51 replies to this topic

[Stout_fan]

My HLT has a pipe that goes straight to the bottom. Water only in that keggle.

[SchwanzBrewer]

No comments on the Mash Tun geometry?

[djinkc]

No comments on the Mash Tun geometry?

I'll try to post a couple pics tonight. Basically followed Palmer's advice and used the internal washer that came with the cooler to seal it.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I'll try to post a couple pics tonight. Basically followed Palmer's advice and used the internal washer that came with the cooler to seal it.

I would use that except I am using 3/4" parts and the washer is for 1/2". I'll find a gasket somewhere.

[Deerslyr]

I would use that except I am using 3/4" parts and the washer is for 1/2". I'll find a gasket somewhere.

Can you get away with a thinner nut (like a "lock nut") and use more washers on the bulkhead? I've got to be honest, I didn't have this problem when I put mine together and I was able to find everything I needed at ACE. Not sure what the special order was for.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Can you get away with a thinner nut (like a "lock nut") and use more washers on the bulkhead? I've got to be honest, I didn't have this problem when I put mine together and I was able to find everything I needed at ACE. Not sure what the special order was for.

I'm talking about 2 different projects simultaneously. I am making the boil pot, Mash Tun, and strike water pot all at the same time.So far:***I have cut the tops out of the keggles and drilled the drain hole in one of them. It is a little too shallow and I will have to put a flat on the edge of the washer because I drilled too close to a ridge and it won't sit flat.1. The two stainless keggle drain sets my dad ordered online for me.2. I bought a cooler for a mash tun and unscrewed the drain. I bought 3/4" CPVC and matching ball valve and adapters to in the cooler as shown in the pictures of the cooler. Since I already have that all laid out, I'm not changing now. All I need is a gasket to go inside the cooler.Fixes:1. I bought two brass fully threaded 1/2" nipples and the spigots for the kettles should be fine now (see ***).2. I bought a 3/4" fully threaded nipple and coupler to go on the mash tun so the spigot can turn off completely (it was about 5 deg shy of fully closing).Things to think about:1. I want to get some thermometers to mount in the boiler and the strike water pot, but they are not necessary yet.2. Is the geometry ok for the piping in the mash tun?Ok, the second keggle is soaking in oxyclean, time to start cutting the slits in the piping in the mash tun.Cheers,Rich

[djinkc]

2. Is the geometry ok for the piping in the mash tun?

Looks OK to me, if it doesn't work well that plastic pipe isn't too expensive to redo. The far end from the drain looks close to the wall but if you're not putting slits in it - doesn't matter.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I just finished the slits in the manifold. I used a dremel cutting tool on my drill. What a PITA. I couldn't even imagine having to cut all of those with a hack saw. Now I need to clean out the debris on the inside of the manifold. When I cut, one side of the cut built up shavings and some melted (for lack of a better word) to the pipe on the inside. I was thinking about running a steel bore cleaner through there to remove all those pieces. The only thing is that I am afraid of scratching the inside of the pipe and creating places to harbor bacteria or something.What says the beer forum brain trust?Cheers,Rich

[Deerslyr]

I just finished the slits in the manifold. I used a dremel cutting tool on my drill. What a PITA. I couldn't even imagine having to cut all of those with a hack saw. Now I need to clean out the debris on the inside of the manifold. When I cut, one side of the cut built up shavings and some melted (for lack of a better word) to the pipe on the inside. I was thinking about running a steel bore cleaner through there to remove all those pieces. The only thing is that I am afraid of scratching the inside of the pipe and creating places to harbor bacteria or something.What says the beer forum brain trust?Cheers,Rich

Despite the fact that I had a dremel tool, I used the hack saw. Doh!I have to admit that I'm excited you are using cpvc for your manifold! Seems like most use copper or batch sparge with a mesh tube. Clean them as best as you can. Frankly, I wouldn't worry about any scratches on your manifold. You are going to be pouring water that is anywhere between 165 and 180 in there for your strike. Bacteria ain't gonna survive, and if they did they wouldn't have enough time to do any damage before heading into the boil for a very quck death. Don't worry about the scratches. After use, I just give it a good rinse with clean water and then dunk it in the sanitizer for a couple of minutes, then give it a good air dry before storing it away. Every 3 or 4 brews, I'll soak it in OxyFree.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Well, I finished the keggles last night. I made a downspout for the Hot Liquor Tank below.And I made my own Bazooka T-ish thing on the boiler.Let me know what you think!Should I get some different screen for the boiler, or just make it shorter? Does it matter?I am going to fill it up today and see how well it drains.Cheers,Rich

[Stout_fan]

I've got to agree with Deerslyr, the hack saw wouldn't have melted the plastic. Can you get a length of pipe and just knock the big chunks of melted PVC off the inside of the manifold?Just an option here for other folks. Find a friend with a metal cutting bandsaw. Makes quick work of makin' slots.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I've got to agree with Deerslyr, the hack saw wouldn't have melted the plastic. Can you get a length of pipe and just knock the big chunks of melted PVC off the inside of the manifold?Just an option here for other folks. Find a friend with a metal cutting bandsaw. Makes quick work of makin' slots.

I used the copper pipe I bought to ream the CPVC out. I got some sandpaper to work the slots and clean them up a little too, it should be fine.

[Deerslyr]

I've got to agree with Deerslyr, the hack saw wouldn't have melted the plastic. Can you get a length of pipe and just knock the big chunks of melted PVC off the inside of the manifold?Just an option here for other folks. Find a friend with a metal cutting bandsaw. Makes quick work of makin' slots.

Yeah... thank's for the suggestion! Just found out last night that my buddy down the street has the "fine" Dremel version. Pinewood Derby just got A LOT easier though.

