Brau Supply
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BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
I'm super excited! The 120v system is finally back in stock and I ordered mine today (20A controller and 2 2000w elements). Do you guys know what the Steven's typical turnaound time is? I guess I'm not the patient sort...
He usually ships quickly, but he is shipping from Canada, and that seems to slow things down a bit.
OP
OP
I'm super excited! The 120v system is finally back in stock and I ordered mine today (20A controller and 2 2000w elements). Do you guys know what the Steven's typical turnaound time is? I guess I'm not the patient sort...
Congrats. And let us know if you have any questions leading up to brew day.
BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
I certainly will. I've learned lots already from following this thread. I'm hoping the transition is as smooth as I expect it to be.
OP
OP
Well, a little update on a beer I made on this system. I just found out I won a local pro am competition and my beer is eligible to be made and distributed as a special release! How cool is that! It was a Belgian Tripel.
Way to go TW!
BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
Well done and congratulations sir! A good Tripel is on my to-brew list. Is that award winning recipe top secret or might you share?
OP
OP
Thanks!
I'm actually not sure about its secretness. Let me hear from the brewery first about their thoughts on the matter.
Very cool! Congrats!
OP
OP
BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
My 10g system was finally delivered today!:rockin: Imagine my disappointment when I found it was sans temp. probe. I am correct in my assumption that this was supposed to be an included part right? It's not some ridiculous add-on? Also, does anyone else find it a little troublesome that there is one and only one email address on the website? General inquiries, in-stock notifications, pricing quotes, order status/ issues, all the same email address. Seems a little odd.
I am correct in my assumption that this was supposed to be an included part right? It's not some ridiculous add-on? Also, does anyone else find it a little troublesome that there is one and only one email address on the website? General inquiries, in-stock notifications, pricing quotes, order status/ issues, all the same email address. Seems a little odd.
OP
OP
My 10g system was finally delivered today!:rockin: Imagine my disappointment when I found it was sans temp. probe.
What controller did you get? It should come with a probe, or at least mine did.
Also, I'm guessing it's one email address because it's a one man shop, or at least it was. Steven @brausupply was handling everything not too long ago. If he's grown enough to hire someone that's great!
If you ordered a controller it should have included a probe. Steven will make it right, though waiting for shipments from Canada can get frustrating, even if the quality and price make it worth the wait.
BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
I splurged and went with the 20A controller. I'm heading out of town for vaca in about two weeks so I wouldn't have time to brew up anything before I left but it sure sucks not being able to do the autotune, figure out boil off rates, etc. I've got no doubt that Steven will make it right but like you said whovous waiting on shipping from Canada to GA is gonna get old.
BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
While waiting for the missing temp. probe to arrive I decided to go ahead and do some cold water tests with my system. (For the record I ordered the 2x2000w setup with the 11g pot.) My results were pretty impressive I've got to say. The following is for 5 gallons:
0 min - 72°
5 min. - 100°
10 min. - 125°
15 min. - 175°
20 min. - 193°
25 min. - 206°
27 min. - 212°
I'm sure that when I'm doing a full 7g boil it will add some time but even if it's 10 minutes I'm still way ahead of the times I was getting with propane.:rockin: I did notice something that was surprising and slightly disappointing. To maintain what I would call a gentle rolling boil I had to have 105%-110% power. (One element on full blast and the controller linked element between 5% and 10%.) Is that what you guys have been finding? I thought I had read that around 60%-70% would maintain a boil.
Another thing I found is that just over a gallon of liquid stays in the pot below the drain. So, I decided to ditch the bazooka tube and put in the dip tube from my keggle. It has served me well for a while and leaves hardly anything behind when the keggle is drained. Now if I can just figure out how to operate this PID I'll be all set. (Anyone have a everyday language operator's manual?)
0 min - 72°
5 min. - 100°
10 min. - 125°
15 min. - 175°
20 min. - 193°
25 min. - 206°
27 min. - 212°
I'm sure that when I'm doing a full 7g boil it will add some time but even if it's 10 minutes I'm still way ahead of the times I was getting with propane.:rockin: I did notice something that was surprising and slightly disappointing. To maintain what I would call a gentle rolling boil I had to have 105%-110% power. (One element on full blast and the controller linked element between 5% and 10%.) Is that what you guys have been finding? I thought I had read that around 60%-70% would maintain a boil.
