Double Batch Help!

[Jase]

G'day All,

After a good handful of single batch AG's, I've decided to attempt a double batch, due to limited brewing days, however I'm trying to work out whether it's possible to do with the equipment I have on hand, a 20 litre urn (HLT), 50 litre MT and 80 litre kettle. The only piece of equipment I'm unsure about is the HLT. I know that I should increase the size of my HLT, but am limited for the time being.

The first grain bill will be 10.6 kgs. Is it possible to achieve a double batch with such a small urn? If so, any ideas on how I go about achieving this?

Cheers,
Jase

 

[cdbrown]

Any stock pots from the kitchen you could use to supplement the HLT?

 

[Fents]

10.6 KG of grain with 20L of mash in water will be a mash in ratio of about 1.8L per KG....bit on the low side, you really are looking for about 2.5-3Litres per KG of grain. That said it will just be a thick mash, i would get another pot of water on your stove to mash in with as well.....

Ypou really want to mash in with about 30L's of water so you only need another 10L's on the stove?

as for spaging well you can just sparge as many times as you want (keep filling up the urn when it emptys) assuming you are batch sparging....fly sparging will not be do-able.

your kettle size is absolutley fine. go for it.

 

[MeLoveBeer]

I'd use your kettle to heat the initial mash in and mash out water (basically all water before you start lautering) and even boil water with your kettle to store in a bucket (perhaps a spare fermenter?) to supplement your HLT.

If you do a bit of juggling you should be able to make it happen easy enough...

 

[Jase]

I'd use your kettle to heat the initial mash in and mash out water (basically all water before you start lautering) and even boil water with your kettle to store in a bucket (perhaps a spare fermenter?) to supplement your HLT.

If you do a bit of juggling you should be able to make it happen easy enough...

Hi MeLoveBeer,

I was just sitting here thinking the same thing......... then thought why didn't I think of that earlier!!!!! :unsure: I just need to get another mashmaster thermometer!!!!

Fents,

Thanks for your help. I thought 1.8l per kg may be a bit low........ thanks for confirming that!!!!

Cheers,
Jase

 

[argon]

Is your MT able to take direct heat? eg direct fired metal pot or element in an esky.

Option 1. If MT able to be heated, just prepare your mash in water (approx 30L) in the MT. Dough in. Sparge as many times as you want with the 20L urn.

Option 2. Boil 20L in the urn. Add water to M, then balance with cold water to hit strike temp then dough in. Sparge as many times as you want with the 20L urn.

The 80L kettle will do it no worries.

 

[clarkey7]

MLB,

It's doable without the kitchen stove.

Boil Maximum in your HLT...........you then mix in the tap/cold water (in jugs/buckets or the MT as it Argons option 2) to give you plenty of volume of strike water at 75 degrees.........

Good luck with it...

PB

 

[WarmBeer]

Option 1. If MT able to be heated, just prepare your mash in water (approx 30L) in the MT. Dough in. Sparge as many times as you want with the 20L urn.

Option 1a. If MT is not able to be heated, i.e. an esky, how well does it hold the heat? Just dump in your first 20lt, close the lid, heat up another 10lt of water in your urn, dump that in, then dough in.

If you're going to go multiple sparges, you'll probably want to pre-heat your second sparge water and keep it aside prior to sparging. I doubt many urns can bring ~20lt of water up from tap temp to sparge temp within the 10-20 mins in between your first and second sparge. But it should be capable of bringing it up from 50-60 deg up to ~76 in that time no worries.