Brewhemoth conicals?

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Anyone else have leg studs that are slightly mis-aligned? One of my legs will not go on straight no matter what I do. It is off at roughly 10 to 15 degree angle.




The slots on mine have plenty of play to align them when the nuts are loose and I assume they use a jig to weld them but I am just guessing that is how they weld them on. Can you possibly drill out the slots on the leg with the issue to give it more play?
 
ThatGuyRyan said:
The slots on mine have plenty of play to align them when the nuts are loose and I assume they use a jig to weld them but I am just guessing that is how they weld them on. Can you possibly drill out the slots on the leg with the issue to give it more play?

I thought about that, I am going to see if I can get them straight as soon as it is empty.
 
There are times when the heat that is created when welding them that throws the out of align. We usually correct that, but we must have missed that one.

My suggestion would be to CAREFULLY see if you can tap it more in line (that is what we do)...it may be helpful to apply a bit of low heat, if you have access.
 
Yep, it works. The gauge only goes up to 15 PSI though. Took me a while to actually get around to testing it on the fermenter because I keep the brewhemoth at my friend's house with all my BIG equipment.

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That's a 1" triclover tee (http://www.brewershardware.com/1-Tri-Clover-Clamp-Tee-TC10TEE.html) that is attached to a to a 1" triclover to 1/4" female threaded fitting adapter (http://www.brewershardware.com/1.5-Tri-Clover-X-1-4-FPT-Fitting.html) that is attached to the pressure relief valve I bought in January.
 
A friend and I brewed another batch for the Brewhemoth yesterday, an IPA finished with Zythos hop blend. He brought over his keggle and we boiled 2/3 of the batch in that. I enjoy brewing large batches once in awhile, its a stark contrast to my usual 3gal.

The wort is in the fermentor now, I'm doing pressurized fermentation again since that worked great the first time around.
 
got my tri-clover brewhemoth a few weeks ago and now going to buy all of the valves and things that I need. I do have a few questions so I hope that you guys can help me out.

I think I can get almost everything from brewers hardware:

1 - is the racking port necessary? do I need a valve here or should I just cap it off?
2 - I want to put in a thermowell at the 1" opening on the top. I guess I don't really understand how a termowell works. Do I need to fill it with liquid and put in a temperature sensor (like in a kegerator) and then plug that into a love controller? I guess I don't fully understand how this part works
3 - I would like to get a CIP spray ball, am I correct in assuming that the 4 inch opening at the top is the only place this will work?
 
1. Its not absolutely necessary but I think it is nice to be able to rack off the side of the conical instead of the very bottom, so I'd get that valve if you can afford it. It keeps you away from much (though not all) of the yeast/trub. I generally dump yeast, then let things settle a few hours, then rack. There'll be a little yeast in the port but its mostly gone after the first few seconds.

2. If you're going to control temp in a fermentation fridge, then you simply slide the thermocouple of the controller (Love or Johnson) down the tube, no need to fill with liquid. The thermowell is submerged in the beer so you get a decent temp reading. YOu need a very long thermowell to go from the 1" port on top though. Something like 24".

3. I think so, I don't think the small plastic CIP ball would fit through the 1" port. I have a 2" ball, I just sit it in the 4" opening and cover that with a towel while I run it (its a hard plastic pipe setup). I'd probably recommend the 1" ball from McMaster Carr over the 2" ball at Brewershardware. The larger ball takes a big pump to push enough water to get a vigorous spray. If you want the 2". let me know and I'll tell you what pump you need. A March pump isn't enough, you need a larger sump pump type unit.

Congrats on the Brewhemoth, hope you like it as much as I do!
 
Lennie,

thanks for the response.

1 - why wouldn't you just dump the trub and yeast before you rack from the bottom?

2 - will the probe get a good reading if it is not in liquid? I don't have a fermentation chamber built yet, but still want to monitor the temp at which I am fermenting, is there is something else I can hook up the probe to beside a temp controller?

3 - thank you, great information that I didn't know. I was planning on just buying a sump pump for the cleaning.

one other question, I am going to get a butterfly valve(s) would I then go to a 1/2 inch hose barb?
 
