Moving to all grain- Safest kettle size?
- Thread starter texwake
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
For 10 gallon batches you might want to look into rectangular coolers that are closer to 20 gallons.
A 10 gallon pot is about perfect for 5 gallon batches. A 15 works great for 10 gallon batches. I used a 10 gallon Igloo water cooler with false bottom for years and it worked great for everything I did, both 5 and 10 gallon batches, but I rarely brew large beers and if I do they are only 5 gallon batches. If memory serves you can't get much over 1.070 out of a 10 gallon cooler for a 10 gallon batch, but will have no problem making a 5 gallon batch of barleywine out of the same cooler. I agree that if 10 gallon batches will be the norm then go for a large cooler and get a 15 gallon pot.
I use a 10g HomeDepot round cooler mashtun with much success for a while, doing 6g batches. I really struggled to do 10g batches with it. I upgraded to a 70qt coleman extreme and do 13.5g starting volume, I boil off a gallon in 60 min, I lose 0.5g to shrinkage (hehe) as it cools, I typically leave a gallon of trub behind and have 5.5g going into each fermentor. So, I have 11g and will lose another .5g - .75g of trub in frementor to end with about 10 - 10.5g.
I definitely couldn't get to the 13.5g preboil volume on even a modest gravity beer with the 10g tun and I get about 80% efficiency. I would go 70qt coleman extreme. It will work great for 5g batches and if you upgrade and will work great for 10g batches too, for very little extra cost.
LandoLincoln
Well-Known Member
It's 'tun' by the way.
Yes, you can do 10 gallon batches with a 10 gallon mash tun, but that beer is going to be pretty small OG-wise. There's a number of variables to consider, though. SG of the wort you're looking for, types of grain giving you different GU's.
There is no optimal mash tun size, unless you're doing the same volume with the same amount of grain every time.
smitty8202
Well-Known Member
May be going to all grain soon as well. So is it safe to say add 5-10 gallons to the size of the mash tun for the gallons of beer you wanna make. If that makes sense.
Calichusetts
Well-Known Member
Just double it at minimum...5 gallon batches need a 10 gallon mash tun, etc. You can get away with smaller but it will limit the "big beers" you can do, or you will have to find work arounds like sugar and DME, etc.
Conan
Well-Known Member
There's a sticky at the top of the all grain sub forum that outlines gravity, batch size, and required tun volume. I think Bobby_M put it together a few years back.
I use a square cooler that claims to hold 42 pop cans...I can never remember the actual volume. It's fine for 20 plus pounds of grain and 5 gallon batches all the way down to 3 gallon, 5 pound batches. Kyle
I use a square cooler that claims to hold 42 pop cans...I can never remember the actual volume. It's fine for 20 plus pounds of grain and 5 gallon batches all the way down to 3 gallon, 5 pound batches. Kyle
kombat
Well-Known Member
Get a 48 quart rectangular cooler. It's just the right size for any O.G. 5 gallon batch, and will let you do some small to moderate gravity 10 gallon batches, too.
For higher-gravity 10 gallon batches, get the 70 quart Coleman Extreme.
For higher-gravity 10 gallon batches, get the 70 quart Coleman Extreme.
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
That's my current plan. I brew 5 gallon batches and I got this 48qt Coleman cooler from Target. http://www.target.com/p/coleman-48-quart-cooler/-/A-10885782
The build is almost complete, I just have to make it watertight. I started buying pieces for this round cooler design, but after I got the 3/8" parts I realized I wanted to get the bigger, square cooler, so I made the 3/8" parts work. I built a CPVC manifold for the bottom. I just have to cit some slits into the bottom of the manifold, glue some of the pieces together, and figure out how to eliminate the small dripping/leakage that I get..soo close.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f257/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/
Do yourself a favor and get a 20 gallon kettle for boiling. You can do 5-11 gallon batches no problem in a 20 gallon kettle.
For an 11 gallon full boil batch you need to start at 13.5-14 gallons in the kettle! Obviously this doesn't leave you enough headspace in a 15 gallon kettle unless you enjoy watching your wort boil over at hot break!
You can mash up to maybe 20 lbs of grain in a 10 gallon mash tun. I would get at least a 13 gallon mash tune (52 qt), 15 gallon would be better for your 25# and larger grain bills.
For an 11 gallon full boil batch you need to start at 13.5-14 gallons in the kettle! Obviously this doesn't leave you enough headspace in a 15 gallon kettle unless you enjoy watching your wort boil over at hot break!
You can mash up to maybe 20 lbs of grain in a 10 gallon mash tun. I would get at least a 13 gallon mash tune (52 qt), 15 gallon would be better for your 25# and larger grain bills.
I usually go by what this thread says.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Here is a little skematic of my CPVC manifold. It is not to any sort of scale (please excuse my poor MS Paint art skills).
