Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
bcryan said:
Looks very nice but I think moving my 50l brau full of hot wort can't be safe. I prefer spending less money and just build a pulley. Anyway looks sweet.
Speidel Braumeister (brewmaster)
- Thread starter FiveKaiBrewing
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Looks very nice but I think moving my 50l brau full of hot wort can't be safe. I prefer spending less money and just build a pulley. Anyway looks sweet.
With that table though, he can hook the pipe to a set point above and then lower the table effectively pulling the pipe up to drain.
I think it looks like a nice table for the money and can do many things.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
Yambor44 said:
Im sure that will work like a dream. If you have to buy a table i'll go with it if you already have one I will stick to the pulley and spend the cash in something else. Don't get me wrong I love hardware and gadgets but muy cash flow has gone low after spending all that money in the unit
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
spend the money on some weights and do upright rows! 
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
what's the consensus among bm users with immersion chillers, do you run the pump once you get down to that point where cooling slows right down? i have been selectively re-reading the thread but couldn't find that many opinions on the subject. how happy is the pump with lots of hop pellet debris and break material? for whole hops i would use a hop sock. thanks
My water is 4 degrees C (39 F) - it doesn't really slow down at all although the first 10 degrees are super fast.
I only use whole hops and a hop rocket.
shecallsmeblue
Well-Known Member
I've read majority of this thread, and I don't think it was covered well, or I missed it, but I have a question for you guys using the smaller malt tube with the 50l. I plan to buy one of these systems soon, but want to make sure I buy smart. (Unlike I did with my first AG system, using a 5gal cooler that I out-grew in like two months.) How successful have your 5 gallon batches been with the 50l system? Using it this way can I make higher gravity 5 gallon batches in the machine without the need for DME or excessive boiling? I normally make 5 gallon batches, but don't want to limit myself too much with gravity limits, as I am a fan of larger brews. I also would like to make the occasional 10 gallon batch, so I think the 50l is best for me, but would like more input. Thanks guys!
stevedasleeve
Well-Known Member
I am also interested in any responses to these questions. I'm spending much of the summer in Edinburgh and figured I'd set up my brewing rig there.
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
The smaller malt pipe from what i gather will only allow so much grain and you will be limited to "smaller" 6 percent abv beers using the regular no dme no extra boiling method. the 1.059 limit applies to the 20l and 50l no matter the malt pipe unless you were to boil for a long time.
The problem lays with the pumps not being able to circulate if you cram too much grain in there...there is another method however to get a bigger beer, just do a double mash
Mash with half your grain then remove the grain, add new grain and mash again. It will add some time to your brew day but that i think is the best way to do it with this system.
I for one have never understood the obsession with huge beers, i might have one on a cold winter night but for the most part i want a highly drinkable beer that doesnt knock me on my ass after one....everyone has their tastes though
if all you brew are huge barley wine knock your socks off 22 percent beers then maybe this isnt the system for you :fro:
shecallsmeblue
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reply. It's not so much of a huge beer obsession as trying to avoid unecessary limitations. I like the idea of splitting the grain and doing a double mash though. I only rarley brew large beers, but I do brew a barleywine and an IIPA once a year. I guess those two occasions arent enough to convince me not to purchase one. This looks like it will not only make my brew days simpler, but will also clear up some space! 50l it is!!
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
I don't see why a lot of people talk about a 1.059 limit. In the first beer that i brew with the system I hit 1.068 with no dme or sugar additions. I'm shure I can hit 1.070 easly. Just don't follow the instructions in the manual
shecallsmeblue
Well-Known Member
That was my next question actually. Assuming one hits a high effeciency, they should be able to reach above the afore mentioned gravity limit. I may try a few SMaSH brews with different techniques (i.e. "sparging" with separately heated water) to see what MY limits are with the BM.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
shecallsmeblue said:
This is what I do: If you have the 50l setup I don't think you'll have any problems packing the short malt pipe to the max as the 50l has two pumps and the malt pipe is shorter than the one in 20l setup so IMHO the pump will not struggel that much with a bigger grain bill. Remember also that your boil off rate will be bigger as there is more surface area.
In the middle of the mash I pause the system take out the malt pipe and re-stir the grain. If your grain bill is at the max capacity do it a couple of times.
