I am going to make an electric mini BIAB kettle to make 5lt (into fermentor) or so batches so I can start making smash beers and others experiments so I can start to learn what the hell people are talking about when they talk ingredients. I'll leave questions about smash beers for another post.
I have gone electric so far to keep brewing in the garage away from my young son who loves going through the garage, because he's not allowed in there much. I have a regular kettle element and a 4000w "silicone based" potentiometer control (I think the same as the ones they sell at Keg King) on the way off the net. I also got an aluminium project box from Jaycar for $18 but if I was'nt so impatient I could have got it cheaper I reckon. I already had a 19lt Big W stock pot but they go for $19. The Kmart kettle was $7.50 and the controller was $6.80 so for the basic's, it costs $26.50 or $33.30. BUT I did have to get a 40mm tungsten hole saw for $35 for the element. So true to form, including the project box, I blew the budget before I even began brewing
I have a 5 gallon paint strainer bag but I'll probably make a swiss voile bag coz they rock.Draw backs I can see. Coz of the electric cables I cant put it in the oven but I am hoping the blanket trick with a little bit of heating while removing the bag will keep mash temps reasonable.
I tried a 4lt cider experiment that I bottled yesterday. I fermented it in a 5lt glass carboy. I only have a cheap racking cane and tried one of those tube stopper things. I bottled 8 330ml bottles. I think 1.5 bottles worth ended up on the floor and in the bucket with sanitiser I used to get it flowing. There was also about 3 bottles worth left in the bottom after the flow went back the into the carboy. I tried to suck it back through but gave up when it became chunky yeast soup. That was with help. So im thinking that fermenting and bottling small batches can be a PITA!
So hopefully if I set it up better with an auto/easy syphon and a bottling stick it wont be so bad.Any way I have a limited experience so far with brewing so any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Im not sure if its been attempted before (maybe for a good reason) but if it has point me in that direction. If it was bad tell me before I put a big hole in my pot, I can still make real soup in it
. It will hopefully only be a month away so ill post pics as I get there.Cheers.
