What are the hose-switching steps of a Brutus-10 brewday?

I have a question for you Brutus-10 users. Maybe Brutus-20 too, I don't really know the difference. I don't own a Brutus, I'm just trying to picture the actual operation with regard to plumbing configurations.

I see that there are two pumps on a Brutus-10. The outputs are hoses stuck through two lids. The lids are moved around to change the pumps' outputs. The inputs are connected to hoses terminated in QDs. The QD ends are moved around to change the pumps' inputs.

I am curious to know the "choreography" of a Brutus brew day in detail, including any setup and cleaning steps. Can someone run me through it? I think it is something like this (I'm skipping steps that don't have anything to do with reconfiguring the plumbing):

1. get mash-in water: Connect hose1 QD to municipal water supply, put lid1 on top of MT. Fill MT with water.
2. get sparge water: Connect hose2 QD to municipal water supply, put lid2 on top of HLT. Fill HLT with water.
3. RIMS: Connect hose1 QD to MT outlet, put lid1 on top of MT. Start recirculating.
4. sparge: Move lid1 to BK, move lid2 to MT. Sparge it.
5. boil: remove lid1 from BK. Boil it.
6. open chill: Connect hose2 QD to BK outlet, connect therminator input to pump2 out, connect lid2 QD to therminator output, put lid2 on BK, connect municipal water to Therminator chill in, connect Therminator chill out to drain. Chill it.
7. recirc chill: connect hose1 to HLT outlet, connect Therminator chill in to pump1 out, connect Therminator chill out to lid1, put lid1 on HLT. Chill it again.
8. cleaning steps: Need some help here.

Can anyone give me more detail?
Thanks!
Dave

It is almost better to get it straight from Lonnie himself. We all use his basic configuration but adapt it a bit for our needs

http://www.alenuts.com

For me, I do not switch ANY hoses except the HLT hoses when it becomes the chiller for the Thermonator.

http://www.alenuts.com/Alenuts/videos.html

Best part of the videos is when he ACTS like he is enjoying a LoneStar beer. Should have been in Hollywood, nobody can act that good.

I don't switch any hoses at all on my Brutus clone - all the way into the fermenter with no hose swaps - everything is accomplished by valves.

Like Simphoto says, you need to adapt the basic config to your own needs. You can get as simple or complicated as you'd like. Think more about the process you want to follow and that will dictate the hose/fluid movements you will need to make. From there you can think about extra valves, pumps, etc. to make the brew day process flow how you like.

JonW said:

I don't switch any hoses at all on my Brutus clone - all the way into the fermenter with no hose swaps - everything is accomplished by valves.

Like Simphoto says, you need to adapt the basic config to your own needs. You can get as simple or complicated as you'd like. Think more about the process you want to follow and that will dictate the hose/fluid movements you will need to make. From there you can think about extra valves, pumps, etc. to make the brew day process flow how you like.

Click to expand...

I've looked at the photos on alenuts, and I see QDs, not valves. Why do you call your system a Brutus clone if your plumbing is completely different?

wuertele said:

I've looked at the photos on alenuts, and I see QDs, not valves. Why do you call your system a Brutus clone if your plumbing is completely different?

Click to expand...

Watch the videos. There are two valves on both of the pumps and a valve on all of the kettles. Lonnie, like all of us, uses the valves on the pumps to regulate the fluid flow. There are 4 or 5 videos there that go through the entire brew day for Lonnie. Watch the videos then come on here and call us liars.

Sorry, I had a Bad day.

They are all plumbed basically the same. Like I said all have slight variances for each particular situation

It's the stand that makes it a clone, not your hoses and disconnects. I have a single tier, 3 burner stand like many others. I use pumps to move liquid back and forth between vessels and to fly sparge - it's not completely different.

I use QD's on all the hoses, but I also use valves to direct the liquid from one vessel to another or to start/stop the flow of liquid or to simply throttle the flow of liquid. Many of the stands you see in the alenuts photos do this as well. I just happen to use additional valves as diverters so that I can keep my plumbing connected and not shuffle hoses around.

A quick warning about the hose connections you have listed. You show hose 1 & 2 being connected to the municipal water supply. Be careful if you are using a valve to turn the flow on/off. Most of the high temp hoses we use for plumbing our rigs are not capable of running at the pressures created by your municipal water system. You will easily burst a hose if you leave it pressurized.

If you haven't done so already, you should use some type of drawing program (I use Visio) to outline your connections and the way things will flow. I've built two different stands and went through many iterations on both of them before coming up with my final setup (is it ever really final?).

These fellas got it all right. You will adapt to fit your needs. Watch my cheezy videos if you will. It will explain most of what you are looking for. I am working on a DVD I will post when I am done and go into much more detail, but that is a ways off.

Um, Lone Star. Actually it is a dang dang good standby!

Lonnie Mac said:

These fellas got it all right. You will adapt to fit your needs. Watch my cheezy videos if you will. It will explain most of what you are looking for. I am working on a DVD I will post when I am done and go into much more detail, but that is a ways off.

Um, Lone Star. Actually it is a dang dang good standby!

Click to expand...

Hey, Quick, Somebody call the police!!!! Someone is using Lonnie's login and HBT.com account.

Lone Star GOOD!?!?!?!?!?