Extract to BIAB. Need help

[Brewbie]

Hi all,

I'm a new brewer with a few extract brews under my belt and want to make the switch to BIAB. I plan on doing 5G batches and have read that I will need a kettle that is 2x that size. My question is will a 10G kettle be sufficient for high gravity beers or do I need a 15G kettle. I will be brewing IPA's, Porters and Stouts.

Thanks in advance.

 

[hezagenius]

I went with a 15g to do 5g batches. I don't have to worry about not having enough space or boilovers anymore.

 

[Brewbie]

I went with a 15g to do 5g batches. I don't have to worry about not having enough space or boilovers anymore.

This was my initial thought but they are more expensive. I've been eyeing up the spikes kettle with the two ports on the bottom thinking there would be less chance for the bag to rip on the thermometer. Any thoughts on this kettle? http://spikebrewing.com/collections/15-gallon-stainless-kettles/products/15-gallon-brew-kettle-stainless-steel-with-2-horizontal-couplers

 

[losMythos]

+1 to Heza....Had one boil over with my 8gal kettle...Now I have a 15g kettle. Just can't go wrong with a bigger kettle. boilovers SUCK. So yeah if your thinking 10 might as well go 15. I can't think of any downsides besides more money but maybe someone else sees it different.

 

[Twins_Dad]

Go with the 15g. I have a 10g and a large grain bill for a 5G batch gets tight. Now switching to a keggle cuase I'm cheap like that. I need to get a Wilserbrewer keggle bag too!

 

[agrazela]

How are you boiling? Stovetop? propane burner?

 

[Brewbie]

15 gallon it is. Guess I'll place my order with Spikes tonight.

I'll be using propane and maybe change to electric down the line.

 

[MaxStout]

When you get your new BK, see Wilserbrewer (HBT vendor) for a custom-fit bag. It'll be the first and last bag you'll buy for that kettle.

 

[pretzelb]

You can try the online calculator http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml just to be sure. Just find the biggest beer you want to try and plug it in.

 

[hezagenius]

15 gallon it is. Guess I'll place my order with Spikes tonight.

I'll be using propane and maybe change to electric down the line.

That's the kettle I use as well. Love it. Real nice quality and the welded fittings are great.

 

[Shawn_Brewin]

I brew with a 15Gal as well. Great for full volume mash and no boil over worry like everyone else is saying. I am sure some 10 Gal. brewers are gonna pipe in here soon but whatever they say don't listen to them! they are just trying to get you to play dangerously close to the limits! hahaha

 

[wilserbrewer]

Go with the 15g. I have a 10g and a large grain bill for a 5G batch gets tight. Now switching to a keggle cuase I'm cheap like that. I need to get a Wilserbrewer keggle bag too!

Thanks, I'm cheap too....but I would spend the extra coins on a 15 G kettle. A used keg is worth $35-50 deposit, plus a lid.....

A shiny new Concord kettle w lid is $80 - $90 dropped at your door and is worth the extra if you can swing it.

A keggle with smaller top opening is not ideal for BIAB IMO, especially when pulling large grain bills. Of course it will work, just my preference and a matter of slight convenience.

My apologies to all keggle lovers

Ps...I am now making keggle bags with a bit more length and greater taper at the bottom of the bag, so if your committed to a keggle, I got you covered, all good happy brewing.

 

[Twins_Dad]

Thanks, I'm cheap too....but I would spend the extra coins on a 15 G kettle. A used keg is worth $35-50 deposit, plus a lid.....

A shiny new Concord kettle w lid is $80 - $90 dropped at your door and is worth the extra if you can swing it.

A keggle with smaller top opening is not ideal for BIAB IMO, especially when pulling large grain bills. Of course it will work, just my preference and a matter of slight convenience.

My apologies to all keggle lovers

Ps...I am now making keggle bags with a bit more length and greater taper at the bottom of the bag, so if your committed to a keggle, I got you covered, all good happy brewing.

