# Getting very close to AG...



## slcmorro (17/9/13)

So, I'm almost there. Been doing kits and partials for a while, and I'm almost at the stage where I'll be doing my first BIAB.

Just waiting on my 4 ring gas burner to arrive: http://www.graysonline.com/retail/sitrorb4/sporting--leisure-good/large-cast-iron-ring-burner?spr=true which cost me a grand total of $55 delivered. Should be here today or tomorrow.

I've got a 50L keggle with an outlet and tap, kindly donated to me by Vic45 and a 36L Esky I had lying around (same as this one): http://www.kellyscamping.com.au/p/1098825/Esky-True-Blue-Litre-Cooler-.html?gclid=CNnI_Zmy0bkCFWRepgodogMA8A which already has a spigot valve built into it, for draining out the wort after mashing.

I'm meeting up with a few of the boys from BAR tomorrow (who have already been very helpful and generous), and I'll be picking their brains a bit further, but I figured after reading through some of the guides and posts on these forums, I think I'm pretty right.

I've got a 1.5m x 1m piece of swiss voile to line the Esky/Mash Tun which fits nicely, an immersion chiller on the way, a 9KG gas bottle to use for boiling, some digital kitchen scales, some tubs with lids for storing grain, the usual hydrometers, mash paddles, starsan spray bottles, wash tub, food grade tubing, hose clamps etc etc and some bricks to make a makeshift stand for the burner/keggle.

Is there anything I am missing other than a mill (will beg the use of one of the BAR members ones until I get my own)?


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## Not For Horses (17/9/13)

Fridge full of beer.
It's not good practice to brew without a beer in hand.


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## vortex (17/9/13)

If you already have an esky, why not just get a false bottom and do it properly?


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## philmud (17/9/13)

If you're planning to BIAB, I would be inclined to leave the esky/tun out of the equation and mash in your keggle (unless you have no lid and anticipate high temperature loss).
If you're set in using the esky, why not try and go for a more traditional 3V system?


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

I don't have a lid for the keggle, and I figured with the esky, it'd be easier and cheaper than rigging up some insultation to the keggle and just using what I already have plus the esky is ready made and on hand to hold good mash temps without much effort.

Could you expand a little more on what you mean Vortex? I wasn't going to go with the false bottom (for the keggle I'm presuming?) as it was more of an outlay, and BIAB looks to be comparative to other methods. Plus, I already have the equipment (I think) I need for BIAB.

My understanding is:

Heat strike water in keggle, drain into mash tun.
Mash grain in cloth in esky at specified temp for specified time.
Drain wort from esky back into keggle.
Boil in keggle for specified time and make hop additions etc in keggle.
Chill and whirlpool, drain into fermenter.


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## Yob (17/9/13)

BIAB is traditionally a 1V thing aint it? You are heading down the *2V* / 3V road and if so, you may eventually end up on HERMS or some such.. it was the manual recirc that gave me the shits in a 2V setup and as soon as I thought '_a pump would make this a whole lot easier_' it was HERMS all the way and my setup hasnt changed now since then (_well except for the vessels getting bigger_)

That said, I actually use a sheet in my esky as well (4V HERMS Brew in a Bag in an Esky or HBIABIAE if you will  ) for a number of reasons but primarily to stop any particulate blocking the LBP that I still use, I do own a march but figure I will use my LBP till it dies or I get bored and finish off my brew stand. (which I should do and keep the LBP as backup)

Mate, systems evolve and the best way to get it moving is to... well.. get it moving, when you start, it'll start evolving.

If you wanted to go BIAB in the traditional sense, get to strike temps and dump in the bag and then the grain, if you are gas fired you can always apply a little heat and stir to get the temps right, add a little more if it starts to drop, so on and so forth.

IF you are intent on 2V, build a little manifold from copper or get a false bottom to aid in wort clarification when you 

:icon_cheers:


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## bum (17/9/13)

What sort of knockout volume are you hoping for (i.e. into fermenter)?

My last tun was a 36L esky and (depending on grist amount) I'd _maybe_ be able to squeeze out 20L of pre-boil wort [EDIT: Not that I usually did this, what with liquor:grist and all]. Depending on your brand of esky you may even lose ~3L due to the lid hinge.

