The dreaded question - what equipment should I get.
Criteria:
* I brew both normal and high gravity beers, normally 20L batches. I will brew anything from a light beer upto a barley wine, so need to be able to have the capacity for upto say 1100 OG.
* Electric
* Future proof - I on't want to buy AG kit once, so I'll spend more now if I think it's not going to be replaced.
Options I've considered so far are Braumeister, BIAB, Cooler or 3 vessal setup, but a little unsure which way to go. I love the design of the Braumeister, but I'm not sure if I want to have to split the grain bull for the big beers. Also, it's bloody expensive!
Cut your teeth on AG using BIAB. It's one vessel and cheaper. Save up for your other 2 vessels while using that.
Biab is less complicated than using three vessels and is a good starting point to go from.
So that means you are coming down on the side of a 3 vessal setup finally. Why, over lets say a large brewpot (45L) with two elements for a big BIAB rig?
Something like this, raging I missed one going for 70 on here.
https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/heavy-duty-brew-hot-liquor-tank-36-litre-2-port-p-2279.html
You would have to rack your mash into a FV then clean up and back into the kettle.
I would prefer a false bottom over a bazooka screen.
Or is there anyone who converts standard brew kettles?
I have a 50ltr converted keg, with 2 kettle elements, a stainless steel bazooka leading into a ball valve and also a sight glass with a thermometer fitted.
Quote from: winstonia on November 13, 2014, 11:54:50 AM
Something like this, raging I missed one going for 70 on here.
https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/heavy-duty-brew-hot-liquor-tank-36-litre-2-port-p-2279.html
You would have to rack your mash into a FV then clean up and back into the kettle.
I would prefer a false bottom over a bazooka screen.
Or is there anyone who converts standard brew kettles?
Yeah, but it's only 36 Litres. For a no sparge BIAB to make 20 litres @ 1100 OG I think you're looking at more like 40-42.
I'd love to get a Blichmann (10G) but christ they're expensive to source here.
Its a mashtun so you don't need to do BIAB
I'd highly recommend the picnic cooler mash tuns that the HBC make. They're an excellent bit of kit, made using a high-quality Coleman picnic cooler. The lids on these things are uninsulated so I just pop a blanket on top for the duration of the mash. Never loses a degree over a 60 min mash.
I currently boil in the old classic plastic bucket/electric elements, but I'm considering moving to stainless steel brew pot next year, maybe even going gas.
Quote from: molc on November 13, 2014, 11:49:05 AM
So that means you are coming down on the side of a 3 vessal setup finally. Why, over lets say a large brewpot (45L) with two elements for a big BIAB rig?
Slightly off topic of BIAB vs 3V systemss but if you are doing a 1100 OG BIAB and it calls for 40-42 litres don't forget that you need room in the pot for all the grain that goes in too so a 45L brewpot isn't going to cut it. I have a 50L Stock Pot from THBC that I use for BIAB and there isn't much room left on the bigger beers.
Yeah, I think I'll try BIAB for a ~1060 beer first with the existing equipment and then decide which direction to go.
For what I need, it looks like a decent sized mash tun is the way to do, with a batch sparge and just stick with the combined BK and HLT. I'm just having a hard time seeing how that is better/worse than 3 vessal or if there's another possability I'm missing.
As much as I love the simplicity of a braumeister, I'd kill me if I couldn't make the odd big beer on it. I guess I could just make a smaller batch... *shudder* :D
When you get a mash tun get bigger than you think you need, especially if you want to do high OG beers. I recommend a cooler mashtun if you are going to batch sparge. Get a good big one and be done with it.
I was thinking of this one:
http://www.geterbrewed.com/delux-insulated-mash-tun-45-litre.html
That looks pretty good and a decent price too.
Quote from: Qs on November 13, 2014, 09:27:22 PM
That looks pretty good and a decent price too.
its in sterling don't forget
I did forget that. Well I'd say price all the bits for a home made one and compare.
I do both. I have a 3 stage brew stand but during the long, cold Canadian winter I use my 8 gallon SS pot and do BIAB inside on the cooker. I actually started with BIAB and the 8 gallon pot. After getting a feel for it I picked up a Coleman cooler at Walmart and put together a copper manifold myself. I then picked up a 15 gallon SS pot for the boil. I also picked up a 20 gallon SS pot later on to allow me do 10 gallon batches (though your really pushing the limits of the cooler with this). Anyway, I am rambling. Suffice to say that starting out with a single pot and doing BIAB is a good way to make quality beer while putting together the rest of your 3 vessel system.
Ferg (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/14/c692133087e25bf295d4532ccdc73a55.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/14/2ea6af81e0c87b292adda8a8a8008c49.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/14/29cf6854af52e7b4fa1b58113934e59a.jpg)
Cheers lads. I think I've come down on the side of the 45L cooler to complement my kettle for now, so a 2 vessal setup. I'll also get another kettle element so I can get to a rolling boil faster. While I could try biab first, after some reading, batch sparge will be almost as fast and involves less lifting of molten hot grain, which I just know I'll manage to mess up at some point. Also I think the cooler can hold about 14kg of grain while mashing. If I go over that, I have no sympathy for myself :)
That stand looks great Fergus, I'd love to get something like that set up eventually.
Quote from: fishjam45 on November 13, 2014, 11:21:24 AM
Cut your teeth on AG using BIAB. It's one vessel and cheaper. Save up for your other 2 vessels while using that.
Biab is less complicated than using three vessels and is a good starting point to go from.
And the investment in BIAB gear is not a dead end. If you then fancy getting into 3V brewing, your BIAB kettle will become your HLT (or maybe kettle as well) and your voile sheet or brew bag can then line your mash tun.
Yeah cheers for that. I've come down on the separate mash tun side for the lack of hassle in the end. It's much easier to batch sparge and then just empty the spent grain into a bag by tipping it over than lifting the grain bill out of the boiler and draining it.
I'm going to get a 45L Igloo cooler which gives plenty of capacity and can also be converted to RIMS in the future if I decide to complicate things.