3-in-1 "Boil Kettle, Jacketed Chiller, Conical Fermenter" by Brewha
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Congratulations! I think you made a good choice. The BIAC to me seems far superior to the Blichmann Breweasy and the Speidel Braumeister.
I've used the olive oil method and haven't found it to negatively affect the final product. My plan is to gear up a triclover connection that extends from the lid, down into the wort with a diffuser stone. I'll have a connection on top to attach o2.
I clean by hand with a scrubbing pad. I usually spray it down to get most of the crud off and then dump it. Then I scrub it down the the scrubbing pad and some PBW, spray it down and dump again. Then I usually spray it down and dump a final time. It's about 5-10 minutes total from the time I start until I'm finished. All vavles/hardware/gaskets etc get tossed in a bucket of PBW to soak. I typically use about 5 gallons of water to clean the BIAC.
Every 5 or 6 brews I will give the BIAC a good soak with PBW, run the element to heat everything up, and recirculate with the pump.
Have you found a wand-clover fitting that's long enough (I haven't), or do you mean you're going to set one up via welding/compression? Asking because this beast should be arriving on Monday!
I haven't really thought about it too much as of yet - I use mostly dry yeast so aeration isn't necessary. With that being said, I would like to have something geared up to pump o2 into the wort and I'm just thinking some sort of triclover with an extension down to wort level with a diffusion stone attached.
After the beer is chilled, could you just attach something like this and circulate the beer through it? http://morebeer.com/products/pro-series-oxygenation-assembly.html It would have to be done after it is cooled so the O2 would be absorbed. It is not inexpensive, but neither is the BIAC. They really need to add this as an option!
Here is a better option:
http://conical-fermenter.com/SPOX-Oxygenation-Aeration-Assembly.html
http://conical-fermenter.com/SPOX-Oxygenation-Aeration-Assembly.html
Personally, I'd prefer something that drops in from the top and doesn't require recirculation. The recirculation is just one more step, and more cleaning. Having something that you can drop directly into the wort from above seems like the most simple method to me.
My existing stone is attached to a length of oxygen hose without the stainless wand that I just drop into my SS Brewtech conicals for a few seconds. Is that all you want or are you looking for something that attaches via TC and keeps the fermenter sealed? If that is the case, you may wind up with a clogged stone if it stays in the wort during the entire fermentation.
I'm going to buy the O2 setup from Stout. I'm ordering 2 large BIACs and 4 additional 3 in 1 units. I have to do it by tomorrow to get in Feb or I won't get delivery until May due to his manufacturer being on holiday the entire month of February. For me, May is probably OK, but there is a potential price increase of a few percent in 2015.
Along with Jimmy I'd love something coming in from one of the lid ports, with the ability to douse with O2 after it chills, and ~18 hours later on the big beers, before removing it and putting a cap on the port. But that'd require more than 6".
jeffcosgrove
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I have verified that the extra dryer outlet that I have in the basement has power and is connected to a 30 amp breaker. Unfortunately it is in the finished part of my basement. I'm sure I can get it rewired back to where I want to brew, but is there any way I can run a 240 volt extension cord on this system? I probably need 20 -30 feet. It looks like the extension cords on amazon would just extend the heating element from the box. I would need one to get the box away from my existing outlet.
I've been looking to do the same thing and unfortunately I don't think anything on the market exists for it, other than a series of adapters and RV extension cord, etc. Unless it can be custom made, I'm not sure there is anything to do except re-run the 240v where you need it. If you find anything else out, let me know.
Edit: Looks like this may be an option -
http://www.stayonline.com/custom-portable-outlet-boxes.aspx
Edit: Looks like this may be an option -
http://www.stayonline.com/custom-portable-outlet-boxes.aspx
jeffmeh
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You could rig up a spa panel with as long a cord as you need and get a gfci also.
I concur. You can buy the spa panel at Home Depot and they also have the wire you need. It is not flexible like a 3-prong extension cord, but you can run as much as you need.
