I just dont understand - do i need two boilers?

[ChrisG]

Well I will be starting all grain soon and already have my mash tun built, but everything i read points to needing two boilers.

If I batch sparge the hot liquor tun is my boiler so should i just collect the wort runoff from the mash tun in another bucket (i have two anyway) then transfer this into the boiler once the wort is collected?

I'm confused.com!

[Buzz]

Yes. Or, heat the water for batch sparging on the stove. I have a couple of big stockpots and do this.

[Garth]

Hey Chris,

you don't need two boilers but using one as a dedicated HLT and one as a dedicated boiler makes life easier.

When I had a plastic brewery I had a 5 gallon single element HLT up a height in the garage, this stayed there, never moved and only heated water for doughing in then sparging, I had a pipe from the tap straight into it to fill it up. I had a Themos mash tun underneath then I had a 10gal H&G boiler underneath that, basically your classic three tier system, and it works very well. But if you don't want a second one then you can still make good beer, just there's more shifting of wort about.

[mysterio]

Chris, I do what you describe. Collect the runnings into a seperate vessel and transfer it to the boiler afterwards.

[ChrisG]

Thanks for the advice, all good comments. I'll have to have a think about which way i want to go, although adding an element to a fermentation bin is probably not a good idea.

Well may be as long as I remember to turn it off!

[Madbrewer]

Chris, I do what you describe. Collect the runnings into a seperate vessel and transfer it to the boiler afterwards.

me too

[maxashton]

adding an element to a fermentation bin is probably not a good idea.

All of the plastic boilers on the market are just fermenters of one sort or another with a kettle element in.

Perfectly fine, so long as its one of the more robust fermentors. I don't personally suggest the youngs ones, for example, but i've seen people use them.

[Duncndisorderly]

i got around this untill recently by having too coolboxes
one to mash in and one to hold my sparge water once heated in thus freeing my 30ltr stockpot to collect my run off

[stevezx7r]

As long as it has the "PP" logo on (pollypropelene, not sure of the spelling) then it is "food grade" and can withstand things like heating without releasing dodgy chemicals which at least will affect the taste of your beer and at worst will have you grow another head

I currently use a couple of the youngs fv's and although they do flex a little once hot they are fine for the job, just be carefull and don't try and carry 100c water by the handle

[ChrisG]

well thats good to know.

Just ordered my 10 gallon bin and two boiler taps from Hop and Grape. So I'm on my way to All grain!!!!! Whoohooo!!

Going to install the taps on the boiler and one on the youngs bin.

[J_P]

Chris, I do what you describe. Collect the runnings into a seperate vessel and transfer it to the boiler afterwards.

I do something similar except I bung my sparge water in a FV with tap and run the runnings from the lauter tun into the boiler. As soon as the element is covered the electricity is turned on - simple

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Chris, I do what you describe. Collect the runnings into a seperate vessel and transfer it to the boiler afterwards.

I do something similar except I bung my sparge water in a FV with tap and run the runnings from the lauter tun into the boiler. As soon as the element is covered the electricity is turned on - simple

Me too, I've always done it that way, I get at least 75% efficiency.
BB

[jubby]

And me