upgrading my system capacity
Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:52 am
Hey, everyone! I haven't brewed in almost 12 months!
Despite that, I'm planning on upgrading my system. I want to do 20+ gallons into fermenters per brew. By bye BIAB.
Right now I have a ~18.5 gallon BIAB rig. With top up water I can do 15 a gal 1.050 brew day but I think I've only done that once, maybe twice. I want 20 gallons to make a brew day more worthwhile. Brews are few and far between anyway.
I want to go 2 vessel. Some combo of 25 and / or 30 gallon stainless kettles / tun.
Right now I have a 15 gallon bottom drain keggle I can do something with but it's too small to be worth switching from BIAB.
The "new" setup will either be:
1) 2 vessel HERMS. Heat water in boil kettle, transfer to mash tun, rest, recirculate through a coil in the BK maintaining temps that way. I could get away with using only 1 pump in my system this way.
2) Electric "direct fire" RIMS: Element in boil kettle, heat and pump to mash tun, rest, recirculate liquid between vessels with the BK maintaining temps. This method would require two pumps.
#2 would use the full volume of water for the brew between the two vessels while #1 may be a thicker mash since the BK would only contain water. Method #1 would require a coil ($150-$200 with fittings) while method #2 would require another pump ($200) to cross circulate, or two tier which I'm not going to do. I may be able to hack it with some kind of batch recirculation and a single pump. Larger vessels would help there.
So, help me thing this through. Ideas or something I haven't thought of?
Does anyone have gear for sale that may be suitable?
Thanks!
Despite that, I'm planning on upgrading my system. I want to do 20+ gallons into fermenters per brew. By bye BIAB.
Right now I have a ~18.5 gallon BIAB rig. With top up water I can do 15 a gal 1.050 brew day but I think I've only done that once, maybe twice. I want 20 gallons to make a brew day more worthwhile. Brews are few and far between anyway.
I want to go 2 vessel. Some combo of 25 and / or 30 gallon stainless kettles / tun.
Right now I have a 15 gallon bottom drain keggle I can do something with but it's too small to be worth switching from BIAB.
The "new" setup will either be:
1) 2 vessel HERMS. Heat water in boil kettle, transfer to mash tun, rest, recirculate through a coil in the BK maintaining temps that way. I could get away with using only 1 pump in my system this way.
2) Electric "direct fire" RIMS: Element in boil kettle, heat and pump to mash tun, rest, recirculate liquid between vessels with the BK maintaining temps. This method would require two pumps.
#2 would use the full volume of water for the brew between the two vessels while #1 may be a thicker mash since the BK would only contain water. Method #1 would require a coil ($150-$200 with fittings) while method #2 would require another pump ($200) to cross circulate, or two tier which I'm not going to do. I may be able to hack it with some kind of batch recirculation and a single pump. Larger vessels would help there.
So, help me thing this through. Ideas or something I haven't thought of?
Does anyone have gear for sale that may be suitable?
Thanks!