Another option is to vorlauf after mashing in to clarify the wort before turning the pump on. I usually drain a gallon or two from the bottom valve and dump it on top of the grain. Once the wort is running clear, I hook up the pump and turn it on.
Hgearle,Another option is to vorlauf after mashing in to clarify the wort before turning the pump on. I usually drain a gallon or two from the bottom valve and dump it on top of the grain. Once the wort is running clear, I hook up the pump and turn it on.
Hi Ron8 et al.,Hgearle,
I never thought of doing that. Great advice. Should also help remove some of the fines with the malt.
Do you ever remove any solids from the bottom after mashing, before boiling?
Thanks...Ron8
Hi again Solstice,Here are a few pics:
First, the fermentation chamber (BIAC inside). The AC unit is hot-wired so that the fan and AC come on high when power is applied. This was a cheap workaround to make the system work like a cool-bot - but <$300 . Also note that the cool side of the temp controller has cheap light timer that only allows the AC unit to come on for 2 out of every 3 hours to avoid icing up. Again, a cool-bot will do this as well, but costs a bit more.
This is the inside of the ferm chamber - Fermentation is about done, just doing a diacetyl rest on the RIS. The vacuum relief valve is on the other port behind the blow-off pot.
Here's the plumbing system for the whirlpool/chilling cycle.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=399591&stc=1&d=1494201512
And last - my water collector. I catch the the water from the jacket and the plate chiller to use for clean up and watering the plants.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=399592&stc=1&d=1494201512
cheers
I like the whirlpool you got from Norcal, Limulus.
Would you share the info you gave them to get the right dimensions? I'd like to make sure I don't get the 'length' and 'width' dimensions on their site mixed up and end up with one that won't fit my medium BIAC. Thanks!
Interested in that setup as well, any pics?
Hi again Solstice, Got a question about your window AC modification. Did you have to deal with 20 gauge fan speed control wires? Did your AC have a low voltage control board?Hey Ron8,
I figured putting the cold air in at the top would allow the colder, denser air to drop and mix it up a bit - allowing a more uniform temperature in the box. No calculations done - just seemed to make sense.
As for cutting the foam board, I just used my table saw. Yes, it made a bit of a mess, but not as bad as I thought it would. Certainly, the cleaner cuts were work a little sweep up afterwards.
Good luck with the new chamber!
SB
Thanks. Let me know how it works. If it needs a modification, I can get one to test it out.
Hello All,
I've been shocked twice when I touch my fermenter. I keep a small catch bucket below the lower port. All the condensation runs down the fermenter and into that bucket. The first time, we had been gone over the weekend and that bucket had overflowed. I assumed that was the cause of the mild shock. I immediately turned off all power and then emptied the bucket. Today, it happened again and the bucket is not full. Has anyone else experienced this? FYI, I do run a glycol chiller and I have the fermenter wrapped with reflectix. Today, it was the reflectix that shocked me. The first time, it was the leg of the fermenter as I was reaching for the water bucket.
Follow-up:
I just turned off the Ranco controller and touched the fermenter w/o getting shocked. The compressor on the glycol chiller was running. So, I wonder if the shock is from the Ranco? I put a meter on the fermenter and did not see any charge but the battery may be dead in the meter. Since I'm no expert in electricity, I wonder if I should run a ground from the tank to the garage door track which is a foot away? Or, will that make it worse?
Oh boy, I've done that once myself and was pretty disappointed. Sorry to hear it!
Is your other electrical on GFCI breakers? That shouldn't happen if it is and that would cause more alarm for me. I transfer now attaching a triclover to flare threading and hook up my CO2 tank on 2ish PSI. This prevents any possibility of repeating the mistake.
Those that transfer from the BIAC to another conical - what is your process?
