What are the options you like or wish you had on your brew stand and why?

Let me start this thread by quoting one of my buddies. "Don't bother! Just buy your beer. You can't make it as good as breweries can." Being the engineer/Marine that I am, the challenge has been taken.

The purpose of this thread is get input on the best options you have tested on your beer systems and the changes you have made, and most importantly why you did it.

My focus is not on producing just good beer. I am interested in controlling variables that let me consistently and reasonable control my process and experiment with styles I want to make.

I have an overall system cost limit of $3K. I know that anything can be done with enough time, money, and/or sweat equity. And, I am going to build most of it myself.

Some topics to consider... (please add anything else you think important)

Construction Materials
wood, stainless, soft steel, erector set. pieced together
Heat delivery systems
HERMS, RIMS, direct fired
Different Control Systems
Brewtroller, Love controls, hand monitored
Sensors
BarBQ sensors, commercial sensors, hand held thermometers
Brew Pot designs
Fuel Type or Electric
Etc... (please add as you see fit)

In return I will read any posts you refer me to and try to work out logically with anyone willing to discuss what I will use and why or why not. I plan to make my brew system an ongoing project.

I am not asking to be spoon fed your expertise earned through experience. I am trying to shortcut the time to get a good system up and running though.

Thanks for any input you have time to give and I hope this can serve as a resource for others. I couldn't find anything like it in the threads.

Happy Brewing!

I am an engineer by trade with a Marine's stubbornness.

I would check out the DIY threads. There are lots of build threads that discuss problems that have come up, and their fixes.

This is my personal system:

-2" square steel stand
-HERMS w/50' copper heat exchanger in HLT (also doubles as chiller)
-All converted Sanke Kegs as kettles
-Auber SYL-2362 PID's to control HLT & Mash temps
-BG14 banjo burners converted to run on low pressure propane
-Honeywell VR8200A2132 Solenoid Valves to regulate HLT & Mash burners (each uses a Honeywell Q314A4586 Pilot)
-Dial thermometers in the HLT & Mash to monitor temps against PIDs
-2 Chugger Pumps with SS heads
-Cam-lock quick connects on all my hoses

Now...I love my system. But, there's obviously a few things I'd like to change. They're all minor, and don't effect the system fuctionality...but I think everyone has these issues when they finally run their rig for the first time.

First, I would have built it out of stainless if I had the money. My steel frame needed to be painted, and the paint just looked horrible after the first few runs. Powdercoating may have been a better option rather than the 1200* Rustoleum rattle cans...

Second, I would like to have a bit more control over repeatability. While I can nail my temps to within a degree for the mash...boil times and cooling always seems to be effected by the weather around me. I don't know how this would be overcome, but it's always in the back of my head.

Also on repeatability...I like the way brewtroller logs your brews. I'd like something like the Sabco Brew Magic system that stores all the data from your brew session and you can go back to it later to repeat the same beer. Doing this, though, I would be giving up the "hands on" portion of brewing that I love so much.

I know it is not specifically what you are looking for, but...

Do you have a way to controll fermentation temps? Are you currently making starters? If you are not doing those two things I would focus on.

Regardless of the system being used (single, double, tripple tier; HERMS/RIMS; keggles/pots; propane/electric/NG; etc.) probably the most overlooked items to making consistantly good beer are temp & yeast.

Once I have the first two items in place, then I would probably work on things like ease of cleaning and "repeatability". The more you use a system, the easier it will be to get consistant results. There are people on this board that can always hit their mash temps using a pot of water on a simple burner & converted cooler because they took good notes with each batch and have learned their equipment.

I hate cleaning, so making the hoses, pumps, and kettles easy to clean would be something that I would also focus on.

KurtB said:

Do you have a way to controll fermentation temps? Are you currently making starters? If you are not doing those two things I would focus on.

