Reprinted from Blichmann's website. Recommended 3 Kettle Systems For Typical Batch Sizes (HLT/Mash/Boil) - please reference the chart below for specific capacities:
5 gal batch: 10/10/10
10 gal batch: 15/15/20
15-20 gal batch: 20/20/30
30 gal batch: 30/30/55
It is also possible to brew multiple batch sizes, for example 5 and 10 gal, with the following sizes. Note that you may need to add additional makeup water to your boil kettle. Another option for smaller batch sizes is to use a thinner mash - this will help maintain temperatures and also allow the thermometer to read the mash. We do offer a thermometer hole plug so you can locate the thermometer at a lower position for smaller batches, and the higher position for bigger batch size.
5/10: 5gal -> 20/10/15, 10gal -> 10/15/20
10/20: 10gal -> 30/15/20, 20gal -> 15/20/30
20/30: 20gal -> 55/20/30, 30gal -> 20/30/55
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| Approx mash capacity - lb of grain @75% full |
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| Recommended Boil Capacity (finished batch size) | HLT Capacity (approx) | 1.00 qt/lb | 1.25 qt/lb | 1.5 qt/lb | 1.75 qt/lb | 2.00 qt/lb | Recommended lauter rate (gpm) | Max recirc rate (gpm) for RIMS | Kettle dead space (gal) | Diameter (in) of sidewall | Diameter (in) base of step | Height (in) | Volume to thermo stem (gal)* |
| 10 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 0.19 | 0.75 | 0.13 | 13.8 | 10.9 | 16.5 | 4.0 |
| 15 | 8 | 13 | 37 | 30 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 0.19 | 15.7 | 12.8 | 18.9 | 6.5 |
| 20 | 10 | 17 | 49 | 41 | 35 | 30 | 27 | 0.33 | 1.25 | 0.22 | 17.7 | 14.8 | 20.9 | 8.25 |
| 30 | 15 | 25 | 73 | 61 | 52 | 45 | 40 | 0.40 | 1.50 | 0.28 | 19.7 | 16.8 | 23.6 | 10.25 |
| 55 | 32 | 48 | 134 | 111 | 95 | 83 | 74 | 0.55 | 2.25 | 0.50 | 23.6 | 20.7 | 28.3 | 15.0 |
* Blichmann offers a hole plug so that you can install the TherMometer in multiple locations...great for doing multiple batch sizes on one pot!
Key to top performance of your new BoilerMaker™ brew pot is selecting the size that best fits your brewing needs. Selecting too small, or too big of a brew pot, mash tun, or hot liquor tank (HLT) can cause frustration and poor performance.
Boil kettles: Blichmann recommends that you always do a full wort boil, as do most brewing texts and advanced brewers. This will minimize the addition of top-up water to compensate for boil-off, and starting with the volume called for in your recipe will let you know early in the process if you've hit your target gravity giving you more time to correct the problem. Also, you'll get more consistent hop utilization by sticking to the recipe volumes, as utilization changes significantly with specific wort gravity. Last, but certainly not least, is
boil-over prevention...having enough head space will keep this irritating problem at bay.
That said, Blichmann recommends a boil kettle approximately 2 times the size of the finished batch size. Although this may sound like a bit much, a 10 gal batch will typically start with 13-14 gal pre-boil once you compensate for cooling contraction, transfer losses, and boil off. This will allow for a reasonable head space to reduce boil-over problems. For example, if you're a 10gal batch brewer, you'd select the 20 gal BoilerMaker™ brew pot as your boil kettle.
Mash Vessels: we recommend filling your mash vessel no more than 75% of capacity. This will allow sufficient space for dough-in of the grains and additions of sparge water and sparge arms, etc. The chart below includes various water to grist ratios to assist you in your selection. The green column is our recommended water to grist ratio. Minimum volumes are to ensure that the thermometer probe is adequately submerged, and also so you have an adequate grain bed depth for proper wort filtration. We've designed the BoilerMaker™ brew pot sizes to seamlessly blend from size to size, so you'll never need to sacrifice.
Hot Liquor Tanks: we recommend sizing your HLT the same size as your mash tun to ensure you have plenty of sparge water available on brew day.
***Note - the above data is for evaluation purposes only. Blichmann Engineering is not responsible for incidental or consequential damages from use of this information.
Reprinted from Blichmann's website.
Why do I need a level gauge on every pot?
Although at first glance you wonder why you need a level gauge on every pot in your system, but there are several reasons why we feel they are necessary equipment on every vessel in your brewery:
- Beer is about 90% water, so knowing how much you're using in each pot is vital
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- Consistency from batch to batch is all about repeatability and measurements. Using a level gauge will ensure you're starting with the right amount of water and finishing with the correct amount. These measurements will also let you measure your system efficiency.
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- Using a gauge instead of a bucket reduces errors and saves time
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- Hot Liquor Tank: initial fill, water chemistry adjustments
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- Mash Tun - initial fill, water adjustment, allows you to monitor static pressure on mash to prevent stuck mashes!! When the level in the gauge reaches 1/2 the level of the mash you know that you're drawing too fast and may stick your mash well before it actually happens. This is particularly useful for RIMS/HERMS brewers!
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- Boil kettle - know when to stop lauter runoff, measure initial and final fill for efficiency measurements. Knowing your gravity points early on allows you more time to correct any issues
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- The heat shield provided with your BoilerMaker will prevent boiling in the level gauge allowing very accurate readings.
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The Blichmann Engineering gauge is a snap to clean with the removable clean-out ports on the top and bottom of the gauge. Using the included cleaning brush you'll have the gauge squeaky clean in less than a minute.
Do I need a Clad Bottom?
Clad bottoms are great for cooking viscous foods like spaghetti, gravies etc, especially on an electric stove. Since these foods don't convect like thinner liquids (like beer wort) scorching is more likely. With the full rolling boil of a wort boil, and the use on a gas/propane burner, scorching is not an issue even on the lightest worts. We have thoroughly tested the BoilerMaker pots on high BTU burners with very light beers (Koelsch, Pils etc) and experienced no discoloration or scorching whatsoever. While the clad bottoms look impressive, they add cost, but no real benefit to the brewer. Since we designed these pots from a clean sheet, we added cost only where it added specific benefits to the brewer. The stepped bottom, quality level gauge, adjustable BrewMometer, and snap-in dip tube are a few examples.
My Boil Filter Screen Sometimes Plugs With Pellet Hops?
As with any filter, high loads of pellet hops and protein can sometimes plug the filter. We recommend a vigorous whirlpool at the end of the boil, letting it sit for 15-20 min to allow the hot break and hops to settle to the center of the pot. Then drain slowly to prevent disturbing the sediment. If this is not successful, we recommend bagging your hops in a reuseable nylon fine mesh bag...this also makes clean-up a lot more convenient.