1. I think some yeast gets hung up on the walls of the conical section doesn't all just accumulate right on the bottom, so you wouldn't be able to dump and rack as cleanly as racking off the side of the conical section. Periodically thumping the conical with a rubber mallet would most likely help to knock the hung-up trub on down to the bottom, and dumping the day before racking is also probably a good idea as far as getting the cleanest beeer off.

2. The thermowell has to be touching the wort, the probe will naturally touch the thermowell and that contact will be adequate to get a good reading. If you don't use a controller you an still buy a digital thermometer with a probe (used for cooking) but really the simple way to ge a temp is to use a stick-on fermometer low enough on the fermentor to be where the liquid is.

3. Heres a link to the kind fo pump you'll want to push brewershardware's 2" CIP ball. I bought the 1.5HP version and it actually pushes too fast, it outpaces the draining even with both the dump and racking port valves open. Its no big deal, it still works. I linked a 1HP unit, that or a 1.25HP ought to be about right. You just need enough push to keep that ball spinning. I'd tried a smaller DC pump that pushed 50psi but it was on a 1/2" line and this wasn't enough water for the large diameter ball.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Rand-1-...ultDomain_0&hash=item5ae52548ea#ht_1564wt_907
 
how are you guys transfering into a ball lock corny. All the ball lock disconnects are 1/4 inch barbed but the tri-clover hose barb is 1/2 inch.
 
I looked and I have a 3/8" barb after all. What I did to make it work was put a 1/2" length of smaller tubing on the ball lock QD barb and then slipped the 3/8" hose over that and clamped it. It worked for filling the cornies.
 
So, I'm ready to make the leap and buy a Brewhemoth. Like Man Skirt Joe, the fact that the Brewhemoth is made in the USA and with American parts sealed the deal for me.

I'm trying to get my grocery list of tri clamps together now, and the job is a little daunting without having the unit in my house to look at. First of all, I'm going to get the Pressurizer, which looks like a decent deal. Does anyone rack to kegs using Derrin's tri clover sample valve? It looks like a great way to take gravity samples, but If I connect the barb to a keg post and open the valve all the way, couldn't I use that instead of spending another $50 on a butterfly valve?
 
I'm sure it would. Is it a ball valve inside? I suppose that is the only possible down side, cleaning that. I agree though that it looks interesting. I have a butterfly and a barbed fitting, this seems to cover both in one economical unit.
 
The one thing I don't know about is whether the downward angle of the racking port would let the sampling valve drain completely. If you had a picnic tap on the thing it really wouldn't matter I suppose. Then you could just pull that off and put on a hose with a keg QD and rack. Butterfly valves with barbs aren't a whole lot easier to clean after pulling a test sample, I squirt Starsan on them and thats about all you can do.

I really don't do much gravity testing, I usually let the beer go long enough that I know its done based on my experience, then when I dump yeast I'll take a gravity on that. I usually dump yeast a few days before racking to kegs, just to be sure I get the least amount of yeast carrying into the kegs. This last time I vented the pressure, then dumped yeast, then opened the top and dropped in a sock full of dry hops, then repressurized and bled a little gas off to remove some of the introduced air. I will rack to kegs in a week.
 
I use the sample valve on the racking port and I rack from it. It has a 1/2 inch barb on it. It's not a ball valve inside - it's kind of a stainless steel screw in plunger. Loosen it and beer flows, tighten and it stops.
 
Kind of looked like it might be a screw. How do you sanitize the thing? Can you remove the screw from the body?
 
I've never tried to take it all the way off. How i sanitize it is just to open and close it in the sanitizer, so it gets sanitized in both positions. I don't think the threads need to be sanitized because they never actually touch the beer. It's definitely not as simple and sanitary as a triclamp though.
 
Derrin got back to me and sent this: "It’s a screw-type valve so it stays sanitary. The threads are all behind a seal that is pushed forward against the seat."

EBloom--Would you recommend it?
 