Hopefully the boys who come have a look at it can give you a good idea of how much you can realistically expect out of no sparge brewing in such a tun.


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## MAX POWER (17/9/13)

Does your keggle have a lip? If so, a large lid from pots and pans in your kitchen should do the job.

I've only started BIAB myself, but have found I don't need much insulation. Mind you it is an electric set-up and I'll just turn the element on and give it a stir if temp drops too much.

I'd definately try to stick with just the keggle if I were you.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

Thanks for the opinions so far guys, much appreciated.

To answer a few questions, I was hoping to make 21L batches (possibly 42L doubles later on if possible?) with the Esky. I don't have to use it as a mash tun, I was planning on using it because it's what I have on hand. Further, I thought I might run into some drama with the bag full of grain in the keggle... it might be difficult to extract from the keggle when it's done because of the smallish opening in the top (see picture) hence the other reasoning behind using the esky as a mash tun... being able to just walk away from the mash with confidence, not return to check temps and fire up the burner etc. 

I'm sure I can either find or fashion a lid for the keggle.

If the general consensus however is to just use the keggle for mashing as well, I'm happy to defer to knowledge and give it a crack


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## big78sam (17/9/13)

Nothing wrong with adding a sparge step in between steps 3 and 4 that you've set out above if you are worried about getting sufficient volume or ending up with low efficiency. Although you'd be heading further towards traditional 3V brewing. 

IMHO, just dive in with your planned process and see how you go. You will make good beer and realise what tweaks you need to make to your system to get the result you want.

Edit - just saw the previous 2 posts. Mashing in the leggle is a perfectly acceptable option as well. I'm not sure about getting the bag out with the lip on your keggle though. I'll leave it to others who have a similar setup to comment. You could always give it a try and if you cant get the bag out just drain the wort into t[SIZE=10pt]he esky from the keggle, then you can do whatever mucking around you need to get the bag out then return to the wort to the keggle. Obviously not an ideal process but it will give you a back up plan if getting the full bag out is difficult.[/SIZE]

There are many ways to brew and no matter what method you use you'll end up with beer.


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## Steve (17/9/13)

Same keggle as mine. I used to lose about 3-4 litres over 60 mins. Any old ally pot lid or glass lid from your a $2.00 shop will do. Put it on so there is a gap for the steam to get out though. Vortex was referring to a false bottom for the esky so you mash in that instead of a bag. Put up a pic of your esky to.
Cheers
Steve


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## big78sam (17/9/13)

Steve said:


> Same keggle as mine. I used to lose about 3-4 litres over 60 mins. Any old ally pot lid or glass lid from your a $2.00 shop will do. Put it on so there is a gap for the steam to get out though. Vortex was referring to a false bottom for the esky so you mash in that instead of a bag. Put up a pic of your esky to.
> Cheers
> Steve


I think the reference to the lid was in relation to covering during the mash to avoid too much lost heat. I've never covered by pot during the boil and understood this was not best practise. I'm sure there have been many discussions here about covering v not covering during the boil where smarter people than I have commented...

Another EDIT: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/72252-crownbirko-urn-brewing-with-the-lid-on/


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

What would a false bottom for the esky do, that a bag doesn't? I imagine it'd allow water/wort to flow in and around the grain completely, and drain from underneath the grain bed yeah?

Yeah, I think he meant cover with a lid during mash. From what I've read, everything indicates leaving the wort to boil off DMS during the rolling boil so a lid would be counterproductive.




Esky, as requested. Needs a good clean of course.


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## Steve (17/9/13)

A false bottom compared to a bag is just a different way of brewing. Using a false bottom or copper manifold are more traditional way of extracting the wort from the grain in the mash. I used that method as BIAB wasnt around when I started. Sorry but cant comment much more on BIAB as I havent done it. The www.howtobrew.com website was always a good source of information I found. From memory it shows and explains what and how to make copper manifolds. All comes down to personal preference these days. Me personally would be making a copper manifold for that esky.
Cheers and have fun!
Steve

Edit.....you say youve been doing partials. Im presuming you mean partial mash?.....how are you doing them? In a bag? If so and you are happy with that method stick with it but do it on a bigger scale.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

Steve said:


> Edit.....you say youve been doing partials. Im presuming you mean partial mash?.....how are you doing them? In a bag? If so and you are happy with that method stick with it but do it on a bigger scale.


