118 replies to this topic

[positiveContact]

I have 70 qt xtreme. Maybe i'll give it a shot. I don't think i've used it as an mlt.

 

same one that I have.  my only mod is I filled the lid with some foam insulation.  don't be a dummy like me and use the regular stuff.  get the low expansion kind.

 

also, on those cold nights I do throw a couple of blankets on it which probably helps a little bit.  just making sure I'm being fully honest here.

[denny]

For me no mash controls at all. Wrap a large blanket around the kettle. I have an 11 gallon kettle and brew 6 gallon post boil batches. I have mashed enough grain and water for OG1.086 beers and a 60 min boil with this set up. Could probably get a little higher than that if I wanted to. 

 

Here is a reputable bag source. https://www.brewinabag.com

 

I keep a pizza screen on the bottom of my kettle so I don't scorch the bag when ramping temperatures. If you don't anticipate ramping temps then it is useless.

 

It's essentially no-sparge so once you know your absorption you simply add water and salts to the kettle, heat and go. No need for sparge acidification or additions or worries about runoff gravity or sparge/runoff pH. Hoist bag and let drip to pre-boil volume. If you want to max out the mash capacity of your kettle then decrease your absorption number and squeeze the bag to assist getting to full volume.

 

Another tip (I have not tested it and do not intend to), do not stir the mash before hoisting the bag. Hoist slowly so as to no over agitate the grain bed. I am fairly certain this results in slightly clearer wort into the kettle. No idea if it matters in the final beer but stirring certainly does not add anything.

 

I got one of these on amazon for like $7 or $8. I installed an eye-bolt in a joist underneath my deck and right outside a walkout set of french doors in my basement. I mash boil and hoist there. Wheel it inside to chill, whirlpool, and all the rest.

 

Simple, extremely useful, and absurdly accurate is Kai's conversion chart (below). It assumes 100% conversion of your grist. I add a short alpha rest for the last 10 or 15 min of my mashes and the OG is spot on 95% of the time. Never more than 0.001 off. Just look at your mash ratio and and see what the pre boil gravity should be. Adjust efficiency of your recipe accordingly. Don't want to ramp temps and/or don't want that kind of predictable accuracy, skip it.

 

Actually that's the first runnings gravity, not pre boil gravity.

[positiveContact]

Actually that's the first runnings gravity, not pre boil gravity.

 

same thing for a BIAB guy though, right?

[3rd party JKor]

Actually that's the first runnings gravity, not pre boil gravity.

 

 

Right, but if you aren't sparging it's the same.  I always use Kai's chart to check my first runnings.

[3rd party JKor]

I'll probably give the 70qt coleman a go, but I'm really tempted by the one vessel system and I have a 25gal kettle sitting around that's never been used.  So...

[positiveContact]

I'll probably give the 70qt coleman a go, but I'm really tempted by the one vessel system and I have a 25gal kettle sitting around that's never been used.  So...

 

it's all about what seems easy to you.  it seems like if you can get the recirc working well it's very easy and pretty fool proof.  I'm not sure I'd be able to pull it off though.  seems like there are too many places for it to not work as intended and mashing in the cooler already seems very easy to me.  if you are good at setting this kind of thing up though it seems like it could be the lower effort option when brew day rolls around.

 

also, I'm not sure but 15 gal might be pushing it in the 70 qt xtreme.   then again I mash super thin on my 10 gal batches.

Edited by Evil_Morty, 13 November 2016 - 03:00 PM.

[denny]

same thing for a BIAB guy though, right?

 

Yep.  Assuming no sparge.  Some BIABers sparge.

Edited by denny, 13 November 2016 - 03:11 PM.

[porter]

If you're losing 5+ degrees it must be either a really thin cooler, poor mash volume : cooler volume ratio, or more likely, the lid is not sealing well at the top (common). The coolers we use aren't really designed for heat and the thinner ones warp sometimes when exposed to it. This has happened to my current cooler, necessitating battoning down and sealing with duct tape. With that done, most of the heat loss is forestalled.

[neddles]

same thing for a BIAB guy though, right?

 

Yes. 

Some BIABers sparge.

 

That's try although I'll say I've never fully understood the logic of sparging a BIAB set up. Lots of different ways to go about it I guess.

[djinkc]

I'll probably give the 70qt coleman a go, but I'm really tempted by the one vessel system and I have a 25gal kettle sitting around that's never been used.  So...

 

Before you try it - what color is the cooler?

[positiveContact]

Before you try it - what color is the cooler?

 

[3rd party JKor]

Before you try it - what color is the cooler?

Kind of a royal-ish blue. Just like this:

httpss://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/Coleman/6270A748?wid=2000&hei=2000

[djinkc]

Kind of a royal-ish blue. Just like this:

httpss://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/Coleman/6270A748?wid=2000&hei=2000

 

You're golden.  

[positiveContact]

You're golden.

What would the bad answer have been?

[HVB]

What would the bad answer have been?

red

[positiveContact]

That mash tun is yuge!

The best mash tun?

But seriously is there a mash tun people should avoid from that Coleman line or something?

[HVB]

Pretty sure it goes back to an old joke about the best cooler to use being blue.  I think because Denny's cooler was blue.  I could be wrong though.

[positiveContact]

Pretty sure it goes back to an old joke about the best cooler to use being blue.  I think because Denny's cooler was blue.  I could be wrong though.

 

I must have missed that meme.  good thing I have a blue cooler though

 

back to JKor though.  maybe you could give the cooler a try and if you don't like it add in a recirc to the cooler.  wouldn't having the cooler insulated make an easier job for keeping temps up anyway?

[denny]

What would the bad answer have been?

 

Anything but blue.  Blue coolers give you 135% efficiency.  Every few times you brew, anew bag of grain magically appears.

Pretty sure it goes back to an old joke about the best cooler to use being blue.  I think because Denny's cooler was blue.  I could be wrong though.

 

You're correct, that's exactly where it began!

[3rd party JKor]

Ironically, i have three large cooles i use for different parts of the process and they are all blue.