I went to using my BIAB bag to line the mash pipe after a few brews mostly for the ability to crush a bit finer to get better efficiency and for a faster clean-up of the malt basket. Now I sparge only for high gravity beers. It saves time, is more predictable and reproducible this way.
Anvil foundry max grain full#
In fact, I have stopped sparging on most recipes and just go full volume mash. It is really a BIAB system as are most of the all-in-ones. I have found that I can ramp the temperature up to get to strike temp faster and then drop the power to around 55% to 60% at 240V and it holds temperature really well. I have had no issues with the controller. It is then good for another couple of brews before falling out again. When it does, I just hang it up from the handle and wait until everything is cleaned up and cool before pressing it back in place. Enough heating and cooling cycles and it pops out again. The silicone ring will actually hold into the rim of the top if you carefully press it in along the edge, for a while at least.
The silicone gasket is definitely a PITA. It now takes a bit of effort to push the ring in place, but it has not come out without my being stupid about it. One of the firs things I did with the ring was to gently stretch it so that the gap in the ring is about 1.5 to 2 inches wide. I have only had issues with the support ring when I have not paid attention to the feet on the malt basket. I have used my 6.5 Anvil for 26 batches now (it is the first generation purchased back last July).
I don’t know what I can do to make the controller stay at the temp its set at. Based on my experiences though, I am very afraid this will lead to stuck mash. I am also going to try a grain bag inside the basket. I hope that will eliminate some of the waste. I have ordered a hop spider basket to use with this is the future. That little clamp they give you to restrict the flow is cheap though and I have found it doesn’t work well. On the positive side, that little pump is the best thing ever. My finished beers have been decent, but not better or easier than anything I was making prior to buying this, despite the supposed exact temperature control. Its designed to hang on the lip of the kettle and only about 1/3 of it reaches the wort at 3 gallons. Thats significant for a 3 gallon batch and I find I have to calculate my recipes as 4 gallon recipes to get 3 gallons out at the right gravity. The 6.5 has about 1/2 gallon dead space and losses due to hops, waste and trub. I have taken to scooping out the trash manually with a fine strainer before I start the boil and this takes me a half hour. I get lots of junk carried into my wort, despite running the pump back through the grain bed for the entire mash. I have to keep messing with it, lowering the temp to get it to stop. my controller seems to have a mind of its own and rarely holds temp “within a degree” as they state. the silicone gasket they put in the lid is another pita. It is very, very easy to dislodge and it happens all the time.
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