I would probably work on things like ease of cleaning and "repeatability". The more you use a system, the easier it will be to get consistant results. There are people on this board that can always hit their mash temps using a pot of water on a simple burner & converted cooler because they took good notes with each batch and have learned their equipment.

I hate cleaning, so making the hoses, pumps, and kettles easy to clean would be something that I would also focus on.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I do use starters by way of stir plate, dme, and temp control at planned fermentation temps. I also have a temp controlled water bath for fermentation temp control, + or - a degree.

Also, I am very interested in easier cleaning. My experience does not extend beyond single infusion mashes which I probably will not do until I get temp control on my system.

If possible I would like to start in the right direction while learning my system.

I think having control of temps via PID, sanitation, fermentation temp control, and detailed notes on every move you make...makes repeatability very probable.

stainless.

The hardest part is designing, buying steel, cutting steel, welding steel, doing it right without ruining too much/any steel.

Make it stainless so you only have to do it once. ever. it'll out last you.

Suthrncomfrt1884 said:

I would check out the DIY threads. There are lots of build threads that discuss problems that have come up, and their fixes.

This is my personal system:

-HERMS w/50' copper heat exchanger in HLT (also doubles as chiller)
-Auber SYL-2362 PID's to control HLT & Mash temps
-BG14 banjo burners converted to run on low pressure propane
-Honeywell VR8200A2132 Solenoid Valves to regulate HLT & Mash burners (each uses a Honeywell Q314A4586 Pilot)
-Dial thermometers in the HLT & Mash to monitor temps against PIDs
-2 Chugger Pumps with SS heads
-Cam-lock quick connects on all my hoses

First, I would have built it out of stainless if I had the money.

Second, I would like to have a bit more control over repeatability. While I can nail my temps to within a degree for the mash...boil times and cooling always seems to be effected by the weather around me. I don't know how this would be overcome, but it's always in the back of my head.

Also on repeatability...I like the way brewtroller logs your brews. I'd like something like the Sabco Brew Magic system that stores all the data from your brew session and you can go back to it later to repeat the same beer.

Click to expand...

Suthrncomfrt1884,
Thanks for sharing. Your system looks very impressive.

Stainless is the way I am going to go.
The Auber controllers, I have read enough on to understand the choice.
I really like the dual check on the temp for the mash and HLT.
I do use camlocks now with silicone tubing and really like them. They are also easy to clean on a 140F pump loop of PBW solution at the end of the brewday!

In your opinon, why Herms? I have read the posts. Why did you choose Herms and how do you like it?

strat_thru_marshall said:

Make it stainless so you only have to do it once. ever. it'll out last you.

Click to expand...

I am hoping it will outlast me so my son can take it and make beer for me when I can't anymore!

tre9er said:

I think having control of temps via PID, sanitation, fermentation temp control, and detailed notes on every move you make...makes repeatability very probable.

Click to expand...

Using what you mentioned, how satisfied are you with your ability to repeat the quality of your beer or make what you want.

I miss my targets occasionally, but still like what I make. Most times I can narrow it down to something I did or didn't do. I am hoping to have less to monitor and think about while drinking beer and making better beer. PIDs seem like the way to go.

BrewHobby1 said:

In your opinon, why Herms? I have read the posts. Why did you choose Herms and how do you like it?

Click to expand...

I chose a HERMS rig because I don't like the idea of direct firing the mash. Scorching was a big concern of mine even though plenty of people report no scorching because of recirculation. I just didn't trust it.

I also think that a HERMS setup is a bit more efficient. It takes me about 10 minutes to raise my temps from 154ish to sparge temps because instead of heating an entire 15 gallon kettle, I'm heating a small amount at once by recirculating it through my coil.