When the mash is complete i take off the malt pipe and te first screen, and very gently cover the hole in the middle and wash te grain with 1.5 liters of 78° water.
The way you crush your grain will play an important part too some people say a fine crush some a little coarser acording to the manual its better to grind coarsley. Hope this helps. And I am sorry about my english
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
When the mash is complete i take off the malt pipe and te first screen, and very gently cover the hole in the middle and wash te grain with 1.5 liters of 78° water. english[/QUOTE]
I meant 1.5 liters per kilo
I meant 1.5 liters per kilo
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
I just did a 1.070 yesterday to test it and everything went fine, i do have the newer more powerful pump but it sounds like it will work either way
I did my third brew on the 50l last weekend, a 5 gallon batch with a grain bill of 11.5 lb and hit 1.069, using the small pipe obviously, and with a 60min boil. Did stop and stir the mash six times at pump breaks and sparged with 5 litres. I would have fit a couple of pounds or so more in the maltpipe, so you could probably kick it up a notch. As I'm more into high gravity beers I really want to see how high you can go with a full malt pipe, thorough stiring during pump breaks, sparging and a 120min boil. My guess is somewhere around 4 - 4.5 gallon of 1.085.
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
I will continue to push the grain bill as i get used to the system and post on results
I wonder if i welded an extension onto the malt pipe and the top of the system if i could just add more grain that way by making it taller.
I will continue to push the grain bill as i get used to the system and post on results
I wonder if i welded an extension onto the malt pipe and the top of the system if i could just add more grain that way by making it taller.
Hah, and I'v already been planning on taking the large maltpipe to a sheet metal shop and getting it cut down to about 30 - 35 litres. Well I guess I could cut it myself but don't have the tools to make that lap at the top.
What's with them damn Germans, you always have to redesign all their designs!?
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
I think that making the malt pipe taller will only help to make different size batches. You'll need more water and end up with 30 something liters of wort... I just settle for the way the system its build and try to work on the proccess
With a 30 litre malt pipe you could off course brew larger batches, but it would also allow more room for evaporation when doing longer boils, if you want to end up with more than 5 gallons in the fermentor.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
Batfink said:
True. But a 5 gallon batch of a big beer is enough for me! Just a excuse to run out of beer more quickly and brew some more!!!!
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
So long as i brew once a week with the 20l i am good!
for now....im sure once my beer gets better i am going to have a hard time keeping it on tap, my friends are thirsty
Are people purchasing from morebeer.com or morebeer4u.com?
A post a bit up mentioned a higher capacity/more powerful pump... Is this a design change to shipping units or a one-time replacement for a faulty pump? And is it for the 20l or 50l size?
Still thinking about a 20L for condo brewing, would prob go with an intl voltage converter like Kai did.
A post a bit up mentioned a higher capacity/more powerful pump... Is this a design change to shipping units or a one-time replacement for a faulty pump? And is it for the 20l or 50l size?
Still thinking about a 20L for condo brewing, would prob go with an intl voltage converter like Kai did.
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
the replacement pump was for my 20l
i had purchased from morebeer.com and they have been great. When i asked them why the different pump for replacement they said it was the "new pump" so it might come with the new units. Not sure how many morebeer has in stock with the old pump
either way the old pump works fine for a lot of people, also the step up step down converter works great for me. Make sure you have a 20 amp circuit for it, the braumeister only uses 10 but the voltage converter will draw more as it needs to step up to 230 volt.
15 amp might work but it also might trip it.
SFBrewer
Active Member
any chance to get a pic of the replacement pump? i'd like to see if it's the same as the pumps on my month old BM50.
thanks in advance!
I went with morebeer4u for sales tax reasons, very happy with Thorstens service overall.
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
Posted a thread on the replacement here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/braumeister-pump-replacement-more-power-317778/#post3976846
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
for what it's worth i bought mine within the past month and it has the same pump as the replacement from alchemy's thread above, the light blue BW152 whatever.
My old 50L had the blue replacement pumps on it as well.
Just thought I'd post something really quick before I start my first brew with the braumeister in about half an hour. I picked up the 50L from Speidel right before Easter, then I went to Belgium for the weekend and am now more inspired than ever to brew some more awesome beers!
