My new brew system, a brutus 10 with some nice modifications

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Here's a time-lapse video of a full brew day on this system reduced down to 8 minutes:



--
Josh
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey Josh, great setup you've got here. I'm just looking at putting something like this together and was wondering about the sightglass connection. What size of Yor-Lok adapters did you use and what size of tube did you use?

Thanks,

Scott
 
Hey Josh, great setup you've got here. I'm just looking at putting something like this together and was wondering about the sightglass connection. What size of Yor-Lok adapters did you use and what size of tube did you use? Thanks, Scott

Thanks Scott. Here are the http://www.mcmaster.com parts I used for the sight glasses:

McMasterCarr# 9176T12
DURABLE CLEAR POLYCARBONATE TUBING, 1/4" ID, 3/8" OD, 1/16" WALL THICKNESS, 2'L $2.27

McMasterCarr# 5182K126
TYPE 316 SS YOR-LOK TUBE FITTING, ADAPTER FOR 3/8" TUBE OD X 1/2" NPT MALE PIPE $14.09


The eye-bolts holding the tubing to the top of the keggle I got from Home Depot in the nuts/bolts aisle. They too are stainless.

--
Josh
 
maybe i'll look at welding some corner covers on the front half to keep the heat off the front of the build where my hands are most likely to be... thanks!

currently sitting at work sketching up the basics and getting a cut list together for the steel shop. my boss thanks you for totally torpedoing my productivity.


Wow so I'm not the only one with this thread on one monitor and Sketchup on the other? I've read a ton of build threads here and I think this one is exactly what I'm shooting for.
 
you mean like this? :)

http://grublist.com/beer/brew_stand_1.0.skp

got the basic frame set up based on J's measurements posted earlier. haven't figured out how to make my angle iron with the proper "cuts" to make them individual pieces yet still able to be tied together as a component.

anyone got a 1.5" angle iron in 3/8" thickness with a 45 degree cut on the ends? :)
 
Wow so I'm not the only one with this thread on one monitor and Sketchup on the other? I've read a ton of build threads here and I think this one is exactly what I'm shooting for.

Nope... You're not alone. I've got Sketchup in one hand and the welder in the other. Pictures to follow in another build thread. Until then here's my shameless copy of jlandin's Brutus design that I plan to use for an E-Rig.

Brew_Stand.png
 
i demand a copy of that sketch up!!!!!

You're more than welcome to it if I can figure out how to upload the file to the 3D Warehouse. So far I keep getting rejected by Google and the file is too big to upload a zip file to this site. In the mean time PM me your email address and I'll send it to you that way.
 
Nope... You're not alone. I've got Sketchup in one hand and the welder in the other. Pictures to follow in another build thread. Until then here's my shameless copy of jlandin's Brutus design that I plan to use for an E-Rig.

FYI, in your sketchup the angle iron on the top is flipped from what mine is. That is, your keggles will sit "down in" the space when in-use, whereas mine sit on the top surface. Either will work, but you will need to compensate for that in the overall height, as you are losing 1.5 inches in storage wiggle room below. The bottom ones are the same as mine; they sit down in when stored.

--
Josh
 
Hey Josh, I also forgto to ask about the thermometer mounting, what do you use to connect it to the Tee? Thanks again, Scott

The threaded SS tee is welded to the keggle. Then the thermometer just screws into the end of the tee, with its thermowell extending through the tee into the vessel. Check out the first page of posts in this thread for some reference pictures.

--
Josh
 
FYI, in your sketchup the angle iron on the top is flipped from what mine is. That is, your keggles will sit "down in" the space when in-use, whereas mine sit on the top surface. Either will work, but you will need to compensate for that in the overall height, as you are losing 1.5 inches in storage wiggle room below. The bottom ones are the same as mine; they sit down in when stored.

--
Josh

Yah. That was more or less by design. In an earlier post to this thread, you had mentioned you were 6' 3". I'm 5' 10 and didn't want to reach over the keggles. Since I'm going all electric, I shortened the stand by about 3" which took out the burners, used 4" casters rather than 5" and turned the angle iron in the opposite direction so the keggles would sit inside of the top section. Now my overall height is rougly 54".

