DC Area Group Buy #8

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peter78: Just opened your pils after a loooong day watching flag football out in the heat. Wow! You brewed a fine beer! Love the hint of sweetness in the middle. Nicely done sir!
 
Mike, you're automatically acknowledged. You are the North-West extension of the group, and always schlepping more than just your own. Now with building your new rig you'll need more grain. What size are you looking at, 1 bbl?

Tony and I have some ideas that will benefit all of us, but nothing drastic. Of course we're open to suggestions and input. PBW is easy, DME is a pain, and you know all about rice hulls. :D

It's not the price of the hulls, it's the huge brick sitting in the corner getting stale. I paid $1.50 a pound last time at Annapolis HB, which by the way has a huge selection of grain in stock. Over a 100 varieties and almost complete lines of Briess and Weyermann.

PS: I think you left some lawn bags on the table at 3 Stars.

I will still be doing 10-12 gallon batches. Just building the new system as a direct-fired HERMS. I got a 1/2" x 50' coil that is getting installed in my HLT for heating strike/spare water and for regulating mash temps while doing recirculation mashes. I should also be able to do step mashes without having to heat the MT directly.

Also, I upgraded other components of my system:

I got the B3-36A 30 plate chiller from DudaDiesel. I had the B3-23A 30 plate version before (12" long) The new one is 19" long. The longer the plate chiller the more efficient and greater temp drop without restricting flow too much.

I also changed from a Jaybird-style FB to a PICO-style FB. I have read that the PICO FBs set up grain beds better for recirculation and less channeling, since the slots/holes cover only about 35% of the FB instead of 50% like the Jaybird. The dip tube is also below the FB, so you don't have to worry about grain sucking down near it and getting sucked up and getting into the pump or causing a stuck mash.

Last, but not least I am insulating my MT with reflectix and a cotton-based (made of recycled denim) insulation. Since I won't be direct-firing the MT, the insulation will help keep mash temps optimal and will help keep me from having to keep the HLT heated all the time. More heat retained means lower propane requirements.
 
Yes thanks and now I need to buy a mill

[...] Monster mill II does it for me with the accessory base plate and hopper.

When I looked for a mill I did the research including reading bitching threads. I decided the Monster Mill MM2 (1.5" rollers) was the best performer for the price. I bought it with baseboard and standard hopper (no extension, I really can pour grains twice). The MDF baseboard works, but is a bit flimsy, so if you're handy, you probably want to replace it eventually with a homemade plywood one. The hopper is great, and I doubt a homemade version is worth the trouble, unless you're very good at it.

Buy it with the 1/2" shaft upgrade from the get go, since you'll want/need a <$50 Harbor Freight Low Speed drill to drive it. The one with the yellow speed control wheel!

Spare money to burn? Get the 2" roller version of the same. I think that's pretty ultimate for 2-roller models.
 
I have a MM-3 with the 1.5" rollers. Mine has the 3/8" drive and never had a single issue with it. I use an old corded Black & Decker drill for it. I run it at the lowest possible speed it will turn at.

Love the thing!
 
peter78: Just opened your pils after a loooong day watching flag football out in the heat. Wow! You brewed a fine beer! Love the hint of sweetness in the middle. Nicely done sir!


Happy to hear that. Always appreciate feedback on my beers. Thanks for running the group buy.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Thanks to everyone involved. This was my first buy and was sad not to be able to hang out since I was in a rush to make it out to Winchester for Hop Blossom. Sorry for being that guy. So it is okay to bring beers? I will try to remember and at least bring some bags. Later in the day on Saturday I took 1st place for my English Mild (hop blossom comp, Orfy's recipe and only my 4th brew) so hopefully I can bring the next batch or something else enjoyable.
 
Thanks to everyone involved. This was my first buy and was sad not to be able to hang out since I was in a rush to make it out to Winchester for Hop Blossom. Sorry for being that guy. So it is okay to bring beers? I will try to remember and at least bring some bags. Later in the day on Saturday I took 1st place for my English Mild (hop blossom comp, Orfy's recipe and only my 4th brew) so hopefully I can bring the next batch or something else enjoyable.

