Thinking bout converting old hot tub into MLT,any thoughts

Brewvy · 10-19-2010, 01:45 PM

I got an old hottub 2 person size,well insulated,with insulated cover,all plumbed out and stuff for a potential RIM system.Heater and pump seem to still work, and its got little air bubble holes on the floor for a screen of some sorts.Any one out there think of why this won't work.I can probably get another one to use as a Boiler vessel if you think it would hold up to the heat needed to bring to a boil.I'll also need some kind of hot water tank for the sparge water,I could pull a few old gas tanks off some junkers in my yard and rinse 'em off.15 gallons per tank, probly need about 10 of em.Can any one out there think of any good fermenter options for fermenting bout 150 gallons of beer.If this works I'm gonna start my own micro brew pub!!Any help would be appreciated,I'd like to brew my first batch this weekend.Thanks in advance

buzzkill · 10-19-2010, 03:19 PM

I dont know about the hot tub, but I have seen the heating tube on these and that is a sweet rims tube just screaming" beer me"..the pump may not be good for this. take the parts you need and find a better tun, don't know.

**GilaMinumBeer** · 10-19-2010, 03:23 PM

Find an old decommissioned Ethanol85 tanker for a fermenter. After all, it was used for ethanol right?

I have heard of bathtub brewing before but.......

**nutty_gnome** · 10-19-2010, 03:26 PM

You can name the brewery Hot Tub Suds!

**Duckfoot** · 10-19-2010, 03:48 PM

Maybe it is just the public hot tubs I have seen, but my guess is you would need to do one helluva deep cleaning if you were making an MLT out of it... Just saying, I tend to think of them as a huge human Crock Pot...

Boerderij_Kabouter · 10-19-2010, 04:06 PM

Not to rain on the parade... but I wouldn't do this. Though, I would do a lot of things that other people do.

Hot tubs are not made out of food safe materials. Seals, gaskets, plastics, lubrication systems, all of it is likely not food grade or even close to it. I could be wrong, but if I were building a hot tub I would pay the price for food grade materials...

Second, how would you possibly clean that thing? The circulation holes are small and molded in place. Sticky mess in the making. CIP? Only if you think the non-food grade components are fine for that. Granted, the tub has been soaking in nasty chemicals forever at high temps, but I would still be worried about it, not to mention, IT HAS BEEN SOAKING IN NASTY CHEMICALS FOREVER AT HIGH TEMPS. lol... sorry

Next, gas tanks are made of low grade steel last time I checked (or at least all the ones I have worked with (if not plastic). Not good for boiling wort. Blood beer anyone? And again, do you really want to drink out of a gas tank? Bathtub gin is illegal for a reason, serious health hazards.

Finally, this idea will never work for a brewpub. No inspector in there right mind would ever allow you to sell a food product made with such a system. Also, do you really think anyone is going to buy bathwater beer?

I love your creativity, but I think you need to go back to the drawing board.

GamePreserve · 10-19-2010, 07:02 PM

mmmmm nice sour flanders red. gross.

Brewvy · 10-19-2010, 07:41 PM

Well I just finished scraping most of the residue from the side of the tub,and epoxyed the cracks..Had to replace some of the pvc pipe that runs to the jets.I'll have to reroute some of the pipes into my heater assembly.The stock heater only max's out at about 120 degrees so i'm gonna run the wort through my RIM system made of some of those gas lines I got left from those junkers through a burn barrel for garbage and the likes, then back to the mash.Figure I can hold bout 150-158 using this system.Not sure if I'm gonna do a fly or a batch sparge though.I picked me up 3 drums that I seen out back of jiffy lube late last night(almost got caught)squirted some dawn in there and rinsed them out real good,figured they'd make perfect fermenters.Got to thinkin bout that boiler again and realized that other hottub would flare right up if I put my weed burners under it(what was I thinkin?).--Still lookin for boiler ideas --Seems like things are really starting to come together though.

bja · 10-19-2010, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewvy

Well I just finished scraping most of the residue from the side of the tub,and epoxyed the cracks..Had to replace some of the pvc pipe that runs to the jets.I'll have to reroute some of the pipes into my heater assembly.The stock heater only max's out at about 120 degrees so i'm gonna run the wort through my RIM system made of some of those gas lines I got left from those junkers through a burn barrel for garbage and the likes, then back to the mash.Figure I can hold bout 150-158 using this system.Not sure if I'm gonna do a fly or a batch sparge though.I picked me up 3 drums that I seen out back of jiffy lube late last night(almost got caught)squirted some dawn in there and rinsed them out real good,figured they'd make perfect fermenters.Got to thinkin bout that boiler again and realized that other hottub would flare right up if I put my weed burners under it(what was I thinkin?).--Still lookin for boiler ideas --Seems like things are really starting to come together though.

You've got to post some pictures of all this.

**GilaMinumBeer** · 10-19-2010, 07:51 PM

See, what ya' needs right thar is onna dem steal sat-e-light dishes. One of those big fvckers. Should be easy enough to git senz they be hookin em up to them poles and such. the bumper on the ford can take it.

thens allz you gotta do is make up a double boyler. Uze them weed burners to heat the dish filled with all that leftover antifrize and the antifrize to heat the hot tub all gintle like.

thank outta the box and keep sniffin them vapors.