Shiney upgrade advice...

[bolty]

After lots of overtime, and little time at home never mind getting on here, I have been given the go-ahead for a shiney upgrade, 'as long as I get power to the garage'.

I am thinking of keeping my 50l alu stock pot for a HLT, getting a 80L thermo box (I like the option of BIG beers) and a 100L stock pot. I was also thinking that I will be needing a pump when I get to this kind of size, as getting the fluids around in these volumes may be getting a bit much, and also would like to start fly sparging. Any advice would be welcome on this. Will my existing burner be OK for this kind of volume?

 

[unclepumble]

If you are going for a 100ltr stockpot as a boiler, I think you will need at least a 100ltr HLT.


UP

 

[bolty]

At the mo I get only my strike up to temp, and then get the sparge water going while the mash is on... But it probably makes more sense to get it all to strike temp and then up to sparge temp for the remainder... May have to get even more shiny :thumb:

 

[pjbiker]

Hi Bolty,

Its OK to heat up the strike water and then re-fill and heat up for the sparge when the mash is on, just a little more faffing.

That burner will be more than adequate for a 10gallon set-up. I use 2 2.2kW kettle elements and so do quite a few folks on here. One of those will maintain a decent boil of 65L on its own, and I'm sure you can heat up to sparge temperature in the time with that.

I use a 70L boiler and have no HLT at present, and use 2x 30L fermenter's to hold the sparge water in. I can't maintain a set temperature as some folk do, but don't worry too much about it. Maybe will convert another stock-pot but happy with the arrangement for now.
Normal brew of 55.5L collected at OG44
starts with
60L treated water in boiler the day before then heated with timer switch ready for start of brew day.
20L treated water in plastic FV, ready to top up boiler after mashing in.

22-23L goes into mash tun and remaining 56-57L goes into the 2FV's linked with a syphon tube ready for sparging (now using a pump which is much safer than lifting on steps. I usually leave about 5L in the HLT and liquor back with it so you will probably just get away with 50L as an HLT. (EDIT) reading your post again, you will want more than a 50L HLT for that set-up running at full capacity. You could always make do and add that later. The burner should still be OK I reckon.

Just fitted a pump myself in the last couple of weeks, look at my link.

I see you're in Leicester. You're welcome to pm me and come look at my set-up if you like.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6617

 

[bolty]

Cheers for the offer PJ.

I have the idea pretty set up, and am thinking of going for gravity for the HLT -> Mash Tun and then pump for recirc and pump to the boiler, then through a CFC and pumped up into the FV. This way I can have the HLT at waist hight (ish) and the Mash Tun and boiler low. Does this sound like a good plan?

 

[pjbiker]

Yeah that sounds right if your HLT will be heated as well as the boiler. As I use my boiler for heating all the water, I have to pump to the HLT too. Gravity is fine for fly sparging. You can get away with just using the one pump if you're clever with the plumbing and use an arrangement of ball valves. I got the idea from someone else who bought the same pump as me. Look up someone called 'craigite' and find the pictures of his set up too on his thread 'every second'.