The keggle I have is part of a 3V system that was in progress, life took hold of the build budget and I tried BIAB in my old 10G kettle and Im sold. I may sell the 3V keggle system in the future and just get a nice kettle, but for now I am gonna roll with the keggle. I just need to plug an unused bulkhead and I am ready to rock.

 

[joshesmusica]

Also, if you're jumping from a few extract brews to this, I'm guessing you're incredibly hooked in the hobby. Which means there's likely a further future for you at stake. Which means, you might as well go with the 15 gallon, because you may end up going with the 3-vessel, 10-gallon system later on down the road. Which means you'll have enough room in a BK to pull that off!

 

[stever1000]

Also, if you're jumping from a few extract brews to this, I'm guessing you're incredibly hooked in the hobby. Which means there's likely a further future for you at stake. Which means, you might as well go with the 15 gallon, because you may end up going with the 3-vessel, 10-gallon system later on down the road. Which means you'll have enough room in a BK to pull that off!

Sorry to sound stupid, but if a 15g kettle is needed for large grain bills for a 5g batch, how is a 10g batch possible in the same kettle? Would it be a lower gravity/less grain beer?

 

[watermelon83]

I have a 20G Concord with a basket. I can brew 10g batches with ease. My system has 2.5" of dead space under the basket. The only trickey part is judging how much water will result in a good mash and a good after boil volume.

 

[joshesmusica]

Sorry to sound stupid, but if a 15g kettle is needed for large grain bills for a 5g batch, how is a 10g batch possible in the same kettle? Would it be a lower gravity/less grain beer?

Sorry, I maybe should've explained better. I 3-vessel system isn't the same as BIAB. At that point you have a mash tun, and you're sparging in order to make it up to the 10-gallon mark.

Though with a 15-gallon kettle, you could certainly do 10-gallon BIAB batches at lower OG/ABV.

 

[KPBrews]

Short of lucking into a used 15 gal, are there good sources for good deals on a quality made 15 gal pot, or is the Spikes price of ~$200 about as good as you'll find, among the name brand pots?

 

[MaxStout]

Short of lucking into a used 15 gal, are there good sources for good deals on a quality made 15 gal pot, or is the Spikes price of ~$200 about as good as you'll find, among the name brand pots?

I've heard good things about Spike kettles and their customer service, though I have no first-hand experience with them.

If you're the DIY type, check out the Concord kettles on Amazon. I picked up a 20 gallon stainless kettle for around $100, plus $15 shipping. Another $30 or so for a weldless drain valve.

 

[Brewbie]

Also, if you're jumping from a few extract brews to this, I'm guessing you're incredibly hooked in the hobby. Which means there's likely a further future for you at stake. Which means, you might as well go with the 15 gallon, because you may end up going with the 3-vessel, 10-gallon system later on down the road. Which means you'll have enough room in a BK to pull that off!

I've really enjoyed it so far and want to try all grain. BIAB seems like the next logical step.

 

[hezagenius]

Short of lucking into a used 15 gal, are there good sources for good deals on a quality made 15 gal pot, or is the Spikes price of ~$200 about as good as you'll find, among the name brand pots?

The big selling point for me with Spike is the welded fittings. I'm fairly handy but I'm no welder. The welds that Spike does are awesome and I don't have to mess with taking apart the weldless fittings to clean them or worry about leaking. There are also other options like Blichmann, SS Brewtech, Bayou that are in a similar price range as Spike. And you have brands like Concord that are more stripped down but are more cost effective and can be tweaked, especially if you are DIY. Lots of options out there to choose from. Plenty of threads on this website to sort through if you want.

 

[TexasWine]

Short of lucking into a used 15 gal, are there good sources for good deals on a quality made 15 gal pot, or is the Spikes price of ~$200 about as good as you'll find, among the name brand pots?

Staples.com had a 15 gallon aluminum pot for $55 not too long ago. Not sure if it's still available. That, a step bit, and some weldless fittings and you're in business.

And if you want all the perceived benefits of welded fittings but not the price, look at silver soldering the fittings into the kettle yourself. Brewhardware.com has a really good how-to video that makes it seem easy peasy.

