Cooler and Stove from Home Hardware (Canadian)

I went to my first All Grain Brew last weekend and could not resist picking up some equipment when I was in Home Hardware today;


The 10 Gallon Rubber Cooler went for $66.99
The 65 000 BTU Stove went for $69.99


Cant wait to try them out sometime soon

Cheers
BeerCanuck

I like that cooler. I'll have to check them out.

Just completed the FlyGuy mash tun and keggle;

I also bought 50' of 3/8 copper tubing...for a immersion or counter flow chiller.
The weld of the 1/2 inch nipple along with ball lock turned out well;

I think BoobyM suggested using stainless washers to reuse the keggle lid;


Getting set for my first All Grain

Just wondering with my setup which chiller would make more sense cf vs ic?
(not sure if a pump is in the budget for awhile)

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Immersion chillers work pretty darn well. CFC seems like the higher tech approach, with associated increase in cost.

You don't need a pump for your CFC (I don't use one with mine and I don't even have a spigot on my kettle). That's a pretty nice looking burner, is that a chain-wide price or just for your local store? I've been thinking about picking another one up since I'm getting into decoction mashes and I can't heat my sparge water at the same time.

Hi Brad
You don't have a spigot on your boil kettle and you use a counterflow chiller?...(you must be a siphon master...i like the idea of going spigotless

The stove should be available at Home Hardware (should be chain wide) ...holds a minimum 12" maximum 16" kettle and made in Canada

Cheers
BeerCanuck

just checked your gallery Brad;

Thats brilliant racking arm/built in stir paddle/volume checker.

Do you have a pick of that connected to your counterflow chiller?

Cheers
BeerCanuck

BeerCanuck said:

...Do you have a pick of that connected to your counterflow chiller?

Click to expand...

One of those in my gallery too. I will have to pop by my local homehardware today and see if they have them, that's a nice looking burner.

That copper racking arm for the boil kettle has me really intrigued..Brad.
I took a look at your kitchen setup and was wondering how you prime the racking arm without a pump? Are you using FlyGuy's $3 siphon method?

Cheers
BeerCanuck

I PM'd my method but I figured I'd post it here for anyone else who wanted to know.

I attach a short piece of sanitized tubing to the exit of my chiller. I then suck on that piece briefly until I see wort enter the clear tube and then into the top of the chiller. Then I remove the short piece of tubing from the exit. I drain 25L in about 16-17 minutes.

FlyGuy's method would also work great if you needed to keep the tubing attached to the end of the chiller. I like to let mine free-fall through a strainer to assist in aeration (I also use an aquarium pump w/ filter and stone afterwards).

Just wondering if you splurged on the stove Brad..tried mine out last weekend and it sure seemed to pump out the BTU's.

I made another trip to Home Hardware myself;


I got the 1/2" copper tee and 3' of copper pipe for the copper racking siphon, the 1/2 stainless pluggs for my keggle and stainless clamps for my MLT...got like the -all stainless- description posted on the bins...confirmed by crusty hardware dude....89 cents a piece

Just wondering what type of barb your using on the copper pickup tube to connect the hose?

Cheers
BeerCanuck

I didn't get a chance to get to home hardware this weekend unfortunately (didn't have time to brew either). I may go tomorrow at lunch and see if they have them.

I've actually made sort of an 'integrated' hose system for my brewery. I used copper unions (I get them free from my brother the plumber) and I've setup my gear and hoses so they're all interchangeable.

For example the cold water inlet on my CFC takes the hose from the tap, but so does the wort inlet for the CFC. So after chilling I can switch the hookup and flush the CFC with hot and then cold water. Likewise the hose from my MLT into the kettle also goes from the kettle dip tube to the CFC wort inlet.

Someday I'd like to get some sort of quick disconnect system setup but those are pretty pricey so I'm not in a hurry - I can live with having to 2 wrenches around on brew day.

bradsul said:

I've actually made sort of an 'integrated' hose system for my brewery. I used copper unions (I get them free from my brother the plumber) and I've setup my gear and hoses so they're all interchangeable.

