Brewstand input?

Hey Yoop, pretty cool build ya got started here! If possible I would really recommend going all electric. I was going to do natural gas in my basement but I just think electric is safer for an indoor build. Tippy-dump would be great not only on the MLT but also on the boil kettle. Cleaning out the hops and break material would be easier if you could tip it over and spray it out (into some sort of tub you can then dump outside).

Also a single tier system with 1 pump works fine (that's what I use), I like having a pump for the system, much less lifting and I can pump to my carboy instead of having to make sure it is low enough, that way it can already be on a dolly to be rolled to wherever I ferment.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/yet-another-brew-rig-130761/

That's the stand you were talking about Yooper. That is a cool solution.

Here is the 15 gallon HLT with Brewmation controls.. Its easy to use but you need that 220 outlit at 30 amps.
Boerderij_Kabouter Brutus looks great. If you dont go that way make a corner shelf in the brew room and put a 10 gallon HLT cooler up there. use a pump to fill it from your 15 gallon kettle like the one below. Have you got a good 15 gallon kettle?

I don't have ANYthing yet! I am trying to buy only once, so I want to have a specific goal before I buy anything. I have two propane burners already, one that I've only used twice and one that I've never used. I just want to make sure what my goal is before I invest in anything at this point.

Yooper,

Love this thread. I've been kicking around the same thoughts and have a similar situation regarding power and space.

Boar Beer,

Do you remember what the conversion kit cost?

Could something like this work for you? It's around 5 feet tall or less.

http://www.thebeveragepeople.com/product35.html

$1,795??? It is a nice stand and all but that seems a bit steep. No automation, no Thermos, all gravity, no sightglasses, and only 55k burners?

From Northern brewer, that system would cost 1500 assuming you got a price of $500 for the stand. I guess it isn't a bad deal but it does show why it is nice to have some DIY skills or friends with skills.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

$1,795??? It is a nice stand and all but that seems a bit steep. No automation, no Thermos, all gravity, no sightglasses, and only 55k burners?

From Northern brewer, that system would cost 1500 assuming you got a price of $500 for the stand. I guess it isn't a bad deal but it does show why it is nice to have some DIY skills or friends with skills.

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I just got one of their 3 tier systems from a friend of mine and it's 10 - 15 years old and still looks great. I had to clean all 3 burners because of mud wasp nests but other than that it works great. It does seem steep but this design is nice and compact.

Where did you find the burner btu's? I was looking for that information and couldn't find it.

Yeah, $300 for assembly really isn't bad IMO. They aren't going to work for free...

I think that is a pretty good way to go if you want to buy a system premade. You could save a lot going other ways, but it isn't bad.

I see the 5 gallon system they sell has 70k burners so I imagine the 10 gallon system does also.

Yooper,

Have you considered using a shopvac to remove the grain from your MLT rather than a tippy dump? Once the grain is out you could then take the empy MLT and clean it somewhere convenient. I just imagine it would be a much more simple solution to the problem although obviously not as cool.

Yoop, can you take a picture of your socket?

Uh.... the one the dryer plugs into

this is a picture of the plug i used

Scut_Monkey said:

Yooper,

Have you considered using a shopvac to remove the grain from your MLT rather than a tippy dump? Once the grain is out you could then take the empy MLT and clean it somewhere convenient. I just imagine it would be a much more simple solution to the problem although obviously not as cool.

Click to expand...

I did, and thought I would use BOTH! I'm short, so even standing on a stool to suck out the grains would be a pain. I thought being able to use a tippy dump and a shop vac could save my back some work. I don't know how much it woud add to a brewbuild, and it's not required, but it would make my life easier!

CodeRage said:

Yoop, can you take a picture of your socket?

Uh.... the one the dryer plugs into

Click to expand...

I don't have an electric dryer.........I have to add the plug/socket/line.

YooperBrew said:

I don't have an electric dryer.........I have to add the plug/socket/line.

Click to expand...

Okay, makes sense now

YooperBrew said:

I made a California common first, and now am finishing up the boil on an Irish draught. I had a stuck mash, then a stuck sparge due to my tubing disconnecting from the false bottom twice. My son was home, to help me lift that heavy MLT and put it back together. All of that caused some high efficiency for me- 86%, so I ended up adding water mid-boil and recalculating my IBUs, so I ended up with 6.25 gallons at the end. You missed a fun time!