Yeah mate, in a bag in a 19L stockpot


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## Steve (17/9/13)

.....then if that worked and your're producing decent beers stick with the method you know works for you and tweak that rather than sticking in another bit of equipment that you need to learn what its doing just for the sake of using it. Use the esky for your beers to be consumed whilst brewing.
Cheers
Steve


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

Steve said:


> .....then if that worked and your're producing decent beers stick with the method you know works for you and tweak that


That, I can do. Like I said, the reasons behind using the esky as a mash tun was the ease of use (set and forget) and the fact that I think I'll struggle with mashing in the keggle due to heat loss and extraction of grain. I'll crack on with doing the mash in the kettle first up, knowing that I can drain into the esky as a holder if need be if things go pear shaped


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## bum (17/9/13)

Have you done a "dry" run with just water? Might not be as hard as you think.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

bum said:


> Have you done a "dry" run with just water? Might not be as hard as you think.


No. How would this work without adding grain to the bag and submerging? I'm expecting the grain to swell quite a bit and be hard to pull out of the opening.


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## bum (17/9/13)

Just talking temp, mate.

The bag'll be tight but as long as there's no cutting edges on your keggle you'll get it out one way or another.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

Gotcha. Nah, haven't got the burner as yet or any insultating material/lid. I'll have a go once I get the burner and fit a lid, and see how much it drops over an hour. Then, I'll try insulating with one of those foam camping mats if need be, otherwise I'll go for mashing in the esky.


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## Steve (17/9/13)

Mates of mine used to mash in a keggle with just a lid and no insulation. No dramas. Only dropped a couple of degrees over the hour. That bag of grains going to be bloody hot to handle when you're trying to drag if out of that hole so probably add a pear of gloves to your list!
Cheers
Steve


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## MAX POWER (17/9/13)

Maybe, if the opening will allow it, you could use a crab cooker insert to hold the bag. Or cut/drill holes in a pot that will fit.
Obviously give it a go as is, but if removing the bag proves difficult, it could be an option.

I don't know.


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## Dave70 (17/9/13)

slcmorro said:


> Is there anything I am missing other than a mill


A thermometer.
Better still, two.
With spare batteries.


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## headfreak (17/9/13)

Dave70 said:


> A thermometer.
> Better still, two.
> With spare batteries.


Definitely this. Discovered my thermometer was dodgy during my last brew. Looking like ending up with a very sweet red ale after mashing at a random temp.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

Dave70 said:


> A thermometer.
> Better still, two.
> With spare batteries.


Good pickup. I've got those too, just didn't list em


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## stm (17/9/13)

Any old large pot lid will do it (for mashing in a bag in your keggle). And for insulation, just a sleeping bag draped over will be fine. But I don't know how the hell you are going to get out the bag (swollen with 5kg of water absorbed grain) through that small opening.

I'd be mashing in the esky with the bag, but don't try to drain through the bag and the bung hole, just lift and squeeze the bag first then drain. You can think about a false bottom instead down the track if you like.


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## RelaxedBrewer (17/9/13)

I do my stove top batches by mashing in an esky with a bag. I find it great as can batch sparge using this method and don't have to worry about wrapping anything up for insulation.
I just poor my first runnings into an empty fermentor while the pot still has water in it. Also means I can first wort hop.

Your suggested method is almost the same as the esky and bag combo I use, but on a bit of a larger scale.


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## Phillo (17/9/13)

I use a stainless braid from a hose for a manifold in my esky. It was supposed to only see me through for a brew or two until I made it down to BeerBelly for a falsie. I never got around to getting the falsie, and the braid is still rockin' many brews later. A cheap option if you want me to post a pic when I get home.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

I found a lit that is almost a perfect fit. Has a tiny tiny little gap around one side, but that's no biggie.

Please do post a pic, Phillo. 

As Bum said however, I might need to look into doing a sparge to get my pre boil volume if I go down the esky path.


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## Dave70 (17/9/13)

headfreak said:


> Definitely this. Discovered my thermometer was dodgy during my last brew. Looking like ending up with a very sweet red ale after mashing at a random temp.