[Deerslyr]

I used the copper pipe I bought to ream the CPVC out. I got some sandpaper to work the slots and clean them up a little too, it should be fine.

You are going to be just fine with the manifold. It's function really is a "leaky pipe", so it doesn't really matter in the end how nice and neat the holes and slits are.I would like to offer some advice on the boiler though. The screen you are using will likely get pretty clogged up with break material and the outflow will be significantly effected. I was using a Bazooka Screen coming straight out the middle, and found a very similar problem, mostly because it was on center and after whirlpooling the material settled right on top. I fashioned a pickup tube to bring go down and over to the side of the boiler. I did have to cut the screen in half, but frankly it works perfectly. Give it a try, but I'm sensing you might have a bit of frustration with it. Oh, I also needed a pickkup tube because the concave nature of the keggle was leaving more wort in the boiler than I wanted (i.e. close to half a gallon).

[SchwanzBrewer]

You are going to be just fine with the manifold. It's function really is a "leaky pipe", so it doesn't really matter in the end how nice and neat the holes and slits are.I would like to offer some advice on the boiler though. The screen you are using will likely get pretty clogged up with break material and the outflow will be significantly effected. I was using a Bazooka Screen coming straight out the middle, and found a very similar problem, mostly because it was on center and after whirlpooling the material settled right on top. I fashioned a pickup tube to bring go down and over to the side of the boiler. I did have to cut the screen in half, but frankly it works perfectly. Give it a try, but I'm sensing you might have a bit of frustration with it. Oh, I also needed a pickkup tube because the concave nature of the keggle was leaving more wort in the boiler than I wanted (i.e. close to half a gallon).

Do you have a picture?

[SchwanzBrewer]

Completed Mash Tun!One thing I was thinking about was that I don't think I can put a keggle on a turkey fryer directly. Me thinks I needs to build a stand... I found this one online, but it looks like I can't get it at any stores around here...It has a 16" SQ surface which should be perfect for the keggles. Cheers,Rich

Edited by rcemech, 31 December 2009 - 01:25 PM.

[djinkc]

Don't forget the slits face down when you're mashing.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Don't forget the slits face down when you're mashing.

Thanks! I wondered about that.

[BrewerGeorge]

You probably cannot put a keggle directly on the turkey fryer. Unless you happen have one of those big square ones that would extend beyond the sides of the chime, don't chance it. I have personally knocked over a keggle full of boiling wort by tripping over the gas line. I was extremely lucky that the wort just shot out under the garage door and didn't burn me at all. I could have been very badly burnt, though. You want that thing rock-stable.Also, verify that the weep holes in the bottom chime are clear. If you have any doubt, drill about three small holes in the bottom chime to allow heated gas to escape. I've read a few horror stories of people with a little water inside new keg with a blocked chime vent turning to steam and rupturing explosively as the steam pressure built. (You'll want to do all your drilling on the keg before heating it. As you heat it over the fire, it will get harder and much more difficult to work.)No worries about bacteria in the mash tun. Grains are already teeming with bacteria as they come from the maltster. Nothing you do is going to make that worse (or better, for that matter.) Just make sure to clean the mash tun out immediately after brewing. You can't leave it overnight or it will sour, and that's a mistake you'll only make once. The smell is absolutely rank.I also think you'll have a lot of trouble with that braid in the boil kettle. It will flop around like crazy as you stir and it will clog with hops. Pellet hops don't stand a chance and even leaf will be very slow draining. You want to draw wort from the outside edge. Shorten the inside leg to just a 2 or 3 inches into the radius, use an elbow and add another piece so it goes down and sits just above the bottom. Then use a couple of short pieces of your braid on each side of a Tee fitting. Four-six inches each is more than enough. Just crimp the outside ends closed on themselves. Or alternately, you could use about a 12 inch section of braid attached at both ends with a couple of zip ties to secure the middle of the braid to the Tee and form "ears" that point back toward the wall of the kegggle. (I saw this setup in this month's Zymurgy.) A couple more points on the pickup: 1) Since you're using fire, you want to keep the braid from resting directly on the bottom or it might scorch at the contact point. 2) Make sure the braid stays stable and doesn't flop around. If it gets high up into the hop mass, it will break siphon or pump prime as soon as any of the braid gets below the top liquid level. 3) Don't be concerned about getting every last drop. If your setup causes you to leave 1/2 gallon the keggle with the hops, just accept it and brew more in the first place. At the scale we're brewing, we're talking about maybe 75 cents worth of ingredients.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Also, verify that the weep holes in the bottom chime are clear. If you have any doubt, drill about three small holes in the bottom chime to allow heated gas to escape. I've read a few horror stories of people with a little water inside new keg with a blocked chime vent turning to steam and rupturing explosively as the steam pressure built.

Do you mean the curled lip at the bottom? I will check for and make more ventilation holes, that is a serious safety concern.

You probably cannot put a keggle directly on the turkey fryer. Unless you happen have one of those big square ones that would extend beyond the sides of the chime, don't chance it.

The one pictured is 16" SQ. The keggle is 15.5" in diameter. It seems like it would be stable enough. On the other hand It would be nice to have a good stand that I know wouldn't falter.

I also think you'll have a lot of trouble with that braid in the boil kettle. It will flop around like crazy as you stir and it will clog with hops. Pellet hops don't stand a chance and even leaf will be very slow draining. You want to draw wort from the outside edge. Shorten the inside leg to just a 2 or 3 inches into the radius, use an elbow and add another piece so it goes down and sits just above the bottom. Then use a couple of short pieces of your braid on each side of a Tee fitting. Four-six inches each is more than enough. Just crimp the outside ends closed on themselves.

I think you are right. I have some more pipe, but I think I will need new fittings. Back to the hardware store!It looks more and more like I will not be brewing this weekend. :(Cheers,Rich