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Housemoney wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2023 12:52 pm Not sure if I’m getting conversion. It was 195 at 6 last night, 182 this morning. Got home around 3 and it was 150, but water was on top and corn was on the bottom. I used the high temp amalaze last night. Stirred it up and got to 145 so I added my malts. Can’t put the low temp in until 110 to 95

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 9:46 am Question about transferring boiling water to fermenter: I set my fermenter on a bench/pedestal I was thinking I would transfer boiling water with a transfer pump instead of trying to pail it or set the fermenter on the ground under the hot water heater spigot. 1/2 hp pump with cast iron body, unsure if the seals will hold up to boiling water. Any other concerns or ideas??
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-hp-cas ... 63316.html

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 9:46 am Question about transferring boiling water to fermenter: I set my fermenter on a bench/pedestal I was thinking I would transfer boiling water with a transfer pump instead of trying to pail it or set the fermenter on the ground under the hot water heater spigot. 1/2 hp pump with cast iron body, unsure if the seals will hold up to boiling water. Any other concerns or ideas??
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-hp-cas ... 63316.html

Deplorable wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 4:17 pm

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 9:46 am Question about transferring boiling water to fermenter: I set my fermenter on a bench/pedestal I was thinking I would transfer boiling water with a transfer pump instead of trying to pail it or set the fermenter on the ground under the hot water heater spigot. 1/2 hp pump with cast iron body, unsure if the seals will hold up to boiling water. Any other concerns or ideas??
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-hp-cas ... 63316.html

Before I converted to electric, I would boil water in my boiler over a burner, then transfer to a bucket and dump it on the grain. Now, my fermenters are on barrel dollies, and my boiler is elevated on the work bench. I drain straight into the fermenter. Much safer.

elbono wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 4:08 pm

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 9:46 am Question about transferring boiling water to fermenter: I set my fermenter on a bench/pedestal I was thinking I would transfer boiling water with a transfer pump instead of trying to pail it or set the fermenter on the ground under the hot water heater spigot. 1/2 hp pump with cast iron body, unsure if the seals will hold up to boiling water. Any other concerns or ideas??
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-hp-cas ... 63316.html

I'm a fan of harbor freight but the pump I think you tried to link doesn't look up to boiling water to me.

Easy enough to figure out set it up and do a few test runs dumping the water on the ground.

I set the boiler on a bench and dump it into the fermenter. Dead easy.

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2023 4:50 pm

elbono wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 4:08 pm

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 9:46 am Question about transferring boiling water to fermenter: I set my fermenter on a bench/pedestal I was thinking I would transfer boiling water with a transfer pump instead of trying to pail it or set the fermenter on the ground under the hot water heater spigot. 1/2 hp pump with cast iron body, unsure if the seals will hold up to boiling water. Any other concerns or ideas??
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-hp-cas ... 63316.html

I'm a fan of harbor freight but the pump I think you tried to link doesn't look up to boiling water to me.

Easy enough to figure out set it up and do a few test runs dumping the water on the ground.

I set the boiler on a bench and dump it into the fermenter. Dead easy.

The pump is rated for 95F. But ya, trying to avoid the fermenter on the ground.

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 1:54 pm So I’m not sure how I under-thought this, but I purchased a 50 gallon stainless steel pot for 40 gallon ferments. But it’s definitely too small! After getting into this, I now realize to ferment on the grain, the grain bed takes about 18 gallons of volume. 25# of medium grind cornmeal is equal to 4 gallons. I’m going to assume any other medium ground grain will equal a similar volume.

That leaves 32 gallons for water. I know I can shrink the mash down, but the reason for the 40 gallons of wash was a one-and-done approach. It gives me the right amount of low wines for a spirit run. Mostly posting for future reference but if anyone does have feedback let me know

Deplorable wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 3:46 pm

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 1:54 pm So I’m not sure how I under-thought this, but I purchased a 50 gallon stainless steel pot for 40 gallon ferments. But it’s definitely too small! After getting into this, I now realize to ferment on the grain, the grain bed takes about 18 gallons of volume. 25# of medium grind cornmeal is equal to 4 gallons. I’m going to assume any other medium ground grain will equal a similar volume.

