gal pot, Grain mill, and quite a bit more. Really got lucky! Excited to finally make the leap to all-grain.

 

[rgauthier20420]

Perfect. Just what I needed to know. Thanks!

The 2 coolers were both part of the recent equipment windfall, as was the second Blichmann burner and second 10gal pot. Also got 6 Better bottles, a stir plate, 2x 2L flasks, oxygenation system, immersion chiller, 6 cases of 22oz bottles, another cheap 5gal pot, Grain mill, and quite a bit more. Really got lucky! Excited to finally make the leap to all-grain.

That's a great deal. And my advice only costed you 1 grain mill....you win again

 

[dlaflamm]

I would go with RG's suggestion. I have two coolers (one for the HLT and one for the MLT) and one keggle/burner. My "future" upgrade is to replace the HLT cooler with another burner and Keggle. I have no plans to replace my MLT cooler with a keggle/burner. It holds the temps just fine through the mash.

This is my set up now (eventually I'll replace the HLT cooler).

Ah...OK. So why the desire for the future upgrade? What is it about that setup that makes you want to dump the cooler HLT for the burner/keggle? That's essentially what I'm choosing between now.

 

[groundchuck]

Ah...OK. So why the desire for the future upgrade? What is it about that setup that makes you want to dump the cooler HLT for the burner/keggle? That's essentially what I'm choosing between now.

The set up I have now actually works quite well. The two cooler option is definitely cheaper than having another keggle/burner. The only real reason I am considering it is for convenience (which you could argue is minimal).

Our process now is to heat the water in the keggle for the Mash then fill Mash Tun. While the Mash is occurring then we heat water for the HLT. We fill the HLT then put it up top (not a big deal to do). Then we drain the Mash into the Keggle then Fly Sparge from the HLT to the MLT.

My logic for upgrading to a Keggle/burner for the HLT is that IF we determined our HLT temp dropped OR we ran out of Hot Water in the HLT during the fly sparge, our only Keggle is already being used to collect the wort so I don't have a means to reheat water for the HLT cooler. However these issues have not happened yet and if you prepare properly it shouldn't become an issue at all. So maybe its more of insurance than convenience? Again, the two cooler set up works fine so I have no real NEED to change.

...... Maybe I am talking myself out of getting rid of the cooler

 

[doc5md]

I do a cooler MLT and two burners/two kettle setup. Both kettles are ported and I use a pump to move the liquid about. I can't really think of an advantage to doing it one way versus the other.

 

[wreed]

Long time lurker, decided to finally join, curious how did you find that deal? Did you use a custom craigslist search or something? I am always looking to add equipment to my set up....

 

[dlaflamm]

Long time lurker, decided to finally join, curious how did you find that deal? Did you use a custom craigslist search or something? I am always looking to add equipment to my set up....

I just made it a habit to search for homebrew related stuff once in a while and got really lucky. I moved fast because there was definitely a lot of interest. I contacted the seller right away and offered to come immediately or at his earliest convenience with cash.

I think once in a while people get out of the hobby and sometimes either don't need the money and/or are altruistic about passing it along, and/or need to move it fast. I think all three were true with this seller. He was moving and "had too many hobbies". He said right in the ad that he was moving, which clued me in to his high motivation. He even emailed after I picked up everything because he found half a dozen brewing books and gave them to me at no cost. Of course I brought him some homebrew, though unfortunately I was pretty low and didn't have anything too exciting. Anyway, he was a nice guy and I got lucky.

I do have an (Android) app that I have used in the past to find certain items and get an alert, but I didn't do that in this case because I wasn't really looking for anything in particular.