Equipment questions

[FirebladeAdam]

So I've ordered and am waiting for a big insulated mash tun. It's got a tap and a false bottom mesh. Obviously I need a HLT as well as a kettle, so my question is this: can I use a boil kettle with a tap as a HLT and then use the same piece of kit to do the boil? I'm thinking on a big gas ring. Or am I heading for disaster?!

 

[Sadfield]

Yes. Obviously, if you are going to be sparging you'll need an third vessel (large plastic bucket) to collect wort coming out of the mash tun, whilst your hlt/kettle is supplying the sparge water. You'll then need to transfer that hot wort back into the kettle. Logistically this may be an issue to consider from a physical and safety perspective if doing larger batches than 20L.

 

[Buffers brewery]

That’s what I do. I heat my strike water in my boiler/kettle then transfer to my mash tun. Wort gets transferred to an empty fermentation bucket so I can sparge using hot water from said boiler/kettle. When done, wort is transferred from fermentation bucket back to boiler/kettle for the boil. I do use pumps to transfer so no lifting buckets of hot water or wort.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Thanks both. Buffers brewery, that is exactly, word for word, my plan. I'm thinking of building a wooden three tier system of gravity feeding to negate the pump though. Hoping my tun arrives today. Disproportionately excited about it

 

[Buffers brewery]

Exciting times! I remember getting my kit together . On the 3 tier approach, I thought about that but decided a pump (or two) would be necessary as if kettle/HLT is at the top, mash tun next down, wort storage tank next down I needed another tier for boil or just pump the wort back up to the kettle. Presumably you’re going to move your HLT and gas ring from the top to the bottom for the boil. Good luck with your build

 

[An Ankoù]

So I've ordered and am waiting for a big insulated mash tun. It's got a tap and a false bottom mesh. Obviously I need a HLT as well as a kettle, so my question is this: can I use a boil kettle with a tap as a HLT and then use the same piece of kit to do the boil? I'm thinking on a big gas ring. Or am I heading for disaster?!

You need a "hot liquor tank" because, ideally, you should have an empty kettle to receive the wort so that you can turn on the gas as soon as you've got, say, 10 litres in there, especially if you're doing first wort hopping. But your "tank" doesn't have to be anything sleek and shiny; there's no reaon why you can't heat the sparge liquor in the kettle and them run it all into your FV and sparge with it as you will. You don't really need to worry about maintaining a constant temperature for your sparge water, either. If it's a bit cooler towards the end, it doesn't matter in the least.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Awesome. This is slowly coming together. Thanks peeps

 

[Buffers brewery]

Awesome. This is slowly coming together. Thanks peeps

If you’re interested you can see my kit on my brew day thread...
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/the-chaos-that-is-a-buffers-brewery-brew-day.88546/...might give you some ideas......of how not to do it!

 

[jMac]

That’s what I do. I heat my strike water in my boiler/kettle then transfer to my mash tun. Wort gets transferred to an empty fermentation bucket so I can sparge using hot water from said boiler/kettle. When done, wort is transferred from fermentation bucket back to boiler/kettle for the boil. I do use pumps to transfer so no lifting buckets of hot water or wort.

I do this too (although without the pumps!). I’m sure I lose time with the collected wort not heating straightaway, but hey ho, I’m a skin flint, still waiting to find a cheap boiler/second kettle to use.

Does have the benefit of being able to estimate my pre-boil volume at least from the gradations on the bucket as my kettle doesn’t have them.

 

[PhilBrew]

Hi

To add another option to the approaches described above ... back when I was mashing in a mash-tun (I've since bought a BrewDevil) I used a 19lts stockpot on the hob as my HLT-ish, heating my mash and sparge water in 3 batches ... so, I'd heat up my mash liquor to strike temp then drop it into the mash-tun and dough the grain into it ... then I'd sparge in two batch sparges ... heating sparge liquor up in the stockpot while lautering the wort from the tun into my boiler, and then pouring the liquor into the mash tun, mixing and before repeating all that.

Gives you the ability to start bringing your wort up to boil before finishing sparging ... as well as providing you with a stockpot that you could be use if your boiler were to fail on brewday (don't ask why I feel that's the sort of insurance all brewers should consider having )

Cheers, PhilB

 

[DarrenSL]

I agree with what has been said above, try and get your wort in the boiler asap and get the heat on. I currently heat all my sparge water in the house electric kettle plus pans on the stove then transfer to an (insulated) plastic fermenting bucket and lauter from that. I've been thinking about this recently and was considering buying a separate HLT but I've decided against all that and am going to go with batch sparging on my next brew instead. Advantages I see are quicker brew day, no faffing with lautering, and only 2 vessels required (although I would still use the plastic bucket just to mix the water to right sparge temperature).