BrewTroller for direct fired decoction 2-vessel system

Hi there,
we're planning to build a commercial microbrewery here in the Czech Republic, Europe. One thing we realized is we don't really want to spend all day brewing beer (because currently our homebrewing double decoction brew process takes about 9 hours) so we're thinking of buying BrewTroller hardware to create a one-touch brewery.

We've also looked at the BCS-460, I personally like it more for it's simplicity but since it doesn't support volume monitoring, it's a no-go.

Our system will be a classical 2 vessel system (probably 200-300 liters, 50-80 gallons), direct heated using two natural gas burners. One of the vessels will feature a false bottom for lautering and some hops filtration system. There will be some plate chiller to chill the finished beer. We want to automatize everything after we put the grains in. The lautering and chilling process could be manual. We will be brewing primarily lagers (it's a bit hard to sell an ale to an average beer drinker) so the decoction mashing is a must have.

The BrewTroller documentation mostly features only RIMS or HERMS setups which may be too complicated and expensive with combination of the decoction mashing need. So my question is: How hard is to modify the settings to make the BrewTroller control a classical 2-vessel system?

Thanks for your answers and cheers!

First good luck in your pro venture.
First I suggest you go as large as you can at first; brewing is alot of work do what you can to reduce it. Second I would avoid a 2 vessel system unless you have hot water on demand. A traditional fly sparge is really going to better more efficient and it will pay for itself in the long run. Remember in the pro world efficiency is profit.
As I suspect you will spend quite a bit more setting up a decoction system than herms or rims at the 1bbl or so scale. To do a decoction you need the hardware to transfer the grist to a kettle and back, I suspect a pump to do so will not be cost effective. You also I need a mash rake in the mash tun and drag chains in the decoction kettle. As far as setting up the brewtroller you will need to setup your pump and other equipment to relays and use valve profiles to set when they turn on.
I would not discount infusion or steam jacketed vessels. They are the most common over on this side of the pond, and there are great lagers made here. I brew a a light lager on a 10bbl single infusion system and it is my best seller. Step mashing is far less important with quality malt.
Best of luck to you in your endeavor

Thank you for your reply!
First, we wanted to build a bigger brewery (say 1000l -- 8.5 bbl) but the needed money won't be available until 2013. The local craft brewery market is filling up quickly so we need to start as soon as possible -- even if that means building a small brewery and expanding later. The current funding and available space limits us to about 300 liters (75 gal) as an absolute maximum.

Sure, the efficiency is the key (we're constantly over 80 % with our current homebrewing 100l/26 gal) setup. At first, I was thinking the infusion mashing of a lager is not a big deal. It's really not that different but the problem is with the market here. Every brewery (even the biggest ones like Pilsner Urquell or Budweiser Budvar) have a two vessel system and do at least double decoction mashing. It's really traditional process estabilished basically as a requirement if you want to build a brewery and just the fact we'll be infusion mashing may (and probably will) bring negative publicity. But just to be sure, I will brew two identical batches, one using double decoction and the second one using step infusion and perfrom a blind tasting test.

There is also a nice whitepaper written by guys from the Pilsner Urquell lab comparing the mashing methods effect on a pale lager.

Its happening all over the world, the micro/home brewery is popping up everywhere. This means that the smart engineering firm would start building small scale micro brewing equipment. why are we still stuck at 25L. I'm from south Africa, and I currently have the business plan, and possible investors for a brewery. As I see it, the smallest economically viable, self sustaining brewery is 1000L per week. - 5000L p/m...right or wrong?

So with all the experts on this forum, what would be the best brewing system with the least possible innitial cost? Wether your market is focused on tap or bottled products. Gas or electricity, manual bottling systems, and semi-manual kegging systems...hot liquor, mashtun, boiler, chillers, fermenter, all piping, all valves...(optional - bottler, kegger, labeller)
Can anyone give me a ballpark figure estimate, and/or international distributors.