Sorry, missed this post from a few years ago :)
Yes, as of Christmas 2022 the system is still working as originally built. No modifications or replacements.
I can't remember the budget for this (from 2014), but it wasn't a lot. The most expensive item was likely the cold plate.
For a...
Sorry, I just had to have a look at this system on their website and ended up here... Spike Brewing | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook | Linktree
"Your liver will fail before our equipment does" 🤣
OP: You should probably head to the doctor to get checked out!
I had quite a bit of corrosion of the steel parts and aluminum fins. I ended up cutting/removing everything and just leaving the copper coil/lines. Very labor intensive... and be careful not to damage the copper too much! It is fragile when it is not being supported and protected by the aluminum...
I have never owned any Spike products and do not know much about the company, but I am quite surprised to see their dismissive response to this issue.... I hope that the OP didn't have to pay for the replacement parts (seems like they did) because this would be "recall" written all over if it...
If your goal is absolute maximum cooling rate (minimal cooling time), you want both flows to be as high as possible. The hottest wort in contact with the coldest coolant will give the greatest heat/energy transfer - this is not up for debate, that's science.
Depending on your setup you may not...
This is part of the problem. 100% argon should be used for this work.
But yes, as others have said, the weldor's skills are indeed seriously lacking in this field.
I generally aim for 10 L/hr (~2.6 gal/hr) with my system.
~20 gal batches, 10 kW power run at ~65%, 24" diameter pot (non-insulated), with the lid open about 8" or so.
The only time I have scorched an element was when I had a rough time lautering using a large amount of rye. The kettle ended up with a lot of particulate which eventually burned onto the element.
You say it's BIAB, but maybe you need to try to vorlauf or something similar to make sure the sweet...
I originally ran my beer through the cold plate twice, but I found it was way too cold.... I switched it to just go through once.
There were no complaints at my wedding when we used this system with 4 taps, each running through the plate once. The taps were essentially constantly open and the...
I've been using 20 and 30 gallon Brute bins (white) for over a year with good results. The beer will only spend 1-2 weeks in there, and then it goes into a keg for further aging/serving.