# Fermenter Size For 10l Batches



## andrewdixon1000 (6/12/10)

Hi,

I'm planning on starting BIAB brewing in the next couple of weeks. I have a 12L stockpot so I've decided to make 10L batches. I currently have a 30L plastic bucket fermenter which I assume will be too big for fermenting 10L batches. I have a source for 12L and 20L plastic bucket fermenters (unfortunately no 15L ones). I'm a little wary of using a 12L bucket for a 10L batch but was thinking I could use a 20L bucket for the primary and (when necessary) a 12L bucket for a secondary.

Does this sound ok? Is 10L ok in a 20L primary? Is this too much headroom?

Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Andrew


----------



## Steve (6/12/10)

andrewdixon1000 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm planning on starting BIAB brewing in the next couple of weeks. I have a 12L stockpot so I've decided to make 10L batches. I currently have a 30L plastic bucket fermenter which I assume will be too big for fermenting 10L batches. I have a source for 12L and 20L plastic bucket fermenters (unfortunately no 15L ones). I'm a little wary of using a 12L bucket for a 10L batch but was thinking I could use a 20L bucket for the primary and (when necessary) a 12L bucket for a secondary.
> 
> ...



Spend $20 on a 19 litre pot from Big W rather than fiddle farting around with small batches and buckets.
Cheers
Steve


----------



## [email protected] (6/12/10)

I have done a couple of 7L batches in a 15L fermenter now, they worked fine.
So i dont see 10L in a 20L being a problem.


----------



## argon (6/12/10)

Steve said:


> Spend $20 on a 19 litre pot from Big W rather than fiddle farting around with small batches and buckets.
> Cheers
> Steve



+1 get the normal size fermenter and a 19L pot
Also i'm reposting this... but it's wortha read to everyone doing stovetops - have a read of RdeVjun's guide on BIABrewer.info for making a full- sized batch where the kettle volume is less than the usual 23 L brew length.

Perfect for getting a full size batch out of a small pot.


----------



## Lecterfan (6/12/10)

I've brewed a couple of 10L SMASH recipes in a "normal"/standard 30L fermenter. What is there to fear? If you pitch healthy yeast rates and all things are good the brew will build up a good layer of C02 quickly and off you go.

There is probably an enormous flaw that I have overlooked...but I've done 3 batches without problem. Also, don't want to sound like a nag but the Big W $20 19L pot is an enormously helpful way to get into AG. 

Good luck with your decision(s).


----------



## andrewdixon1000 (6/12/10)

Hi,

We don't have Big W here in New Zealand, and the only larger stock pots I can find for a price I'd be willing to pay are awful thin tinny things. I don't really want to make to make 20L batches. I want to experiment with a lot of recipes so 10L batches are a good size for me.

Thanks Lecterfan and Beer4U for the info. I might try my first batch in the 30L fermenter and see how I go. I had an idea that a big fermenter is not a big problem for a primary fermentation, but wasn't sure if 30L would be pushing it.

Thanks everyone
Andrew


----------



## Brewme (6/12/10)

Hi Andrew,

Nothing wrong with those tinny things. They boil the goodies in no time.

My missus got me a set of these:-

http://www.oo.com.au/Stainless_Steel_Stock...c-_-feed-_-null

Now I can boil, steep, sparge and cook dinner all at the same time 

If you're really serious about having a 15 litre fermenter, get the 30 litre and screw the lid on really tight. Then cut it in half at the 15 litre mark. Now you got 2. Cover with clingwrap.

When you're ready to do a bigger batch, use food grade silicon to stick the 2 halves back together.

Just kiddin'.

The advice already given in this post will see you through.

Cheers


----------



## seemax (6/12/10)

I started with small batches, using 12L and 8L stock pots. It worked fine but in the end you waste a lot of beer % wise.

For example, 2-3L trub post boil plus 1L at least when bottling... 10L of bottled beer with 4L or more waste.

However if you have the time (I certainly do not) then go for it!


----------



## wynnum1 (6/12/10)

how do you lose 1 L when bottling put into bottle and put in fridge and will settle out quickly .


----------



## ekul (6/12/10)

I use a thin tinny stockpots and it goes great! I biab and during mashing i prolly lose only 1-2 degrees, but i don't insulate it at all. I use my tinny stockpot with a burner that is *WAY* too big for it (32 jet mongolian) and i don't get any scorching at all, even when turned up full bore. I recently did a single batch in my 50L thin walled stockpot with the massive burner and had no troubles whatsoever (besides wasting a heap of gas!!!). So if you can afford a thin walled tinny stockpot i would say go for it! My stainless 80L stockpot only cost me $100, which was only $20 or so more than the 50L one. Plus in 10years if it break i'll buy a new one. 

If you do decide to do little batches, the normal fermenter will be fine. I've fermented 12L before in a normal fermenter without drama. PLus, when you eventually make bigger batches you won't need to buy a new fermenter. I've even fermented 20L in a 70L fermenter now that i think about it.

good luck mate


----------



## [email protected] (6/12/10)

seemax said:


> I started with small batches, using 12L and 8L stock pots. It worked fine but in the end you waste a lot of beer % wise.
> 
> For example, 2-3L trub post boil plus 1L at least when bottling... 10L of bottled beer with 4L or more waste.
> 
> However if you have the time (I certainly do not) then go for it!



I loose pretty much nothing to post boil trub, because its a smaller batch i can filter through a piece of voile and
a strainer without too much hassel - end up with fairly clear wort

My first few AG batches - from 7L into the fermenter i bottled approx 6.3L. 