I used the hombrewing urban myth when this happened to me once of making the mash water hot enough that you can just stand sticking you finger in and out. 
Cant remember where I heard that one but it turned out OK (ish). Except for my finger.


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## big78sam (17/9/13)

Dave70 said:


> I used the hombrewing urban myth when this happened to me once of making the mash water hot enough that you can just stand sticking you finger in and out.
> Cant remember where I heard that one but it turned out OK (ish). Except for my finger.


You could do it old style and get half your strike water to exactly skin temperature, around 36 - this is easier to measure. Add the other half boiling water and this will get you to 68 degrees - (100 + 36) / 2. A bit more boiling water will get you strike to around 70, about right for a full volume mah.

Edited as my math sucks.


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## Phillo (17/9/13)

slcmorro said:


> I found a lit that is almost a perfect fit. Has a tiny tiny little gap around one side, but that's no biggie.
> 
> Please do post a pic, Phillo.
> 
> As Bum said however, I might need to look into doing a sparge to get my pre boil volume if I go down the esky path.


This is the inside of my esky mash tun before its maiden voyage (the rest of the brew day is documented somewhere over on the Coopers forum).







Piece of cake really. I just use a stainless fitting to weigh the end down. I honestly can't believe how long this thing seems to be lasting.

BTW, I always sparge. Even when I was BIABing.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

In laymans terms, can you explain why you use the manifold?


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## manticle (17/9/13)

No reason whatsoever not to use your bag in the esky. If you do though you might as well recirc and sparge too. Just treat it the same as a manifold and leave it in till the mash is done. Best other alternative is single vessel biab, full volume in the kettle/keggle. As Steve suggests it is a method you're comfortable with. An old doonah or sleeping bag for insulation will see you right along with some kind of lid
Losing a couple of degrees is not the end of the world.. Nothing's perfect first time around but it is fun.


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## Yob (17/9/13)

slcmorro said:


> In laymans terms, can you explain why you use the manifold?


Wort clarification


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## Steve (17/9/13)

After your 60 min mash you re-circulate the wort a few times back into the mash until the wort runs clear. You then start draining this into your keggle to boil.

Edit. This re-circulating is called sparging.


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## Phillo (17/9/13)

Isn't this called vorlaufing?


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## Steve (17/9/13)

Phillo said:


> Isn't this called vorlaufing?


yep, same meaning different name.


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## Phillo (17/9/13)

Thought sparging was rinsing the grains, not the recirculation.


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## Screwtop (17/9/13)

Steve said:


> After your 60 min mash you re-circulate the wort a few times back into the mash until the wort runs clear. You then start draining this into your keggle to boil.
> 
> Edit. This re-circulating is called sparging.


Best re-edit to be factual!

Screwy


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## vic45 (17/9/13)

slc, a 19 litre big W pot lid fits that keggle perfectly.


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## Hugh Jarse (17/9/13)

I purchased the same 4 burner recently and had my first brew on it the other day. Was quite impressed for the coin spent. Make sure you factor in some time to dial in the burner flame on each ring and away you go. Took me about 15 mins to get the rings where I was happy with them. Make sure you protect it from the wind though, they are very touchy with wind, a strong fart and they will blow all over the place! Having said that, I bought 25l to strike temp in 35 mins and then 28l (added another couple of litres) up to the rolling boil in another 25 mins. Whole operation I used 2.4kgs of gas.


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## jakethesnake559 (17/9/13)

Hi mate,
Duck up to Clark Rubber and grab a length of pinchweld seal like the pic below and run it around that sharp edge on your keggle.
It'll keep you from ripping your bag and also get you a better seal against whatever you end up using for a lid.
Go full BIAB :beerbang: .
Enjoy!!
Jake.


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## slcmorro (17/9/13)

I reckon Vic45 has done a cracking job with his donated keggle. The edges are all smooth on that lip. Will be catching up with him and others tomorrow night


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## manticle (17/9/13)

Steve said:


> Edit. This re-circulating is called sparging.


No it isn't.