I use a 50' flexible extension cord for my woodworking equipment (30 amp circuit, 220) and welder (50 amp circuit, 220), so you should have no problem. I've never had the cord get warm and it is rated for 50amp. Mine is about an inch in diameter. A welding shop should have the cord, then go to home depot to get the correct female plug you need for the biac. Now that I think of it, home depot may have the raw cord too, you would just need to buy and install both ends. Should be pretty easy to find. Good luck!
BadWolfBrewing
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Funny stuff, I laughed pretty good
WOW, so I just lost a few hours reading this entire thread. I just discovered the BIAC recently...very interested now! I was sold on a braumeister before, but have now changed my direction. Question is however, has anyone changed out simple ranco for a more advanced PID controller (BCS-462 or Raspberry Pi)? Thank you all for the great info and direction!
Ended up going with the Teco TK-500 and a 10 gallon cooler for closed loop fermentation as well as an eheim compact+ 3000 for pumping. It should get here next week sometime. I also have an electrician coming this weekend setting up the 240v plug in the garage. Should have it fired up here pretty soon!
No photos yet (but do you really want to see my apartment's laundry room? nah), but mine arrived today (a week later than scheduled, after some issues with the Canadian shipping company, sadly).
Unpacked and set it up. Couldn't help but think I wish I had bought it six weeks earlier, as the crate would have made a great coffin Halloween decoration with almost no work!
Got it running in no time at all and was recirculating PBW through the system to get it nice and clean. Got up to 120 quickly, and let it run there for 15-20 minutes. Standing next to it with the element going and the pump running, talking to my wife on the phone, she couldn't hear a thing. Obviously louder at boil, but damn I think I'm going to like electric brewing.
I put a butterfly valve on the bottom, attached a barb to that, and was set to drain it off into some buckets. Good thing I had extras with me: the clamp for the barb was placed perfectly such that it locked the valve handle into open. Whoops!
I can only echo what everyone else has said: well-designed, well-made, and it takes up almost no space. Glided across the floor with 15 gallons inside super easy. Gonna brew a Vienna malt session IPA sometime this weekend, will post some photos of the beast in action!
Unpacked and set it up. Couldn't help but think I wish I had bought it six weeks earlier, as the crate would have made a great coffin Halloween decoration with almost no work!
Got it running in no time at all and was recirculating PBW through the system to get it nice and clean. Got up to 120 quickly, and let it run there for 15-20 minutes. Standing next to it with the element going and the pump running, talking to my wife on the phone, she couldn't hear a thing. Obviously louder at boil, but damn I think I'm going to like electric brewing.
I put a butterfly valve on the bottom, attached a barb to that, and was set to drain it off into some buckets. Good thing I had extras with me: the clamp for the barb was placed perfectly such that it locked the valve handle into open. Whoops!
I can only echo what everyone else has said: well-designed, well-made, and it takes up almost no space. Glided across the floor with 15 gallons inside super easy. Gonna brew a Vienna malt session IPA sometime this weekend, will post some photos of the beast in action!
jeffcosgrove
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Nsx?
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Wow, congrats! Looking forward to pics!
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That is amazing! I have to see pics of this set up! Congrats!
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It seems you could just attach this to the bottom of the conical on the far side of the valve, open the valve, turn on O2 for 30 sec (or whatever), then turn off O2, close valve and clean up. Seems simpler than a drop in solution to me. Would do it prior to yeast pitch obviously. Thoughts?
The plan is to open a small brewery with a tasting room and biergarten. That is if our state laws change during the 2015 legislative session. I was going to buy a normal 3-vessel brew house and 7bbl fermenters and BBTs. But, that requires warehouse-type space and I want it to be located on or very near the main street of a small town. That little town has been very accommodating and have already changed their laws. I would get at least one system in advance and brew some pilot batches with my local homebrew guys in my garage.
For a nano brewer, these are easy to buy and brew on. I can have a compact system with 9bbl capacity with two 7bbl jacketed brite beer tanks for just over $30k (maybe, I should change that to 3 or 4 3bbl BBTs). That does not include the glycol system which I can buy for a few thousand (two separate systems). I have the cash on hand to buy a nice 7bbl brewery as well but this is a side venture for me and I don't intend to be on-site each day. Keeping it simple with the BIAC system will make it easy to find an ambitious homebrewer or two to do the majority of the brewing.
