HLT, Mash Tun and Kettle sizes - Preparing for AG build!

[periolus]

Okay...so I have posted before, some months ago, about my ideas for my AG brewery design. I am now 3 WEEKS away from being able to get started but am confused about sizes.

Ideally I want to be able to brew more than I do now with a 5 Gallon kit in a standard FV, say 33L - 36L in a go, maybe even more for weaker beers.

Originally, I was going to convert a 50Qt (48L) Coleman Extreme Coolbox to make my Mash Tun, but according to a video I have seen on YouTube, this is only good for 23L or so of brewed beer. Is this true? If I stuck with a 48L Mash Tun, would a 70L HLT and 70L kettle be adequate?

If I want to end up with 33L(ish) of wort, what size of each vessel should I realistically be aiming for? There is a 70Qt Coolbox available if that makes any difference, but then surely a 70L HLT would be too small as I would need to sparge?

HELP! ; )

 

[richc]

I've got a 48l coolbox mash tun, for normal strength beers it's not been over half full when making 23l or so, I doubt I'd get it to the top even for something with a huge grain bill.

 

[Runwell-Steve]

How big your Mash Tun needs to be depends on if you intend to Batch Sparg or Fly Sparge.

If you Batch Sparge you need more space.

If you are fly sparging you will be fine with a 48 Litre coolbox and a 70 Litre HLT and Boiler.

I have a 70 Litre HLT and boiler and a 40 Litre Mash tun, and with Fly Sparging that is enough to enable me to brew just under 50 Litres of 5% beer.

 

[periolus]

Thanks for the tips. Is batch sparging easier than fly sparging? I know that you have to monitor the gravity of the wort carefully to avoid contamination by tannins etc. - does batch sparging avoid that. There are calculators to deal with batch aren't there.

How much space would I need in my MT to batch sparge with a setup of 70L of HLT and boiler?

Are there any good links/threads/videos that show the differences between the two methods and what is involved in getting them going?