Need Some Opinions On A Different Setup

[gibbocore]

Hi All,

Long time no post for me, i've moved house (enmore) and no longer have the space for my previous esky, multi pot, gas burner setup so am going to have to re-think and would like to go electric.

I was mid build of a Herms system that i've put in storage with lots of my other brewing gear and since the move has now settled down, i am in dire need of gettin the keg fridge up and running again.

What i have planned which i hope will work, is this.

Mash as per usual in my esky Mash tun, using my old 20L pot to heat my water using an immersion heater (2.4kw), then use the Keggle i had constructed for my Herms setup as my kettle and use the false bottom i had purchased for my Mash tun(keg) as a hop screen, from what i've read on here, with some strap on insulation, i should be able to get a rolling boil for standard size batches with the 2.4kw immersion element? While this is happening i can clean out my mash tun esky and fill it with cold water and add a heap of frozen softdrink bottles, and gravity feed the icy water through a 20 plate chiller with the wort gravity feeding also (i understand some ball valves will be needed to adjust flow rates) directly into the fermentor. Now i understand that i will get cold break in the fermentor but i don't want to dredge up that argument. What i was thinking though was running my immersion chiller through the wort for 10 or so minutes them whirlpooling just to knock off those first 20 odd degrees, so my next question is, when does cold break start ocouring? and is it work taking this extra step?

Sorry a lot of questions i know, but the main objectives i'm trying to achieve is to use as little water as possible and as little power as possible, this is only a temporary solution as well until i find a space to continue building and using my HERMS.

TIA

Gibbo

 

[raven19]

Good to hear you are getting back into some brewing.

Is no chill an option until your full setup is going?

Re - boiling, it took my 2.4kW urn a while to get 15L up to the boil on the weekend (no lid or insulation though), but once there did have a good rolling boil - so I think you should be fine for a batch under 25L. Especially if you add a lid and insulation when getting it up to the boil.

Not sure on the cold break personally, as I am yet to purchase a chiller. From seeing other setups though, I understand the cold break makes its way into the fermentor along with the cooled wort after being run through the plate chiller. I would assume cold break by its nature (but mainly by name) would form and drop out of solution in the cooler end of the spectrum for the wort, around 20 - 40 degree range.

My best 'guesstimate' only.

 

[kevin_smevin]

Good to hear you are getting back into some brewing.

Is no chill an option until your full setup is going?

Re - boiling, it took my 2.4kW urn a while to get 15L up to the boil on the weekend (no lid or insulation though), but once there did have a good rolling boil - so I think you should be fine for a batch under 25L. Especially if you add a lid and insulation when getting it up to the boil.

Not sure on the cold break personally, as I am yet to purchase a chiller. From seeing other setups though, I understand the cold break makes its way into the fermentor along with the cooled wort after being run through the plate chiller. I would assume cold break by its nature (but mainly by name) would form and drop out of solution in the cooler end of the spectrum for the wort, around 20 - 40 degree range.

My best 'guesstimate' only.

when i used to use an immersion chiller i noticed cold break forming below 30 degrees.

 

[gibbocore]

cheers guys.

I'd rather avoid No chill as i want to avoid any extra vessels due to space problems.

It's not a huge issue i guess as plenty seem to use Plate chillers without any issue, Just wanted to know if i could get cold break to form quickly enough and whirlpool it out before draining though the plate chiller. Not to worry.

 

[Bizier]

Welcome to cramped inner west brewing Gibbo! Good to see you back mate.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I'm no particular fan of these techniques, But given that they are temporary measures you could.

No chill in your fermenter
No chill in your kettle

And both techniques certainly have enough adherrents that there is little chance of any major horribleness happening as a result.

Or just use the plate chiller and no need to muck about with any pre/post treatment. Cold break won't hurt anything enough to be a concern unless you are planning on super delicate lagers and are a truly fussy bugger.

I don't want to sound like I am pushing a barrow... But it could be that BIAB is a viable alternative for you till your HERMS plans are back on track. Space friendly is what BIAB does best, especially if you are using nice immersion elements (which will definitely boil a single batch in a keggle without any trouble, slow to get to the boil, but will hold a good solid rolling boil perfectly). Combine it with no-chill in the fermenter and then a few bucks on material and get a bag sewn up, and all you need for single batches is the keggle and the element.. Leave the , 20L pot, chiller etc in storage.

TB

 

[gibbocore]

Cheers guys, and thanks thirstyboy for throwing another spanner into my thought works. hahaha.

On closer inspection i think my keggle may just fit in my laundry sink, in which case i can use the immersion chiller and use the water run-off for the washing machine. As appealing as you make BIAB seem, i think i'll stick with what i know. Guess i just have to suck it and see first time round.

 

[jjeffrey]

I chill in the kettle from boiling to pitch temp in 45minutes (60L batch), have sweet FA space, and use no water. You do need a rainwater tank though, and a few other bits and pieces.

Here's a clip. Chilling's at the end, I think in the last 5 minutes or so.

Mash and boil

jj.