I would certainly recommend it. It definitely has practical applications, as well as being slightly less expensive. Plus it's a different toy to play with. Butterfly valves are fun too, but two is not incrementally more fun than one. ;)
 
ready to buy. Am I missing anything.


for the bottom valve:

1.5 inch tri clover butterfly valve
1.5 inch Silicone Gasket
1/1.5 inch tri clover clamp

for the racking valve:

1 inch tri clover butterfly valve
1/1.5 inch tri clover 1/2 inch hose barb
1/1.5 inch tri clover clamp (times two)
1 inch EPDM Sanitary Gasket (times two)
1/2 inch silicone tubing (5 feet)

for the top:

1/1.5 in tri clover cap
1/1.5 inch tri clover clamp
1 inch EPDM Sanitary Gasket

that should be enough to get me started (I think). Later I want to get a pressurizer and CIP ball and most likely a thermowell
 
I'd email the Brewhemoth guy (me!). We have done one better than the pressurizer. A 1 1/2 inch cap with a tee welded on. Adjustable pressure relief, a gauge, and a ball lock gas in valve. Allows for preesure ferments, dispensing beer to kegs, etc. It is not on our web page yet, but an email to the Brewhemoth will get you a coupon to the up grade. Using two in my home brewery, as far as a thermwell goes, of the two, one has a 24" going thru the 4" cap. The other has a 4" tube welded to the side at the 4 gallon mark. Which works better depends on the temp probe you have.
 
I'd email the Brewhemoth guy (me!). We have done one better than the pressurizer. A 1 1/2 inch cap with a tee welded on. Adjustable pressure relief, a gauge, and a ball lock gas in valve. Allows for preesure ferments, dispensing beer to kegs, etc. It is not on our web page yet, but an email to the Brewhemoth will get you a coupon to the up grade. Using two in my home brewery, as far as a thermwell goes, of the two, one has a 24" going thru the 4" cap. The other has a 4" tube welded to the side at the 4 gallon mark. Which works better depends on the temp probe you have.

Dale--I just sent you a PM...
 
First pressure ferment. On this prv, I found that 3 full turns was a bit over 5psi, and 5 turns a bit over 10psi. 18gal of oatmeal stout in there. Chuggin along at 63.7degF and 10psi.

The valve and flare fitting will allow me to keep some pressure on the fermenter when transferring under pressure, which I think I'll have to do, although I have no experience with that. The ball valve/mfl seem like a more robust setup than having a corny post and qd, which seems redundant to me if you have an mfl on the qd anyways.

I just have the tubing on there temporarily to check the bubbling action - not worried about having an airlock with the spund setup. I am curious about sanitation in between uses though. Although beer doesn't touch the valve components directly, condensation dripping back into the beer would seem to me to be just as bad. Maybe a couple of squirts pbw, then water, and starsan right before using. I don't think I can immerse the whole thing in a bucket because of the pressure gauge. Lots of crevices with all the pipe fittings....

hem1.jpg


hem2.jpg
 
Looking good. My second pressurized batch in the Brewhemoth is an APA, its about done. Kegging this weekend then I'm brewing an ESB to go in next. A friend has been brewing with me, its nice to split a big batch.
 
I did a black pale ale and it turned out just fine, fully attenuated and has the ester profile you'd expect from US05. The yeast took awhile to clear, I don't have the means to cold crash yet. I'm still savoring the last of the third keg.
 
Personally I like to brew so theres never a lack of beer in the house. Mostly I do 3gal batches too. Its fun to brew up a big batch though.

I did think this third keg was the best, given it had more time to sit and settle.
 
Filled three kegs of dry-hopped APA Sunday. The only time that beer saw any O2 was when I opened to dry hop, and even then I purged the fermentor with CO2 right afterwards. We then brewed 15gal of special bitter so the Brewhemoth isn't sitting empty this time. The only snag in the day was that my dry-hop sock line was too long and the foot-long sock of soggy hops got stuck in the dump valve when I went to remove the dregs. We just cut it and pulled it out. Glad that didn't happen when I harvested yeast, although that was done before dry-hopping.
 
How do you relieve pressure to dry hop with a spunding valve to dry hop? I just tried and got sprayed through the relief valve when I started to open it.
 
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