Another thing I found is that just over a gallon of liquid stays in the pot below the drain. So, I decided to ditch the bazooka tube and put in the dip tube from my keggle. It has served me well for a while and leaves hardly anything behind when the keggle is drained. Now if I can just figure out how to operate this PID I'll be all set.
(Anyone have a everyday language operator's manual?)
OP
OP
While waiting for the missing temp. probe to arrive I decided to go ahead and do some cold water tests with my system. (For the record I ordered the 2x2000w setup with the 11g pot.) My results were pretty impressive I've got to say. The following is for 5 gallons:
0 min - 72°
5 min. - 100°
10 min. - 125°
15 min. - 175°
20 min. - 193°
25 min. - 206°
27 min. - 212°
I'm sure that when I'm doing a full 7g boil it will add some time but even if it's 10 minutes I'm still way ahead of the times I was getting with propane.:rockin: I did notice something that was surprising and slightly disappointing. To maintain what I would call a gentle rolling boil I had to have 105%-110% power. (One element on full blast and the controller linked element between 5% and 10%.) Is that what you guys have been finding? I thought I had read that around 60%-70% would maintain a boil.
Another thing I found is that just over a gallon of liquid stays in the pot below the drain. So, I decided to ditch the bazooka tube and put in the dip tube from my keggle. It has served me well for a while and leaves hardly anything behind when the keggle is drained. Now if I can just figure out how to operate this PID I'll be all set.
Those heating times look awesome.
To keep 7 gallons at a simmer I run one at full blast and the other at 20% (2 x 1500 watts). That's about 1800 watts total and gives me about 0.7 gallon per hour boil off in a 62 quart Bayou Classic.
If I remember correctly, the 60-70% is what Steven states in an instructional video, but he still says to run one element full blast.
Agreed, the standard bazooka tube leaves too much liquid behind for my liking. I always just up end the kettle and dump everything into the fermenter. But now I'm rethinking my processes in light of this whole low dissolved oxygen conversation that's happening. Interesting stuff.
Now if I can just figure out how to operate this PID I'll be all set.
Ah, so I am not the only one who finds the box less than fully intuitive.
BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
The manual seems to focus a lot more on wiring it up and a lot less on actual operation.
Michigan_Wolfman
Well-Known Member
After watching several videos on YouTube about the 120V 15amp 5 gallon Unibrau system, I'm leaning towards pulling the plug and making the jump from extract to E-BIAB with one. 
OP
OP
I downloaded the Auber control manual. It's pretty easy to decipher once you spend a few minutes with it.
Here's all I really try to remember for brew day. Hold down the up button to change the temp set point. Hold down the left button to switch to manual mode.
I don't really need much beyond that unless I'm calibrating the temp probe or doing an auto tune, which doesn't happen mid brew anyway.
OP
OP
After watching several videos on YouTube about the 120V 15amp 5 gallon Unibrau system, I'm leaning towards pulling the plug and making the jump from extract to E-BIAB with one.
You won't regret it. I did one extract beer before going all grain. I wished I had immediately jumped to an eBIAB system, but instead fiddled around with stove top brewing for a while. When I had a boil over one brew and melted the knobs on the stove top the next, I knew it was time to graduate.
Michigan_Wolfman
Well-Known Member
Yeah, the more I look at the set up, the more I want it! I emailed Brau Supply last night about the availability of the 30 plate chiller option listed with the 5 gallon kit. When I clicked on the tab to add it to the options so I can get an idea of the total cost, it says they are out of stock, but I did notice that a 20 plate chiller is available over on the accessories page. If the 20 plate does an alright job cooling down 5 gallons of wort, I may just go ahead and order one to go with the rest of the kit.
Michigan_Wolfman
Well-Known Member
Just thought of something I'm trying to figure out. Do you still have to heat your strike water to 160 degrees or so in order to compensate for the temperature drop from adding your grain bill, or do you just set the controller at mash temp and dough in from there?
I just set and forget.