Mark, I don't think that message was meant for you or anyone else in particular. It was more of a generalization of what is expected from participants. We all will have times we can't stay or come early to help out. That's life.

I actually stayed till the end and longer than originally intended, and although we missed the first hour and a half of the Guild's picnic, there was no shortage of beer or food, and I was still in time to enter my Belgian Wit. And glad I did, like yours, it also took first place! :ban: :ban: :ban:

Congrats on winning! Maybe we can have some beer tastings or swaps during our next pick up event. I don't think we stand alone in being interested in tasting each others' beer creations. I always look forward to our next brew club meeting (CRABS).

We had some excellent samples (Heady Topper clone and a nice Cider!) and it definitely added a club meeting flair to our split party. Besides, the rice hull wranglers really needed it.
 
It was fun hanging out on Saturday. My wife also enjoyed it and thought everybody was very nice. The kids had a great time! We got to buy some swag but wished we could have sampled some more beers...

Anyway, during my helping split the rice hulls I might have dropped my shades into one of the bags. So if anyone finds them please let me know! They're a pair of Ray Ban's. Thanks and see y'all next time! :mug:
 
It was fun hanging out on Saturday. My wife also enjoyed it and thought everybody was very nice. The kids had a great time! We got to buy some swag but wished we could have sampled some more beers...

Anyway, during my helping split the rice hulls I might have dropped my shades into one of the bags. So if anyone finds them please let me know! They're a pair of Ray Ban's. Thanks and see y'all next time! :mug:

Yeah it was fun, wishing we had more time to hang out. Enjoyed seeing you, your wife and the kids.

Damn, I hoped you'd found them already. Good point on the rice hull sacks.
I just emptied out my rice hulls into another bag, your shades aren't in mine. :(

Someday I'll tell you what I did to my wedding ring... and where I found it after walking behind a metal detector for 3 days.

Everyone who got rice hulls, please, please, check for Sven's shades!
You got to pour or scoop it into another container or they'll stay hidden.

.
 
Yeah it was fun, wishing we had more time to hang out. Enjoyed seeing you, your wife and the kids.

Damn, I hoped you'd found them already. Good point on the rice hull sacks.
I just emptied out my rice hulls into another bag, your shades aren't in mine. :(

Someday I'll tell you what I did to my wedding ring... and where I found it after walking behind a metal detector for 3 days.

Everyone who got rice hulls, please, please, check for Sven's shades!
You got to pour or scoop it into another container or they'll stay hidden.

.

I only took home the unopened bale of rice hulls, so they are not in my bag. I was the one actually filling all of the lawn sacks with hulls and did not see anything fall in, but that doesn't mean it couldn't have happened... Hope you find them!
 
FYI, I brewed the Gratzer, so hopefully i can bring samples of it next time (unless i drink it all). 10lbs of wheat with no rice hulls, and it didnt stick one bit!
 
FYI, I brewed the Gratzer, so hopefully i can bring samples of it next time (unless i drink it all). 10lbs of wheat with no rice hulls, and it didnt stick one bit!

Did you do a protein rest or did you just do a single infusion?

Also, I just took the written exam. Oh my god does time fly. Poor time management to say the least. I was very well prepared, but tried to give too much detail on the recipe and style questions which I had to pay for on the others.
 
Did you do a protein rest or did you just do a single infusion?

Also, I just took the written exam. Oh my god does time fly. Poor time management to say the least. I was very well prepared, but tried to give too much detail on the recipe and style questions which I had to pay for on the others.

single infusion batch sparge, no rest. sufficiently modified grain does not require rest.
 
A mock-up of a single-tier for HERMS.

Have a few other designs that I am leaning toward, which would use less material (weigh less).

1402536302596.jpg
 
Here is another mock-up, which is what mine will be built like.

Note the openings on one side for gas venting. It will be reinforced from the bottom with vertical supports.

1402665606791.jpg
 
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