Kuckoo
Well-Known Member
This is my brewing stand. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My stand is my best friend. It is my life...
So, I started my version of a Brutus 10 stand in March. SWMBO complained that I was spending too much time working on it and called it my mistress. So, I named her Beernice. First, I must thank all those who came before me for documenting their challenges here. I learned a lot and I didn't have to ask a single question. It was all right here.
I am somewhat mechanically inclined, but by no means a welder, so I employed a friend/coworker to Tig weld the unit for me. The welds came out fantastic. I figure if his welds are good enough for Boeing and Airbus, they are good enough for Beernice.
What I did differently...
1) Made it bigger. It can handle the More Beer heavy duty 26 gallon kettle. My current set up employs a 15 gal BK, 15 gal HLT, 26 gal MLT, and I still have room to go bigger should I ever have the need.
2) Counterflow chiller. The guys at More Beer talked me out of the plate chiller for ease of cleaning.
3) I'm using the More Beer sparge arm. Got a deal I couldn't pass up.
4) 23 tip LP jet burners. As I stated above, I learned the value of using an adjustable regulator and the 23 tip burners have worked fine for the initial testing. Time will tell, but a $10 a piece, it was worth a shot.
Other than that, it is basically the same as Lonnie's with a standing pilot and Asco valves.
What I learned.
1) Measure twice, cut once. The original plan was to add cross beams for the (2) 15 gal kettles and leave the center MLT section without a cross beam. However, I measured from the top (flanged) part of my HLT. It fit the frame, but only by 1/4" on all sides...too close for comfort, so I added the cross beam for the MLT
2) If you don't want gas leaks, don't use the white teflon tape. I started the pressure test with Co2 and a gauge. After an hour, the gauge indicated 0 psi and the gas beam was empty. I knew it couldn't be the welds, and I was right. Use the yellow gas rated tape.
3) Don't plug a hot wire into a ground wire. It just trips the GFCI every time.
I'm coming from 5 gal batch, cooler all-grain brewing to 10 gal RIMs brewing. What advise would you give for the first few batches?
Again...thank you all (too many to mention) who have posted your trials and tribulations before me. You have made this a much easier build than it would have been otherwise. I look forward to any advise you can give when making the jump to RIMs from smaller cooler batches.
Here are some pictures of Beernice. I'll post a few more with the kettles on later.
So, I started my version of a Brutus 10 stand in March. SWMBO complained that I was spending too much time working on it and called it my mistress. So, I named her Beernice. First, I must thank all those who came before me for documenting their challenges here. I learned a lot and I didn't have to ask a single question. It was all right here.
I am somewhat mechanically inclined, but by no means a welder, so I employed a friend/coworker to Tig weld the unit for me. The welds came out fantastic. I figure if his welds are good enough for Boeing and Airbus, they are good enough for Beernice.
What I did differently...
1) Made it bigger. It can handle the More Beer heavy duty 26 gallon kettle. My current set up employs a 15 gal BK, 15 gal HLT, 26 gal MLT, and I still have room to go bigger should I ever have the need.
2) Counterflow chiller. The guys at More Beer talked me out of the plate chiller for ease of cleaning.
3) I'm using the More Beer sparge arm. Got a deal I couldn't pass up.
4) 23 tip LP jet burners. As I stated above, I learned the value of using an adjustable regulator and the 23 tip burners have worked fine for the initial testing. Time will tell, but a $10 a piece, it was worth a shot.
Other than that, it is basically the same as Lonnie's with a standing pilot and Asco valves.
What I learned.
1) Measure twice, cut once. The original plan was to add cross beams for the (2) 15 gal kettles and leave the center MLT section without a cross beam. However, I measured from the top (flanged) part of my HLT. It fit the frame, but only by 1/4" on all sides...too close for comfort, so I added the cross beam for the MLT
2) If you don't want gas leaks, don't use the white teflon tape. I started the pressure test with Co2 and a gauge. After an hour, the gauge indicated 0 psi and the gas beam was empty. I knew it couldn't be the welds, and I was right. Use the yellow gas rated tape.
3) Don't plug a hot wire into a ground wire. It just trips the GFCI every time.
I'm coming from 5 gal batch, cooler all-grain brewing to 10 gal RIMs brewing. What advise would you give for the first few batches?
Again...thank you all (too many to mention) who have posted your trials and tribulations before me. You have made this a much easier build than it would have been otherwise. I look forward to any advise you can give when making the jump to RIMs from smaller cooler batches.
Here are some pictures of Beernice. I'll post a few more with the kettles on later.