I would love to switch to an all electric brewery, but I don't feel like setting up my garage to run 220.

i'm on a single tier, angle iron and angle stainless.

regret list:

• not 100% stainless
• angle vs tube 3" wheels to small
• only a 12" gap in the top section of the frame (i recently bought a 12.5" long plate chiller)
• no gap between keggle and heat shield - needs a small gap to let exhaust out otherwise it curls downward.
• analog thermometers on keggles (gives +/- 10 degrees but at least give ballpark from a distance)
• mill that isn't geared (tho not part of the stand)

Things i got right:

• tippy addition
• 70" wide frame (so multiple ppl can work on it)
• 1/4" copper propane plumbing for 2 banjo burners
• sight glasses for HLT, BK
• bottom drain MLT
• thermapen
• heat shields for valves
• 2" burner / keggle gap
• use of kegs for pots
• stainless cam-locks all around
• DIY false bottoms for MLT, BK
• air bleed on pumps
• kegging final product, perlick taps

Things in progress (jury still out but decisions look good)

• hop back with camlock attachment
• 3 pumps
• stainless hop spider

toss up

• CFC vs PC

outside92129 said:

i'm on a single tier, angle iron and angle stainless.

regret list:

• not 100% stainless
• angle vs tube 3" wheels to small
• only a 12" gap in the top section of the frame (i recently bought a 12.5" long plate chiller)
• no gap between keggle and heat shield - needs a small gap to let exhaust out otherwise it curls downward.
• analog thermometers on keggles (gives +/- 10 degrees but at least give ballpark from a distance)
• mill that isn't geared (tho not part of the stand)

Things i got right:

• tippy addition
• 70" wide frame (so multiple ppl can work on it)
• 1/4" copper propane plumbing for 2 banjo burners
• sight glasses for HLT, BK
• bottom drain MLT
• thermapen
• heat shields for valves
• 2" burner / keggle gap
• use of kegs for pots
• stainless cam-locks all around
• DIY false bottoms for MLT, BK
• air bleed on pumps
• kegging final product, perlick taps

Things in progress (jury still out but decisions look good)

• hop back with camlock attachment
• 3 pumps
• stainless hop spider

toss up

• CFC vs PC

Click to expand...

Outside, thanks for sharing!

On your tippy, did you use the hinged square frame sized to the keg and bolted like Bobby M's or did you go belt around the keggle? And... did you do it on all kegs or just the MLT and BK?

Bottom drain on the MLT? I read up on it. Seems like a pretty neat method. Are you using HERMS or RIMS to heat the MLT with the bottom drain and why the choice?

Air bleed on pumps? Are you bottom feeding the pumps and then using a T with an additional valve to bleed air?

air bleeds - i'm using Watts FV-4, i got 4 of them for $9 on ebay. I would have preferred the Watts DuoVent with the manual vent but i couldn't pass up that deal. They work decently, they cut down air locks significantly, but every few batches i'll still get one. I haven't had the time to troubleshoot it, they could be sticking on the insides w/ wort...?? They're plumbed into the system with a T on the output of a pump, aligned vertically.

Here's my rig, you can see the tippy and the bottom drain assembled. I saw some other designs and took bits from them and came up with this design. Works like a charm- slide a bag over the MLT and tip it over, done!
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ezstor-single-tier-290296/
You can see the 3" wheels that work but could be bigger. Also note the angle iron (painted black), it's cheap as all heck but harder to get square and to clean than tubing. Also in there is the 50' CFC, also works amazingly well and fast, but it's big, sucks water, and was getting singed by the burners.

You generally only need a tippy on the MLT. It's the only keggle filled with many many pounds of spend grain (my buddies and I usually max it out with 40+ lbs for each batch), the BK only has a little bit of trub and leaf hops at the bottom so it's easier to pick up to hose off.

The bottom drain contraption i made:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/bottom-drain-questions-265766/index2.html

You can't do RIMS with this bottom drain design (unless you go steam jacket) but phase 3 of this stand is to add HERMS. The hardware is all here and there's plenty of room, i just have to find time between work, diaper changing, and volunteer work. But i have 10 days to mount the pumps, PC, and reroute propane plumbing for an upcoming brew day! Isn't this just the greatest way to waste time?