Cocko Goes 3v...

[Cocko]

Well after 37 BIAB's I found the need to make bigger batches due to brewing for 3... SWMBO, Father in law and myself...

So after building up the gear over the last couple of months today was the day!

The day starts, heat 45L of water in my keggle, BIAB pot now HLT, with immersion heater to 79 deg and add 35L to 100L mash tun. shooting for a strike temp of 72 deg. and quite the tun to heat up...

Shut lid and begin to heat more water in HLT... Get to 80 deg and add another 20L - sorry 22kg grain bill - so now 55L in MT and MM temp gauge reading 69 deg :huh: Thank god for my immersion element - throw it in the MT and bring the temp up to 72... phew...

Dough in stir the f*ck out of it with new paddle and as if magic 66 deg - awesome! B)

Mash for 1 1/2 hours....

Add 10L of 98 deg. water to try and get mash out temp... Na, no change in temp, so add another 10L... na, no change - now tun is pretty much full to the brim... not a lot I can do but take first runnings.. :angry:

Q. Any one know how much water at what temp will bring a 55L water, 22 kg grain, mash to mash out temp? ALSO, how important is mashout? Obviously best to do but have I made a huge error here?

Take running till clear and run off into kettle.

Batch sparge twice and beside the above the day goes pretty well....

Only other drama was the F*CKING wind would not let my for ring burner bring 98 odd litre to the boil - AGAIN thank god for my immersion heater...

Well another boring 'I did this' post but had share and more importantly say thanks to ALL who have helped to get to this stage. In particular Fents, a mighty man! :icon_chickcheers:

Mash:
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Anyway measurements give me 78% efficiency so not a bad first run on the new rig!

 

[Sammus]

Congrats! You are now a REAL brewer

 

[Maple]

Congrats! You are now a REAL brewer

I didn't see a march pump in there...

But seriously, great stuff Cocko!

 

[fraser_john]

Q. Any one know how much water at what temp will bring a 55L water, 22 kg grain, mash to mash out temp? ALSO, how important is mashout? Obviously best to do but have I made a huge error here?

Mashout out temp is important if you want a reasonable efficiency, it makes the sugar less viscous in solution and aids the sparge.

John

 

[Cocko]

Cheers guys!

Fraser_john, cheers for that - so ending up at 78%, it really only means my system is capable of more?

 

[Bribie G]

Congrats! You are now a REAL brewer

No, just too weak to pull a 90 kilo bag. Ve haf vays of making you pull.

 

[raven19]

Nice work on that massive batch!

To your Q - I think you will require a massive vessel to lift 55L of water up to mash out temps... The best alternative will be a 3rd vessel if this is going to become a regular brew occurance.

A basic calc... 66 deg 55L + 95 deg 55L sparge water approx = 110L approx 80 deg give or take... plus the grains will stabilise the temperatures more making it harder to lift the temperatures!

 

[Effect]

I would recommend doing a decoction mash out...save more water for the sparge!

 

[Cocko]

No, just too weak to pull a 90 kilo bag. Ve haf vays of making you pull.

No, I can lift it its just the voile that want hold up

Nice work on that massive batch!

To your Q - I think you will require a massive vessel to lift 55L of water up to mash out temps... The best alternative will be a 3rd vessel if this is going to become a regular brew occurance.

A basic calc... 66 deg 55L + 95 deg 55L sparge water approx = 110L approx 80 deg give or take... plus the grains will stabilise the temperatures more making it harder to lift the temperatures!

Hmmm....

I would recommend doing a decoction mash out...save more water for the sparge!

How would I do that?


Cheers again all!

 

[fraser_john]

Cheers guys!

Fraser_john, cheers for that - so ending up at 78%, it really only means my system is capable of more?

Yup, I regularly get 82% and on Saturday got 84%!

John

 

[Darren]

Mashout out temp is important if you want a reasonable efficiency, it makes the sugar less viscous in solution and aids the sparge.

John

Mash out preserves the fermentability profile of the beer (ie inactivates the enzymes and stops them doing any further work on the sugars).

The high liquor to grain ratio and the fact that all the sugar CAN drain in a BIAB system means that efficiencies will be good without a sparge.

cheers

Darren

 

[Cocko]

Cheers Guys!

Ok, so I am sitting here thinking what could be better about my rig, besides the mashout thing, and I am coming up with the fact it took f*cking ages to get the first runnings clear...

Is there any harm in covering my copper manifold slot cut lengths in SS braid or maybe even Swiss Voile? I am thinking surely the copper will hold the weight and the braid or voile will just create a much better 'filter' to 'drain' the tun.. or not?

:icon_cheers:

 

[clean brewer]

Cheers Guys!

Ok, so I am sitting here thinking what could be better about my rig, besides the mashout thing, and I am coming up with the fact it took f*cking ages to get the first runnings clear...

Is there any harm in covering my copper manifold slot cut lengths in SS braid or maybe even Swiss Voile? I am thinking surely the copper will hold the weight and the braid or voile will just create a much better 'filter' to 'drain' the tun.. or not?

:icon_cheers:

All "Trial & Error" mate hey, wouldnt want to change systems to much...

