Buying a large BIAB pot.

[zeggie]

I also tend to only drink a longneck or two in a session. I had considered getting 5L mini kegs, but even at that smallish volume I'd need a mate to come over and help me polish it off. U

Do a search for the tap king mod threads. They might be right up your alley. Can just sit in your fridge.

 

[n87]

I have a 80L pot, and do double batches. i usually do a full day, and knock out 100L or wort (4 cubes)
with 80L, i rekon i will be able to get 3 20L cubes... ive just got 25's.

If you are planning on doing triple batches, look up 'cubing' or 'no chill'. this allows you to have 1 brew day, and ferment a leisure.



I also am using 5L mini kegs. i have a mini keg chiller/dispenser that i have modded to use an external CO2 bottle as opposed to the expensive 16g bulbs
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-BEER-COOLER-DISPENSER-FOR-5L-KEG-WITH-LCD-TEMPERATURE-DISPLAY-/191353592419?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item2c8d901a63

 

[manticle]

Expensive but you can buy 9 L kegs. Beer in kegs will keep, provided they are under CO2 (you can either leave gas on if you have no leaks or give them a blast every few pours).

All beer changes, ages, stales, oxidises whatever - this can be good for some styles and bad for others. It happens in bottles and it happens in kegs. Kegs, being light resistant and flushed with CO2 do a decent job of preserving your beer.

Either that or start drinking more.

 

[kaiserben]

Great info in all 3 posts above. Thanks guys.

I'm now tempted to go down the 5L route (and possibly get that chiller/dispenser that n87 posted above).

These look good, http://minikeg.net.au/new-products.php?temp=8 (but is there somewere I can buy just 5L minikegs without the $100 party star dispenser?)

 

[Aces High]

My standard is a double batch. I have a 115L pot and have done a number of triple batches. I tend to hold back about 5L of water just to keep some extra headroom in the pot.

I also have 2 x brew bags. When I am doing a 15+ kilo brew I use both bags, one inside the other. I have also seen people use 2 x bags, but would have 8kg in each and have them side by side. Both options work and a triple brew is not any harder than a double and only takes maybe half an hour longer for heat up and extra draining times.

You can do a double in a triple sized pot, you can't do it the other way around...well you can but its gonna be annoying

 

[QldKev]

Thanks guys, I started looking through the brew rig thread last night and saw QLDKEVS rig though he said it was about to change and haven't got to it yet. I'm wondering whether to go more towards a 76litre setup now due to some replies. I wasn't planning on jumping straight to triple batches as I don't even have recipes down pat yet let alone the process but was aiming to scale up as I got confident.
Yep I'm definitely not a big fan of cleaning! A double batch into a 60ltr fermenter would make sense, though I'm still bottling and that's a lot of bottles sigh....

Not sure which one of my rigs you looked at, I've had a few over the years

I started with a single BIAB which worked great
and then
a side by side setup so I could do a single and a double simultaneously
and then
I got a 140L pot for my 3V and messed with 100L batches of BIAB
and then
built my 3V
and then
my 1V / BIAB


I still run both the 3V and my 1V. The 3V is great for 112L batches. I love brewing up to 28L batches on my 1V. You can scale a BIAB up to do bigger batches, but I find it loses the fun factor of a brew day. If you were to scale BIAB up I would recommend a solid pot to replace the bag and go more to the 1V design. To me my 3V is more work to setup/cleanup but it makes the handling of the larger batches heaps easier. I've only done about 3 beer batches on my 3V this year, the rest have been done on my 1V. I'd even be happy to run two of my 1Vs side by side. I use mathos controller, it just set and walk away to let it do it's thing.

As mentioned above, a 100L pot is no where near big enough for a triple, it's just going to make your life hard.

 

[n87]

Great info in all 3 posts above. Thanks guys.

I'm now tempted to go down the 5L route (and possibly get that chiller/dispenser that n87 posted above).

These look good, http://minikeg.net.au/new-products.php?temp=8 (but is there somewere I can buy just 5L minikegs without the $100 party star dispenser?)

http://www.cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/index.php/kegging-dispensing-accessories/kegs-new-second-hand?route=product/product&path=58&product_id=476
with the chiller/dispenser and:
http://www.cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/index.php/co2-gas-bottles-regulators-accessories?route=product/product&path=76&product_id=224
http://www.cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/index.php/co2-gas-bottles-regulators-accessories?route=product/product&path=76&product_id=239
http://www.cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/index.php/kegging-dispensing-accessories/fonts?route=product/product&path=76&product_id=821

=

 

[technobabble66]

Looks great n87!
Pretty cheap way to get into kegging for small apartments, etc.

