I am hoping to do a 45L batch in a 60L pot - based on the setup volumes spreadsheet the required volume is 65.72 L - Can I plan to hold back 10L (or so..) when mashing and then add it back prior to boiling?
If I do, I should I just add the water in as is, or should I do a sparge with it?
thx.
Post #2 made 15 years ago
Either way will work, although to use the extra water for a sparge will mean having a bucket or some other vessel to sparge in.
But doing a 45l batch in a 60l pot is very doable.
But doing a 45l batch in a 60l pot is very doable.
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Post #3 made 15 years ago
Thanks - I plan on brewing tomorrow - I do not have a seperate vessel to heat the water in. What I am wondering is if I should attempt to run the room temperature water through the grain to get any extra sugar out?
Post #4 made 15 years ago
I don't think room temperature water will do a good job of dissolving the remaining sugars, not to mention that if it does manage to disolve very much it will be very thick and viscous until it is heated. If you have a large microwave safe serving bowle you could heat water in that.
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Post #5 made 15 years ago
I was thinking more along the lines of ensuring that any disolved sugars that haven't completely drained out of the grain may be washed out a bit but running more water over it.
I'm not sure exactly how I will pull this off mind you - I'm wondering if I can get a strainer the diameter of my brew pot and put the grain on that when draining instead of haning the bag.
I'm not sure exactly how I will pull this off mind you - I'm wondering if I can get a strainer the diameter of my brew pot and put the grain on that when draining instead of haning the bag.
Post #6 made 15 years ago
I actually tried that by placing a grill tray over my pot when I pulled the bag. It didn't work too well and I ended up still having to partially hold the bag (the grains spread out alot and make a mess if you just rest the bag). However, if you use a strainer you may be able to keep a "cuped" shape and the grains wont spread over the sides. Let me know how it works, for me it would be easier and cheaper than riging up a sky-hook.themiller wrote:I was thinking more along the lines of ensuring that any disolved sugars that haven't completely drained out of the grain may be washed out a bit but running more water over it.
I'm not sure exactly how I will pull this off mind you - I'm wondering if I can get a strainer the diameter of my brew pot and put the grain on that when draining instead of haning the bag.
Last edited by SacSoul on 24 Jul 2010, 00:42, edited 6 times in total.
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Post #7 made 15 years ago
Last day I brewed, I put two kitchen chairs back to back about a foot apart, I put a 5gallon brew bucket in between them and hung the bag from a piece of old broom handle that I rested on the backs of the chairs, hung that over the bucket with the help of the wife. If you spin the bag a little it's then enough to squeeze it out. I'd prefer a sky hook but this did the job.
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Post #8 made 15 years ago
On a similar theme but smaller scale to the OP, I do 25L batches in a 30L urn. I use 19L for the mash and when I pull the bag I am left with about 15L in the urn. Instead of adding more water to the urn I do a sparge with 8L of hot water in a big stockpot then I add this. During the course of the boil, I add another 5-6L of water to have 25L at the end of boil.
So yes, you can do what you suggest but your volumes are a fair bit bigger so it ain't as easy. If you can't heat this sparge water then why not do the sparge with the cold water and let us know how it goes.
Good luck with it!
So yes, you can do what you suggest but your volumes are a fair bit bigger so it ain't as easy. If you can't heat this sparge water then why not do the sparge with the cold water and let us know how it goes.
Good luck with it!
Post #9 made 15 years ago
Chaps, IIRC conventional wisdom is not to add cold water to the mash, extracts tannins and that sort of thing, so I wouldn't advise doing that, heated or not at all would be my preference.
OP, have you got a domestic kettle in your kitchen? If so, well before the mash is finished, put it on a few times and add the boiling water to a 20 L bucket, just dip the bag in what is now near- boiling water after you lift it out of the big pot. Don't be worried that it is too hot, it is unlikely that it will reach mashout temp when incorporated into the mash. It should take about 8 L to 10 L of water to sparge in that sized- bucket, stir a couple of times over 15 minutes then lift & drain and add the liquor to the boil. If the boil is already underway when you go to add the sparge liquor, heat it up before adding it to the boil if you can, if not, just pause the boil timer while it comes back up to the boil.
This is just 'dunk' sparging, similar to what I do every weekend, but I use a 19 L stockpot and do 24L batches.
Edit: Mods- can we change the thread title please! Pretty sure it isn't a 45 gallon batch we're talking about.
OP, have you got a domestic kettle in your kitchen? If so, well before the mash is finished, put it on a few times and add the boiling water to a 20 L bucket, just dip the bag in what is now near- boiling water after you lift it out of the big pot. Don't be worried that it is too hot, it is unlikely that it will reach mashout temp when incorporated into the mash. It should take about 8 L to 10 L of water to sparge in that sized- bucket, stir a couple of times over 15 minutes then lift & drain and add the liquor to the boil. If the boil is already underway when you go to add the sparge liquor, heat it up before adding it to the boil if you can, if not, just pause the boil timer while it comes back up to the boil.
This is just 'dunk' sparging, similar to what I do every weekend, but I use a 19 L stockpot and do 24L batches.
Edit: Mods- can we change the thread title please! Pretty sure it isn't a 45 gallon batch we're talking about.
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Post #11 made 15 years ago
Ha, ha. I was thinking that doing 45 gallon batches makes you the biggest piss-head here (but thought I had better not say anything 
). Now I see the title has changed from gallons to litres. It makes more sense now. Ralph's advice is good and along the lines of what I do.
@Ralph - I was thinking that 10 gallons (~40L) was a lot to heat up for a dunk sparge and thought that it would be a good experiment to try it with cold water and let us all know. Might try it myself one day...
). Now I see the title has changed from gallons to litres. It makes more sense now. Ralph's advice is good and along the lines of what I do.@Ralph - I was thinking that 10 gallons (~40L) was a lot to heat up for a dunk sparge and thought that it would be a good experiment to try it with cold water and let us all know. Might try it myself one day...
Post #12 made 15 years ago
When I posted I started writing in gallons, then I realized that most people here talk in litres (which quite frankly as a Canadian I am more comfortable with), but obviously didn't change the title completely.
In the end I did not end up doing it this way - I did two batch back to back, made for a long day, but allowed me to better streamline my process as they were only batch 3 & 4.
They are both sitting in my primary now, bubbling away - blew my airlocks unfortunatly and had to put a blow off tube in... should have started off that way but I wasn't thinking...
Cheers.
In the end I did not end up doing it this way - I did two batch back to back, made for a long day, but allowed me to better streamline my process as they were only batch 3 & 4.
They are both sitting in my primary now, bubbling away - blew my airlocks unfortunatly and had to put a blow off tube in... should have started off that way but I wasn't thinking...
Cheers.