That leaves 32 gallons for water. I know I can shrink the mash down, but the reason for the 40 gallons of wash was a one-and-done approach. It gives me the right amount of low wines for a spirit run. Mostly posting for future reference but if anyone does have feedback let me know

I routinely mash and ferment 50 pounds of grain and 23 gallons of water in those white 30 gallon HDPE barrels with the red screw on lids, and dont have a problem. I only have about 1.5 to 2 inches of head space, if that helps.

edit to add that if you look at the picture of SCDs 55 gallon drum on page 1 after about 20 hours of rest you can see he has a lot of head space in there with 40 gallons of water and all the grains.

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 1:54 pm So I’m not sure how I under-thought this, but I purchased a 50 gallon stainless steel pot for 40 gallon ferments. But it’s definitely too small! After getting into this, I now realize to ferment on the grain, the grain bed takes about 18 gallons of volume. 25# of medium grind cornmeal is equal to 4 gallons. I’m going to assume any other medium ground grain will equal a similar volume.
...

higgins wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 6:28 am

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 1:54 pm So I’m not sure how I under-thought this, but I purchased a 50 gallon stainless steel pot for 40 gallon ferments. But it’s definitely too small! After getting into this, I now realize to ferment on the grain, the grain bed takes about 18 gallons of volume. 25# of medium grind cornmeal is equal to 4 gallons. I’m going to assume any other medium ground grain will equal a similar volume.
...

Your 25 lbs of cornmeal occupies 4 gallons of volume by itself, but when mixed with water it will only take up about 2 gallons of space. Saturated grain takes up about .08 gal per lb of grain. In other words, 1 lb of grain in 1 gallon of water occupies 1.08 gallons of volume.

My last bourbon mash was 25 lbs cornmeal, 8 lbs rye meal, 3 lbs malt which is 36 lbs. I use 1 gallon of water for every 2 lbs of grain, so the volume it displaces is 36 * .08 + 18 (the amt of water I added), or just under 21 gal. I use 30 gal fermenters and there is a good 8-10" of head space on this fermentation. I could go bigger, but I settled on this grain bill because I could buy a 25 lb bag of cornmeal per mash, and a 25 lb bag of rye will make 3 batches. I've always got some malt hanging around (I brew beer, too) so it is a matter of convenience for me.

For the 50 lbs grain & 23 gal water that Deplorable uses the total volume would calculate to be 27 gal (50 * .08 + 23).

higgins wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 6:28 am

The Booze Pipe wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 1:54 pm So I’m not sure how I under-thought this, but I purchased a 50 gallon stainless steel pot for 40 gallon ferments. But it’s definitely too small! After getting into this, I now realize to ferment on the grain, the grain bed takes about 18 gallons of volume. 25# of medium grind cornmeal is equal to 4 gallons. I’m going to assume any other medium ground grain will equal a similar volume.
...

Your 25 lbs of cornmeal occupies 4 gallons of volume by itself, but when mixed with water it will only take up about 2 gallons of space. Saturated grain takes up about .08 gal per lb of grain. In other words, 1 lb of grain in 1 gallon of water occupies 1.08 gallons of volume.

My last bourbon mash was 25 lbs cornmeal, 8 lbs rye meal, 3 lbs malt which is 36 lbs. I use 1 gallon of water for every 2 lbs of grain, so the volume it displaces is 36 * .08 + 18 (the amt of water I added), or just under 21 gal. I use 30 gal fermenters and there is a good 8-10" of head space on this fermentation. I could go bigger, but I settled on this grain bill because I could buy a 25 lb bag of cornmeal per mash, and a 25 lb bag of rye will make 3 batches. I've always got some malt hanging around (I brew beer, too) so it is a matter of convenience for me.

For the 50 lbs grain & 23 gal water that Deplorable uses the total volume would calculate to be 27 gal (50 * .08 + 23).

Deplorable wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 1:04 pm Thanks for the math higgins.

Booze Pipe, the gluco will help by continuing to converts starches to sugar during fermentation.
I assume you are mashing in the 50 gallon kettle over a flame. How is it that you cant reach temps over 165F?
If I pour 212 degree water into dry corn meal in a poly drum wrapped in reflectix and two wool army blankets it will maintain temperature quite well.
After two additions of grain and boiling water, Once the doughballs are stirred out, my temp is at 180 to 183. I seal it up, and 2 hours later add my HT Amylase dose to the top of the polenta and cover it up. If I do an overnight mash, in the morning my mash is still 170F and thinned out. I think your low OG is due to not holding the temp high enough, for long enough prior to adding in your malts.