14 replies to this topic

[stellarbrew]

I have been playing around with the idea of constructing a new brewing system, just because I can't seem to leave well enough alone. I've worked up a few conceptual sketches to scale. I would appreciate if anyone could offer any feedback/suggestions/ideas to what I have so far. I wouldn't doubt if someone here may be ale to quickly see some issues with my concept upon inspection. I know there is a huge wealth of brewing knowledge and experience on this board, and I hope to take advantage of some of that to fix potential problems in my early planning stages. Thanks in advance!

[Deerslyr]

I have been playing around with the idea of constructing a new brewing system, just because I can't seem to leave well enough alone. I've worked up a few conceptual sketches to scale. I would appreciate if anyone could offer any feedback/suggestions/ideas to what I have so far. I wouldn't doubt if someone here may be ale to quickly see some issues with my concept upon inspection. I know there is a huge wealth of brewing knowledge and experience on this board, and I hope to take advantage of some of that to fix potential problems in my early planning stages. Thanks in advance!

A few questions:1. Do you use an Immersion chiller? I'm assuming so since you don't have it set up to send the boiled wort through the pump and into a Plate or Counterflow Chiller. I use such a setup and find it works easier for me.2. Why do you have a tube going back into the MLT from the pump? Is this purely to vorlauf?3. With a modification you could easily run water from the HLT into the pump, and with a float switch have an automated sparge. However, in looking at it, this would actually require a second pump. Not sure about this setup just yet...

[3rd party JKor]

.120 wall tube is overkill. Half that is plenty.

[stellarbrew]

A few questions:1. Do you use an Immersion chiller? I'm assuming so since you don't have it set up to send the boiled wort through the pump and into a Plate or Counterflow Chiller. I use such a setup and find it works easier for me.2. Why do you have a tube going back into the MLT from the pump? Is this purely to vorlauf?3. With a modification you could easily run water from the HLT into the pump, and with a float switch have an automated sparge. However, in looking at it, this would actually require a second pump. Not sure about this setup just yet...

Right now I'm using an immersion chiller, but I wouldn't rule out switching to CFC or a plate chiller at some point. My plan is to leave enough room on the stand to add an inline chiller. I'm thinking I could bolt one to the frame, maybe in the space under the HLT, and have it fitted with QD's so I could hook up my hoses and run the hot wort through the chiller and into the fermenter. Does it seem like that would work?I figured why not take advantage of the pump to vorlauf, and as long as I have that branch off the pump discharge in place, it would allow me to easily experiment with a RIMS or HERMS set-up.I have been back and forth between elevating the HLT, versus having a second pump. Currently, I am batch sparging, but I would like to be able fly sparge should I choose to. I like your idea about setting up an automated sparge. That's definitely something to consider.Good points you made. Thanks for the feedback.

[stellarbrew]

.120 wall tube is overkill. Half that is plenty.

I think you are right. I guess I was first thinking about doing the welding myself, in which case the extra wall thickness would be more forgiving to my unskilled hand. However, the more I think about it, the more I'm sure I will get the welding done by a professional. I will switch to 14 ga. steel and probably save about $5 a stick.

[Deerslyr]

Right now I'm using an immersion chiller, but I wouldn't rule out switching to CFC or a plate chiller at some point. My plan is to leave enough room on the stand to add an inline chiller. I'm thinking I could bolt one to the frame, maybe in the space under the HLT, and have it fitted with QD's so I could hook up my hoses and run the hot wort through the chiller and into the fermenter. Does it seem like that would work?I figured why not take advantage of the pump to vorlauf, and as long as I have that branch off the pump discharge in place, it would allow me to easily experiment with a RIMS or HERMS set-up.I have been back and forth between elevating the HLT, versus having a second pump. Currently, I am batch sparging, but I would like to be able fly sparge should I choose to. I like your idea about setting up an automated sparge. That's definitely something to consider.Good points you made. Thanks for the feedback.

I have my setup so that there is an automatic sparge. I think its awesome. If you get a second pump, you won't need to have the HLT elevated like that. Think along the lines of a Brutus 10. I think at some point I'll get a second pump.

[stellarbrew]

I have my setup so that there is an automatic sparge. I think its awesome. If you get a second pump, you won't need to have the HLT elevated like that. Think along the lines of a Brutus 10. I think at some point I'll get a second pump.

Not that I'm adverse to a second pump, but wouldn't it be possible to do an automatic sparge with gravity as the mover? I think it would be kind of slick to have a second pump though, with all of the vessels at the same level. Something I need to consider.

[Thirsty]

I have been toying with the idea of building a new rig, but going large to a 1.5 bbl capacity. (happen to have the SS barrels) What I would consider is to make it in 2 pieces though. I currently have my standard .5 bbl setup in 2 pieces and it is great. It makes it much more mobile during the brewday, and I can wheel the top 2 tiers away and clean the MT and HLTs, and dissassemble, all while the BK is on its own platform boiling away in the corner. Once it is chill time, I can wheel the 2 seperate pieces over to where my hoses are and I am back to a full system again. When dealing with large hot volumes, the less amount of weight to move is best. I just put the 2 pieces side by side when I need the system to operate as a whole. Just a suggestion, but when I go big, I will definitely have it in 2-3 seperate pieces, maybe even with the capability of dropping a pin to connect each piece.

