Q: proper kettle/system sizing for eBIAB system

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by LuckFreeZone, Sep 7, 2021.

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  1. LuckFreeZone

    LuckFreeZone Devotee (373) Oct 24, 2016 New York
    Trader

    Hello BA,

    First venture into homebrewing forum. A forum search did not get me a quick answer so I thought I would ask directly.

    I am interested (finally) in trying home brewing. I have done a few brew days with friends, read Palmer's book, watched 10 or 15 YouTube videos and have 3 or 4 college chemistry courses in my distant past. I know enough to be dangerous. :slight_smile:

    My intent/hope is to brew 2.5 gallon batches of Russian Imperial Stouts once or twice a month, tinkering with the recipe, until I find something I am perfectly content with. Once I find what I like, maybe I brew 5 gallons every two months or try other things as well.

    I suspect (strongly) that some eBIAB systems may have difficulty with batches that small because of the false bottom / port / heating element placements. I also suspect a generic answer to the question (for low ABV beers) might not apply to high ABV beers.

    In short, my question is: what size kettle/system will handle both 2.5. gallons of an 8% ABV stout and 5 gallons of 16% ABV stout?

    I know the kettle itself (port placement, etc.) will affect the answer but I didn't really want to get into a Spike vs Blichmann vs Grainfather vs whatever (lots of those comparisons on the internet) so a generic best guess or a "I know it will / will not work on this set-up" would be helpful to me.

    Thank you.

    -Eric
     
    #1 LuckFreeZone, Sep 7, 2021
  2. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    It sounds like you've done a lot of homework to understand the standard homebrewing process, but you've then taken the path toward the electronic systems that don't receive a lot of discussion in this forum.

    With this being your first attempt at homebrewing I don't want you to get discouraged by the lack of a response here. There are a few users of electronic systems who post here when that topic comes up, so be patient for further responses. You could search out the threads with that topic and determine which BA members are 'electrically charged' and tag them in your thread or ask them via a PM.

    A bump of your thread here might get some more visibility and replies.
     
    #2 PapaGoose03, Sep 11, 2021
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  3. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    I use a High Gravity Single Vessel Brew in the Bag electric system. It is designed for 5 gallon batches but I have brewed batches from ~2.5-7.5 gallons with this system (for a little bit, I was messing around with batch splits to fill a 2.5 and 5 gallon keg). This is the closest thing on their web page now to what I bought in 2016:
    https://www.highgravitybrew.com/store/pc/Wort-Hog-BIAB-120V-269p4647.htm
    The electric market exploded after I bought this, and there other systems out there with more bells and whistles, I think, and probably for a lower price tag.

    The kettle is a Bayou Classic type stainless steel kettle with a capacity around 10-11 gallons, don't recall exactly. However, something really important to keep in mind is that I brew mostly low gravity batches. This system may not have enough volume to hold the grist for a 5 gallon Russian Imperial Stout (it would handle 2.5 gallons fine). The biggest beers I brewed on this system was a Baltic Porter and a Bigfoot-like Barleywine, each which about 1.085 original gravity. I can't remember if it was that one or one of the 7.5 gallon batches, but I recall a mash that had little room to spare. If I were brewing a 1.090+ beer, I might need to brew a 1,085-1.090 beer and supplement it with DME or simple sugar to get the gravity up.

    While mash size and kettle volume limits the upper bounds of batch size, the lower bounds are limited byt the level of liquid needed to cover the heating element. I suspect I could get down to close to 1.75-2 gallons if I tried, just being careful about boiling it down to much.
     
    #3 pweis909, Sep 12, 2021
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2021
    LuckFreeZone, utahbeerdude and PapaGoose03 like this.
  4. LuckFreeZone

    LuckFreeZone Devotee (373) Oct 24, 2016 New York
    Trader

    Thank you PapaGoose03. (Almost) never a rush for me and I know it was it was a rather specific question that might take a while to find the person that could answer that. Your bump may have helped do just that. :slight_smile:
     
    #4 LuckFreeZone, Sep 13, 2021
    PapaGoose03 likes this.
  5. LuckFreeZone

    LuckFreeZone Devotee (373) Oct 24, 2016 New York
    Trader

    Thank you pweis909.

    I had heard of High Gravity and Wort Hog, but had not been to that site. Since posting I had found a graphic on Spike's site indicating a 10 gallon Solo system as appropriate for 2.5 to 5 gallons (though there might be some issues on the high OG end as well) and your answer leaves me pretty confident 10g is the right size for me. Thank you.
     
    #5 LuckFreeZone, Sep 13, 2021
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