[DrewG]

I'm making the jump to all grain in the next 2 weeks. I'd like to just batch sparge and I'm wondering what gear I should go with. I have a 5 gallon brewpot and a 10 gallon brewpot with a ball valve and thermometer and a propane burner. Do I just need a cooler with a valve and a false bottom?

[melferburque]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-Beverage-Jug-Orange-and-White-10-Gallon/14550424

these work great and are the best deal I've found.  you need a few o-rings when you replace the spigot or it drips, but otherwise works awesome.  I use one for a mash tun and one for a hot liquor tank.

[denny]

You don't need either a ball valve or a false bottom.  Take a look at the Cheap'n'Easy system at www.dennybrew.com

[ckpash88]

Or you can go with a rectangular cooler like this. I went with this one.

It's nice bc you have a little extra room to play with and if u change your set up u have a awesome picnic cooler when your done.

I choose super saver shipping and got it 4 days later

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000G64I1A/ref=mp_s_a_2?qid=1329499119&sr=8-2

[DrewG]

This may sound like a dumb question (but I've learned there are no dumb questions when you're doing something new), but what is the reason for the pickup tube in your kettle Denny?

[ckpash88]

The tube is there so you don't allow the crushed grains into the kettle. Also the grains will act as a filter so you get a clear wort

[morticaixavier]

This may sound like a dumb question (but I've learned there are no dumb questions when you're doing something new), but what is the reason for the pickup tube in your kettle Denny?

looks to me like the pickup tube in the kettle allows you to get the last of the wort out. the ball valve is a little above the bottom of the pot so by running the tube to the center and down towards the bottom slightly you effectively get the outlet lower in the kettle.

on an aside. Denny's mash tub is super cheap and easy for sure but what I discovered when I made mine is that if you get the right size vinyl tube you can actually just force it through the existing drain hole with out making any mods to the cooler itself. I think mine is 3/16 in but I will check tonight. you have to warm it up and strech/fold it to get it to go through but once it's all in there and straightened out it seals well.

[melferburque]

You don't need either a ball valve or a false bottom.  Take a look at the Cheap'n'Easy system at www.dennybrew.com

why is this not the very first google result on any homebrew search?  I would have loved to have found this two years ago when I first started.  would have saved a lot of time and money.

tho I do like my false bottom, and as I work at a plumbing supply house, I get all my fittings at cost.  selling s***ters has its perks.

[Alewyfe]

You don't need either a ball valve or a false bottom.  Take a look at the Cheap'n'Easy system at www.dennybrew.com

why is this not the very first google result on any homebrew search?  I would have loved to have found this two years ago when I first started.  would have saved a lot of time and money.

tho I do like my false bottom, and as I work at a plumbing supply house, I get all my fittings at cost.  selling s***ters has its perks.

Be careful, we don't want to make this hobby look too easy or all the riff raff are gonna start brewing.

[DrewG]

looks to me like the pickup tube in the kettle allows you to get the last of the wort out. the ball valve is a little above the bottom of the pot so by running the tube to the center and down towards the bottom slightly you effectively get the outlet lower in the kettle.

Do you typically run through the ball valve on your kettle to the fermenter? I used mine for the first time last brew (as opposed to the autosiphon)and it seemed like i had a lot of break material make it into the carboy. It was the first full volume boil i did so i guess that might account for it. I chilled and tried to whirlpool as best I could. Sorry for all the questions.

[morticaixavier]

looks to me like the pickup tube in the kettle allows you to get the last of the wort out. the ball valve is a little above the bottom of the pot so by running the tube to the center and down towards the bottom slightly you effectively get the outlet lower in the kettle.

Do you typically run through the ball valve on your kettle to the fermenter? I used mine for the first time last brew (as opposed to the autosiphon)and it seemed like i had a lot of break material make it into the carboy. It was the first full volume boil i did so i guess that might account for it. I chilled and tried to whirlpool as best I could. Sorry for all the questions.

It's not really much of an issue to get some or even all the break material into your fermenter, except that it adds some volume so if you are pushing it in terms of head space that might be an issue. But I often run off from the kettle into a fermenter (bucket) with a nylon grain bag lining it, then when I have finished I can slowly lift the bag out and get most of the break and hop pellet goo out.

[denny]

What morty said!

[DrewG]

Im going into a 6.5 g carboy, but I could wrap a nylon bag around the hose and filter it that way. Might even help a bit with aeration.

[richardt]

Careful... if you put an empty nylon bag and hose in a carboy and allow a bunch of break material and hops to pass into the bag... you just might be making yourself a "monkey trap."

[morticaixavier]

Im going into a 6.5 g carboy, but I could wrap a nylon bag around the hose and filter it that way. Might even help a bit with aeration.

when using a carboy I put the bag in the funnel. you might have to stop a few times during runoff to rinse out the bag as it will get clogged. but if you keep a bucket of sanitizer near by you can rinse and resanitize the bag once or twice and be good to go. and you avoid the aforementioned monkey trap.