Big thanks to everyone on this thread as there is some excellent information on here, and a big thanks to Yambor, it was his video's that convinced me that this is an awesome system.
My first beer will be an IPA - I'll be double mashing so I can reach a higher gravity (I'll be using 11kg of grain and I don't want a stuck mash). I'll let you know how it goes!
Big thanks to everyone on this thread as there is some excellent information on here, and a big thanks to Yambor, it was his video's that convinced me that this is an awesome system.
My first beer will be an IPA - I'll be double mashing so I can reach a higher gravity (I'll be using 11kg of grain and I don't want a stuck mash). I'll let you know how it goes!
Thanks beck! Make sure to let us know how it went! Pics and vids are a plus.
SFBrewer
Active Member
Thanks! I remember seeing that now! Did you notice a difference in wort flow with the newer pump?
interesting, both of the BM50Ls I have had in my possession since the beginning of the year have had the "old" black pumps...perhaps a question of availability? Also, when i disassembled all of my pumps (I've had 4 so far) they've all had that one impeller blade with bare brass on the end as noted in Alchemy's pump thread.
Hey howdy hey my brewing brothers and sisters, as Jamil would say. Just brewed myself an Imperial Stout yesterday, my forth brew on the Meister. I stuffed the smaller maltpipe with 6,6kg of grain, and had to put in the upper screen upside down with the centre hub facing downwards to create a little bit more space. Then thread a nut over the centre rod so that the crossbar still held everything in place without any grains escaping.
My target OG was 1.095 at 80% efficiency, which I admit was kind of over-the-top with this amount of grain. Ended up with 69% while the OG was 1.082, that's with a 120min boil. I was dumb enough to boil with the lid partly on during the first hour which obviously cost me a couple of points. Did stop the program and stirred the mash five times. My mash in volume was 27 litres and I sparged with 3, and got 17 litres of wort into the fermentor. Pitched on to a WLP001 yeast cake from a previous batch of a smaller porter and it took off almost immediately. Mashed at 147° F and I really hope for an 80% attenuation to get it up to about 9% alcohol. I mashed the previous porter at 154° F and it ended up way too sweet with the final gravity being 1.020.
Made a cardinal mistake yesterday when setting up the mash schedule. I some how got the maltose rest to zero minutes and the mash out (172 F) to 60 minutes and of course noticed my mistake when the temperature had already reached 172. The wort ended up in the toilet and I had to start all over again.
My target OG was 1.095 at 80% efficiency, which I admit was kind of over-the-top with this amount of grain. Ended up with 69% while the OG was 1.082, that's with a 120min boil. I was dumb enough to boil with the lid partly on during the first hour which obviously cost me a couple of points. Did stop the program and stirred the mash five times. My mash in volume was 27 litres and I sparged with 3, and got 17 litres of wort into the fermentor. Pitched on to a WLP001 yeast cake from a previous batch of a smaller porter and it took off almost immediately. Mashed at 147° F and I really hope for an 80% attenuation to get it up to about 9% alcohol. I mashed the previous porter at 154° F and it ended up way too sweet with the final gravity being 1.020.
Made a cardinal mistake yesterday when setting up the mash schedule. I some how got the maltose rest to zero minutes and the mash out (172 F) to 60 minutes and of course noticed my mistake when the temperature had already reached 172. The wort ended up in the toilet and I had to start all over again.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
I think 69% efficency with this system and a grain bill big as yours its actually great. I agree that covering the unit while boiling got you a few points down con OG. Im thinking about 5. Mashing without the lid on can be an option to get less wort at a higher OG some evaporation will occur while mashing. Congratulations for your results and keep us informed about how the beers turn out!
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
I noticed it was a lot quieter but it is hard to tell if there was more flow. I will try some higher gravity brews soon and note here and in the other thread on how it performs
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
my first speidel brew is now on tap! nicely spied witbier. very satisfying
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
dinnerstick said:
Congrats sure looks nice and I bet it tastes even better. I bottle condition (no kegs yet) and my first brews still need a couple o days more. Anyway I already try them: here is mi Aitana double IPA
Alchemy
Well-Known Member
My first pull from my first beer brewed on the braumeister, "Pedal Time" a alpine spring clone