 

[jason.mundy]

It's all a trade off. Most beer styles are around 1.050 to 1.060 SG which can easily be done at 5G batch size with a 10G pot.

But then I would worry about my ability to accurately measure my kettle volumes. Measuring kettle volumes in a 10G pot is easier than in a 15G pot. i.e. less quarts per inch.

If you brew high gravity beers only every once in a while, you might consider just adding some DME to make up the difference. If you are doing them all the time, then get the 15G pot.

I think it all comes down to how easy is it going to be for you to brew. Pick the pot that best suits your needs.

 

[KPBrews]

I've heard good things about Spike kettles and their customer service, though I have no first-hand experience with them.

If you're the DIY type, check out the Concord kettles on Amazon. I picked up a 20 gallon stainless kettle for around $100, plus $15 shipping. Another $30 or so for a weldless drain valve.

The big selling point for me with Spike is the welded fittings. I'm fairly handy but I'm no welder. The welds that Spike does are awesome and I don't have to mess with taking apart the weldless fittings to clean them or worry about leaking. There are also other options like Blichmann, SS Brewtech, Bayou that are in a similar price range as Spike. And you have brands like Concord that are more stripped down but are more cost effective and can be tweaked, especially if you are DIY. Lots of options out there to choose from. Plenty of threads on this website to sort through if you want.

I'm all about welded fittings. I don't mind some DIY (I do all kinds of it!) but welding is not part of my current skillset. If all the big brands are around the same price points, though, I suppose I'll just start to save my ducats for when I'm ready, and pick a brand at that time. Thanks!

 

[dunbruha]

15 gallon it is. Guess I'll place my order with Spikes tonight.

I'll be using propane and maybe change to electric down the line.

If you are thinking about going to electric, you also need to think about the minimum batch size you want to make. A larger kettle will mean a larger minimum size.

I have a Spike 10g electric kettle (which I love). I had him custom-make a tri-clover fitting at the bottom for the element. Haven't tried any large size batches yet, but it works great for my 3-gal batches.

 

[RM-MN]

Hi all,

I'm a new brewer with a few extract brews under my belt and want to make the switch to BIAB. I plan on doing 5G batches and have read that I will need a kettle that is 2x that size. My question is will a 10G kettle be sufficient for high gravity beers or do I need a 15G kettle. I will be brewing IPA's, Porters and Stouts.

Thanks in advance.

Since you've already been brewing you must already have some kind of kettle. How big is it? It seems like many extract brewers have a 5 gallon kettle. That is sufficient for a half size batch so why not start there and see if you really want to continue with all grain before you spend a bunch of money. If it turns out that you don't like the process of BIAB, you can return to extract brewing without the expenditure. After you have made a few half size batches you will know better what size kettle you really want.

 

[pretzelb]

I have a Spike 10g electric kettle (which I love). I had him custom-make a tri-clover fitting at the bottom for the element. Haven't tried any large size batches yet, but it works great for my 3-gal batches.

I had no idea they did that. I wonder why it isn't an option to choose from.

 

[DurtyChemist]

I use my keggle and need to buy a bag from Wisler. I just made a 1.080 Doppelbock using 1 lb of brown sugar. I've made beers about that big without. They key was cutting the biggest opening in my keg as possible then buying some good gloves and having an old fridge shelf handy. It WOULD be a lot easier with a nice kettle but I couldn't justify the cost and I thought I wanted to go three vessel. You could also do concentrated batches just like some extract guys do then add top up water.

 

[JPicasso]

Everyone's process is different. You can comfortably do most 5 gallon batches in a 7.5 gallon turkey pot. Boilovers are something to watch, but a little attention to your wort and flame and it's not really a problem. The bigger kettle will allow higher gravity and larger batches. Just saying, one doesn't NEED to go and get themselves an expensive new boil kettle. That is one of the advantages to BIAB!

Good luck!

 

[Brewbie]

Just to update. I went ahead and bought the bayou classic 16 gallon with spigot. Next up is the Wilsonbrewer bag and a propane burner. Thinking about the Darkstar 2.0 from NB.