But yeah i guess it depends on your situation and what you want - i want variety and to experiment


----------



## BjornJ (6/12/10)

you can buy one of those smaller 15 litre fermenters, I use one as I can squeeze it in the fridge on top of the normal 30 litre one. 
https://daveshomebrew.com.au/index.php?page...t&Itemid=99 


or just use your normal sized fermenter, nothing wrong with having a bit of headspace over the beer as far as I know.
The fermenting beer creates a blanket of CO2 over the beer, this helps keep anything else "touching" the beer.
Because of this CO2 blanket I can't see any issues using a standard sized fermenter with a half batch.


thanks
Bjorn


----------



## Strange Brew (10/12/10)

I bought a 15L fermenter from ebay for about $30 including postage a couple of weeks ago. Would be perfect for a 10L batch. Also if you are boiling 10L of water in a 12L pot with grain you are going to be overflowing so would spend $20 on a 15L from k-mart/target/BigW.

Cheers


----------



## yeastfeast (10/12/10)

I use 10L water containers for brewing small batches. They have a tap at the bottom and cost less than $10 at hardware stores like Bunnings. You just need to drill a hole in the lid to fit the airlock. I routinely brew 9L batches and bottle 8L. If you're just starting AG, it's a great way to brew a variety of beers quickly and you can experiment with different yeast and pitching rates.


----------



## Chookers (10/12/10)

I got a 15L fermenter with my wine kit from ibrew, I use it for 10L batches of beer. I love it.


----------



## Chookers (19/12/10)

Im looking at getting started in AG brewing, so far I have only been using kits. I would like to do BIAB, but my pot is 15L, and my fermenter is 15L.

Would anyone be able to tell me what quantities of grain and water I should be using in these sizes..

I dont mind making small batches (10L), is my equipment suitable? I really didnt want to buy another pot.


----------



## [email protected] (19/12/10)

I use a 5L pot for Mashing
I then sparge and boil in a 16L pot.

I am looking to by a slightly larger pot for mashing as it can get a bit tight, max 1.5kg grain.
But i am getting very good efficiency into boiler.
I only aim for 8L into fermenter.

You could do a small one pot BIAB with a 15L pot no worries, aiming for 10L batch would mean
high boil volumes, so possible boil overs?

If you want to mess around with AG small batches are pretty easy and fun. If you nail all your processes the finished product 
will be great.


----------



## Chookers (19/12/10)

Beer4U said:


> You could do a small one pot BIAB with a 15L pot no worries, aiming for 10L batch would mean
> high boil volumes, so possible boil overs?




This is what Im affraid of, I dont want a mess.

In a 15Lt pot, then just say 8Lt..

Roughly what quantity of grain am I looking at?
and what quantity of water?


----------



## [email protected] (19/12/10)

It depends on the recipe.

I have been doing well know recipes from AHB, scaling them down using beersmith.
Its hard to know first couple of goes, unitl you get an idea of what efficiency you are getting, how your boil goes, your chilling ect.

I have been using 1.3 to 1.5 kg of grain. Producing worts 1041 to 1046 = 7 or 8L
But if you are BIAB in one vessel you would prob up your grain weight to account for some possible less efficiency.

Download Beersmith, you get 21 days free trail, have a good play around with that, its a really good tool.
While not using the actual maths yourself (i am very bad with numbers) i think it is a great tool for helping with the 
learning of brewing AG beer.


----------



## notung (19/12/10)

I almost always do 10L batches now. As a bottler I don't like having lots and lots of bottles tied up with one sort of beer, preferring variety. I understand that fermenter sizes and 'cube' capacities are really important, especially if you 'no chill' your wort. I like using the taller 20L water carriers (like the Willow ones, except not blue) for primary because I can get two side by side in my fermentation fridge. If I'm cold conditioning or lagering I will rack the beer back into the 11L water carriers - the same ones I use to 'no chill' wort. This system works really well for me at the moment.

20L - primary






10L - no chill cube & secondary


----------



## yeastfeast (20/12/10)

Chookers said:


> This is what Im affraid of, I dont want a mess.
> 
> In a 15Lt pot, then just say 8Lt..
> 
> ...




I started BIAB with a 16L pot. I used to mash 2-3kg of grain in 12 litres of water and rinse the grain with an additional 2L. If I gave the bag a good squeeze Id have 13 litres in the pot at the start of the boil. 



Admittedly this was slightly too much for the size of the pot so Id suggest you aim to boil no more than 70% of your pots volume. I used this approach to make heaps of 10L brews without a boil over. However, I never took my eye off the pot at the start of the boil and adjusted the temperature accordingly.


----------



## Sneddy (28/12/10)

What I plan on using for my 10L batches is the 15L bottle you get the fresh wort kits in from ndbrewing. Figure a 15L fermenter would cost me more than the $2 refund for returning it.

They already have a thread for the tap so all I'm going to do is drill a hole in the lid for the grommit and airlock.


----------



## thylacine (28/12/10)

Sneddy,

I have four of the ND Brewing FWK containers I use for small batch experiments. I syphon as the container design and tap placement results in the trub being at least level with, if not completely submerging, the tap outlet. I too drilled a lid for an airlock but now just use gladwrap & rubber band.

I filled a container with 16.5L of hot water. ie. right to the brim. I regularly fill with 15L of wort, but set the Fridgemate at the yeast's lower end of temperature range. and a couple degrees lower for a couple days once the yeast kicks off. No blowovers. 

Napisan for cleaning.

Cheers


----------