For the last 2 brews I have used the standard SS chugger pump and hoses that I use to recirculate the mash. Right when I flame (electric?) out, I have the pump hooked up to the bottom of the BIAC and to the inlet of the BH conical, open both valves and turn the pump on. Both times I have had a few hangups with the pump getting stuck with pellet gunk/trub. Had to pressurize the BIAC to get it moving again, then pump the rest out no problem. I'm not sure if the smaller outlet & line from the pump is causing the hangup or what. I'll then cool in my BH conical same as I would the BIAC.
I wouldn't mind transferring via CO2 with just the bigger hose from the chugger pump setup, but not sure how much CO2 I'll be wasting doing that and how much it will take to overcome transferring that much liquid into the bottom of the second conical. I'm not sure a trub filter like BH sells would help either as it would need to be on the outlet of the pump side where it gets stuck anyways. I may just need a bigger outlet hose from the pump.
I'll try the dump, then pump method next time to see how it does.
Is anyone doing non-pasteurized mixed culture/LAB ferments in the BIAC? I've just done Brett stuff mostly and a kettle sour. I know lacto is pretty easy to kill and typically, depending on strain, very hop resistant but Pedio is quite a bit more dangerous to have around. I don't think even at boiling temps the outer portion of the butterfly valve gaskets get hot enough to kill LAB bacteria. I think at minimum I'll get an extra set of butterfly valves for the drain and racking port for any co-pitched LAB fermentations. Gaskets I'll either have to keep separate or use the pressure cooker with them afterwards.
I've resisted the urge to throw LAB into my vessel since I stopped killing my souring microbes with pasteurization or a quick boil. Plasmids (bacterial genetic material) can survive brewing conditions and be incorporated into new cells. This is the dangerous aspect of brew equipment contaminants, most of which can't even be cultured to identify. Certain LAB are able to select for each microclimate in your brew system and it doesn't seem reasonable to help them along. I am not comfortable adding genetic code that could be harnessed by unwelcomed critters. Pedio is a very slow grower and possibly not useful unless you are ready to tie up your conical for 6 weeks or likely more.
I haven't tested autoclaving the valves and pump heads (all non-silicone gaskets removed) but I've run the soft hosing through several runs and holds up well. If it works that's about the only way I'll be ready to sour a beer the way I'd prefer in the BIAC. For now I just sour in a SANKE dedicated to LAB.
Did a search on plasmids on MTF wiki and really didn't come up with anything. A lot of breweries share equipment between clean and LAB stuff and even use Brite tanks between the two as mixing tanks or ferment tank - just being careful using anything soft between the two like hoses, gaskets, etc where they have a better chance of surviving....
When I whirlpool or transfer brew, I never use the bottom port due to trub. Instead, I use the racking port with the 90 degree extension that is rotatable. I just whirlpooled 15 ounces of hops for an hour for a 11 gallon batch without a problem (intake from the racking port and input through the lid port with 90 degree tubing). I could have easily transferred wort to a conical from the racking port after whirlpooling if desired.
PS...love all the ways that that the BIAC can be used to make delicious brew.
For your input on the whirlpool does the wort simply splash down from the lid port back into the BIAC?
If it helps for me to chime in here, some of us use rigged systems to recirculate through a steel tube from the racking port into the top. One person here came up with the use of a steel racking arm and a compression fitting fitting to Tri-clover to keep everything sealed.
I opted to have a whirlpool arm fabricated by brewers hardware that I took a photo of some pages back in this thread. It's a tube with a 90 degree elbow at the base and a tri-clover ferrule at the top to seal to the lid.
For hop clogging issues I would recommend using a bag or screen for pellets. There are baskets at local shops that are all stainless and reasonably priced (25ish dollars). Utilization goes down a bit but clogging drops from some percentage to zero and worth a little extra hops in my opinion over a clogged port/hose/pump.
If you want to keep working with what you have for hardware another option is to do all bittering with extract and only add flavor/aroma hops as desired. This is cut down on ounces of dried material that don't need to soak up your hard-earned wort and will be standardized and therefore accurate in IBU targets so long as your volume is on point.
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