Bucket lauter strainer in The Complete Joy of Homebrewing

[Sunfire96]

Has anyone tried the "Zapap Lauter tun?" One 5 gallon bucket drilled with small holes along the bottom fitted inside an intact 5 gallon bucket fixed with a spigot/valve that drains to the brew kettle. Mash inside the bucket assembly, then lift and sparge through the drilled bucket as a "false bottom."

It seems so simple in principle, and I'm sure there are many drawbacks to the system, but I would love a cost effective way to increase my mash size capabilties (currently doing BIAB in 3 gallon stockpot, so limited to 1.5 gallon batches). Figured I would ask the veterans here if anyone has had luck with this type of system? My goal is 2.5-3 gallon batches.

 

[Nosybear]

It's effectively making a false bottom out of a second bucket.... Should work, provided you get the holes small enough and not so many of them that the bottom cracks out of the bucket.

 

[J A]

You're better off to get an actual domed false bottom and just drill single, sizeable drain hole in the bottom of the bucket. Sparging isn't just straining the grain, it's letting the water flow through the entire grain column slowly and completely so that sugars are rinsed at a molecular level from every minute crevice. If you just have some holes drilled, it'll either drain too quickly and unevenly or, more likely, just get stuck and not drain at all.
A 9" stainless domed bottom is relatively inexpensive and will last you a lifetime.
That being said, if you're doing BIAB all you need for increased batch size is a bigger bag and a bigger pot and you're done.

 

[philjohnwilliams]

I have done it and it works, but there are drawbacks. The first is heat loss if you don't insulate the buckets well enough, the other being the amount of time you have to spend drilling the holes, I think I spent 90 minutes drilling.

 

[Sunfire96]

Charlie features this example in the good book: 1/8" diameter holes, I believe

 

[Sunfire96]

I hope to upgrade to 5.5-7.5 gallon brew kettle someday, but a couple of buckets with lids, spigots, and tubing sounds more cost effective, at the moment. 5 gallon plain SS kettle is $35. Even buying a valve, pickup tube, and thermowell separate with weldless fittings is another $30-$50 upgrade. I may add a valve/pickup to my 3 gallon pot, and then move it to a new one when I upgrade to a 5+ gal SS kettle in the future. Or convert the 3 gal to mash tun with a proper false bottom

 

[J A]

I can tell you this..the sooner you upgrade to the ultimate size you want, the less you'll spend in the long run. Batches of 5 gallons are common for a reason...Corny kegs are that size. Upgrade to something that allows you to put 5.5 gallons into a fermenter with enough headroom because if you keep at it, you'll someday be filling kegs. The incremental upgrades from one gallon to 2.5 to 3.5 are short-lived and will be left by the way side. Go all in and don't worry too much about justifying the cost, knowing that you will have skipped buying equipment that you'll immediately outgrow.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

I hope to upgrade to 5.5-7.5 gallon brew kettle someday, but a couple of buckets with lids, spigots, and tubing sounds more cost effective, at the moment. 5 gallon plain SS kettle is $35. Even buying a valve, pickup tube, and thermowell separate with weldless fittings is another $30-$50 upgrade. I may add a valve/pickup to my 3 gallon pot, and then move it to a new one when I upgrade to a 5+ gal SS kettle in the future. Or convert the 3 gal to mash tun with a proper false bottom

Check this out
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bayou-Cl...ss-Steel-Stockpot-with-Spigot-Basket/21721737

 

[Sunfire96]

Check this out
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bayou-Cl...ss-Steel-Stockpot-with-Spigot-Basket/21721737

That'd be a great upgrade down the road! My goal is upgrading kettle, mash tun, and fermenter for around $100 total. Staying around 2-3 gallon max batches due to space constraints (tiny apartment)