Electric Brewing - BIAB Options

[Dene McDonald]

I’ve been brewing with Kit and Kilo for just over a year now having made around 10 batches and while it’s getting better every time I can’t seem to shake that home brew taste that you get when using a “brew enhancer”. So I’ve been doing a bit of research and decided that BIAB is the route for me as it’s low cost, easy to learn, quick cleanup etc… I’m sure you’re all aware of the benefits of BIAB.

I’ve priced up all of the equipment I need for a gas setup and while it’s only the $50 for a pot and $80 for a burner it’s a bit of work on brew day to set it all up. I also can’t do it when it’s wet, windy or cold (which is all the time in Dunedin) as I don’t have a garage or shed.

So as an alternative to gas I’ve decided that an electric brewery is the right option for me. It’s easy to setup, I can do it inside, there’s no worries of running out of gas or having to get gas… the list goes on!

I’ve narrowed it down to two options:

A cheap URN

http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/retail-hospitali...

Brew Pot and Element

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/kitchen/pots-pans-bakeware/pot...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/food-beverage/other-beverages/...

So what I want to know is…

Urn

Does anyone own one of these urns and are they reliable? Would I be able to get a good boil going in it, or I there a safety cut out that stops boiling? If the element blows is it easy to replace or is it a proprietary element fixed into the system?

Pot system

Can anyone comment on doing this? Is it as easy as drilling a hole and screwing it into the pot (keep in mind that I am a complete novice and have no DIY skills at all)?  

Sorry about all the questions but this is my foray into the world of BIAB/All grain! The urn idea seems great as I can set it to my mash temperature and walk away, whereas the pot may need some heat applied from time to time. But if the element dies in the pot I can just swap it out, and the urn would need replaced!

[Dene McDonald]

$90.22 inc delivery for the new style element and power cable delivered from Craft brewer.

$103 inc delivery for the one on TM and it's the older style.

[Crusader-Rob]

Nice one Welly, I'm definitely keen to give it a crack, and if it doesn't work out, then I can use it for imperial half batches... on the rare occasion....

[Dene McDonald]

Has anyone used the new style - just read this and it's almost scared me off them http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=63974

[Dene McDonald]

Just spotted this Birko on TM. Not sure of the size but the price is great for someone in Auckland (pick up only).

http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/retail-hospitali...

[Richard Deeble]

My only comment when brewing with an urn is that for BIAB I think you need something that is around 40 litres minimum, especially if you want to brew 20litre+ all grain batches that are over 1.080. You can lose quite a bit of efficiency and also struggle to get your pre-boil volume if your kettle is a bit small. At that point you really have to start doing a sparge step, at which point I think it is actually better to just give batch sparging a go. I think a 50 or 70 litre pot is probably a better option in that respect as it will probably be cheaper, easier and potentially more efficient. You can always add extract as well to boost gravity, which is my current strategy. 

[Dene McDonald]

Stoked with myself. Got a new Cater Master 40 litre Hot Water Urn off Trade Me for $120. Saved myself $200!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=555222310

Hopefully it will do the job and I'll take some photos, video and document some specs (boil times etc...) when it arrives.

Apparently the Cater Master are Birko Urns rebranded - they will take replacement Birko elements etc.. Also known as a Two Thousand Machinery. 

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/53656-for-sale-ag-brew-gear-brisb...

Thanks to Welly for advice!

[welly]

Nice score - that's less than half the price I paid four years ago!

Interesting to hear that it might be a rebranded Birko.

Glad to have been of help.

Cheers

Welly

[Crusader-Rob]

Yeah definitely keen to see how it goes, any documentation you can offer would be great, as after speaking to "savebarn" they said it wont do a rolling boil? but if they're birko urns, i dont think there'll be an issue.
And for that price yea can't grumble!
I'm looking at going electric, when i get back in the house, its on the list. Although, I have a 30L Pot a 50L Pot and a Mash Tun Cooler (which needs more insulation), I could convert those?? 50l boil kettle mash tun and 30l hot liquor tank...

[Dene McDonald]

I saw your questions on Trade Me... I don't think they really knew what they were talking about and gave you what they thought was the right answer! Below is a picture of an older Birko and the Cater Master. Seem to be very similar. Here's hoping I can get a boil going. If it's the same urn as Welly then hopefully I'm ok!

[welly]

This is the only vessel I have used for boiling a full volume so perhaps my idea of a rolling boil is a little off :-)

When I first bought the urn I was a little concerned that it might not be able to reach a full boil or would take ages, especially as most of the other urns that I read about on AHB were 2.4kW whereas this one is 2kW so I thought it might be a little underpowered, but I'm quite happy with it's performance.

I usually use around 30 litres of water and 5-6kg grain in my recipes and am able to get what I consider a rolling boil. This takes around 20 - 30 minutes after mashout (guessing a bit here as I haven't really timed it). I have the lid balanced on the top, covering about two thirds, which does help with the boil. I've not insulated the urn but that would certainly help keep the heat in if you were concerned. It's not happened often but I have managed a couple of boil overs so it must be fairly good. (This was shortly after dumping a load of hops in, though!)

If it doesn't work for a boil kettle then the urn would make a great hlt. I had this idea in the back of my mind that I'd BIAB for a few brews and then move to 3V but I've enjoyed the simplicity of BIAB (and the resulting beers) so I've not switched. Another option if the urn is not boiling satisfactorily would be to add an over the side heat stick.

I could possibly take a video of my urn in action next time I brew if that would help. Unfortunately, it might not be for a week or so as I just brewed on Wednesday and the cube and fermenter are both full!

Cheers

Welly

[Crusader-Rob]

Ha, I assume, she doesn't know the meaniong of the word "Rolling Boil". I think you'll be fine based on others experiences. Wouldstill be good to see video of the boil etc. see how good it really is, and if its good enough I might get myself a couple of these... when they're cheap of course.

 

I meant to ask, do you have any information on the element, namely the running current/amp.

[welly]

Sorry for the delay in replying. Here's a link to a video of the urn boiling - perhaps not exactly a rolling boil but the wort is still bubbling up at the surface. The boil tends to be stronger at first and then eases off to more like what you can see in the video.

I don't have anymore information on the element, unfortunately, It's the same model as Dene has just bought, if that helps.

Welly