pleasey critique my plan for my new setup

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Smellyglove

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I'll spend the winter upgrading my humble brewery. Here is my plan so far.

Two tier sculpture. From HLT into mash and from BK into fermentor will be gravity fed. Silicone hosing all the way. No QDs so far as I'll put my money into this. Plan is to run PBW and hot water to clean and flush after ended session. March pump.

What can be made better? Should I add a valve just before the pump?

ForumRunner_20131001_114339.jpg
 
Well, it looks like he's got a pump valve that opens up from the BK to the fermenter so after he (theoretically) starts a cleaning run in the HLT he can flush it all the way through the system.

What I'm not seeing is how your HERM loop connects to your HLT. How are you maintaining temp in the HERM coil?
 
how are you chilling? If it is plate or counterflow where does it live and how are you sanitizing it (boiling wort?)

also feel dumb for asking but...What is a QD?
 
Well, it looks like he's got a pump valve that opens up from the BK to the fermenter so after he (theoretically) starts a cleaning run in the HLT he can flush it all the way through the system.

What I'm not seeing is how your HERM loop connects to your HLT. How are you maintaining temp in the HERM coil?

Yes, however he will never have any fluid travel from the BK to fermenter until it is time to fill up the fermenter. With this setup, he would have to sanitize it pre-brew session, which would be a pain. Atleast this is how I see it.
 
How will you sanitize the BK to Fermenter path?

I will have to disconnect the BK either way to get rid of trub and stuff. That path will be open en rhe fermentor end. Just a hose hsnging down into the fermentor so I will clean that one manually.
 
How will you sanitize the BK to Fermenter path?

I will have to disconnect the BK none the less. So I will have to clean that hose manually. That parh will be an open path wirh the hose just hanging down into the fermentor.
 
Well, it looks like he's got a pump valve that opens up from the BK to the fermenter so after he (theoretically) starts a cleaning run in the HLT he can flush it all the way through the system.

What I'm not seeing is how your HERM loop connects to your HLT. How are you maintaining temp in the HERM coil?


The HERM will be a separate heater. A boiler in which you heat water for tea and stuff.
 
how are you chilling? If it is plate or counterflow where does it live and how are you sanitizing it (boiling wort?)

also feel dumb for asking but...What is a QD?
I'll chill with a immersion chiller. Goes into the boil 15 minutes before off.
 
I'll spend the winter upgrading my humble brewery. Here is my plan so far.

Two tier sculpture. From HLT into mash and from BK into fermentor will be gravity fed. Silicone hosing all the way. No QDs so far as I'll put my money into this. Plan is to run PBW and hot water to clean and flush after ended session. March pump.

What can be made better? Should I add a valve just before the pump?

View attachment 151310

1. It appears from your drawing that you will have two pumps (HLT Recirc & MLT/Whirlpool), so your stand could be a single tier without the need to gravity drain anything.

2. I would recommend investing in QDs for several reasons:
A. The cost of buying a QDs versus buying nipples is minimal compared to replacing all of your nipples with QDs later on.
B. You will be able to disconnect individual parts to clean/flush them easier, that way you can clean your MLT while you are boiling.
C. You could eliminate several valves (I think about 4)
D. You would need a lot less silicone hose.
E. you could sanitize your hose run to the fermenter by recirculating boiling wort back into the kettle with the pump.
 
1. It appears from your drawing that you will have two pumps (HLT Recirc & MLT/Whirlpool), so your stand could be a single tier without the need to gravity drain anything.

2. I would recommend investing in QDs for several reasons:
A. The cost of buying a QDs versus buying nipples is minimal compared to replacing all of your nipples with QDs later on.
B. You will be able to disconnect individual parts to clean/flush them easier, that way you can clean your MLT while you are boiling.
C. You could eliminate several valves (I think about 4)
D. You would need a lot less silicone hose.
E. you could sanitize your hose run to the fermenter by recirculating boiling wort back into the kettle with the pump.

You're right. I can make it a single tier which I now will.

How would QDs eliminate valves? I still need to control when and when not to open the pathway?

Wouldn't recirculating the wort back to the kettle to sanitize the path to the fermentor still leave that hose with wort?

Edit: Wait. No. The plan with a two tier system was that I need to gravity feed when im sparging since the first pump doesn't have a magnetic impeller and I don't want to risk it not withstanding the pressure. I will fly sparge.
 
Smellyglove said:
How would QDs eliminate valves? I still need to control when and when not to open the pathway?

By eliminating pathways. You reuse the same hoses for different steps. There is a choice between multivalve manifolds like you are planning versus having to move hoses like I am suggesting. Different approaches to the same goal. I prefer to move hoses for simplicity and versatility. Also I think multiple valves and tees allow for less dead spots for wort to get trapped and bacteria can grow.

1 take out a valve after the HLT and move hose from pump to sparge when needed.
2 eliminate bleeder valve and just take the hose off to prime
3 don't need a valve at the end of the whirlpool line. Swap it with the MLT line at that time.
4 only need one valve to restrict pump flow. Swap hose between RIMS/kettle/fermenter.
5 only need one valve after kettle. Reuse whirlpool line through pump to kettle.
However, you do need a valve on your tangential inlet on the kettle for the pump return to whirlpool that is not on your diagram
That is 4 less valves, 3 less tees and no cross.

.

Smellyglove said:
Wouldn't recirculating the wort back to the kettle to sanitize the path to the fermentor still leave that hose with wort?

Yes. But based on your design I was operating on the assumption you were using an immersion chiller while whirlpooling. You pump/whirlpool boiling hot (sanitized) wort through the hoses and pump to sanitize, then once that is done you start the chill (while still whirlpooling). Once chilled, turn off the pump and let the kettle settle, then move the hose from the whirlpool port to the fermenter and pump the cooled wort into your fermenter.
 
ForumRunner_20131002_095807.jpg

Something like this then?

It seems a whole lot simpler, even though it won't look as cool as my 1940s submarine-design with all the valves and hoses. It will also be cheaper, so I can invest in some proper gear, and maybe other gear aswell.
 
Smellyglove said:
Something like this then? It seems a whole lot simpler, even though it won't look as cool as my 1940s submarine-design with all the valves and hoses. It will also be cheaper, so I can invest in some proper gear, and maybe other gear aswell.

Exactly.
 
I would recommend a valve on the output of all pumps, to regulate the flow if needed. In your diagram, you don't have one on the HLT recirculation pump.
 
jeffmeh said:
I would recommend a valve on the output of all pumps, to regulate the flow if needed. In your diagram, you don't have one on the HLT recirculation pump.

His HLT pump is not magnetic drive so it should not have flow restriction or he will burn out the pump motor.
 
I chickening out on the moving hoses-thing, I think. I really want a system where I don't have to do much more than paying attention to the brewing-process itself on brewday. So I'll make a sketch where output valves on HLT and BK are replaced with 3-way valves, same with both input and output of the pump. It's still one valve in each position, but then I can route the flow two directions. And It's four more permanent hoses. I guess I'll be able to flush the system with PBW and hot water after brew session. It all stays in place, and I don't have to connect/disconnect to flush everything.
 
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