mojotele
Well-Known Member
Hey everyone! My first post to Homebrew Talk in a long time. And it's probably one you've seen a thousand times. But, I need help.
I've been brewing all grain for a while now. I've been using my electric stove to heat my strike/sparge water, mashing in a Coleman Xtreme MLT, and boiling outside on my turkey fryer in the fanciest piece of equipment I own - a 10 gallon Blichmann kettle. This method involves a lot of going up and down stairs since I boil in the backyard which is one floor down from the kitchen. As such, my brew days take a long time and are very physical.
Recently the wife and I were watching Brew Dogs, and she said, "You should make a system like they have." My wife is seriously cool - LOVES beer and is super supportive of my brewing hobby. She's also pregnant with our first child, so I'm sure she'd like to see those brew days get shorter and easier with less scalding hot liquids going between floors. So, I start researching and, like many others, I came upon the Brutus 10. I've since received the plans from BYO and have read many Homebrew Talk threads about what works well, what doesn't, what variations have been done, etc.
So far, I've come up with several points:
1. Definitely want the automated temp. control for the HLT and MLT.
2. I'd like to stick with 5 gallon batches. Neither the wife nor I see the need to upgrade to 10 gallon batches. It takes us quite a while to get through a 5 gallon batch. Plus, it allows me to keep using my 10 gallon Blichmann.
3. While I'm not opposed to electric, adding another 240v source really isn't an option for me. I can't use the dryer outlet as the laundry room is teeny tiny. I think that leaves me using propane.
4. I'm interested in a low pressure propane system since that apparently allows for protections against pilot lights going out and such. Safety is a big concern for me.
5. I cannot weld. While I am acquainted with people who weld, I don't want to impose on them. I've seen weldless stand solutions using angled slotted steel, and I was thinking about doing something like that.
6. People seem to like the banjo burners over the jet burners that Lonnie used, and I can see why. So, I'm thinking I'd use some kind of banjo burner.
That's about all I've come up with so far. My problem is that I'm just a computer programmer. I'm not very handy at all, and a lot of things that are discussed in these threads are just going over my head. Also, many of the posts are a few years old, and I'm wondering if thoughts on certain builds have changed. Lastly, there's just too much info out there. Looking for a good build for me is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
So, I figured I'd just make a post and see if anyone can point me a computer nerd like me in the right direction. While I don't know much about propane, steel fabrication, temperature controls and the like, I'm certainly open to learning. And, being a total newb, constructing the propane system scares me. I'm smart enough to know how dangerous gas is, so I want to make sure I know every little step of that.
Thanks, guys!
I've been brewing all grain for a while now. I've been using my electric stove to heat my strike/sparge water, mashing in a Coleman Xtreme MLT, and boiling outside on my turkey fryer in the fanciest piece of equipment I own - a 10 gallon Blichmann kettle. This method involves a lot of going up and down stairs since I boil in the backyard which is one floor down from the kitchen. As such, my brew days take a long time and are very physical.
Recently the wife and I were watching Brew Dogs, and she said, "You should make a system like they have." My wife is seriously cool - LOVES beer and is super supportive of my brewing hobby. She's also pregnant with our first child, so I'm sure she'd like to see those brew days get shorter and easier with less scalding hot liquids going between floors. So, I start researching and, like many others, I came upon the Brutus 10. I've since received the plans from BYO and have read many Homebrew Talk threads about what works well, what doesn't, what variations have been done, etc.
So far, I've come up with several points:
1. Definitely want the automated temp. control for the HLT and MLT.
2. I'd like to stick with 5 gallon batches. Neither the wife nor I see the need to upgrade to 10 gallon batches. It takes us quite a while to get through a 5 gallon batch. Plus, it allows me to keep using my 10 gallon Blichmann.
3. While I'm not opposed to electric, adding another 240v source really isn't an option for me. I can't use the dryer outlet as the laundry room is teeny tiny. I think that leaves me using propane.
4. I'm interested in a low pressure propane system since that apparently allows for protections against pilot lights going out and such. Safety is a big concern for me.
5. I cannot weld. While I am acquainted with people who weld, I don't want to impose on them. I've seen weldless stand solutions using angled slotted steel, and I was thinking about doing something like that.
6. People seem to like the banjo burners over the jet burners that Lonnie used, and I can see why. So, I'm thinking I'd use some kind of banjo burner.
That's about all I've come up with so far. My problem is that I'm just a computer programmer. I'm not very handy at all, and a lot of things that are discussed in these threads are just going over my head. Also, many of the posts are a few years old, and I'm wondering if thoughts on certain builds have changed. Lastly, there's just too much info out there. Looking for a good build for me is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
So, I figured I'd just make a post and see if anyone can point me a computer nerd like me in the right direction. While I don't know much about propane, steel fabrication, temperature controls and the like, I'm certainly open to learning. And, being a total newb, constructing the propane system scares me. I'm smart enough to know how dangerous gas is, so I want to make sure I know every little step of that.
Thanks, guys!