I'm not 100% sure of the measurements, but I followed the How To Brew section on manifolds (http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixD-1.html). I made the manifold sit so the outside pipes are 2" from the outside of the cooler, and the pipes themselves are about 4" apart (Or maybe it was 1" from the outside and 2" apart).
I cut small 1" sections of CPVC to put inbetween the T joints and 90 degree angles. I added joints to the 2 middle arms so that it directed the flow up to the spigot hole in the cooler. I'm going to use CPVC glue and glue together a lot of the joints, and just leave the long pipes loose, that way it can still be taken apart to clean if need be.
The only problem is that I bought 1/2" piping and I had to buy a coupler and convert it down to 3/8" size of the bulkhead.
Just thought I would share. I can take an actual photo of the manifold after work today.
I'm not 100% sure of the measurements, but I followed the How To Brew section on manifolds (http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixD-1.html). I made the manifold sit so the outside pipes are 2" from the outside of the cooler, and the pipes themselves are about 4" apart (Or maybe it was 1" from the outside and 2" apart).
I cut small 1" sections of CPVC to put inbetween the T joints and 90 degree angles. I added joints to the 2 middle arms so that it directed the flow up to the spigot hole in the cooler. I'm going to use CPVC glue and glue together a lot of the joints, and just leave the long pipes loose, that way it can still be taken apart to clean if need be.
The only problem is that I bought 1/2" piping and I had to buy a coupler and convert it down to 3/8" size of the bulkhead.
Just thought I would share. I can take an actual photo of the manifold after work today.
kombat
Well-Known Member
The problem with using a 20 gallon kettle for 5 gallon batches is that the wort might not reach high enough in the kettle to submerge the thermometer probe, and you'd have no idea what temperature the wort is at. This can be problematic when you're doing other things while heating the wort to a boil (such as cleaning the mash tun) and want to know when you're getting close to 212° F so you can adjust the gas, whatever. It's also problematic during chilling, as you'll have no idea when you've chilled the wort to the target pitching temperature.
kombat
Well-Known Member
Most purpose-built brewing kettles I've seen come with the ports already drilled and attached for the valve and thermometer. And if the kettle is sized for 20 gallons, they place the thermometer in the appropriate location, which is going to be too high up the kettle wall for a 5 gallon batch.
Just curious what type of polymer that piping is?
I would like to see your pic to get another idea of pipe routing for maximum drainage
In 35+ batches I have never once used a thermometer to see when I reach boil temperature. I can tell it's at boil when I see steam venting the lid and then it's time to pull the lid and achieve a nice hot break!
With chilling I simply use a stainless dial thermometer inserted into the wort once I'm close to pitching temps. You can tell when you are close just by touching the outside of the kettle during chilling.
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
ArcaneXor
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2007
- Messages
- 4,502
- Reaction score
- 128
I am happy with doing 10.5-gallon batches in my 15-gallon boil kettle (pre-boil volume is usually 12.5-13 gallons, depending on the length of the boil). I just need to watch it as it comes up to a boil so that I can temporarily turn down the propane until the hot break stops floating on top.
A 20-gallon kettle would be better if you like the security of extra headspace, if you boil more intensively than needed, or if you live in a dry climate where the evaporation rate is higher. Kettles larger than 15 gallons start getting a little unwieldy, though.
That said, nobody forces you do brew batches in 5-gallon increments. You could do 9.5-gallon batches, for example. Just ferment in a six and a five instead of two six-gallon carboys.
A 20-gallon kettle would be better if you like the security of extra headspace, if you boil more intensively than needed, or if you live in a dry climate where the evaporation rate is higher. Kettles larger than 15 gallons start getting a little unwieldy, though.
That said, nobody forces you do brew batches in 5-gallon increments. You could do 9.5-gallon batches, for example. Just ferment in a six and a five instead of two six-gallon carboys.
I bought a 7 gallon Igloo cooler. I brew 5 gallon batches, and wish I'd have bought the 10 gallon cooler. You'll be happy that you did. I find that I just have enough room in the cooler when I brew a big beer.
As for the brew kettle. If you're brewing 5 gallon batches, you'll be good with an 8 gallon kettle - as long as you're using fermcap-s. I usually collect 6.5 gallons and with fermcap, I don't have any issues. Just don't scrimp on the kettle. Make sure you get a spiggot, a thermometer, and graduated volume markings. I bought a Bayou Classic 8 gallon brewers kettle from Amazon. I bought a 2nd 8 gallon kettle later on and had to add the thermometer. The way I look at it, these things are made with stainless steel so they're going to last a very long time, so I spent what I felt I needed to spend to get what I wanted. I'm happy with the kettles.
smitty8202
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. I have been looking at spike brewings 10 gal kettles with all the works ball valve thermometer sight glass and volume marking if possible. Planning on doing biab to start out than possibly going to the full if you will all grain set up.