For example the cold water inlet on my CFC takes the hose from the tap, but so does the wort inlet for the CFC. So after chilling I can switch the hookup and flush the CFC with hot and then cold water. Likewise the hose from my MLT into the kettle also goes from the kettle dip tube to the CFC wort inlet.

Click to expand...

Mind posting a closeup pic...you might want to make create a new thread...Im sure this concept will remove allot of hurdles to a new AG brewer that appreciates the kiss principal.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Just looked up a union fitting on wikipedia (never heard of that type of fitting before)

Just wondering about the high temperature hose you are connecting to the copper racking arm....I know that some supply lines have 1/2 connection's built in or it be cheaper to fabricate?

Gotta Brew
BeerCanuck

I'm using the braided dishwasher supply line, available at any of the major building suppliers. I made the hose ends myself out of hose barbs and one half of the union fitting. I used as short a piece of copper as was required just to join them together (usually 1.25"). I will take some pictures tonight and post them.

BeerCanuck said:

Just completed the FlyGuy mash tun and keggle;

I also bought 50' of 3/8 copper tubing...for a immersion or counter flow chiller.
The weld of the 1/2 inch nipple along with ball lock turned out well;

I think BoobyM suggested using stainless washers to reuse the keggle lid;

Getting set for my first All Grain

Just wondering with my setup which chiller would make more sense cf vs ic?
(not sure if a pump is in the budget for awhile)

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Click to expand...

Where did you get the ss fitting for the keggle? I look at my local plumbing store, they had no ss just brass or copper.
BTW I search all the store except HH for a 10 gallon cooler and found nothing. Of course they would have them at the only place I didn`t go. I ended up buying a 70 quart extreme cooler for 49$ at walmart but would`ve like to have a round cooler if I decide to fly sparge in the futur.

bandit77 said:

Where did you get the ss fitting for the keggle? I look at my local plumbing store, they had no ss just brass or copper.
BTW I search all the store except HH for a 10 gallon cooler and found nothing. Of course they would have them at the only place I didn`t go. I ended up buying a 70 quart extreme cooler for 49$ at walmart but would`ve like to have a round cooler if I decide to fly sparge in the futur.

Click to expand...

The Stainless Steel fitting I got at HH as well. The one I go too is kind of out in the sticks. The square coolers is a better bargain.

I saw a thread of someone using a similar tun that converted a plastic plate into a false bottom. Twelve inch microwave safe plastic plate with some holes drilled in should work you would think.


Cheers
BeerCanuck

I was thinking it is possible to use a square cooler for fly sparge. I`ll look into it. I going to HH tomorrow to check what they have.

Thanks

Later

bandit77 said:

I was thinking it is possible to use a square cooler for fly sparge. I`ll look into it. I going to HH tomorrow to check what they have.

Click to expand...

Yup most definitely, it's what I use. Take a look at my reply in this thread to see how my system is setup.

Here is my hose fittings system. It's pretty simple as I said, every hose in my system has the side of the union with the nut and everything else gets the threaded side. I used threaded barbed fittings in case I wanted to go up to 1/2" hose instead of the 3/8" I'm using now but if you don't intend to change your hose ID you could get the kind without the threads and save one fitting on each hose end.

(don't mind the colour of that hose, it's due for replacing this weekend)

Thanks for posting the pic Brad
I'm no plumber...might need to check out Home Hardware again this weekend
I definitely like a standardized 1/2 or 3/8 threaded fitting.
What I was thinking is something already predone - stainless steel braid left over from mash tun;


I like the copper racking arm/level indicator/stir paddle for its functionality and simplicity.
Having installed the 1/2" stainless spigot on my keggle already I might as well fabricate a pickup tube (1/2" female threaded compression fitting that can hold 3/8 copper tubing). A 25' counterflow chiller using the 3/8 copper tubing with 1/2 threaded connects. If counterflow chiller allows to be connected directly to keggle spiggot...maybe i don't even need no stinking hose

Almost Friday
Cheers
BeerCanuck

BeerCanuck said:

...If counterflow chiller allows to be connected directly to keggle spiggot...maybe i don't even need no stinking hose...

