17 replies to this topic

[strangebrewer]

First off I batch sparge. Second my mash tun and boil kettle are both converted keggles. Third I am trying to design this to be as space conscious as possible so that it can be store in as small a foot print as possible. Fourth, I can weld.I'm planning to build my rig with the mash tun and direct fired boil kettle on the same level and low(er) to the ground and use a march pump for all lateral transfers. The HLT will be the only gravity feeding vessel and I'm planning to heat strike/sparge water with electricity so I only have to deal with fire at below knee height. I'm aware of issues around making sure the march pump is well situated to make priming as easy as possible. So that aside is there anything I should keep in mind when using it for transferring from the mash tun to the boil kettle? Any issues with the pull from the pump causing a stuck sparge or the pumps ability to push liquid up 3' in height from where it is attached? I'll then be using the pump again to recirculate wort in the boil kettle while chilling and then again to transfer from the boil kettle to the fermenter.For ease of cleaning I am thinking of rigging up the mash tun on a tippy dump. Anybody ever build one? So far I'm thinking keep the pivot point as low as possible while still being able to clear everything and have a locked position when it's upright as to prevent accidentally spilling my mash. Anything else to think about while I'm cutting and melting steel? Thanks!

[BrewerGeorge]

My brewcart is a lot like you describe. My HLT is actually below the kettle with the MLT on top of it, so absolutely nothing flows in a "natural" direction. I'll post some pics when I get home. No problems at all pumping from the MLT. I do not use a grant, either. The only thing to take into consideration (and it's small) is that you will probably leave a bit more wort in the tun than you would otherwise because it starts sucking air when it gets to the bottom and breaks prime. With my IceCube MLT, we're talking about a quart or 3 pints lost. I've recently been draining this last bit off into a pitcher and adding it back to the kettle, but I usually just account for the loss and add more water in the first place.

[brewhead]

here's a friend's brew rig complete with tippy dump:galleryand mine which is three tiered - mocked up with mlt, htl, and kettle - though in realith the HLT and kettle are now 20 gallons and the MLT is a converted keg. it's over kill but i build it with the notion in mind if i ever wanted to put a 50 gallon kettle on it - it would hold the weight :galleryi have since piped in water for the HLT sso that's how i get it full, and i have a grain hopper that sets over the MLT with a valve so when i dough in i can equally mix water and grain.i gues as far as space constraints, it depends where your space is located; either vertical or horizontal.also another bud of mine who's rig is made from bed frame angles:

Edited by brewhead, 31 March 2009 - 10:56 AM.

[stangbat]

I pump from my MT when using my HERMS coil and it works fine. Sometimes it is a PITA to get the air out of the line that runs to the coil and the pump inlet. The air doesn't break the pump's prime, but it limits how fast I can pump through the HERMS because I don't want to suck it into the coil and down into the pump. Once I get it worked out, no problems at all.Blktre pumps from his MT to his kettle. We'll see if he chimes in with any info.

[strangebrewer]

Sounds like everything I am thinking is already a working idea. Good to know! I've got the steel all together so just have to get to work. I'll post progress as it occurs. Thanks!

[SWAGMAN]

Here is a Picture of a rig I built several years ago for Pancho. But I don't think its seem much use as designed. Just easier to lift off and dump. I pump from MT to Herms or where ever no problem.Dominus VobiscumSwagman

Edited by SWAGMAN, 31 March 2009 - 08:57 PM.

[BFB]

Kina sounds like my rig::

[BikeBrewer]

here's a friend's brew rig complete with tippy dump:

I get this message when I click your links:

If you feel that this message is in error - please contactadmin@upstatebrewtopians.comPlease include a valid email address and a local phone number at whichyou can be contacted. Please be ready to explain why you are not aspammer and why your IP should be unbanned.

Is it just me?

[BFB]

I get this message when I click your links:Is it just me?

Dear Spammer,The links work fine for me.

[brewhead]

I get this message when I click your links:Is it just me?

