Looking for a new set up

[SuckaMooHudda]

Started out with the ol' buckets and extract. Moved to partial. Then all-grain with an 8 gallon pot with ss ball valve, and two cooler system. Fell completely in love with all-grain brewing and now want to spend some $$GING$$ on a nice 10 gallon system. You know, 3 pots, burners, pumps, and a kick ass chiller!!!

I need suggestions for the best user friendly system for around $2,000.


Let the debate begin!!!:rockin:

 

[BBL_Brewer]

It cost me a little under $2,000 to build a 1 barrel system. Of course I did as much fab work as possible myself. Still, I would think that a 10 gallon system could be put together for under a $1,000 unless you want to go crazy with automation and all the bells and whistles. Keggles would probably be the cheapest vessels you could use. Get the pumps on E-bay from USA pumps. Surely you can find someone local to weld up the brew stands for you. Decide on what kind of burners to use or go electric. Buy some copper tubing off the net, (Copper Tubing Sales is a good vendor) and make your own custom sized wort chiller. That's about all there is to it. You probably already have about everything else you need less a few stainless hosebarb fittings and what not. My $.02

 

[SuckaMooHudda]

I was thinking about this: (looking for opinions and comments)

A 6'X2' stainless steel table from amazon.com ($190) and have a welder cut three holes to mount the burners underneath. The pots will be the biggest expense, 3 Blichmann 15 gallon Boilermakers @ $375 each. Burners, @ $50 each. 2 pumps @ $175 each. 40 plate chiller $110.

I come up with $1925, not including any additional hoses, etc.

Am I missing anything?

 

[Catt22]

I was thinking about this: (looking for opinions and comments)

A 6'X2' stainless steel table from amazon.com ($190) and have a welder cut three holes to mount the burners underneath. The pots will be the biggest expense, 3 Blichmann 15 gallon Boilermakers @ $375 each. Burners, @ $50 each. 2 pumps @ $175 each. 40 plate chiller $110.

I come up with $1925, not including any additional hoses, etc.

Am I missing anything?

I think your numbers will be fairly close. Make yourself a spreadsheet listing everything you can think of item by item. You can have columns for estimated costs and others for for actual costs. Update it with new entries as you buy the items or make substitutions.

FWIW, I also think that modifying a SS table is a very good way to go. It's both practical and economical. I do have one suggestion regarding the table and burners. I would use some type of grate on top of the table to support the kettles. This will reduce heat that may get trapped below the table top. The grates I am thinking of would be the large cast iron type much like you might find on a commercial gas stove. I have no idea where you might find some of those or how much they might cost, but you might be able to snag some used ones somewhere.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I know Blingmann's are cool, but, check this out. Get 3 60 qt ss stock pots off ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60-QUART-ST.../160590926882?pt=Cookware&hash=item2563f71422

Drill a few holes with a step drill bit (very easy). Take them to the welder along with your ss table from amazon and have a few fittings welded in. Shop up some ball valves on ebay. Get your brewmometers from whoever. You can use SS elbow fittings for your dip tubes in the BK and HLT if you drill the holes close enought to the bottom. The only thing will be hard to do is finding a flase bottom for the MT. I made a slotted copper manifold for mine and waived the false bottom. I used a ss compression fitting on the inside of my MT with a copper dip tube that attaches to the manifold. You should be able to save between $400 - $500 this way and the only difference is that you may or may not be able to use a false bottom and you won't have any sight tubes. Of couse you can buy sight tubes seperately and install yourself as well. I didn't bother. Just a thought.

 

[wildwest450]

Go electric and never look back.


_

 

[samc]

I agree with "electric" - having done Propane, NG and now Electric it is by far the easiest method in every way I can think. Also Blichmann's are a pricey alternative to sanity. If you have the cash to burn, I guess it's fine.

Too bad you are not in Portland as I'd be tempted to sell you my 3 keggle set up!

 

[SuckaMooHudda]

I have a huge unused and unfinished basement...please tell me more about all that is required for an electric setup. My initial search showed it was too much money but I may have not been looking in the right place. Thanks.

 

[TrueSlacker]

For a propane setup here is nice option for 5 gal batches

$248 - (2) 9 gallon 2 weld pots (HLT, BK) with thermometer and SS ball valve.
$156 - 10gallon igloo cooler with false bottom and spout.
$12 - Hop filter screen for BK
$98 - (2) Bayou Burners
$78 - 20 Plate Chiller
$139 - Pump

Total = $731 and you have a fairly nice 5 gallon system, just need tubing and fermenter

 

[SuckaMooHudda]

@TrueSlacker

Thanks so much for the reply... This was the way I decided to go. (10 gal) I have brewed several batches with it already and it has been awesome!!! Highly recommend.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/basement-natural-gas-rig-392108/

 

[GrantH]

I was thinking about this: (looking for opinions and comments)

A 6'X2' stainless steel table from amazon.com ($190) and have a welder cut three holes to mount the burners underneath. The pots will be the biggest expense, 3 Blichmann 15 gallon Boilermakers @ $375 each. Burners, @ $50 each. 2 pumps @ $175 each. 40 plate chiller $110.

I come up with $1925, not including any additional hoses, etc.

Am I missing anything?

fittings. hoses. piping. false bottoms.

 

[NathPowe]

This isn't exactly answering your question, but I'll throw it out there. Do you have temp controlled fermentation chamber? I definitely understand wanting a baller setup for wort production, but if I didn't have a freezer/fridge and temp controller to maintain fermentation temperatures I'd spend the cash on that before I went all out on my brew rig. Just something to think about. Either way, you're about to get new brewing toys so congrats.

 

[SuckaMooHudda]

Thanks so much for the reply... This was the way I decided to go. (See link below) I have brewed several 10 gallon batches with it already and it has been awesome!!! Highly recommend.

I also took the door off my basement fridge and built an insulated box around it with support legs. Can lager up to 40 gallons if i want.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/basement-natural-gas-rig-392108/