I notice on the CP website they say the 5L kegs should be replaced after 6-8 refills.
Do you do this?
Or are they just covering their butts and you essentially use them dozens of times each?


Apologies to the OP for the OT!!

 

[n87]

Looks great n87!
Pretty cheap way to get into kegging for small apartments, etc.

I notice on the CP website they say the 5L kegs should be replaced after 6-8 refills.
Do you do this?
Or are they just covering their butts and you essentially use them dozens of times each?


Apologies to the OP for the OT!!

i havnt got that far yet.
Given that you cab them 'naturally' (sugar) they sit for at least 2 weeks once they have been filled.
you then tap 1, empty, clean, refill. same as bottles. can be 3 months before they are filled again,
So even if you replace them every 7 uses, that can be a year or more away.

Im only up to my 2nd and 3rd uses.

 

[technobabble66]

Fair enough!
I'm a cheap ******* though, so the idea of having to re-purchase every 12-24months is less appealing. That's all.
Still looks pretty damn good - it has me thinking....

 

[n87]

Yean, i dont like the idea of having to replace them either... but my plan is to go to big boy kegs when we get the renos done on the house, and i have some room.
So, in a year or so, i will be moving the lot on (except the CO2 bottle and reg... this will be used for a picnic setup )

 

[welly2]

Either that or start drinking more.

This is definitely the best option.

 

[contrarian]

I've been brewing for over 12 months with a craftbrewer 70l pot and basically only do double batches unless I am making a high gravity beer. I also no chill so don't have to ferment all the beer at once and end up with ample variety.

I should add that my double batch is 40L into cubes which works out to be 2 kegs. I'm sure you could do a 60L batch in a 100L pot, it depends on your definition of a triple batch!

While I love brewing I don't get to do it as much as I'd like so this works out well for me.

 

[n87]

I've been brewing for over 12 months with a craftbrewer 70l pot and basically only do double batches unless I am making a high gravity beer. I also no chill so don't have to ferment all the beer at once and end up with ample variety.

I should add that my double batch is 40L into cubes which works out to be 2 kegs. I'm sure you could do a 60L batch in a 100L pot, it depends on your definition of a triple batch!

While I love brewing I don't get to do it as much as I'd like so this works out well for me.

i can get 50L out of an 80L pot without trying, if you cant get 60L out of a 100L pot... your doing something wrong

 

[Hoploader]

Thanks everyone for all the help. QLDKEV has me worried about where the journey leads!!! Not totally sure but going to aim to get the 114ltr blichmann but may back down to the 76 in which case the SS will come into play. The 114 will give me the chance to try the triples to see if it works but is a lot more it it doesn't. I really want the 304 grade stainless, so will have to pat the piggy bank very nicely before squeezing the life from it. Apart from that I'll have to get a burner, mill............ And somewhere kegs need to fit in cause bottles suck the big one!. Ouchy.

 

[contrarian]

i can get 50L out of an 80L pot without trying, if you cant get 60L out of a 100L pot... your doing something wrong

Absolutely, but if your triple is 70-75 litres you might be pushing it!

 

[Camo6]

Wanna sell me your 70l when the time comes?

Done.

Big hats off to Spiesy for selling me his old kettle now that he's joined the elite fraternity of the Brautherhood. Gave it a good clean and a new pickup, now keen to get a brew on.


And yeah, I reckon that pickup is tempting fate. Hop spider for the maiden run!

 

[Spiesy]

Big hats off to Spiesy for selling me his old kettle now that he's joined the elite fraternity of the Brautherhood. Gave it a good clean and a new pickup, now keen to get a brew on.

20141215_174902 (1280x720).jpg

20141215_195513 (1280x720).jpg

And yeah, I reckon that pickup is tempting fate. Hop spider for the maiden run!

That came up really nice mate, did you use an acid to clean?

Nice pickup tube also!

 

[Camo6]

Just a bit of Barkeeper's Friend and a scrubby.