My Bm 1st Impressions

[Normski]

Maybe this info will be useful to someone who is considering getting one.
I’ve had my Bm 20L for 15 days and have done 5 brews.
I want to make small batches, and wasn’t sure how small a brew was possible.
I also wanted to know the upper limits. Brew length or high gravity.
I looked but couldn’t find all of these answers. So 5 brews in and so far, here are my impressions.

My 1st brew was small.
I was going for a simple 3Kg pale 200g, light Crystal, 100g Torry. With a single hop at 60, 15, 0 mins.
I intended to use 24L liquor total.
I put 20L of liquor in the Bm. And the 3.3kg of grain. This was not enough to recirculate and keep the element covered.
I added two more Liters of water (quickly). This was now fine.
21L with 3.3Kg of grain would have been ok.
So 21L in the mash and sparge with 3L is the way I will continue for small 17L in the fv brews.
I did a second brew with these figures and all was fine. Very high efficiency.

3rd and 4th brews were both to see how big a brew I could make.
I used 6Kg pale, 200g Vienna, 100g Torry. Etc. There’s room for a maybe another Kg of grain, but it might get a bit too compacted in the pipe.
I intended using a total of 40L liquor. 25L in the mash, and sparge with 15L.
A little less sparge liquor would have been fine. I used 10L for brew 4 and that’s how I’ll continue.
Brew 3 got 26L in the fv and 1.5l of wort to use for starters/priming.
Brew 4 got 24.5l in the fv and 1.5l of wort. I got over 90% efficiency.

5th Brew was to see how high a gravity I could get.
The limiting factor appears to be the max grain that’s possible to use in the malt pipe.
I used 5620g Pale, 620g Special W. etc
22L in the BM, sparge with 4L.
I collected 17.5l in the fv plus 2l wort @ 1080.

So far I’m very impressed with the Bm, It’s easy to use. It can be used in a kitchen with a window open and a small fan switched on just for the boil.
You get unbelievable efficiency. I recon I must be saving £1 every brew, So I’ve only got to use it another 1000 times and its free.

The 20L is capable of brew lengths up to something like 35L if you sparge a lot. The actual Bm pot is 40L
It can make small batches of session strength ale down to around 17L with only 3.3Kg grain.
It can easily make a 1080 brew.

My only criticism is, If you use whole hops it needs a hop filter of some kind.
If you use pellets its fine.
I’m working on a hop filter.
I’ve made the Mk1 and will post pictures once tested.

Norm

[Wezzel]

Hi Norm,

I did my second brew on my 20 litre BM this weekend. As there is only me drinking I bought the shortened malt pipe so I can brew small batches every 3 weeks or so. I was surprised at the efficiency (I don't stir the mash partway through but do rinse with about 1 litre per kg) overshooting my target OG by miles.

I love the simplicity and relaxing brew day especially only having one pot to clean at the end of it.

The optional BM hop filter works well with leaf hops but when I used pellets in a hop bag I got a LOT of trub in the fermenter.

[oz11]

Five brews in 15 days?!

I haven't pushed mine to max yet for a strong beer, the most grain I have used is 6kg.
Done a couple of smallish beers (1038OG) and do have issues with wort fountains on this, but I am mashing with about 24L of liquor so maybe I need to mash a little thinner.

EDIT: Thinner???? Thicker...

Keep up the good work!

[Normski]

Hi Norm,

I did my second brew on my 20 litre BM this weekend. As there is only me drinking I bought the shortened malt pipe so I can brew small batches every 3 weeks or so. I was surprised at the efficiency (I don't stir the mash partway through but do rinse with about 1 litre per kg) overshooting my target OG by miles.

I love the simplicity and relaxing brew day especially only having one pot to clean at the end of it.

The optional BM hop filter works well with leaf hops but when I used pellets in a hop bag I got a LOT of trub in the fermenter.

I was thinking of the 10L malt pipe, that’s why I wanted to see how small I could go on the 20l.
But as I can get down to 17L I'll stick with the 20l pipe and just bottle a few from each batch.
I intend using pellets, but want to use up my existing leaf hop stocks.
The thought of £50 for a filter was breaking my heart. So I have made aHopper from an Ikea colander and a length of 22mm copper pipe. I think It may even work.
I'm going to fit a tank connector to the bottom of the Hopper to hold the pipe. It should then be adjustable too.
Norm

[Wezzel]

Wow, that's ingenious. Good luck [WAVING HAND SIGN]

[Normski]

Five brews in 15 days?!

I haven't pushed mine to max yet for a strong beer, the most grain I have used is 6kg.
Done a couple of smallish beers (1038OG) and do have issues with wort fountains on this, but I am mashing with about 24L of liquor so maybe I need to mash a little thinner.

EDIT: Thinner???? Thicker...

Keep up the good work!

Hi Oz
Im not sure why some have fountains. Is it because the mash and liquor are a bit small. And maybe the grain is a bit blocked low down.
Then when the pump has a rest, and then when it starts again it pushes under, the now settled mash. And whoosh. If that’s it. Then as you say a thinner mash.
And maybe good stir and make sure the grain isn’t too powdery.
Norm

[Wezzel]

I think mashing in at 40c for 10 minutes and stirring well helps enormously with regard to avoiding wort fountains.

[oz11]

I think mashing in at 40c for 10 minutes and stirring well helps enormously with regard to avoiding wort fountains.

I do this as a matter of course now as it seems to eradicate doughballs

[Matt12398]

I'm impressed that you can fit so much in the malt pipe. I've used the short malt pipe a couple of times in the 50 litre and have mashed with 5.5 kg of grain and I'm nearly overflowing the malt pipe and having to push the top plate down to be able to screw the nut on.

[Normski]

Just an update on My Hopper.
I've fitted a tank connector to the bottom of the colander to help keep it up right with out the top support.

[Normski]

To allow the Hopper to be used at different heights for different brew lengths. I’ve cut a slot in the olive to stop it crushing when tightened.

[Normski]

The Hopper is able to be used at different heights.



And it can also be stored inside the Bm.

Just have to see if it actually works now...

[barneey]

OR

[edonald774]

Enjoying this post.
I'm thinking about getting a 20l but it's a heck of an investment so I'm pouring over everyone's reviews looking for encouragement

[weetabixface]

@Barney - intertesing looking bits of kit, where did they come from?

W