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We just had our first stuck a week ago. We spent about an hour trying to clear it and finally just screened it into the boiler. Lots of fun! Glad I missed it!

Design with the meddle leg removed ala the brewery that Hoss posted. I think that makes it way nicer, good design idea.



Sorry for crowding the thread with all the pics. Tell me to knock it off whenever you get sick of it Yoop. I have thick skin and can put these elsewhere if you want.

Whadup with the droopy gangsta drawers?

I'm in the Bavarian Gangster's Guild. That's how we roll.

Is this better?

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

Sorry for crowding the thread with all the pics. Tell me to knock it off whenever you get sick of it Yoop. I have thick skin and can put these elsewhere if you want.

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LOVE the pictures! It's my thread, and I like the pictures. So, they are staying, and keep more coming.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

I'm in the Bavarian Gangster's Guild. That's how we roll.

Is this better?

Click to expand...

Except for that picture................................... That picture might actually look like me. Except that I have breasts.

Here is another concept for you to look at. A friend of mine is going to build this on 120VAC for 4 gallon batches, but you could pretty easily scale it up to 10g with 240VAC.

So we changed up the design a bit:



We should start building this coming weekend. You can follow that build and get more details in the build thread "Simple Brewery est. 2009 : the Build" in the DIY section.

.......................

Anywho... any progress on your decision making Yoop? I love watching these rigs come together!!!

YooperBrew said:

Except for that picture................................... That picture might actually look like me. Except that I have breasts.

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And hair I hope, add a beard and the head looks like mine at least.

I love this thread, motivates me to get a real house and out of this condo that restricts everything I can do.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

Anywho... any progress on your decision making Yoop? I love watching these rigs come together!!!

Click to expand...

Nope. I keep going back and forth on what I want! I was at the gas place yesterday filling my tank and we starting talking. (Well, to be fair, I talk to EVERYBODY so he just put up with me). Anyway, we talked a lot about ventilation and gasses, and he almost convinced me to go all propane, even indoors since it's simpler and I'm not very bright. The caveat would be fresh air exchange. He got me thinking about airflow and moisture more so than a range hood type set up.

I need to think about safety, convenience, and durability. If I can't troubleshoot the sculpture myself, then it won't work for me. So, back to the drawing board. Not literally- your drawings are fine! But I'm hoping to do something unusual this coming spring. I want to invite myself over to fellow HBTers homes and see their systems and ask questions. Before I spend $2000 on something, I want to make sure it's what I want, need, and understand!

I keep going back to the tippy dump sculpture at morebeer.com. http://morebeer.com/view_product/8917/103470/New_1550_Tippy_BrewSculpture

But I was thinking- I'd rather have the HLT higher, even with a step, because I can't see me enjoying climbing up on a step and lifting 26 pounds of grain in a bucket.

Would that type of sculpture work with the HLT on top, the MLT on the middle, and the BK on the bottom, under the HLT? That seems like it would be easiest, but I'd have to pump from the BK to the fermenter, I assume.

If you put the BK under the HLT, you will need to have a ventilation solution for the vapor. A kitchen hood would work fine.

I am not a fan of the elevated MLT either, I like to be able to easy glance at the mash and stir at my whim.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

If you put the BK under the HLT, you will need to have a ventilation solution for the vapor. A kitchen hood would work fine.

I am not a fan of the elevated MLT either, I like to be able to easy glance at the mash and stir at my whim.

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I'm not sure what you mean about the ventilation solution for the vapor if it's under the HLT.

Another thought is to use the same basic idea, but go with a two-tier sculpture. Still make the MLT with a tippy dump, in the middle.

HLT could be higher, the MLT and BK on the same level. So, only one pump. It might be cool to even have a tippy dump for both the MLT and BK so it'd be super easy cleaning. I really like the smaller footprint on the morebeer sculpture, and the step, the "wheelbarrow" handles, etc.

Mine to be a 3 tier. It's almost finished. The MLT is no to high. No steps! I like the 2 tier, but built the structure before I bought a pump. Im putting the HERMS coil in the HLT. I still think I'm going to like it. I'm glad to see you thinking it all out. Myself I would go all electric. Electric is really reliable. No doubt this will be the way I go in the future. For now I'm an exterior brewer.