Whereabouts in Jackson do you live? My mother still lives in VCL, though I left in 1971 when I graduated HS.
Whereabouts in Jackson do you live? My mother still lives in VCL, though I left in 1971 when I graduated HS.
OP
OP
Yes, you should heat your strike water to some temp higher than your desired mash temp. If you don't do this the temp in the grain bed sags and takes a long time to recover, effectively making a good portion of your mash at a lower temp.
The temp you heat your water to is dependent on the grain bill, which determines your starting volume, and your desired mash temp. 160F might work for some beer recipes, but not others.
Michigan_Wolfman
Well-Known Member
I'm currently living on the outskirts of Munith, or as us locals refer to it, MunithTucky. Greater Metropolitan Stockbridge is just five miles up the road, where about most exciting thing you'll see happen all week is someone at the American Legion Hall polishing the barrel of the WWII howitzer on display out by the road.
Michigan_Wolfman
Well-Known Member
Thanks. I was thinking that was the case, but I wanted some input from somebody that's actually used one.
I have not timed it, but I don't think it has taken temps very long at all to recover when I've made my mash temp my strike temp.
While this may be true, the whole point and concept of an automated system is to keep a steady mash temp....mashing low and recovering may work, but it is far from the intended and desired goal.
OP
OP
Next time you brew you should measure the grain bed temp. I think you'll be surprised. I've done several step mashes and it takes a good 15 to 20 minutes to go from 146F to 158F, depending on the grain bill.
Onerow
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Have read the entire thread and am becoming very interested in the system. Have been doing BIAB for about 18 months. I like to do 3 gal batches to the Keg. Maybe 5 gal kettle at end of boil. I assume that the 5 gal kit would be plenty big for brews this size - including higher gravity ones.?
OP
OP
It would be plenty big for 3 gallon batches, even high gravity ones. However, I'd email Steven and ask about min batch size. I have the original 36 quart system and it will do a smaller batch. Now it's a 44 quart, so I'm not sure how much water you need to cover the elements.
I confess that I always assumed that if I knew the temp of the wort passing continuously circulating through the grain bed, then I also knew the temperature of the bed itself. That said, it makes sense that the greater mass would take longer to come up to temp, so I will restore the higher strike temp to my process. It is surprising just how much that process keeps changing, in one small or large way after another.
Michigan_Wolfman
Well-Known Member
Here's what it says on the Brau Supply webpage.... We use our standard 11G kettle and set it up for 2 elements. This allows you to brew your standard 5 gallon batch size, and in under 4 hours using 2 of our 1500W elements.
BroomVikin
Well-Known Member
If I remember correctly it's somewhere between 1½ and 2 gallons to cover the elements. I'm not sure though just how much water you'll need to cover your grain completely.
Onerow
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My last batch had 12 lb of grain and with all water required in the kettle and it came to 8.5 gal. With dead space I transferred 4.1 gal to the fermenter.
The mini comes std with. 6 gal kettle and 9 gal kettle option which I would certainly need. It would still have just one element though. Would this be plenty power for boiling 5 gal wort?
All questions I should email the company with, but I thought the brain-trust here might chime in first with experience.
Most likely, the price savings between a Mini with a 9 gal kettle vs. a 5 gal kit with a 11 gal std kettle (two elements) would be very little if any.
OP
OP
One element should be sufficient for boiling 5 gallons. I boil 7 gallons with one at full blast plus the PID controlling the other at 20%, so total effective wattage of 1800.
If it were me, I'd go with the 11 gallon and two elements. The price isn't that much more if i remember correctly (maybe $100).
adventurtons
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I would email Stephen directly. I was interest in the 9gallon option for the mini but he told me its discontinued and they only offer the 6 gallon and 11 gallon. The website is horribly outdated which I am not sure why. Some of the newer options aren't shown and old ones are still there.
I also asked about min batch size on the 6 gallon since I wanted to do micro 1-2gallon batches. 2 gallon would be fine on the 6 but 1 is a stretch because of liquid over the elements. Also have to factor in liquid when recirculating hoping that the liquid moves through the grain bed properly so as not to not only have the element in no liquid but also the pump.
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