Pot size for BIAB

[Patrick]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking for a while on this site so I though I'd better create an account and get posting!

I returned fairly recently from 4 years living in the UK, doing a lot of travelling around the UK and Europe and drinking lots of different beers and I am now trying to get set up for home brewing. Money is tight so I am gradually getting the equipment together for BIAB. I have a 41L aluminuim pot and I am wondering if I will be able to do 23L batches without over-filling the pot. How do I work out how much water to use at the start, and is there a formula for how much water the grain displaces?

Also, I am looking for copper pipe on Trademe and I have seen some 15m rolls of 12.7mmOD pipe, is this a good size for an immersion chiller?

For the thermometer, should I go for a digital one or just one of those long metal ones that are used in the food industry?

Finally, what is the cheapest way to get a fermenter? Can I just get a 30L food-safe bucket with a lid and add my own airlock etc? Or will it not work out much cheaper than buying one that already has all the accesories?

I already have 3 dozen swappa crate bottles so I will be looking for a capper soon as well.

Sorry for all the questions - hopefully I will eventually learn enough to srart helping other learners like me!

Cheers
Patrick

[Pilgrim]

Mine is a straightforward pillowcase design because I figured that it would be stronger with fewer seams. It is double thickness with double stitched seams on both sides. Important to use synthetic thread throughout otherwise the stitching will rot. Mine has a heavy drawstring around the top. I don't sparge as such, I have a pulley system rigged above the bag and I haul it out, let it drain, then dunk it back in, just like a tea bag. I do this three times and then drop it into a large bucket, after ten minutes or so I haul it out of the bucket and pour the runnings back into the pot. The spent grain goes to my mates place to feed the pigs :-)

[Patrick]

Interesting... I think I will try the pillow case approach first because I am rubbish at sewing! Thanks for the input.

[Patrick]

OK I ended up ducking into Stowers at lunchtime and picked up a couple of 20L foodsafe buckets with lids and taps. I guess I can either do slightly smaller batched or split the batches between the buckets.

How much headroom to I need in the fermenter? Like how much wort should I put into a 20L bucket-fermenter?

Cheers!

[Reviled]

It really depends on the yeast and wether you have a blow off tube... If you fit a blow off tube you should be able to fill it up to say 18-19 litres, if you dont fit a blow off tube, and you dont want a mess, id say 15-16 litres to be safe...

I ferment my lagers in 20Litre cubes which are actually around 23 litres, and it works because the yeast is a bottom fermenter, but I tried it with 1469 and I was constantly cleaning it up!

[Patrick]

Cool - I guess I will just split the wort between the fermenters and only fill them to 15L max. As for a blow off tube, I think I will drill a hole in the lid and seal a hose into it which will run down into a bucket half full of water which can act as an airlock and also catch any foam than makes it's way out.

I got a third bucket with no lid or tap which I will use for sanitizing things, then once I pitch the yeast it can act as the airlock/overflow bucket. Should be ok!

Just need a burner, some starsan, some unscented napisan, and some ingredients and we are underway, hope to do my first brew next weekend. Will have the fire brigade on standby!

[Pilgrim]

Patrick, Napisan is only 14% Sodium Percarbonate. I use Clorox Oxy Magic which is about a $1 extra at the Supermarket and is 33% Sodium Percarbonate, more than twice as strong, so you only use half as much. Much better value.

[Michael]

That sounds like a damn good idea. I wish I knew this already! :)

[Patrick]

Cool - oxy magic it is! can't wait to brew!

[Patrick]

Started making my immersion chiller this evening. I bent it around a smaller pot I have. Looks good, trying to decide how to attach the garden hose to it. Is it possible to just flare the ends of the pipes and heat the hose up to soften it, slip it over the end then put a hose-clip on it?

[JackoNZ]

Word of caution!

I brought my immersion chiller from brewerscoop and it comes with like a barbed end which the hose slips on perfectly, nice and tight, hose clip to tighten it right up. First time I came to use it last week (didn't test, stupid!) anyway the hose heated up quite a bit sitting in the boiling wort for 10 mins and must have softened, I go to put the hose on full, slight spray from the hose, followed by another, followed by panic and run to tap outlet, come back and she's blown right off! Fuck. Anyway got it working eventually with the tap pressure turned down from full and the hoses stayed on.

How does everyone else attach their hoses nice and secure to the IC? Or is it a case of low water pressure from the tap?

[Mike Neilson]

+1 for done that also!! You must make sure to nip it up tight again around the 5 min mark, or it will blow of and you will find your self boiling it for a further 10 mins!!

[denimglen]

Is it possible to just flare the ends of the pipes and heat the hose up to soften it, slip it over the end then put a hose-clip on it?

Yup, done that before, works fine, just keep a screw driver handy for those brew day tighten ups like Jacko had.

Just garden hose on 1/2" OD with a couple hose clamps for me, before I was using 3/8", flared with the PVC tubing to one of those bathroom tap condom things.