Where to use kettles

[pocwolf]

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I am going to start my new electric build soon and have a question about the kettles. I currently have a 15 gallon blichmann and would like to have the flexability to do both 5g and 10g brews. If I design my build just like TEB and get 2 20g to go with my 15g, where should I use the 15g? HLT? MT? or BK? Thanks

[crush]

do you have a false bottom for the 15 gal?

[pocwolf]

I dont not have a false bottom yet, I was waiting to see if I should get one for the 15 or if the 20 would be better suited for the MT.

[crush]

I've not used the system - still building mine, but thinking this through:

If you want to do 10 gallon batches, then the 15g is going to be very tight for the BK, with a risk of boilovers. 10g finished product can be 12-13 gallons pre boil volume.

15g as the MLT might work, but means that you end up buying a false bottom also. If you later choose to swap out the 15g for another 20g, it's more expense since the false bottoms are different sizes.

15g in the HLT will work most of the time. If you need a few extra gallons, such as after doughing in, you could also use the BK to heat up some additional water than you then pump back into the HLT to top it up. This keeps the HLT up to temp. Getting the coil in a 20g kettle has been difficult for several of us, and the smaller diameter of the 15g is only going to make this more difficult!

In your shoes, I'd try to sell the 15g first, and get 3 x 20g from the outset. It will probably be easier to sell before you've added the EB customizations!

Just to throw it out there, there's an alternative - a 2 kettle build with 2 x 20g. I was contemplating this when starting. The BK and the HLT are the same kettle since you rarely use both at once. The only time you need both is when sparging - the runoff has to be collected somewhere. You could use your existing 15g to hold the runoff, then pump this back into the HLT/BK and then boil as normal. Once advantage here is that you have the heat exchanger coil already in the HLT/BK to chill the wort in place. (Or at least reduce the temperature to below 140F to reduce DMS production.)

[rosenjm]

I was in the same situation. I have a 20 HLT and MLT and a 15 gallon BK. I have never had any problems doing 10 gallon batches, you just have to be on top of your game during the first 10-15 minutes of the boil. Eventually, I'll upgrade to a 20 gallon BK, but the 15 is working fine for now. I have drained the HLT before, so I would not use the 15 gallon there. The 15 would work as the MLT, but like crush said you'd have to get the 15 gal false bottom.

[coffeediver]

I had a converted keg from sabco that went unused for about 5 years. I was going to be my bk until I discovered Kal's site. I used the Keg as the HLT and used coiled copper for the HERMs because of the smaller space. I also bought a pre-coiled immersion chiller from morebeer.com and cut the ends and re bent to fit. I was going to buy the same immersion chiller from midwest in stainless but they were out of stock for the foreseeable future. Both chillers had a 11 inch diameter.

My only issue is after I heat up 15 gal of water and then send about 7 over to MLT, I have to top off HLT and reheat so some time is wasted. I may think about heating mash water in boil kettle to several degrees over what I need, let it set while HLT is heating up sparge water, transfer bk water to MLT and dough in when HLT is at temp and start the circulation.

Barry

[rcrabb22]

[Castermmt]

[pocwolf]

Great thanks! Sounds like the mash tun will get the 15 g.

[kal]

[kal]

[pocwolf]

$9.99 shipped for everything is damn good! Thanks Kal