[Deerslyr]

Not that I'm adverse to a second pump, but wouldn't it be possible to do an automatic sparge with gravity as the mover? I think it would be kind of slick to have a second pump though, with all of the vessels at the same level. Something I need to consider.

I don't know that you could have the auto with gravity... its the float switch that turns the pump on and off... I currently use only one pump, but I use gravity to sparge from the MLT to the BK. I would like to do a more linear setup though.

[Sidney Porter]

Not that I'm adverse to a second pump, but wouldn't it be possible to do an automatic sparge with gravity as the mover? I think it would be kind of slick to have a second pump though, with all of the vessels at the same level. Something I need to consider.

I don't know that you could have the auto with gravity... its the float switch that turns the pump on and off... I currently use only one pump, but I use gravity to sparge from the MLT to the BK. I would like to do a more linear setup though.

If you want to do more of this approach (which is what I have) You have it 2 tier with the HLT under the MLT. You pump from the HLT up to the MLT then gravity into the kettle Which is next to the HLT. The downside is that the mlt is going to be higher (the top of the MLT is 5 feet high) so I need to dough in on a small ladder. My kettle is actually a little higher than the MLT so I can gravity chill thru a cfc.I was close to building a float swithc but it only took a couple times using it that you can adjust the flows pretty easily.The big downside of my design is that I use a keg as my mlt (like you) so it is heavy to get down after mashing.The benefit is a smaller foot print

[stellarbrew]

I have been toying with the idea of building a new rig, but going large to a 1.5 bbl capacity. (happen to have the SS barrels) What I would consider is to make it in 2 pieces though. I currently have my standard .5 bbl setup in 2 pieces and it is great. It makes it much more mobile during the brewday, and I can wheel the top 2 tiers away and clean the MT and HLTs, and dissassemble, all while the BK is on its own platform boiling away in the corner. Once it is chill time, I can wheel the 2 seperate pieces over to where my hoses are and I am back to a full system again. When dealing with large hot volumes, the less amount of weight to move is best. I just put the 2 pieces side by side when I need the system to operate as a whole. Just a suggestion, but when I go big, I will definitely have it in 2-3 seperate pieces, maybe even with the capability of dropping a pin to connect each piece.

I think with the capacity you are talking about, multiple pieces is definitely the way to go. I'm thinking that a single unit will be manageable for 5 or 10 gallon batches, but you have got me thinking about accessibility for cleaning. I wonder how difficult it would be to make the system CIP. I could be circulating PBW solution through the MLT while the boil is going on.

[stellarbrew]

I don't know that you could have the auto with gravity... its the float switch that turns the pump on and off... I currently use only one pump, but I use gravity to sparge from the MLT to the BK. I would like to do a more linear setup though.

I would have to cycle a solenonoid valve on the HLT open and closed, instead of cycling the pump, if I used gravity. But I like the idea of having a second pump, and keeping all the vessels on one level. I think it will be more compact, more versatile, and easier to use.

[stellarbrew]

If you want to do more of this approach (which is what I have) You have it 2 tier with the HLT under the MLT. You pump from the HLT up to the MLT then gravity into the kettle Which is next to the HLT. The downside is that the mlt is going to be higher (the top of the MLT is 5 feet high) so I need to dough in on a small ladder. My kettle is actually a little higher than the MLT so I can gravity chill thru a cfc.I was close to building a float swithc but it only took a couple times using it that you can adjust the flows pretty easily.The big downside of my design is that I use a keg as my mlt (like you) so it is heavy to get down after mashing.The benefit is a smaller foot print

Do you find that you can throttle flows pretty predictably using a ball valve?As I consider what you are saying, I'm leaning towards going the way of easier accessibilty, rather than smaller foot print...keeping all the vessels low.

[3rd party JKor]

I would have to cycle a solenonoid valve on the HLT open and closed, instead of cycling the pump, if I used gravity. But I like the idea of having a second pump, and keeping all the vessels on one level. I think it will be more compact, more versatile, and easier to use.

That's what I do. I have a solenoid controlled by a float in the MLT. Works just fine.Eventually, I'll have a second pump. I'm working my way up to that.

[Sidney Porter]

Do you find that you can throttle flows pretty predictably using a ball valve?As I consider what you are saying, I'm leaning towards going the way of easier accessibilty, rather than smaller foot print...keeping all the vessels low.

I would say that it took 3 batches before I was confident. The first fee I was checking every couple of minutes and was designing a float switch. But around the 3 or 4th batch figured out what is dialed in. I still check it a couple times during the sparge.I can also approximate if I have an issue by seeing how much of the sparge water has been transferred compared to how much in the kettle.