I've got the stand built and the kegs fit as designed. The only problem I see is that I may not be able to set the kegs in the bottom section at an angle then tilt them up. I may be scraping paint getting them in and out. I'll have to check it out tonight when I get home.

Oh well, live and learn.

Blane
 
Hey Josh,

Do you have a picture of the insides of your Kettle and MT? Just interested in seeing how you have that setup. i.e. false bottom and what not.

Thanks,

Scott
 
Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I got some paint on today.

Going with blue (maybe a racing stripe later):

IMG00376.jpg


--
Josh

Hey Josh,

I was interested in how your paint is holding up. I am starting to collect supplies for a brutus build. I want to use stainless for the stand...but if your paint is holding up....that sure sways me towards mild steel..$$$$

Thanks,

Jason
 
Nice rig. Definitely love the control box feature. I been designing one just on paper so when I move I can start building, but never thought of that part of it. Looks like it is back to the drawing board. At least your schematics are easy enough to understand for someone who doesn't know too much about electrical wiring. :cross:
 
I will most likely try to duplicate your setup. Do you have the Length, height, and width? I can probably figure it out but I like to keep it tight for storage. Great idea by the way! Also is there anything you would change? Thanks Dave
 
Best thread I've seen. Nice, nice work and even better documentation.

Silly noob question: Where did you procure your kegs for the keggles? Having trouble locating any. Used? New? What is a reasonable price to pay?
 
Beerthirty I'm putting together an automated HLT with a pilot using the:

Each Y8610U kit includes:

— S8610U Intermittent Pilot Module.
— VR8304M Dual Valve Combination Gas Control.
— 392431 Igniter-Sensor* (Not used for this Application you will need to purchase a Q345A1313. See Below).
— 394800-30 Ignition Cable.
— 393691 Natural to LP Gas Conversion Kit.
— Wiring Harness.
— 393690-14 Straight Flange Kit (3/4 in.) .
— Reducer adapters for gas control.
— Adhesive mounting option for S8610.
— Installation hardware.

Can I run 10 PSI through this? Will I need an ASCO value with it? I didn't think the Y8610U could handle high pressure. What type of regulator are you using in your setup? I would really use some help pulling these pieces together. Thanks!!!!!!
 
The paint has held up great. No complaints at all.

--
Josh

How did you go about "curing" the paint, if you don't mind my asking... starting construction on my single tier this weekend and was very curious about the 2000F spray paints. Did you just fire the burners? How long? Did you have the kegs on top while you did this?

Thanks for the intel!

:mug:
 
How did you go about "curing" the paint, if you don't mind my asking... starting construction on my single tier this weekend and was very curious about the 2000F spray paints. Did you just fire the burners? How long? Did you have the kegs on top while you did this?
Thanks for the intel!
:mug:

I fired the burners with the kegs on top (fill with water), and I used an infrared thermometer to keep an eye on the hottest parts of the frame. From there, just follow the heating instructions on the can of paint. I don't recall the procedure exactly, but it was a series of heat up and cool down steps.

Any parts of the frame that don't get much heat, don't need curing anyway. It worked great.

--
Josh
 
J, 1st and foremost - that's 1 bad machine. I would like to use your concept for my build and was wondering if you had the dimensions and or measurements for your brewstand. Great job and thanks in advance.

Bryan
 
jlandin

Thanks for the great thread. I'm jumping in late but hopefully you can help

I don't see a low pressure regulator in your setup. Is it at the propane tank connection?

Thanks
 
Thanks Brian! Looking forward to seeing your build thread.

To mount the pilot burners, I first straightened the L-brackets attached to them. I then fed the pilot and thermocouple protrusions up through one of the triangle-sized holes in the banjo. I marked the two bracket holes on the burner underside with a sharpie and drilled them out for two screws (note to self, replace with stainless steel). I did put rectorseal on the screws before installing them just to prevent gas leakage there. Here's a picture:

IMG00380.jpg


I was initially going to do the same thing, black pipe to support my valves. I wanted everything from the valve up to the burner to be rigid, and everything from the valve down to the manifold to be soft. That way the valves move with the burner height adjustment and the pilot/thermocouple lines are not being bent repeatedly. However, I quickly realized that there is no "official" way to go from black pipe NPT to the 3/8" flared orifice fitting with rigid fittings (some on this forum have done workarounds, like brazing the two together, etc but I didn't feel great about doing that). Anyway, the options for me were copper tubing union, or a flexible hose, neither of which would give me the rigid support I wanted. Thus were born, the brackets.