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## Hammo7 (18/9/13)

I think your first approach will work well.
mash in the esky, then drain into the kettle. I have done this a couple of times for larger batches before I built my 3v with herms.
Put about 5 litres less the required volume of water in the esky (about 5 degrees above desired strike temp), bang on the lid and leave for about 5-10 minutes. This will kind of pre-heat your esky and you will lose less temp over the mash period. 
Once at strike temp, pop in the sheet, then grain, good stir, re-check temp, top up with the 5 litres hot or cold water to bring to mash temp, bang the lid on again. cover with a blanket and leave for an hour. (check it at half time if you really want to and give it a bit of a stir, but you will just lose more temp). 
Once mash is finished, give it a good stir, let sit for a couple of minutes. Leave the grain in the esky with the bag and slowly drain a couple of litres out. gently pour this back in not to stir up the liquid (vorlauf). This is a full volume mash, the grain bed will not compact as well as a normal mash, it will easily stir up with the liquid you pour back in - you don't have to do this step, but it just helps for a little bit clearer wort.
Slowly drain into your kettle and start to boil. You can always pour some hot water (80-85 degree) over the drained grain to get a bit more volume into the kettle if you are short.

Looking at your kettle, I would not try to BIAB in there because when pulling the bag (or the square in your case), it will literally go pear shaped and be very hard to squeeze though the top and you will have wort running down the sides of the keg. - Been there, done that!
Hope it all makes sense.
All in all, this will be your first attempt, so don't stress, get to know your gear and change your process to suit you. 
Cheers,
Hammo.


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## Steve (18/9/13)

manticle said:


> No it isn't.


There you go. You learn something new everyday. Always thought it was all the same thing. My mistake.


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## stm (19/9/13)

In laymans terms, can you explain why you use the manifold?



Yob said:


> Wort clarification


Seen as we are being pedantic, the reason you use a manifold (or false bottom or stainless steel braid) is to drain the wort more efficiently (ie faster) and to avoid channelling.

The reason you _*recirculate *_is for wort clarification.


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## Yob (19/9/13)

stm said:


> In laymans terms, can you explain why you use the manifold?
> 
> 
> Seen as we are being pedantic, the reason you use a manifold (or false bottom or stainless steel braid) is to drain the wort more efficiently (ie faster) and to avoid channelling.
> ...


I recirculate through my manifold 

I dont really use it to drain 'faster' as I fly sparge so liquor in = ~1lt p/m and wort out = 1lt p/m so speed doesnt really come into play at all. (For my set up) 

also, just because you use a False bottom or manifold doesnt mean you cant get channelling.


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## slcmorro (19/9/13)

My burner arrived today, the heavy fucker of a thing!


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## wbosher (19/9/13)

slcmorro said:


> My burner arrived today, the heavy fucker of a thing!


Pictures or it didn't happen


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## slcmorro (19/9/13)

Your wish is my command...


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## wbosher (19/9/13)

So you're pretty much set to go then?


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## slcmorro (19/9/13)

Just about. Gotta get me some grain and make the hole in the keggle slightly larger so the chiller will fit, and I'll be doing my first brew next week


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## yum beer (19/9/13)

I doubt you'll even turn that outer ring on.

Tossed up buying the 4 ring but went the 3....boils 35 litres no problem in a keggle.

Would have got a 4 burner if the price was good, I paid the same for mine as you got yours.

Brew hard young man.


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## wbosher (19/9/13)

So after all the suggestions here, how you going to do it? Straight BIAB, or some other method?


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## slcmorro (19/9/13)

I'm set on BIAB in the esky as my mash tun for now. Might look into a false bottom later on down the track


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## slcmorro (20/9/13)

I figured someone might be interested to see my ghetto setup...

I now have my patented keggle stand in working order. If anyone wants one, PM me and we can arrange a price. Super high tech, you'll be mind blown when you see it...





Three bricks, and old bike rim and the 4 ring burner. I told you, this shit is as high tech as it comes. Yes, the bricks are kiln fired so they *shouldn't* go shattering/crumbling on me, sending litres of scalding wort all over the garage floor.


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## yum beer (20/9/13)

Let me know when the Mark II comes out, I really want the flexibilty of adjustable bricks.
Or is there an option?


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## Camo6 (20/9/13)

Hey mate, I'd chuck a piece of cement sheet under that burner just in case. I don't know how hot it gets under one of those burners but I've seen concrete explode and send burning chunks 30 feet high. (Don't have a bonfire on concrete cattle yards and surround it with people!)