Click to expand...

I think you'll still want a length of hose, I doubt you'll get as much head pressure as you will want with it directly coupled. You could do a test and see though.

Well I had some time to finish up a counterflow chiller using Bobby_M DIY Design;



I decided to coil it into a 5 gallon bucket for easy carrying;


Cant wait to put it all to use

Cheers
BeerCanuck

A friend of mine that was doing all grain session and wanted to use my counter flow chiller. I ended up taking my keggle as well. The chiller worked gang busters. It brought the wort down from boiling to 70F with little water pressure.

My friend was using hop pellets so I put together the hop bag. The pickup tube for the keggle I saw someone post from this site. It is a 1/2 prebent copper end piece with a 5/8 compression to 1/2 male threaded brass fitting;



I also pulled the trigger on the 7lb barley crusher today.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Damm damm damm damm! The local home hardwear store in cold lake said that they dont carry those 10 gal coolers. So I bought a square cooler instead! The out door stove looks like a good deal.

Wing nut

I`ve gone to two of local Home Hardware and no luck on ss fitting. Just wouldering if anybody know of a good site I can order from?

Hi Wing Nut..the square cooler would be a more economical way to go. The Home Hardware I deal with will order the parts if required.

bandit77..you might want to go with brass fittings they are usually 1/3 the price in comparison to stainless.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

When I got home today there was a note from the postal office that a package was waiting for me ;


The Jobmate 18 Volt drill 2 battery drill was rated good in the Canadian Tire forums for my purposes.

Just got to get my order of Grain and hops in

Cheers
BeerCanuck

hey BeerCanuk
How Is that new burner working out? I have the same model but older...12 years older I got it from my dad last week. So I did a test to see how long it would take to boil 12 gal. My regulator is adjustable, so I put everything to max...had a nice flame...it toke 90 min before start of a rolling boil. The regulator on it is adjustable from 1 to 5 psi so I`m thinking of putting a 15 or 20 psi on and see what happens. If I don`t reply then you know what happen....LOL.

hay bandit77
I have been pretty happy with the stove so far. I hear you on the time it takes to get a rolling boil with bigger volumes. The wort coming from the mash tun is usually above 150F so bringing it up to 212F in a boil keggle shouldn't take to long.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

bandit77 said:

I`ve gone to two of local Home Hardware and no luck on ss fitting. Just wouldering if anybody know of a good site I can order from?

Click to expand...

Not the best website but they have EVERYTHING you could ever want http://www.mcmaster.com/

BeerCanuck said:

hay bandit77
I have been pretty happy with the stove so far. I hear you on the time it takes to get a rolling boil with bigger volumes. The wort coming from the mash tun is usually above 150F so bringing it up to 212F in a boil keggle shouldn't take to long.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Click to expand...

That`s is why I used hot tap water to get close to mash temp and still 90 min before rolling boil. I tryed to increase the propane with the regulater I have and seem to blow out the burner. So I`m guessing the burner is only capable of handling 5 psi.

RC0032 said:

Not the best website but they have EVERYTHING you could ever want http://www.mcmaster.com/

Click to expand...

Thanks for the help

Later

Well I fix my burner and didn`t blow up the garage... Now from roughfly 150 F water to rolling boil 30 min I`m happy with that. Although I don`t recommended it... But you can modified your regulator and jet on the shutoff of the burner it self by drill the hole bigger. I drill the end of the regulator (part that goes in the propane tank) and the jet with a 5/64 bit and I think anymore then that... you will have a camp fire like flame more then a torch like flame. Now I have a nice tall somewhat of a torch like flame. So maybe in the futur I will buy a 15 or 20 psi regulator to replace mine. But for now I`m happy with the modification I did.

Later

Hay Bandit77
That sounds hot with the stove modification as long as you err on the side of caution
I plan on brewing some centennial blonde this weekend the stove should get a full workout.
Ill take some pictures on brew day.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Yeah the bottom lip of the keg get red. Not worried can always turn down the valve.

Can`t wait to start my first all grain...couple more week...need to build my cfc and finish the mod on the keg and tun.

Later