In case you need any, this is a good place for those flex hoses in all sorts of sizes:
http://www.plumbingsupply.com/gasconnectors.html

The brackets mount to the bolt pattern that is already on the valve. Coming out the top of the valve is a brass 1/2" NPT to 3/8" flare elbow. Attaching that to the burner orifice is a 12" x 3/8" flare to 3/8" flare flex hose from PlumbingSupply.

IMG_0015.jpg


Below the valve is the standard yellow flex hose from Lowe's that comes with a 1/2" NPT to 1/2" flare adapter.

IMG_0016.jpg


--
Josh

Hey Josh, I looked at the plumbing supply that you have linked. I am looking for the same flex hose you used with 3/8 " female flare fittings on both ends. It looks like they only carry flex hose with female NPT fittings instead of the flare fittings. Is there something I'm not seeing on the site, as I can't find the ones that you have pictured. I know I can have them custom made but that will cost about $130.00 for three hoses. Any help will be most appreciated.


John
 
jlandin
Thanks for the great thread. I'm jumping in late but hopefully you can help
I don't see a low pressure regulator in your setup. Is it at the propane tank connection?
Thanks

Yes, the regulator connects to the tank and has a hose which connects to the stand (on the gas manifold).

--
Josh
 
Hey Josh, I looked at the plumbing supply that you have linked. I am looking for the same flex hose you used with 3/8 " female flare fittings on both ends. It looks like they only carry flex hose with female NPT fittings instead of the flare fittings. Is there something I'm not seeing on the site, as I can't find the ones that you have pictured. I know I can have them custom made but that will cost about $130.00 for three hoses. Any help will be most appreciated.
John

I bought mine from here and they are flare fittings.

--
Josh
 
Hi Josh

The adjustable burner height appears to be a great feature, and I am now considering the same design. Can I ask how often you adjust the burner height, or have you settled on a preferred height

Thanks
 
I'm in the middle of a build and am shamelessly ripping off the adjustable burner rack idea. There's been a few moments where I've wondered if it was worth it honestly. End of the day it's a cool feature that may come in handy.
 
Hey OB, thanks for the feedback that's exactly what i'm looking for. On the cool-factor side the adjustable burner rack gets a "10". Just wanting to know how practical it is.

What I'm concerned about really is the low flame height during my burner test run. I've always used high pressure turkey-fryer setups before and not convinced I'm going to get the BTU's with this low pressure set up. Hence the adjustment if I need to get closer to the kettles.
 
lots of great info and links will use this info as I convert my full electric to dual heat/transportable brew stand still working out some design issues
 
I would be interested to know anyone's experience using BG14 burners (banjo 14") with low pressure propane. I am considering a 20 gallon system but having some concern about heating liquids quick enough. BK, MT, HLT kettle diameter is about 20" (26 gallons)

Thanks
 

_______________
*************
PLEASE READ!!
_______________
*************


Hopefully that got your attention. ;-)

I get a TON of messages from HBT users about my Brutus 10. I try to reply to all of them, but I have a couple of suggestions to people reading my build thread...

1) Please don't PM me if you think the question is something that can help others. Ask it in the thread instead! I get A LOT of duplicate questions and it would serve the community much more if we get the question/answer into the thread.

2) Please read the entire thread before asking me questions. It's only 20 pages (at this time) and MANY of the questions I get, have already been answered.

If everyone followed these two suggestions, eventually the build thread will be complete and will contain everything you ever wanted to know about building a clone of my system.

This was a really fun build, and I learned a lot in the process. I'm eager to help out wherever I can, so please do ASK AWAY! If you PM me with a question about this build, don't be surprised if I reply with "Ask this in the thread".

--
Josh
 
Back
Top