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## slcmorro (20/9/13)

Mk2 will feature RED bricks. Watch this space.

Good idea Camo. I'll do just that


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## yum beer (20/9/13)

Please add me to the marketing list.....will they be painted bricks or factory tinted...


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## slcmorro (20/9/13)

I don't think I'll have time to paint the bricks myself, owing to the huge demand for these systems, so they'll be coloured accordingly at the factory. Also as an extra option, you can choose if you want a rim off a mans or womans bike. Personally, I like the mens bikes but having seen some of the potential clientele, I think there might be a demand for both.


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## mmmyummybeer (20/9/13)

yum beer said:


> I doubt you'll even turn that outer ring on.
> 
> Tossed up buying the 4 ring but went the 3....boils 35 litres no problem in a keggle.
> 
> ...


I find the 4th rings good when the gas bottle is nearly out.

I also remember seeing a post somewhere about exploding concrete from these burners running on the ground. I have mine in one of the square stands. Would recommend either using one or put something underneath it.

Ive found it to be a good burner and has worked well for me over the years.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (20/9/13)

Just another thought with my safety hat on, will there by ample air flow from underneath the burner, they usually sit on supports about a foot off the ground if im not mistaken? Best to ensure at least a few inches minimum to make sure the flame is controlled and not starved of air and prone to flashes of combustion?


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## Camo6 (20/9/13)

slcmorro said:


> (snip) ' you can choose if you want a rim off a mans or womans' (snip)


You know you're not gonna sneak that one past Cocko or JYO.


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## lael (22/9/13)

Sweet! They still have the burners on grays online! What is it like? What size pot could it handle do you think?


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## bum (22/9/13)

Camo6 said:


> You know you're not gonna sneak that one past Cocko or JYO.


Pretty sure you could sneak _anything_ past Cocko and jyo.

Wouldn't even touch the sides.


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## Camo6 (22/9/13)

Like dangling a worm over a bucket.


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## bum (22/9/13)

Like walking through a warm room.


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## Camo6 (22/9/13)

Bwahahahaha!


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## slcmorro (22/9/13)

lael said:


> Sweet! They still have the burners on grays online! What is it like? What size pot could it handle do you think?


It fits my keggle, which is a squat size keggle. Wider than CUB kegs. I just went out to the shed and measured it for you and the OD of the entire burner is 110cm. Hope that helps.


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## lael (22/9/13)

What is the max volume you've boiled in it? Was thinking a 100l pot


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## slcmorro (22/9/13)

Nothing yet. Doing the first run right now


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## lael (22/9/13)

Awesome. Did it come with a reg?


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## slcmorro (22/9/13)

Yes, hose and reg. However, I'm going to ask a question about that now.

I'm running it for the first time now on full noise. It doesn't seem all that efficient however. The bottom of the keggle is sooting up pretty black, and the water (heating sparge water right now) is taking a loooooong time to get up to temperature. This is most likely due to a low pressure regulator, right? I'd be better off getting a high pressure reg and attaching that to the burner so it burns faster and 'cleaner', yes?


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## Camo6 (22/9/13)

Not familiar with your burner but a medium or high pressure reg would definitely make a difference. Is the burner getting enough oxygen? Can you raise the keggle a bit? My spiral burner was sooting badly. Found half the holes were filled with rust. Also mounted it a tad lower. Did a batch yesterday and bottom of keggle was spotless.


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## slcmorro (22/9/13)

The burner is definitely getting enough oxygen. It's got plenty of space to suck it in, so I can rule that out. I'll look into a better regulator methinks. This one will do the job, but I don't think it's all that efficient and I don't particularly like a keggle covered in soot


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## vic45 (22/9/13)

slc, have you tried opening up the valves just in front of the taps on your burner?
This made a huge difference to mine.


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## slcmorro (22/9/13)

Not sure exactly what you mean mate?


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## manticle (22/9/13)

slcmorro said:


> Yes, hose and reg. However, I'm going to ask a question about that now.
> 
> I'm running it for the first time now on full noise. It doesn't seem all that efficient however. The bottom of the keggle is sooting up pretty black, and the water (heating sparge water right now) is taking a loooooong time to get up to temperature. This is most likely due to a low pressure regulator, right? I'd be better off getting a high pressure reg and attaching that to the burner so it burns faster and 'cleaner', yes?