BikeBrewer - i must apologize for this inconvenience. our forum was getting hit by tons of comment spammers. at first i tried to stem the tide by merely banning them from the forums. but this was rather ineffective. i decided that since most of the spam was coming from exterior of the USA, and since we are a regional homebrewclub here in teh upstate of south carolina, i would basically ban the entire world except the us. unfortunately canada is in this block of banned ip's. if you really want to see the content i can converse with you as to your ip range and unblock that. otherwise i am afraid to say that at this time i felt it necessary to do what i did. with a site that runs around 3 gigs of legitimate traffic per month, spammers were eating up even more.sorry dude. nothing personal against you or canada for that matter.

[strangebrewer]

I don't have any problems. Actually i have a 2 tier w/the HERMS up top, MT and Kettle on the same plane. My pump sits about 8" below the MT. Believe it or not, even tho the Kettle and MT sits sidexside, I can get 3/4 of my preboil volume into the Kettle by gravity alone. I hook my hoses up thru the pump and use the valve on the output of the pump to control volume output from the get go. There is enuff head pressure from the sparge water in the MT to keep wort moving using just gravity. When the volume in the Kettle meets the volume in the MT (usually 3/4 of my preboil volume), gravity does not work anymore and I throw the pump on.Just by hooking up the hoses from the MT to the pump to the Kettle when I start my sparge is enuff to prime the pump on its own. No troubles whatsoever. Just hook everything up and open all valves. I do have a portable grant/hopback that I can throw into the system (after the MT, before the pump) if i need to, but hardly never is needed.As far as priming the pump to start things headed up to my HERMS, I usually do single infusion mashes and just about nail my mash temp right off the bat so Ive never had to heat exchange to adjust my mash temps. I use a Cube for a MT. To prime the pump for a mashout and set the grain bed for fly sparging, I just hook all my hoses up to the pump but don't hook the output hose from the pump to the HERMS until I lower the hose end below the pump. This allows wort to exit the MT and fill the pump. I will raise and lower the end of the hose 2-3x to insure all air is out. Hook up to my HERMS and Im off to the races.

It sounds like you have exactly what I am planning. My HLT is a 7 gallon SS converted turkey fryer pot and I plan to mount it above the MT and add an electrical element to it. I figured this way if I wanted to go the HERMS route later down the line I could double purpose the HLT.Blktre if you happen to have a pic or two of your setup I'd like to see it since it really does sound like you've done what I have only put on paper so far. Thanks!

[Lagerdemain]

Yea, I have some pics. My rig is old, built in the cave man days. It works great even after all the beer that's been brewed on it. I have a few HERMS. I have one in my 1/2 barrel along w/a heating element as you pointed out wanting to build and i also have a 5g Sanky electric HERMS. I chose to have the HERMS up top so I don't have to balance myself on a ladder to dough in. Btw, BFB is pretty much doing the same from the looks of his Pic...5g Electric HERMS1/2 barrel HERMS.Everything Controlled with a Stangbat Special.8qt Grant/Hopback.

Blktre, do you have any difficulty matching the flow from your MLT or brew kettle through the grant and pump? Looks like it might be susceptible to sucking dry or overflowing if the flow rate isn't matched all the way through.

[Genesee Ted]

My gear feels so inadequate I wish I had the money for a sweet rig like you guys have shown here. Hopefully none of my major gear breaks cause I would be out of commission for a while. At this point I am lucky if I have enough $$ to brew. I am out of ingredients and it is probably going to be june before I can afford more.

[BFB]

My gear feels so inadequate I wish I had the money for a sweet rig like you guys have shown here. Hopefully none of my major gear breaks cause I would be out of commission for a while. At this point I am lucky if I have enough $$ to brew. I am out of ingredients and it is probably going to be june before I can afford more.

Gear doesn't make the beer...you make the beer. If you were closer...I'd give you some ingredients so you could brew.

[keithd]

Guess me, cj, and the Japanese are spammers as well.And would people please quit block-quoting huge runs of pics? It makes a quick reply into a monster comment. Just post a comment, no need to quote 5+ pics.Here's mine: (note the keg kettles have no QDs, etc...)Control box:Insides:And the indoor brewing setup:

Gear doesn't make the beer...you make the beer. If you were closer...I'd give you some ingredients so you could brew.

That's the God's-honest truth. I have lots of gadgets, my beers aren't as good as some of the shoestring budget guys. I just like gadget-y toys. I don't spent alot on other hobbies, so I put more towards this one.