OK. I want to start doing 3-gallon all grain batches.
The reason for this is that I’m doing this on stovetop in a apartment, and 5 gallon batches are currently impossible as the stove won’t heat that much wort to a boil. I can easily do 3.5+ gallons though, allowing a bit of room for boil-off, the immersion wort chiller, and still having three (or slightly more) gallons of post boil wort.
I want to do the sparging in a cooler. I was thinking of an igloo type water cooler. However, I’m not sure the best type of cooler or the best procedure to use and how to do it.
I am familiar with both fly and batch sparging, and the consensus seems to be that batch sparging would be best. I have several links marked for batch sparging, but please do say which one is your favorite.
My first few attempts will involve pretty simple pale ale, IPA, amber ale or SMaSH recipes.
Well, my favorite batch sparging link is www.dennybrew.com, but you probably already knew that!
You say you want to sparge in a cooler. Does that also mean you want to mash in a cooler? Have you considered doing a concentrated boil and then adding top off water so you can get 5 gal. in the fermenter? I did that for a couple years when I started AG and it works really well.
I can top off to five gallons but I don’t really need or want to. Five gallons worth of bottled beer takes up a lot of space, which I don’t have. I had been doing a concentrated boil and topping off when doing extract batches, and it does work fine. However, I think the last couple batches I’ve done, where I boiled all or nearly all of the wort and made a slightly smaller batch, have come out even better.
I like the process of brewing and don’t mind that by making less, I have to brew more often.
Your link uses a rectangular cooler, are those better than the stand up cylinder type?
The thicker your grain bed, the better it’ll filter when you’re running off. I’d recommend something like a 5 gallon round cooler for doing 3 gallon batches. I have a 10 gallon round cooler and it’s not ideal for making small batches.
I’ll just do BIAB if I’m only making 3 gallons now, but a proper MLT would be better.
yes I thought something like this would be best for my application. How would you go about doing the filter on the bottom? I could get a stainless mesh bottom but that’s expensive and I’d rather do it some other way. I’m plenty handy enough to make alterations via a trip to home depot if need be. 8)
I made my first braid out of a fat, short water heater line. just pull the plastic tubing inside the braid out. I used a brass flare fitting to pinch one end of the braid to the output valve, and just crimped the other end around a brass plug.
I accidentally banged it up pretty good with my mash paddle, so now I just use a stainless kettle screen from the LHBS.
You could also line your cooler with a fine-mesh straining bag in place of using braid.
Also - the best bang for your buck on a 5-gallon round cooler is the Home Depot brand one. It’s about $5-15 cheaper than any other one I’ve seen. Of course, it’s not blue, so YMMV
I use a toilet supply line, cut the ends off, and remove the inner tube. Be sure you get real SS. HD and some other places sell plastic ones that look like SS.
Yeah I understand you have to remove the inner rubber tubing.
Ironically, there ain’t a home depot within a bizzillion miles of here. I’ll be stuck with lowes (doh).
I’m seeing that size cooler for about $21 at lowes, and there’s also a walmart near here.
I think I can pull off the stainless mesh hose system pretty easily if they have the hose in stock. Those hoses don’t look very expensive. The hardware to make the modifications shouldn’t be too expensive either.
I’ve been doing 3 gallon biab batches exclusively since I went all grain. I love it. I’m brewing more and the process is super easy. and a cooler is one less piece of equipment to store. have been hitting about 71% efficiency. I just picked up a grain mill and hope to improve that a bit. I really want to batch sparge larger batches but am limited by space as well as time as I work full time on a tv show(12-15 hour days/5 days a week). just wanted to share my reason for doing biab on the smaller scale. either way I know you will enjoy all grain brewing!
i have been doing 2g batches and it is easy. made an electric kettle. i switched to a round igloo because i happened to have a few. have not moved my braid over but have just been throwing my grain in the bag in the cooler. kind of a mash in a bag system. then boil electric.
