BIAB, no sparge method kettle size?

LaksenBaksen

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Hi everybody,

I'm new to home brewing. I think it seems exciting and I have tried it a couple of times in school. I want to start brewing on my own at home.

I am a student and live in an apartment with limited space that I share with some others. I would therefore like to use the method: "brew in a bag" without sparge. I know that the efficiency is lower with this method and that you can make up for it by adding extra malt.

The problem is just that I have doubts, about what size brew kettle should when you don’t sparge and when extra malt is added. I want to be able to brew a 10-15 liter

I have looked at a brew kettle that contains 27 liters. Is it enough?

https://www.brouwland.com/en/our-pr...ferm/d/brewferm-electric-brew-kettle-sst-27-l

Kind regards

LaksenBaksen
 
A good rule of thumb is double your batch size.
 
Kettle should be at least double your batch size, a bit more than double would better if you plan on doing higher ABV beers. I did 20 liter batches with a 40 liter kettle. Hope this helps.
 
I should have been more explicit: I'm using a 11 gallon kettle for a default 6 gallon batch size. I can fit 8 gallons to do a 120 minute boil if necessary I could go higher, watching carefully for boilovers. That's what you need the extra head space for. If you watch, shut the boil off once it starts to foam, leave it for a while for hot break to form and the foam to subside, then resume.... I can boil 4.5 gallons of wort in a 5 gallon kettle.
 
I'm stove top BIAB and I've gone through three sizes of kettle, first 10L (for 5 L batches) then 20 L (for 10 L batches). I'm now using 36 L kettle for 10-12 litre batches, which lets me do the big ABV beers without scaling down the batch size. The only downside is it's a bit of a challenge to get a decent boil on some stove tops (so I boil with the lid half on for those).

I think your size will probably be fine for getting a boil on most stove tops and will be big enough for most batches. If you start looking towards 10% ABV you may need to scale the batch down. I'm finding I want at least 3 kilograms of grain per litre of water for full volume BIAB mashing. So that might be a challenge with 10 litres and the big ABV beers. They'll probably fit, but boil over and space during mashing will make things that little bit more interesting.
 
I'd listen to the other guys - I'm more of a conventional brewer.
 
I'd listen to the other guys - I'm more of a conventional brewer.

I thought us BIAB people were growing so fast it's making you multi-vessel people the alternative brewers. ;)
 
A 50lt keg makes for a decent sized kettle. Just giving options in Aus their pretty cheap even some HB stores do a keggle ready to go so you don't need to get your hands dirty.

I recon sound advice go bigger if you can.
 
Hi everybody,

I'm new to home brewing. I think it seems exciting and I have tried it a couple of times in school. I want to start brewing on my own at home.

I am a student and live in an apartment with limited space that I share with some others. I would therefore like to use the method: "brew in a bag" without sparge. I know that the efficiency is lower with this method and that you can make up for it by adding extra malt.

The problem is just that I have doubts, about what size brew kettle should when you don’t sparge and when extra malt is added. I want to be able to brew a 10-15 liter

I have looked at a brew kettle that contains 27 liters. Is it enough?

https://www.brouwland.com/en/our-pr...ferm/d/brewferm-electric-brew-kettle-sst-27-l

Kind regards

LaksenBaksen
That all in one unit will do the job just fine.
Only item it lacks is a chilling method , may not be an issue depends what you brew and where you are
 
I thought us BIAB people were growing so fast it's making you multi-vessel people the alternative brewers. ;)
True that. But you have no idea how primitive my setup is! Cooler with false bottom. Pots. All manual transfers and my back isn't getting any younger. I'm moving to a more automated solution this year thanks to an understanding wife and a healthy annual bonus.
 
I'm finding I want at least 3 kilograms of grain per litre of water for full volume BIAB mashing.
Are you really using 3 kg malt per litre?
Shouldn't that be 3 kg per 10 litre?
Don't have my notes here but I recall using something like 2.4 kg malt for my last beer. Ending up with 8 ltr bottled.

On topic, if you gotta buy new, go a bit bigger. If you can borrow a pot, try that for your first brew and adjust method if necessary ;)
For my first batch, I used an 8 ltr pot for 5.5 ltr bottled (and yes, that wasn't easy)
Now I got a 30 or 40 litre second hand pot.
 
Are you really using 3 kg malt per litre?
Shouldn't that be 3 kg per 10 litre?
Don't have my notes here but I recall using something like 2.4 kg malt for my last beer. Ending up with 8 ltr bottled.

On topic, if you gotta buy new, go a bit bigger. If you can borrow a pot, try that for your first brew and adjust method if necessary ;)
For my first batch, I used an 8 ltr pot for 5.5 ltr bottled (and yes, that wasn't easy)
Now I got a 30 or 40 litre second hand pot.
Yep, that was the wrong way round. Minimum 3 litres per kilogram and prefer 4 litres per kilo.
 
The only issue I see is the ability to get a boil going on stove top with the larger batches. I'm strictly a BIAB brewer and for stove top I do 2.5 - 3.0 gal batches on gas stove top. I use the propane burner for my 5 gallon batches. I have 5 gal kettle and a 10 gallon kettle respectively. Boil over is the number one issue for going big in a small kettle. Also it will extend your brew day with the vigorous cleaning you will need to do. Oh yeah, your roommates, girlfriend, spouse will forbid you from brewing in the kitchen ever again.:confused:
 
OK, I’m still pretty new to this, but I’ve made a few brews that my friends and family have liked very much. Any suggestions any of you may have are more than welcome!



I’ve done all my brews as 5 gal. (in the fermenter) BIAB. I don’t have space for all the equipment for more traditional methods, and even though I have a garage where I could use a propane burner, upstate NY winters are still too cold to work outside. So, I brew on the same stove I cook dinner.

I have a 5 gallon kettle (lobster pot) that I use. I usually start with 3 gal of water (about 1.25qt of water for each pound of grain), and another 2qt for sparge. I put a wire mesh strainer in the pot during the mash to keep the bag and grains off the bottom. I keep the flame on low and stir every 10 minutes or so. I’ve experimented with wrapping the pot with towels and other insulation and found I can keep the temp better with the flame.

At the end of the mash, I pull the grain bag out and put another strainer that fits across the top of the pot and let the grains drain. I sparge by slowly pouring the (heated) sparge water over the bag of grains. When the grains are done draining I pull the wire strainer out and crank the heat to start the boil.

When the boil is done and the wort cooled, I take a gravity reading and use an app on my phone to determine how much more water I need to hit my OG. I’ve always been within a quart or so of 5 gallons.
 

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