Knowing how our state operates, I can see them passing the law to allow on-site sales, but requiring at least 1/2 to be sold through a distributor and not allowing self-distribution.
Wait. Excuse my ignorance but how does one of these work? Would it simply go on the outlet and then you would recirculate for a minute while oxygenating? That sounds like a nice closed loop setup.
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I think that is what it is designed for. But it also seems it could also just be attached to the bottom of the conical (after wort cooled and trub dumped) beyond the dump valve. When one would open the valve, the positive pressure from the O2 would go up through the wort and into the vessel, with note that I wouldn't turn on O2 until dump valve was open...don't want to pressurize the sight glass with O2 I'm sure...
But I think it is versatile enough that it could be used in either a closed or "open" loop fashion.
I would think that commercial brewers couldn't use it this way because it would seem the pressure from the wort at the dump valve would be to great to overcome, and they are already set up for an in-line approach. But in our arena, this would seem to be less of an issue.
Is there a way to whirlpool in the BIAC? Is it even necessary? I'm wondering about hop steeping with ipa's. Usually I whirlpool them in my boil kettle to keep them suspended. Could I recirculate from the bottom and then back in through the racking port?
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I've thought about this, and I think you can.
Another option would be to sacrifice one of the side ports and use for this purpose. Not sure if a racking arm (1") from stout tanks would fit with the brew colander in place. I assume not. But perhaps it could be mod'd or you'd just do without and whirlpool without it. But maybe just going through the racking port is the way to go, with the 1.5" stout tanks racking arm to direct the return flow.
In a similar fashion I would think a hop back like the hop rocket could be put in line, if one was so inclined. If one was worried about sacrificing the temp probe ports, you'd just run a thermowell from the top of the lid, say 20" or something.
To me, the versatility of this system is amazing...
Like you said, you could just recirculate from the dump valve to the racking valve. I've done this once with an IPA but clogged the system up. Since this I've been just steeping without whirlpooling and still getting the same effect. Larger opening valves (butterfly) may help if you're determined to do a whirlpool.
Not determined at all. In fact not whirl pooling would eliminate another step. I wonder if a set up like this would work for cooling View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1418502442.070480.jpg
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I'm sure it would. I suppose it's just a matter of the type of footprint one is willing accept!
This might work for me. I could store the BIAC next to a full sized fridge in my garage and keep my cellared beers and a bucket of water in it. I could pump water from the bucket through the BIAC to cool it during fermentation and have a fermwrap on it at the same time for heating. A cheaper option than building a glycol setup plus it's multifunctional.
Has anyone referenced their Ranco temp probe with another? I finally got mine fired up and had a cleaning cycle going with a PBW/hot water combo flowing through the colander via the chugger pump. I set the Ranco at 105 and let the system reach equilibrium around 107. When I checked the return water coming out of the colander with my Thermapen it was reading 123, with the water in the collander reading around the same. I plan on checking again tonight without the colander in place to see a side-by-side reading with the Thermapen. Could the Ranco be that far of?
edit: Found the issue. I didn't shove the temp sensor off the Ranco far enough into the Thermowell. After re-seating it it was within 1 degree of my trusty Thermapen. 100% my fault.
edit: Found the issue. I didn't shove the temp sensor off the Ranco far enough into the Thermowell. After re-seating it it was within 1 degree of my trusty Thermapen. 100% my fault.
I don't have a BIAC (I want one though!), but what about using the stout tanks racking arm pointed slightly up as your wort return to recirculate the wort while chilling the jacket to make chilling more efficient? This wouldn't address the clogging issue with a heavy hop bill, but I suppose you could get around that by using 1 or 2 of the Brewha hop screens or the stainless brewing hop spiders. As long as you recirc for a few minutes at the end of the boil to sanitize your pump/hose, there should be little/no issue with sanitation, right?
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