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Upgrading equipment

Damrite

Grandmaster Brewer
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
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I'm thinking to upgrade my 9 gallons kettle to a 20 gallon, is this too buy if I want to brew in a bag, not sure if I want to start getting a mash tun etc for now, eventually after my renovation I will get real equipment all stainless, thanks
 
if you are brewing 20 gallon batches, you may well have a bitch of a time finding a bag that will hold the 50+lbs of grain you will need for the bill, let alone be able to pull the thing out of the pot.
 
I used to do 10 gallon BIAB. I made my drawstring with 4  loops, put these loops over a clevis hook that was on a long rope and used a pulley attached to an overhead tree branch to hoist it out then tied it off to an eyebolt in a fence post.  At 20 some lb of grain + water absorption I was always worried something was gonna give and I never was too comfortable standing next to it.  Then I straddled some perforated metal across the top of the kettle so you lower the bag onto that to take the weight off the bag, rope, hooks, pulley, etc.  If anything gives it will likely hurt both you and your equipment.

By the way, I have never heard anyone say, I should have bought a smaller kettle.  Just make sure you have the BTU's to match it.
 
I started with 15 gallon pots good for making 10 gallon all grain batches and said 'I wish I started with 5 gallon batch setup".  So, I eventually downsized. 

The two biggest challenges I had on the 10 gallon batches is cooling 10G batches is a lot harder than 5G batches.  Temp control for 2 carboys was a lot harder than just 1 carboy.

Most of the advise is to go as big as you can afford.  a 20 gallon kettle can make a 15 gallon batch it it will be full and takes a lot of BTU to get it to boil. 
 
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