4 ring burner is adequate with the regular bbq reg but a medium pressure adjustable reg will make a big difference.


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## wbosher (23/9/13)

Next to the taps on the burner are what look like large washers, these can be adjusted to let oxygen in. I had the same problem as you with yellow flame and heaps of soot. I opened these up and that made a massive difference. I use a standard BBQ regulator on a 50L stockpot, heats up to strike temp in 20 or 30 mins.


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## slcmorro (23/9/13)

Aaah, so that's what they're for. I thought they were like a blanking plate to stop the gas from getting out. I'll have a play. They're all at present, flush against the back of each inlet.


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## wbosher (24/9/13)

Open them up and see if that makes a difference to the flame, I suspect it will.


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## slcmorro (24/9/13)

Just for those following this thread, here is the recipe and results of my first AG...

3.5kg JW Pilsner
0.85kg Vienna 
0.66kg Munich (Didn't have enough Vienna, so this substitued)
20gm of 12.2% Galaxy @60
10gm Galaxy @30
10gm Galaxy @10
10gm Galaxy @0
US05 at 14C

According to BrewMate, I got 64% efficiency on this one. Turned out at 1040 OG, 1010 Est FG @ 25L.
I diluted it a bit more than intended, by screwing up either my sparge amount or estimated boil off, but hey we live and learn. Should come out at 3.9% and 42IBU, which I don't mind at all.


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## MCHammo (24/9/13)

Nice work! Sounds like a great platform to build from. Keep it up.


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## slcmorro (24/9/13)

Some steps I'll take next time to maybe boost my efficiency will include:

A 90min mash, instead of a 60min mash.
Ensuring I measure the right amount of sparge water.
I'll try to sparge at 80c, rather than 75c.
I'll sparge slower and more consistently. This time, it literally took me 5 minutes to sparge, which after doing some reading is waaaaaay too fast.
Look into a false bottom.
I'll do a boil off with plain water in the coming days to measure that loss.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (30/9/13)

did you end up mashing in the keggle? with or without insulaton? what was your temp drop over the hour?


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## slcmorro (30/9/13)

No mate, Esky. Made it easier to set and forget, and also boil up sparge water. Dropped 0.4c over 60 mins.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (30/9/13)

Nice one, can probably call that a negligible temp change for practical homebrewing purposes 

I scored a keggle and 3 ring burner for $70, so sussing out whether it will need insulation or not. Will just suck it up and see how it goes without insulation first! Maybe a couple towels over the lid


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## slcmorro (30/9/13)

Nice.


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## slcmorro (12/10/13)

slcmorro said:


> Just waiting on my 4 ring gas burner to arrive: http://www.graysonline.com/retail/sitrorb4/sporting--leisure-good/large-cast-iron-ring-burner?spr=true which cost me a grand total of $55 delivered. Should be here today or tomorrow.


+1 to drilling out the holes in the burner ever so slightly. I've done 3 AG brews with this now, and while I can keep a good rolling boil with the outermost ring only (once up to temp), I decided to drill out each burner hole individually to great effect. I was literally just cleaning out all the old casting and smoothing off (bore polishing, basically) the inside of each hole with a drill bit slightly larger than the holes. I fired the burner up afterwards, and other than a pretty sparkler show (I tipped the burner upsidedown and tapped it with a hammer a few times before this too) from the residual soot and iron particles, I got a ripping burn going with just the standard regulator supplied.


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## manticle (12/10/13)

Sparge speed is mostly only relevant if fly sparging. Are you fly sparging?


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## slcmorro (12/10/13)

No.


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## manticle (12/10/13)

Don't worry too much about sparge speed then. Make temps accurate and appropriate, let the batch sparge sit for 5-10 mins after being well stirred, recirculate well and when you are happy with your process, look at adding in some calcium.


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## Droughtmaster (12/10/13)

i dont sparge .
i tried and all i got was astrignisee now i dont bother i just let drain for about 1/2 a hr and i havent missed my numbers yet.
for most brews .


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