Big Beer w/ Mash Tun Size Limitations

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by InVinoVeritas, Aug 1, 2014.

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  1. InVinoVeritas

    InVinoVeritas Initiate (0) Apr 16, 2012 Wisconsin

    Plan is to brew a big Russian Imperial Stout (23-lbs grain, 5 gallon batch). I don’t want to do a partial mash. My mash tun capacity is 9 gallons. Mash thickness would be about 1.25 without a mash out and of course real thin with one.

    One thought that I had was to fill to the 1.25 thickness maxing out, then drank to kettle 9 qt or so, then heat to boil for my mash out temp once added back.

    I’m not really like that thin of a mash thickness, even at 1.25. So the second strategy I had was, as much of a PITA it would be, do two mashes, splitting the grains. Any unforeseen issues will just letting the half boil sit for the 1.5 hours or so while I’m mashing the second half?

    Suggestions / feadback / thanks!
     
    #1 InVinoVeritas, Aug 1, 2014
  2. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Couple options:

    Mash one set of grains, run off. Empty mash tun, mash second set of grains with runnings from first mash.

    Mash one set in your MLT and the other set in your normal camping cooler. Run off MLT, then clean out MLT, then move mash from camping cooler into MLT to lauter.

    Go to Goodwill and buy a bigger cooler for $5, move your set up into it for this beer.

    Mash less grains, sparge more, boil for hours on end to get it down to 5 gallons.
     
    #2 jbakajust1, Aug 1, 2014
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  3. bushycook

    bushycook Zealot (681) Jan 31, 2011 Virginia

    Fill your mash tun to its limit, then do the rest as BIAB, mashing concurrently.
     
    #3 bushycook, Aug 1, 2014
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  4. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    "I don’t want to do a partial mash"

    Why's that?
     
    #4 GreenKrusty101, Aug 1, 2014
  5. wspscott

    wspscott Pooh-Bah (1,958) May 25, 2006 Kentucky
    Pooh-Bah

    If you cold steep your dark grains (chocolate, black patent,...) you could potentially have a little extra room.
     
    #5 wspscott, Aug 1, 2014
    skivtjerry, InVinoVeritas, jbakajust1 and 1 other person like this.
  6. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    If I were you I would just have thick mash, high temp, lauter and sparge. If your mash temp is high, say 156-158, you shouldn't need to raise temp to mash out.
     
    #6 hoptualBrew, Aug 1, 2014
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  7. dbrese

    dbrese Initiate (0) Jan 4, 2011 Vermont

    My advice would be to just reduce the water/grist ratio to 1:1. For a big beer this will help to avoid over filling the mash tun when you mashout, and you should definitely mashout to increase your sparging efficiency. Beerandwinejournal.com has a useful guide on mashing big beers that was useful for me in planning such a challenging mash.
     
    #7 dbrese, Aug 1, 2014
  8. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,647) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    Many a brewery will max out their mash tun and add DME or sugar to get to the OG they want. No shame in doing that.
     
    #8 hopfenunmaltz, Aug 1, 2014
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  9. skivtjerry

    skivtjerry Pooh-Bah (1,865) Mar 10, 2006 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    Mash half the grains, do a normal sparge (however you do it), clean out the mash tun and mash and sparge the other half. It will add about an hour to the brew day but otherwise no different from any other brew. It might add a bit less than an hour because you can bring the first mash to, or near, a boil while the 2nd mash is finishing, then run the 2nd mash into the kettle. I'd just do a first wort hop in the 1st runoff for your bittering addition.
     
    #9 skivtjerry, Aug 1, 2014
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  10. prevatt28

    prevatt28 Devotee (394) Sep 2, 2013 North Carolina

    I call it partial extracting. Just use enough extract to get your og up to where you want it. I have had great success and had little headache. Big IPAs won't fit it my MLT so that's my stategy.
     
    #10 prevatt28, Aug 1, 2014
  11. prevatt28

    prevatt28 Devotee (394) Sep 2, 2013 North Carolina

    Sorry, didn't read all the post you beat me to it. I agree nothing wrong with it.
     
    #11 prevatt28, Aug 1, 2014
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