Solo NPT Basket

Half batches are tough... Only under 1.060?

10g OG Spike Kettle 18 years home brewing All electric for 10 years now in 1 form or another, just for reference Made my first batch with the basket. I typically do half batches... Mostly because I don't drink as much as I use to but still like to rotate beers often! 8 lbs of malt for a 7% IPA 4.75 gallons of mash water The mash was super thick! Had to add a 1/2 gallon just to thin it out. And then I needed a 90 minute boil to accommodate the extra water Also, the recommended .35 mill setting served way to find! Mashed in and let the mash sit for 10 minutes... Then started the recirculation.... Stuck in 15 minutes. Needed to cut the pump, stir the mash and start again. Had to do this a few times At which point...I got a bunch of grain in my kettle. Next time .4 mill setting And anything over 1.060 you should just double mash. Half the grains for 40 minutes,. Drain the basket, refill and start again. I might revise this in a few months after a few brews and more experience.... But right now, 3/5 Maybe 3.5/5

Not a perfect replacement for BIAB

I had purchased this as a replacement to my mesh bag so that I could let hot wort drain out of the basket without holding/squeezing a hot bag. It does not work well as a 1-for-1 swap for a few reasons: 1. The depth of the basket limits the amount of grain that can be used for a 5 gallon batch in a 10 gallon kettle. For high-gravity beers I will need to use my bag again. 2. The basket only has openings on the bottom to allow water to flow, so the contact with the grain is limited and there is a significant temperature difference between the grain temp and water below the basket. This may be alleviated with a pump system to recirculate the mash water or additional holes in the side would help equalize temp more easily. 3. Hanging the basket after the mash results in the bottom of the grainbed sitting in the wort and incompletely draining. At a 7.3 gal pre-boil volume (accounting for boiloff, shrinkage, losses) I've still got to find some creative ways to maneuver the basket to drain. Moving the hooks to a lower position on the side of the basket would help the basket hang higher above the wort. Eventually I'll rig up a pump/hose system to improve the mash temperature consistency, but that is additional cost that I had not originally planned for with the purchase of the Solo Basket.

Perfect fit

Awesome results. Perfect fit with blichmann g2 boil kettle