First 10 gallon batch

[WileECoyote]

Hello Everyone,

Today I pulled off my first 10 gal batch, I have to say it went really well and I don't think it was any harder than brewing a 5 gallon batch other than filling 2 fermenters instead of 1.

In-fact in some ways it was easy'r than a 5 gal batch, I BIAB in 1 pot and found that my mash temps today held much better/longer with less drop with the larger volume of water, quite a lot less adjustments were needed.

As far as clean up, it seemed the same as doing a 5 gal batch.

Im thinking from now on 10 gal batches on tried and tested beers, and 5 gal batches on new recipes.

I also used a KAB-6 burner for the first time, Holy Hot Burner Batman! is all I can say, boiling 10+ gal was easy, super quiet too.

Just wanted to share my experience, incase someone else is debating wether on not to try a 10 gal batch.

I say go for it.

Cheers

 

[schematix]

10G is certainly worth it since the amount of time it takes to make 10G is only a little more than 5G. However, one must be cognisant that when going from 5 to 10G that you can no longer make beer in your kitchen - it is now an outdoor activity. The mass of the wort becomes too much to move by hand (e.g. no cooling the pot in a bath tub). It is practically a necessity to have a pump and either a large immersion chiller or plate chiller to cool that much wort. Also stove top heating elements are not power enough anymore. You need at least 2 powerful propane burners.

If you make yeast starters you're also looking at making 2x the starters, which takes more time and materials as well. Not double, but still more.

I've done 10G batches since day 1 and am starting to consider going up to 25G since my recipes don't need as much experimentation these days.

 

[avm221]

My next batch will be my 1St 10gal batch, I have been buying.g stuff off crags list and I built a 70qt mash ton last week. Now what to brew....

 

[WileECoyote]

I agree schematix, the kitchen is definitely out for me now lol, but as of right now I am getting away with only 1 burner, I will be adding a second burner and strike water pot soon.

Congrats avm221, Im also collecting items, building a 70qt mash tun is one of the next things on my list too.

As soon as I gather the 3 items above, then it will be time to weld up a 3 tier gravity fed brew stand.

Cheers

 

[orangemen5]

I'm looking to do a 10 gallon batch as soon as I get my weldless bulkhead installed on my pot. It just came in from brewhardware yesterday (great site by the way). Glad to know I shouldn't be intimidated by it.

 

[blacksquid]

Yep, started to brew 10G batches since it saved me twice the time. Usually reserved for proven and true recipes. As said earlier, the only drawback for me was that I had to dump my immersion chiller for a pump/plate chiller setup - even though I'm in Canada and water hovers around 65-70 except during hot summer days.

 

[WileECoyote]

I'm looking to do a 10 gallon batch as soon as I get my weldless bulkhead installed on my pot. It just came in from brewhardware yesterday (great site by the way). Glad to know I shouldn't be intimidated by it.

Hello, I havent installed the valve in my pot yet, still need the step bit, I just siphoned the brew into 2 fermenters after cooling to pitching temp, worked like a charm.

Cheers

 

[orangemen5]

Hello, I havent installed the valve in my pot yet, still need the step bit, I just siphoned the brew into 2 fermenters after cooling to pitching temp, worked like a charm.

Cheers

Does your syphon ever get clogged with hop debris. I use pellet hops and don't use a bag. That was my only concern.

 

[WileECoyote]

Does your syphon ever get clogged with hop debris. I use pellet hops and don't use a bag. That was my only concern.

Hello, I use pellet hops too, but I do use a bag to keep the hop gunk out of my brews, it works great, no clogs, if you haven't tried using a bag for hop and adjunct additions, you should try it.

Cheers

 

[annoyingrob]

I usually do 10 gallon batches, even on new recipes. I figure it's going to turn out in one of two ways. Either it'll be great and I'll be glad that I have 10 gallons of it, or it will be OK and although I'm not in love with it, it's still beer. Heck I can experiment with it if I want, age it on oak chips, dry hop it with different hops, etc. The only real downsides I found, my 48qt cooler that I mash in gets mighty full for a 10 gallon batch, my keggle is getting pretty full with 12 gallons of pre-boil wort, and my immersion chiller takes longer than I would like to chill 10 gallons.

I picked up a few 14 gallon demijohns on kijiji for like 10 bucks a piece. They're perfect for fermenting 10 gallon batches.

 

[suprat78]

Hello Everyone,

Today I pulled off my first 10 gal batch, I have to say it went really well and I don't think it was any harder than brewing a 5 gallon batch other than filling 2 fermenters instead of 1.

In-fact in some ways it was easy'r than a 5 gal batch, I BIAB in 1 pot and found that my mash temps today held much better/longer with less drop with the larger volume of water, quite a lot less adjustments were needed.

As far as clean up, it seemed the same as doing a 5 gal batch.

Im thinking from now on 10 gal batches on tried and tested beers, and 5 gal batches on new recipes.

I also used a KAB-6 burner for the first time, Holy Hot Burner Batman! is all I can say, boiling 10+ gal was easy, super quiet too.

