21 replies to this topic

[BarelyBrews]

The mod's might move this to the PH

 

I have struggled with my smaller mash tun, and finally bought a 120 qt cooler - up from the 48 qt ?. Anyhow, going to save my old mash tun , will use it often im sure. I want to make a few 10 gallon finished batches this summer. Picked up the coffin cooler and braid,  doing it D.Conn style.

 

For you that do larger brews occasionally, what size mash do you have ? Any temp worries i should have ? thanks.

[StankDelicious]

That is pretty damned big. I use a 70qt for 10 gallon batches. Preheat your tun and the heat losses won't be bad.

[MyaCullen]

I think gnef has one of those monsters

 

still rockin' the 48Qt Ice Cube here (5.5 gallons)

[positiveContact]

That is pretty damned big. I use a 70qt for 10 gallon batches. Preheat your tun and the heat losses won't be bad.

 

there are multiple ways to skin that cat (I just add hot water to the mash tun first and let it cool down to the right strike temp, then add the grain) but really if you are mostly filling up the cooler I think you'll generally be good for overnight mashes.  for 60-120 min mashes I wouldn't even worry.

 

I roll with a 70 qt here.  big enough for all of my 10 gallon batches so far.  I have not attempted to go above 1.080 though.

[gnef]

Yup, I have two mash tuns, a 60 qt for my 5 gallon, and most average 10 gallon batches, and then I built a 120 qt mash tun for my really big 10 gallon batches - I've put upwards of 55-60# of grain in that one.

 

I have had issues with the braid in the 120 qt rectangular cooler though - it drains really slowly from the far end when I have a lot of grain in it, exceedingly slowly. I bought all the cpvc tubing and fittings I need to build a manifold for it, I just haven't gotten around to doing that yet. I think the issue was just how much grain the wort needed to go through to get to the drain. I even tilted it to help it, but it still took a very long time (over an hour, if I remember correctly) to drain. This is on multiple batches, and no changes to my mill gap settings. I had planned for longer brew days for these types of beers, but I would like to be able to drain more quickly than that.

[ChefLamont]

That's big. 

 

 

I have done 10 gal batches in my 60 qt that were over 1.110.  It was packed to the brim and thick, but it worked fine.

 

My only concern would be heat loss on smaller batches.

[DieselGopher]

I run the 70 qt Coleman, and 11 gals of Denny's BVIP maxes the cooler out and requires two sparges to hit my volumes correct. Everything else I brew (5.5 and 11 gal batches) works great.

[MyaCullen]

I run the 70 qt Coleman, and 11 gals of Denny's BVIP maxes the cooler out and requires two sparges to hit my volumes correct. Everything else I brew (5.5 and 11 gal batches) works great.

you could fly sparge 

[positiveContact]

you could fly sparge 

 

as he increases his number of sparges he is approaching it

[MyaCullen]

as he increases his number of sparges he is approaching it

lol

 

I have been trying it lately, I keep oversparging 

[denny]

lol

 

I have been trying it lately, I keep oversparging 

 

Are you finding any advantages?

[pods8]

strangebrewer has one of those large 120s that gets used for group brews.  We did a belgian barrel brew and were running off 24gal of wort (into two keggles) and there was definitely room to spare in terms of capacity.  Batch sparged, wort OG in the 1.06Xs if I'm recalling right off the top of my head.

 

Long story short for a single kettle unless you're doing 12gal of a 1.100+ brew that is HUGE, still its big at that stage as a 70qt should cover you.  I can do 9gal of a 1.100+ beer out of my 48qt cooler. 

[MyaCullen]

Are you finding any advantages?

easier vorlaugh (clears faster) if anything, but I think that's a function of the manifold design and not stirring up the grain bed

[denny]

easier vorlaugh (clears faster) if anything, but I think that's a function of the manifold design and not stirring up the grain bed

 

May be.  Mine always clears in maybe 2-4 cups of vorlauf, so that wouldn't be an advantage for me.

[DieselGopher]

you could fly sparge

Booooooooo!!!! Kidding. I'm welding up wall brackets for the brewery/ garage so experiments may be in order.

[MyaCullen]

May be.  Mine always clears in maybe 2-4 cups of vorlauf, so that wouldn't be an advantage for me.

how long so you let the mash settle after stirring?

[denny]

how long so you let the mash settle after stirring?

 

Maybe 5 seconds...or less

[MyaCullen]

Maybe 5 seconds...or less

huh, same size and brand of braid too, go figure

[denny]

huh, same size and brand of braid too, go figure

 

Maybe you're being too anal about clear?  To me, it means "free of chunks", not that you can read a newspaper through it.  Although, if I nail the pH, it can be that clear.

Edited by denny, 29 July 2014 - 12:06 PM.

[MyaCullen]

Maybe you're being too anal about clear?  To me, it means "free of chunks", not that you can read a newspaper through it.  Although, if I nail the pH, it can be that clear.

might be