The only concern maybe with braid over the manifold is the old dreaded "Stuck Sparge" and that would be a Mother F----- on a triple/quadraple batch.. :unsure:

CB

 

[Cocko]

All "Trial & Error" mate hey

Yep, you are spot on me thinks..... Shouldn't be running mental mods until I have really gotten to know the big fella [rig] a little better! Damn OCD!

Cheers, AGAIN, CB for your more than useful input! :icon_chickcheers:

:icon_cheers:

 

[Cocko]

All in all I just love the fact I can now make 90 odd litres of beer in a day!!


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[clean brewer]

Hey Mate,

What size is your pot again? How long do you boil for? And do you know how much you boiled off in litres? :icon_cheers:

I might be able to get on top of brewing now with a couple double batches to get me on top of things now that I have this big pot plumbed up and working with the HP Reg :super: .... Did a test tonight, other than a small leak, I had 56ltrs of water at the start of the boil and finished off with about 49-50 ltrs after 90 mins, so pretty happy with that.... Once I get on top of my Beer Stocks, ill do singles and focus on some recipes for the QABC...

CB

 

[Cocko]

Hey Mate,

What size is your pot again? How long do you boil for? And do you know how much you boiled off in litres? :icon_cheers:

I might be able to get on top of brewing now with a couple double batches to get me on top of things now that I have this big pot plumbed up and working with the HP Reg :super: .... Did a test tonight, other than a small leak, I had 56ltrs of water at the start of the boil and finished off with about 49-50 ltrs after 90 mins, so pretty happy with that.... Once I get on top of my Beer Stocks, ill do singles and focus on some recipes for the QABC...

CB

Pot is 120L bro...

I did a 60 min boil, started with about 98L and pulled out about 82L - Don't really know loss to evaporation because I am yet to know my cube volumes exactly [20L blue willow ones]... But I must have left 3-6L in the kettle due to trub and bad pick up tube design.... I am thinking it is around 15% as predicted...

I am using this rig as a keg filler and as far as playing with styles go, I will just bring out the bag again

BTW: Soo glad the reg. tip came through for you!

Thanks for your support from the start CB - my taps are open if you are ever around my way!


:icon_chickcheers:

 

[clean brewer]

Pot is 120L bro...

I did a 60 min boil, started with about 98L and pulled out about 82L - Don't really know loss to evaporation because I am yet to know my cube volumes exactly [20L blue willow ones]... But I must have left 3-6L in the kettle due to trub and bad pick up tube design.... I am thinking it is around 15% as predicted...

I am using this rig as a keg filler and as far as playing with styles go, I will just bring out the bag again

BTW: Soo glad the reg. tip came through for you!

Thanks for your support from the start CB - my taps are open if you are ever around my way!

Cheers mate,
You must get a good boil happening there? Did that batch go into 4 cubes for the 82ltrs? Sorry for nit-picking questions....

I think Ill do a couple double batches to get some stocks up for a start...... Im thinking, I may do a few doubles and sell 1 cube to this guy I showed a brewday last week as he loves the AG flavour but is a little unsure ATM of crossing over, and keep 1 for myself....

Ill stick to singles for different brews etc, but just want to get some beer happening first..

Cheers again mate for the Reg, I rung and ordered it on Tuesday and I received it 1st thing this morning, awesome work that from that supplier....

Taps are open to you to mate if you are ever up this way also.. Now, just have to install these 2 SS Perlicks I just bought....

CB

 

[Cocko]

Cheers mate,
You must get a good boil happening there? Did that batch go into 4 cubes for the 82ltrs? Sorry for nit-picking questions....

I think Ill do a couple double batches to get some stocks up for a start...... Im thinking, I may do a few doubles and sell 1 cube to this guy I showed a brewday last week as he loves the AG flavour but is a little unsure ATM of crossing over, and keep 1 for myself....

Ill stick to singles for different brews etc, but just want to get some beer happening first..

Cheers again mate for the Reg, I rung and ordered it on Tuesday and I received it 1st thing this morning, awesome work that from that supplier....

Taps are open to you to mate if you are ever up this way also.. Now, just have to install these 2 SS Perlicks I just bought....

CB

If it wasn't for the wind :angry: I could have controlled the boil much better but with a burner being blown about and immersion heater I ended up to get a good roll on!

Batch went into 2 cubes, blue willow type 23 odd L each [Guessing] and 2 fermenters.. 22L in one and 14 into another. I have until this point 'No-Chilled' in a fermenter and am without issues... :unsure: So will pitch the fermenters in the morn and run the cubes up over the next couple of weeks! easy.....

I love it, how much do you sell a cube for? I have a K&K brewer at work who is intrigued by the AG thing and is hanging to do his own... maybe I can sell him a cube for $25 out of a 4 cube batch it only seems fair!!

Cheers!

Keep us posted on anything that happens in the CB red square!

 

[clean brewer]

Cool, thanks mate....

Well, he has (not to sure how often), been buying the odd Fresh Wort Kit from LHBS for $39 for a 15ltr cube :unsure: , so I reckon I could move a full 22-23ltr Batch for $30 surely, still cheap and saves him some cash and a bit more of a taste of some Fresh AG.. I really would like to see him come over to the other side but he is a real VIRGIN on brewing, just been doing K&K but he has Temp Control sorted and kegs so just 1 more step really.....

:icon_cheers: CB