Just wanted to share my experience, incase someone else is debating wether on not to try a 10 gal batch.

I say go for it.

Cheers

What size kettle are you using? I BIAB and want to move to ten gallon batches on tried and true recipes as well!

 

[Clef051]

I'm doing around 11 gallon batches now. My girlfriend bought me a 26 gallon kettle around christmas. I made a new 60ft immersion chiller that I use for cooling now. I also got a new 1/2" auto siphon that speeds up the transfer time.

My first brew on it was with my friend and we brewed 20 gal and each took half. I brewed a couple of 15 gal batches also but that was to much to bottle at once.

I use buckets transfer the wort around so I'm not usually lift more than 5 gal at a time.

 

[WileECoyote]

What size kettle are you using? I BIAB and want to move to ten gallon batches on tried and true recipes as well!

Hello, I have a 15 gal kettle, 12 gal of strike water and 20 lbs of grain fit in it about 1 1/2" to 2" down from the top, then I do a rinse sparge to get my full boil volume after removing the grain bags from the kettle.

After boil I end up with about 11 to 11.5 gal

Hope this helps you chose the right size pot.

Cheers

 

[WileECoyote]

I'm doing around 11 gallon batches now. My girlfriend bought me a 26 gallon kettle around christmas. I made a new 60ft immersion chiller that I use for cooling now. I also got a new 1/2" auto siphon that speeds up the transfer time.

My first brew on it was with my friend and we brewed 20 gal and each took half. I brewed a couple of 15 gal batches also but that was to much to bottle at once.

I use buckets transfer the wort around so I'm not usually lift more than 5 gal at a time.

Hello, thats a huge pot lol, I also made an immersion chiller to deal with the bigger batches, its 50' of 3/8" copper and I double wound it, it works great, but now my tap water is 85 deg and climbing, so Im going to hook up a pump and re-circulate ice water through my chiller, after using tap water for initial cooling.

I also used 1/2", (just hose though), for my transfer and it worked pretty fast.

Ill bet 20 gal in a 26 gal pot was impressive looking.

I also use buckets (2=6.5 gal fermenters) to move the wort.

Cheers

 

[suprat78]

Hello, I have a 15 gal kettle, 12 gal of strike water and 20 lbs of grain fit in it about 1 1/2" to 2" down from the top, then I do a rinse sparge to get my full boil volume after removing the grain bags from the kettle.

After boil I end up with about 11 to 11.5 gal

Hope this helps you chose the right size pot.

Cheers

Thanks! I have a keggle and I believe this will be my method. Are you rinsing with cold or warm water?

 

[dog_gone]

10 gallon batches are the way to go (unless, of course, you can do more...).

I also BIAB. I use a 15 gallon Bayou Classic with a steamer insert and weldless fittings. My burner is the SQ14 with a makeshift heat shield and wind shield.

My chokepoint - which became clear very quickly - is my limited number of fermenting vessels.

 

[WileECoyote]

Thanks! I have a keggle and I believe this will be my method. Are you rinsing with cold or warm water?

With cold water 1 1/2 to 3 gal total depending, each bag go's in a 5 gal bucket, then rinse, then squeeze bag, then add each to boil pot.

The 3=5 gal paint strainer bags work in a keggle too, I got the 3 bag idea form a video on this forum where the guy was using a 15 keggle and the 3 bags of grain.

Cheers

 

[Clef051]

Hello, thats a huge pot lol, I also made an immersion chiller to deal with the bigger batches, its 50' of 3/8" copper and I double wound it, it works great, but now my tap water is 85 deg and climbing, so Im going to hook up a pump and re-circulate ice water through my chiller, after using tap water for initial cooling.

I also used 1/2", (just hose though), for my transfer and it worked pretty fast.

Ill bet 20 gal in a 26 gal pot was impressive looking.

I also use buckets (2=6.5 gal fermenters) to move the wort.

Cheers

It was very impressive lol. We mashed inside and then boiled out so there was a lot of liquid moving. We used what was probably too small of a burner for the batch size. I've since upgraded my burner.

My girlfriend is happy too, since I'm making bigger batches I've been brewing less.

I'm thinking of using my old IC in a ice bath to cool down the water going into my new IC, for the summer months. I got down to 70 in about 30 min last time I brewed.

 

[WileECoyote]

It was very impressive lol. We mashed inside and then boiled out so there was a lot of liquid moving. We used what was probably too small of a burner for the batch size. I've since upgraded my burner.

My girlfriend is happy too, since I'm making bigger batches I've been brewing less.

I'm thinking of using my old IC in a ice bath to cool down the water going into my new IC, for the summer months. I got down to 70 in about 30 min last time I brewed.

Very nice, I was brewing every weekend doing the 5 gal batches, Im now brewing every 2 weeks until all 10 kegs are full, should be another 2 to 3 brewing days, my wife is much happy'r too, 5 weekends in a row was getting tiring.

Im going to have to do an ice/water mix with a pump now, my tap water is getting a bit to hot, to get my brew to pitching temps now, maybe a second chiller soon I hope lol

Cheers