My Brew Setup - Suggestions please!

Keggle

More pics

So jealous....

What's the ventilation setup? I can't tell from the pictures. That's my current biggest annoyance. Dripping condensation from my stovetop vent hood. If I don't wipe down the hood every 5-10 minutes, it will drip back into the brew pot.

I wouldn't want to use propane indoors without some major ventilation, like a vent hood for a grill in a restaurant.

There is a big ventilation fan above the setup. There is also one on the back garage door that gets all the fumes out. I have only brewed on it once so far and the fumes haven't been an issue at all.

Pictures of ventilation?
How much propane did you use for what size batch? What made you choose propane over electric?

I'll try and take pics tonight of the ventilation. The only reason I chose propane over electric was that I already had the burners, tanks, hoses for propane. I was easier. I would like to go to electric at some point because I think it would be easier to control temp.

Unfortunately carbon monoxide is undetectable unless you have a meter. If this is inside, invest in one of those and be sure you are venting enough. We don't need homebrewers dropping left and right due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Tie the ends of the MLT tubes together to form somewhat of an ellipse.
Heat shield the MLT from the BK flames... OR - add another support so the MLT can be slid to the left. (This is in the event you will not be simply removing the MLT prior to firing off the BK burner.)

I have an indoor propane setup and use these for ventilation:

http://www.hydrofarm.com/product.php?itemid=8092

Need to provide fresh air in and exhaust out and the must go to the exterior to be effective.

You need to get a good high quality CO and Explosive gas detector. They do make them as a single unit. I use this one:

http://www.professionalequipment.com/first-alert-combination-explosive-gas-carbon-monoxide-co-detector-gco1cn/stationary-detectors/?cid=PESEPLA&epc=PESEPLA&source=PESEPLA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=156669&ef_id=UVBaJQAAAChaVl2u:20130325152726:s

You also need a fire extinguisher like this one:

http://www.staples.com/ProLine-Multi-Purpose-Dry-Chemical-Fire-Extinguishers/product_SS1063826

Make it a habit to store tanks outside when not in use and never leave the burners when they are lit (not even to go to the bathroom). Check all of your connectors for leaks prior to each use.

You have a nice setup and what appears to be a great space.

Good Luck and Hoppy Brewing!

Ventilation! We will be getting a carbon monoxide detector before we brew our next batch. Thanks for the help

Sloped floor with drains.
Chest freezer for fermenting. Johnson thermostat controller is on the way!

Brew Room!

Floor drain and no windows? That's a straight up kill room...

Ditch the igloo and go straight RIMS or HERMS. Stainless and copper all the way, or none.

Is your brew stand made out of EMT (electrical conduit) ?

SleepyCreekBrews said:

Is your brew stand made out of EMT (electrical conduit) ?

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Yes. We were going to make it out of angle iron until we saw the price! Eventually we are going to go to a single tier system with pumps so this was a way to save a lot of money for something we will change later.

luhrks said:

Ditch the igloo and go straight RIMS or HERMS. Stainless and copper all the way, or none.

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HERMS is what I want to go to. Can't afford all the materials right now though!

Dingobitme said:

Floor drain and no windows? That's a straight up kill room...

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Ha! Haven't heard it called that yet. It used to be a warehouse that made BBQ sauce.

BLGolfer72 said:

Yes. We were going to make it out of angle iron until we saw the price! Eventually we are going to go to a single tier system with pumps so this was a way to save a lot of money for something we will change later.

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Remember - Boiling wort burning your skin off cost's A LOT more than angle iron...

I would suggest you load the brew stand with full capacity and then add a lot of extra weight to it. Give it some bumps, shakes, pushes... etc. Do all this with cold water and stay clear of any potential falling kegs. Conduit IS NOT structural rated. A full keg weighs upwards of 160-170 pounds. While I'm brewing, I start off with 2 of them completely full. plust the weight of the MLT and the grain bill. I would load your stand with NO LESS than 600 pounds total and then put it through the test of bumping, shaking, etc. Better to do it with cold water...

How many cubic feet per minute is that exhaust fan rated for?it looks a little wimpy