Dead Set Biabginner with 19L BigW Stockpot

[damoninja]

Appreciate the plug but shipping to Mt Gambier may not be worth it

Not in a hurry to sell it brewing stuff can take a while to move in Adelaide so if you happen to make it this way at any point holla

 

[simmo1972]

Well the ingredients are ordered, I ended up ordering enough for two batches.

I like your thinking but I wasn't going to run out and buy the inkbird just yet... At this time of year I'm pretty confident of being able to maintain a steady temperature without it.

Welcome to the slippery slope. Did you get seperate bags for each grain? If mixed and 1 big bag your weight of grains will be all other the place if split into two brews.

 

[simmo1972]

I used a cheap candy thermometer on some string in my first couple of 19l biab.

 

[Judanero]

If you're going to use a thermometer buy once, cry once (a decent lab one is ~$20) and calibrate it in boiling water and an ice slurry.

I would have one even if you plan on getting a weldless.

 

[Shaz_au]

It's not a slippery slope its a freaking cliff! It's not the right time for the kettle damoninga but at least now I know the for sale section exists.

Simmo I got one recipe batch bagged together and the other batch of ingredients are all vacuum sealed separately to avoid this, thanks

Judanero do you have a link to where I can buy such a device? If a good one is that little I think that is the way to go. Otherwise I'll probably just go with the cheap one Boddington Boss recommended (thanks), I didn't realise any cheap digital ones might actually be accurate!

PS My evaporation rate is 2.2L/hr (with the lid hanging on the side of the pot) as per this photo from RedVjun's excellent mini BiAB guide!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

If you would like quick, cheap expandability, you might like to hit the 2 pot stovetop method thread.

I can get 25L comfortably from it and have squeezed 38L from it.

It's designed to be "what can I brew with the stuff already lying around home and a couple of astute purchases.

 

[altone]

It's not a slippery slope its a freaking cliff! It's not the right time for the kettle damoninga but at least now I know the for sale section exists.

Judanero do you have a link to where I can buy such a device? If a good one is that little I think that is the way to go. Otherwise I'll probably just go with the cheap one Boddington Boss recommended (thanks), I didn't realise any cheap digital ones might actually be accurate!

Hey I'm not recommending them or saying they're definitely accurate.
But they're cheap and will give you consistent results - even if they are 2-3 degrees up or down.
Like I said I'm lucky as I can check them against a lab certified thermometer.

One downside to the digitals is they can be slow to give a reading - keep checking until the temp remains the same for a while.

I use a Mashmaster dial thermometer and one of the digitals as well.

And yes it is a cliff but so long as you don't hit the ground you'll be fine - every purchase increases your altitude

If Judanero shares where to get a certified lab thermometer for $20 that covers 20-80C we can both buy one.
Mine was certified 25-60 and cost A LOT more.

I only use it for checking other thermometers as it's extremely difficult to read.

 

[Shaz_au]

Disclaimer noted

 

[Shaz_au]

Is something like this good for holding the hops (the larger 7cm version)?

https://www.spotlightstores.com/kitchen-dining/food-preparation/utensils-gadgets/metaltex-mesh-tea-ball-45-cm/p/80299274

Though I guess adding hops to it throughout the boil would be hard work...

 

[mtb]

Only if you plan to do a single hop addition, and that hop addition is fairly small.
Hops will swell, if there isn't room for them to swell in this ball you won't get all your hoppy goodness. Buy a hop spider or chuck 'em in loose.

If you do chuck them in loose, you'd get hop matter in your fermenter since you'd be pouring from your pot. You could get yourself a siphon and use it instead of pouring from your pot, this will let you draw wort off the top of settled crud and leave it out of your fermenter.

 

[damoninja]

Only if you plan to do a single hop addition, and that hop addition is fairly small.
Hops will swell, if there isn't room for them to swell in this ball you won't get all your hoppy goodness. Buy a hop spider or chuck 'em in loose.

If you do chuck them in loose, you'd get hop matter in your fermenter since you'd be pouring from your pot. You could get yourself a siphon and use it instead of pouring from your pot, this will let you draw wort off the top of settled crud and leave it out of your fermenter.

I'd say being a small batch in a 30L fermenter he won't even know they were there come bottling time.

Often dry hop in the 100s of grams rarely with any issues.

 

[mtb]

Yeah agreed, at that volume I doubt it'll be a problem

 

[altone]

Is something like this good for holding the hops (the larger 7cm version)?

https://www.spotlightstores.com/kitchen-dining/food-preparation/utensils-gadgets/metaltex-mesh-tea-ball-45-cm/p/80299274

Though I guess adding hops to it throughout the boil would be hard work...

If that's like the stainless bouqet garni balls, and it looks like it is - it'll do the job ok.
for a 1 shot hop addition.

I use a hopsock bought from Craftbrewer - cheap and you can easily do multiple hop additions.
Your LHBS would probably have something similar.

If you are thinking of forking out for a hop spider [I'll probably get flamed for this] I'd suggest not buying the 300micron ones.
I bought one to "upgrade" from the hopsock and found it restricted flow through the hops. I then sold it and went back to the hopsock.

The Mangrove Jack [and probably others] one has a coarser mesh and imho is a better product if you want to get
that hop utilisation and don't care about a bit of fine gunk in your boil.

 

[ScottyDoesntKnow]

I found a 500 micron hop spider on eBay for under $20 delivered. Ordered it a few weeks ago from China so should be here any day now. To be honest though, for the brew I did last week I just chucked everything in loose in the kettle and then strained through some Swiss voile sitting in a pasta strainer into the fermenter. Would have caught just about everything I reckon.

 

[altone]

I found a 500 micron hop spider on eBay for under $20 delivered. Ordered it a few weeks ago from China so should be here any day now. To be honest though, for the brew I did last week I just chucked everything in loose in the kettle and then strained through some Swiss voile sitting in a pasta strainer into the fermenter. Would have caught just about everything I reckon.

Thanks for that, hadn't noticed the 500 micron ones before on ebay - just ordered one too.

 

[Judanero]

Hey I'm not recommending them or saying they're definitely accurate.
But they're cheap and will give you consistent results - even if they are 2-3 degrees up or down.
Like I said I'm lucky as I can check them against a lab certified thermometer.

If Judanero shares where to get a certified lab thermometer for $20 that covers 20-80C we can both buy one.
Mine was certified 25-60 and cost A LOT more.

I only use it for checking other thermometers as it's extremely difficult to read.

I've got one of these:

http://www.anpros.com.au/laboratory-glassware-plasticware/thermometers/

I used the calibrated option, NOT certified but I checked it against a thermapen and a thermometer at the university and it was the same as both.

Temps tested were 50c, 66c, and 72c (I figured these were the thereabouts temps I would use it for) in a water bath, which I admit may not have been completely precise (water bath temp) but the important thing was the agreement with the other two thermometers.
It also agreed with the boiling water/ ice slurry test at home.

YMMV but I can only recommend what I've got and how I've found it, I wouldn't be ok with a 2-3c temp drift unless you knew which way it went and allowed for it.

 

[ScottyDoesntKnow]

Thanks for that, hadn't noticed the 500 micron ones before on ebay - just ordered one too.

Arrived in the post the other day, packed very badly in a bag with some thin foam sheets rolled up inside the basket. The whole thing is bent out of shape, will still do the job but probably won't last too long as a result. Emailed Mr. Chinese eBay seller and he has refunded me the cost.