Tricks to a high gravity brew

[hooper80]

Hi guys. I usually brew a double batch of 44lts. I recently got a 70/80 lt stainless conical and thought I could up the quantity to three kegs 66lt. I have standard commercial keg as my mash tun and my kettle is the same with another half welded on top of it. I did a brew last weekend but it very bland and astringent. I upped the beer smith to 66lt, backed off the efficiency a few percent also. Still a pretty average drop unfortunately. Any tips please?

 

[dr K]

High gravity what say 1060 (high for me) you need about 18kg grain.
You have a 50 litre mash tun, unless you are in to turbid mashing (the origin of lambic actually all about a tax based on mash tun size) its going to be difficult.
Its going top take a lot of sparging and there is a pointer to astringency, well wateriness at best.
66 litres from a 75 litre boiler, again, difficult, you either need to top up post boil or simmer.

K

 

[hooper80]

High gravity what say 1060 (high for me) you need about 18kg grain.
You have a 50 litre mash tun, unless you are in to turbid mashing (the origin of lambic actually all about a tax based on mash tun size) its going to be difficult.
Its going top take a lot of sparging and there is a pointer to astringency, well wateriness at best.
66 litres from a 75 litre boiler, again, difficult, you either need to top up post boil or simmer.

K

I topped up with 20 litres of boiled water with a ph of 5.4. I just went about my brew as a 44 lt regular brew day, but had the grain bill for 66lt and then forced the boiled 20lt into my kettle after the work had chilled to 18degrees while I was racking off into the fermenter when there was enough space available.

 

[Markbeer]

I think you are better off making your kettle your mash tun and getting a new kettle of 90l or so.

The efficiency your dropping with what you are intending to do Will pay for the kettle over time. Also far easier process.

 

[The Judge]

I’m confused as hell here... why would a 50L mash tun be too small for ca. 80L boil volume? Is it to do with surface area of the grain bed?

 

[Markbeer]

Mash tun would be ok with 2 batch sparges. The kettle is too small is what I was aiming at.