*Note - prior to mashing in, I heat water and pump it to a cooler above the kettle (sparge water, extra hot water for whatever). My maximum capacity is about a 27lb grain bill with 1.8L/lb grain strike water for a 10 gallon batch for the mash. Also hang the hop spider on it toward the end of the boil so that drains completely as well. Makes it nice and easy to stir vigorously and stabilize temperatures of the mash. The hoist has other benefits I use it for as well - I hang a grain hopper with my milled grain on it, the hopper has a slide gate on the bottom so I can control the rate at which I'm adding grist. Then move the basket out of the way on the rollers and lower. To lift the basket out I just push a button and let it hang to drain out while I'm sparging. On the pulley note - I installed a unistrut rail on the ceiling in the garage with some rollers and an electric hoist. However no mess or extra work with a 'stuck' mash, only extra time. I lifted the basket and it took over an hour to drain out instead of ~10-15 minutes. I've 'stuck' a mash due to some very finely ground grains, however stuck mashes are a thing of the past with these. I too have to control my recirc speed depending what I'm mashing/grist size/etc., balancing the level between the basket and kettle level. While I don't have a Spike Solo, I use a 'homemade' version (I like to think Spike used my idea!) that's pretty much the same thing - Blichmann electric kettle with custom stainless steel basket. It's a perfect solution for the additional volume that is only needed during the mash. On that note, kudos to Spike for making a basket that extends above the kettle. Seems like I might need to sparge to be safe, although I'm not sure how much more volume I get from the basket extension above the top of the kettle. I'm planning a Danzig clone with a total mash and water volume of 73L (19.2 gal). I'm wondering what others think is the maximum grain bill for this system. I'm using a 4:1 pulley system so my wife will be able to handle it if she wants. When removing the basket, it's pretty easy to simply pull it to the side of the kettle as you lower it. Even if you have the manpower to lift it, It's nice to be able to suspend the basket well above the kettle so it can continue to drain during the boil. I'm a strong believer in having pulleys to lift the basket. FWIW, I'm usine a 24" piece of thick-walled (1/8") silicone tubing and it stays on the ledge nicely. I know some people have reported a problem with the basket recirculation hose dropping off the ledge. After that, the grain settled and never gave me another problem. I "refluidized" the grain bed with vigorous stirring, then scraped the bottom of the basked with my paddle. For people who brew with the Spike Solo system - what are your experiences?Īfter two batches on my 20 gallon system, my most important lesson so far is:Ībout ten minutes into the mash, the water level in the basket gets high (riptide pump at about 25%).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |