This hobby should come with a health warning... Highly Addictive

[JebKerman]

I’ve just cracked open my second small batch beer (Bavarian Hefeweizen) and I’m not sure if I’ve been lucky so far with kits (2 for 2 on enjoyable beer) but I’m now planning more and I’m not sure that 1 gallon batches are going to cut it.

What’s your best advice on moving from small batch BIAB to larger batch (without a big financial outlay), or even sticking to small batch without paying over the odds for kits?

 

[Honk]

I was lucky as a member was selling off some kit whilst I was wanting to moving to larger volume after a few stovetop batches, but I think if I hadn't got that I'd of gone for one of the electric boilers. Saw one on here a couple of days ago that looked good value I thought. Will see if I can find the link. Small batches are fun though, you get to make a lot of different beers, malt miller and getterbrewed will make up kits as per your recipe so that works out ok, if you order a few at a time to spread the postage cost.

Your right about the addictiveness though, I'm mashing a London Porter as I type.

Link added.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=74274

 

[JebKerman]

That’s good to know about maltmiller and getterbrewed.

I knew that maltmiller did stuff in 1kg batches but didn’t know that they did specific kits. Cheers.

On the addictive part, my wife has just laid claim to the rest of the newest batch and I’m going’s to be making my Xmas Stout tomorrow.

Might wait until the new year to expand to 5 gallon batches.

 

[Honk]

Main reason I wanted to expand was it seemed a lot of money for yeast for small batches but crossmyloof do cheap yeast and I'm also experimenting with re using yeast at the moment, that and filling my one large pressure barrel, all the other storage I have is ideal for small batches plus there are so many recipes I want to try.

 

[JebKerman]

I’m still on demijohns and soup pan beer brewing. I’ll have to look in to expanding, or buy enough to do a batch a week, and stick to those 8 pints instead of buying beer

 

[MyQul]

I’m still on demijohns and soup pan beer brewing. I’ll have to look in to expanding, or buy enough to do a batch a week, and stick to those 8 pints instead of buying beer

How big is your soup pan? You can do something called maxi-biab. Basically you make a concentrated wort in it then diluted it down in the FV, a bit like a kit. So you can make bigger brewlengths than your pan allows if it was a full boil

 

[JebKerman]

I think it’s 7 litres... is that enough for a full volume mash?

 

[MyQul]

You wouldn't get much beer doing a full volume mash with a 7L pot if thats what your actually asking and didnt misread my post (I posted full volume boil not full volume mash).

What I meant was, a full volume boil is when you finally put all you sparge runnings and brewlength in the pot then boil to eventually get your target brew length. With your 7L pot you can probably get around 4L to put in your FV. With Maxi-BIAB you can get a bigger final amount of beer. Problably about 7L final brewlength to put in your FV

 

[Simonh82]

A simple and pretty cheap upgrade would be a 15-18L stock pot. Then you can do a maxi-BIAB which would give you ~17 - 20L. You need to be able to sustain a rolling boil in this volume of wort so as long as you don't have a wimpy electric hob like mine you should be good. My ancient ceramic hob didn't cut it so I quickly upgraded to a 30L Burco boiler which I'm very happy with.

Check ebay for stock pots.

 

[JebKerman]

So does a maxi BIAB Give you the option to do, say 2 or 3 batches out of the same volume of grain, as long as you boil them separately?

 

[MyQul]

So does a maxi BIAB Give you the option to do, say 2 or 3 batches out of the same volume of grain, as long as you boil them separately?

I'm not sure what your asking here. Do you mean that you get more than one brew out of one batch of grain? If so, no that's called parti-gyle brewing and is something different. Or are you asking can you do a mash then boil all the wort in different pans then combine them in the FV, then add some dilution water. The answer to that it yes, it's doable but I'm not sure if you'd call that Maxi-BIAB although I have dont that (or something similar) lots of times before

 

[JebKerman]

Think I might just need to invest in some gear then

 

[MyQul]

Think I might just need to invest in some gear then

tbh, you dont need a lot. I basically use a 15L pot, a 5L pot, a mash bag, and several FV's (I sometimes use a FV to mash in, and use one to no-chill in)

 

[Slid]

I'm not sure what your asking here. Do you mean that you get more than one brew out of one batch of grain? If so, no that's called parti-gyle brewing and is something different. Or are you asking can you do a mash then boil all the wort in different pans then combine them in the FV, then add some dilution water. The answer to that it yes, it's doable but I'm not sure if you'd call that Maxi-BIAB although I have dont that (or something similar) lots of times before

Doing two or more (parti) brews from the same batch of grain (gyle) :thumb:

It was 16 Feb this year I did the Xmas Barley Wine - of which there may be as many as six bottles left for the festive season. :lol: The second runnings, I added to a one can Coopers kit and Cascade hops. That one lasted scarcely any time at all. Lovely beers, both of them.

Bit of a long brew day, though. With the GF, it is fairly easy to draw off 12L after the mash at 63C for the big beer and then add in some 65C water to do a second mash of ~ 30 mins with maybe a "cap" of crystal malt. (I don't know why this is called "cappimg").

The Barley Wine gets done in a big pot on the stove, with the second runnings beer just done as usual in the GF.

 

[Clint]

Have you got a decent gas burners on your cooker...a wok burner I think they may be called?
I pondered the burco/ace/grainfather route and while they are good products and easy to use etc knowing my luck I'd have a dud so I decided to go the simple bomb proof option and bought 2 x 32 litre pots from malt miller coupled with a cooler mash tun.
Easy to use and clean and do a full 23 litre brew.
Get yourself a book to...the Greg Hughes is a good starting point...

 

[JebKerman]

Thanks for the help guys. I think I’m going to get a decent sized stock pot and work from there. The wok burner on my hob is ace for this kind of heating... although I have to admit my wife is becoming concerned when I started pricing up bottles and fermenting buckets etc... I may make some wine to keep her on side.

 

[Gunge]

I may make some wine to keep her on side.

Works for me....

 

[GerritT]

Thanks for the help guys. I think I’m going to get a decent sized stock pot and work from there. The wok burner on my hob is ace for this kind of heating... although I have to admit my wife is becoming concerned when I started pricing up bottles and fermenting buckets etc... I may make some wine to keep her on side.

If you have a shed, this might be an option: https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Brewferm-Stainless-Steel-Brew-Kettle-Boiler.html

No need to claim the stove anymore.

 

[JebKerman]

The stove access isn’t an issue. Although that boiler seems reasonable. I’m guessing you don’t mash in that?

 

[GerritT]

The stove access isn’t an issue. Although that boiler seems reasonable. I’m guessing you don’t mash in that?

If it's the same one as this one, it could be used for mashing but the margin is 5º C. Meaning: aiming for 65º would mean rising to 70º, then downwards to 60º and then up again. It would work, I guess.

Wish I had one of these, would be more comfortable than keeping a constant eye on the thermometer.