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Biermann

Reinvented Biermann
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Location
East Peoria, IL
Thought I'd take a minute to show off my new brewing setup. A lot of people have wanted me to post pics, so here they are.

I did this brew yesterday at our new house. I have a dedicated brewing and fermentation room complete with lagering fridge, plumbing, etc. Outside the room is a large deck complete with electricity and plumbing.

My brew sculpture is a 10 gallon system with HERMS from Morebeer.com (1500).

Note the prechiller (heat index yest was 109), and counter flow chiller.

Please feel free to post comments, questions, and show off your own setup!!

3548-DoughinwithBrewapprentice.JPG

My setup

3548-Hermsinaction.JPG

HERMS in action under the hood

3548-Perfect.JPG

Saccharinification Rest held constant


3548-Newwetbar.JPG

New wet bar where all of this will eventually be on tap.
 
You know, one of my wants for building a new house include a cellar, dedicated cold-room, higher roof in the basement and a dedicated bar area? Now you've pushed me up over the edge.
 
Exo said:
You know, one of my wants for building a new house include a cellar, dedicated cold-room, higher roof in the basement and a dedicated bar area? Now you've pushed me up over the edge.

well, when the wife and I were looking for a new house, I pretty much told her it had to have an area where I can do almost all of the brewing steps in one place. This house came the closest, and it had everything she wanted as well, so we both won. In addition, the bar is just down 7 steps from the brew room/brew deck.
Here is a partial view of my very large brewroom/fermentation room. Please forgive the Busch Beer cooler. Someone left that over at my house.
3548-Brewroomwithlageringfridge.JPG
 
My meager stove-top setup:
4563-_MG_4460_600x400.jpg


Fall and Winter are going to see some equip upgrades with kegging and possibly a freezer for the spring's lagering. Spring will see outdoors and AG equipment.
 
Cool set-up. I really like the bar. As for the gnome, I think there is nothing better then having a little mind around to shape and mold, so that they end up reflecting and there-by justifying all our odd habits and ways. I have two such gnomes myself and I can't wait to have a taste of their first brews. They already made a mean rootbeer!
 
I can't wait until my daughter's old enough to help. Actually, I can - she's growing up too damn fast already! I do really look forward to making some rootbeer with her. I'm hoping, too, that by her growing up with beer being something that we make ourselves and consumer responsibly, that she has a healthy appreciation for. Of course, I know that I'm fooling myself completely and that I'll be buying locks and counting bottles within fifteen years, but for now I plan to live on in denial.

Gotta say that while I really like Bierman's setup - nobody - nobody - has a sweeter setup than the Pastor.
 
I have two gnomes as well. . .although the other is female, and is a year and a half younger. Although the female part won't stop me from trying to recruit her.

You can't get the sparge ring any lower? It looks like HSA going on there to me....


and yes, it will go all the way to the bottom if you need it to. I just pulled it up a little higher for the picture. :mug:
 
My father, who was a civil engineer for state of TX for 38 years, would always say to me "keep it simple stupid, then you'll have less to worry about". I can say that as I've spent more and more money on brewing setups from extract to all-grain gravity to AG w/pumps, etc. that once again he was correct. The only great benefit that I've gained other than increasing brewing volumes are consistency based on greater accuracy and precision. I do appreciate the decrease in variability and it yields a highly fermentable wort. My current setup is very nice but I didn't build it like I had wanted due to time contraints and energy. Honestly, I love to show off the new setup but I was more proud of my 3-tier gravity system I designed and build and the beer was just as good but I had wild variations from batch to batch. It is really cool to see the picts of how similar and dissimiliar the breweries are.
 
runhard said:
Honestly, I love to show off the new setup but I was more proud of my 3-tier gravity system I designed and build and the beer was just as good but I had wild variations from batch to batch. It is really cool to see the picts of how similar and dissimiliar the breweries are.

Let's see some pics of your system(s)!!
 
Biermann said:
I'm extremely curious how you utilize this. ...

(I love apparatus and its application)

being a monster three tier system, when doughing in by myself i would have to get up on the ladder and pour in a bit of grain then put the bucket back down - add strike water, mix...repeat.

this way i pour my entire grain bill in the hopper, and all i have to do is stand on the ladder - get the right mix of grain and water going and paddle away. i have no real proof - but i think i get a better mix like this.
 
Here is my system I built from scratch. I went with a 3 tier so I could brew even if my pump went out.

Back Side
Recir5.jpg


Front Side
Sculpture18rev.jpg


Transfering to secondary
Secondary1.jpg


Beer Storage
Kegstorage3.jpg
 
do you pump out of the kettle into a carboy/other fermentation device?
 
I run the wort from the boil pot into a grant through a strainer and then I pump from that through my CFC into my fermenter that is about 20' away.
 
brewhead said:
no way man. i just buzzed through your gallery and you got gobs of stuff i am lacking. lots o toys.....need more toys.

I really like that hopper idea, it is a PITA to dough in over 20 lbs of grain by yourself. I think that might be my next project... Man, if I keep going I might have to add on to the BrewShed!!!

Another Project!!!!:ban:
 
The hopper thing is cool. Fortunately my setup isn't that tall, and my little step stool works fine. The last beer I did with this set up I doughed in with 25 lbs of grain, which was a bit of a pain.

lots o toys.....need more toys.

Its allllll about the toys. . . :D
 
When I do big beers I mash in 75+ lbs of grain and doing that alone is not easy so I came up with my own grain hopper. Along with an electric mud mixer I can mash in fairly quickly....

Hopper2.jpg


GrainCrush1.jpg


Mash-in2.jpg
 
When I do big beers I mash in 75+ lbs of grain and doing that alone is not easy so I came up with my own grain hopper. Along with an electric mud mixer I can mash in fairly quickly....

there ya go. i like your hopper dude.
 
Mate asome I am just geting my **** togeather Ijust finshed the burner stand today itthe buner is out of a gas hotwater sictem i will post picks when i can
 
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