Kettle Too Small?

[snorbz]

Hey Guys,

I've been brewing for 2 months now, making kit + Liquid malt brews. but i'm seeking a more bitter (and maybe stronger) beer, and believe that a "partial" + malt brew is the way to go.

I measured the kettle intend to use, and it holds 7L allowing for an 2cm around the top.

If i add more water to the fermenter, and less to the wort will it still work? or will i need a larger kettle before i try this?


I'd appreciate your help on this one..

Cheers

Cam

 

[brendo]

Hey Guys,

I've been brewing for 2 months now, making kit + Liquid malt brews. but i'm seeking a more bitter (and maybe stronger) beer, and believe that a "partial" + malt brew is the way to go.

I measured the kettle intend to use, and it holds 7L allowing for an 2cm around the top.

If i add more water to the fermenter, and less to the wort will it still work? or will i need a larger kettle before i try this?


I'd appreciate your help on this one..

Cheers

Cam

Yep - you base your malts, grains and hops on the final volume, so you can do a smaller and stronger boil, which will then be diluted with the top up water when you add it all to the fermentor. Same principle as a kit can really.

just make sure you leave some headroom for the boil - otherwise you will have a hell of a mess to clean up. It would be worth getting a cheap bigger pot so you can do slightly bigger boils and also have soem room for the boil to breath.

Brendo

 

[raven19]

Cam welcome aboard firstly.

Maybe you could provide a bit more info on types of beers you intend making - i.e. hop additions, boiling batch sizes, any grains/steeping, etc.

Initially my thoughts are:
1. You can do split boils if need be for larger batches.
2. Does the recipe require boiling the can of goo? If not throw it straight into the fermenter with some boiled water from the kettle, saving a few litres of pot space.
3. Invest in a good sized pot - 2cm is not much headspace once you get liquid up to a boil, almost certain it will boil over with such little headspace...
4. Not sure on flavour effects by reducing boiled wort volume, may depend on hops, etc, however with no grains (I am assuming this is the case), I would say yes - reduce your wort volume, and add more water to fermenter instead.

Final thought... Xmas is approaching - make a big pot number 1 on your wish list...

 

[KingPython]

I use a 19/20Litre stainless steel pot from Big W that I got for around $20. It's fairly thin but does the job for partials.

 

[afromaiko]

I use a 19/20Litre stainless steel pot from Big W that I got for around $20. It's fairly thin but does the job for partials.

Made some great extract beers in one of those.

 

[Bribie G]

Hi Cam.

I bought a ten litre pot from Sams Warehouse for about $11 and it does great for boiling up the runnings from a 1 kilo mini mash, but it struggles to take a 2 kilo minimash and I should really have gone 15 litres.

If you have a gas stove and can use a couple of rings then 15 to 20 litres pot should be feasable, but with a normal electric stove 15 litres pot might be your limit.

Pots are cheap enough, it depends on what you have to heat them with. You can get little gas burners fairly cheap from asian shops in your local "chinatown" and connect them to a regular BBQ gas bottle if you want to go a bit more powerful than your stove.

Cheers

Michael

 

[snorbz]

Looks like I'll need some more equipment then.

I'm planning to use:

2.3Kg dry malt extract
400g crystal malt (ground)
125g whole hops
and an ale yeast (undecided)

The recipe, is fairly simple:

steep grains in hot water
remove grains
add malt extract
boil
stir
add hops at 0,40 and 60 mins
rapidly cool with sink full of ice
add 11L water to fermenter
rack into fermenter

to make total 20L

however, this recipe does call for the malt extract to be added to the pot, and will use additional space.

I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy a new kettle.
also, i don't have the racking cane and hose. is there an alternative way to do this step?

thanks for your help already

Cam

 

[staggalee]

You can get little gas burners fairly cheap from asian shops in your local "chinatown" and connect them to a regular BBQ gas bottle if you want to go a bit more powerful than your stove.

Cheers

Michael

How so? Do you mean those $20 single burner things that take the butane gas cartridge?

stagga.

 

[Bribie G]

Cam,

Good news

No need to boil your malt extract, it has been already preboiled and extracted for you at the factory. All grain home brewers boil for at least an hour to break out the protein etc etc and end up with a wort that is ready to be fermented. In the case of malt extract (both liquid and dried), this process has been done for you and there's no benefit whatsoever in further boiling.

Your best bet with that recipe is to steep the crystal malt (cracked but not ground) in about a litre and a half of water straight from the kettle and allow it to steep for about an hour. Crystal malt has been 'premashed' for you in the husk so what you are doing is dissolving and extracting the goodies in the grains. Then strain through a wire strainer or colander into a pan and add hops. 125g is way over the top IMHO, try about 30 g of a medium bittering hop like Pride of Ringwood or, to make a more British style ale, Challenger.

Boil for an hour, and add some flavour or aroma hops, maybe 20 grams of Goldings during the last ten minutes of the boil.

You won't need a big pan, the one you have got should be fine for dissolving the malt extract you are using.

With that amount of hot liquid, just strain hop liquid and pour dissolved malt extract into sterilized fermenter and top up to your desired quantity with cold tap water, or if you are in a warm area like QLD you might want to chill ten litres in a sterile container (I use a woolies spring water cube) beforehand. Remember to top up to a litre more than your final bottling quantity as you will lose a litre in sediment etc when bottling.

No need to rack anything, just seal fermenter well and away you go. A really good ale yeast is Nottingham.

I assume you are using a standard plastic fermenter with tap, when bottling a 'cane' is the best invention since sliced bread, about $4.

Cheers
Michael

 

[Bribie G]

How so? Do you mean those $20 single burner things that take the butane gas cartridge?

stagga.

I've seen a few references on the forum to $30 two-ring 'turkey burners' which can be used with BBQ gas bottles (the swap n go type). Haven't looked for one myself as I'm going electric Urn shortly. I know the ones you are referring to, the little camping models, wouldn't be any good heating a pot.

 

[staggalee]

I've seen a few references on the forum to $30 two-ring 'turkey burners' which can be used with BBQ gas bottles (the swap n go type). Haven't looked for one myself as I'm going electric Urn shortly. I know the ones you are referring to, the little camping models, wouldn't be any good heating a pot.

Agreed, tho it`s surprising the heat those little things throw out, they`re stronger than the side/wok burner on my barbie.

stagga.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I've boiled 14L on one of those little butane powered buggers. They do OK. But you need to be completely out of the wind or their effectiveness goes down the tubes rather rapidly