Three tier - but linear?

[Gadjobrinus]

Just curious. My wife and I once won a web grand prize. Couldn't believe it - I was working for Goose Island at the time and was told someone was on the phone for me. I get on, and there's an Englishman on the other side.

It was the late Michael Jackson. He asked me what we were doing in February, and when I came back to consciousness, I realized we were heading to London for a multi-course beer dinner with him at the White Horse in Parson's Green, and a couple weeks more in London. Then another 10 days to do a freely scheduled brewery swing through the country. Mr. Jackson's knowledge and encyclopedic recall (I'll never forget his talking various years of Thomas Hardy's Old Ale) were stunning. An unforgettable night.

OK, long winded, I know. Guess I miss that time. At any rate, one of our most pleasurable stays was in Hook Norton. Love the beers, and the brewery. I love gravity, and as much gentleness as possible everywhere I can in the process.

I'm monkeying around with the idea of a 2-tier system, which is what I originally had years ago. I know of the Top-Tier and similar ideas, but just wondering if anyone has built or otherwise uses a 3-tier system, same thing as the standard two tier, with an additional tier for HLT-MT-BK?

 

[Transamguy77]

Not quite sure what you are asking exactly. If you go to this thread brewhttps://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=46578 you will see all kinds of set ups.

I use a 3 tier stand and let gravity do the work for me.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1503984642.934336.jpg

 

[beernutz]

This is not my system OP but are you thinking of something like this?

 

[SoCal-Doug]

2 seamed the best option for me. Since it's a HERMS, I recirculate, so at least one pump is needed, therefore the same level for the HLT and MT is fine, and I don't need a ladder to get to the HLT. A couple valves and lines were a lot cheaper than a bunch of quick connects, hose and another pump.

Gravity can feed from the mash into the BK (with a removable TC drain tube), thence gravity feed into the fermenter from there. I don't recirculate the HLT water, instead I use a stainless steel airstone tube and air pump. This provides plenty of water movement to make the temp sensor accurate and mix up the water for the heat exchanger.

I suppose if I really want to whirlpool the BK, I could, but (1) I can use a stainless paddle on a cordless drill or (3) buy another pump, hoses, quick connects, drip hot wort all over and feel better about trub while I geek out playing with hoses or (3) chill it and let it settle for a couple minutes and not worry about it by letting it drain via an off center exit tube/pickup. #3 wins

Could have gone one level with a little more plumbing and/or a 2nd pump. Couldn't convince myself it was worth it. If I do someday buy a 2nd pump, it will drive the water for the WC, through an ice bath. For now, I spent the extra money on burners and propane lines (on an electric system) for preheating, rotating batches (boil on propane while mashing another batch on electric), and quicker step mashing rise times.

Whatever you decide to go with, it's going to make beer and it will most like be quite yummy and fun to brew

 

[MaryB]

No welding(saw your other thread...) 15 gallon mash tun and boil kettle and soon to be a 15 gallon HLT. All gravity fed so no pumps to clean, no excess tubing to clean... sparge bar is 1/2 inch copper drilled with a small wire size bit every inch. Doing 11 gallon batches the grain bed is 10 gallons deep so the sparge bar doesn't disturb the surface enough to matter.

Base is an old 3m AV cabinet that I got for $5 at an auction but any heavy duty metal rolling cabinet will do. I used unistrut for the uprights and across the bottom for the boil kettle shelf. Added shelf standard and brackets that can hold 300 pounds for the HLT and on the opposite side to hold the gas tanks(and now above it another shelf for my tablet with beer recipes)

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Not quite sure what you are asking exactly. If you go to this thread brewhttps://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=46578 you will see all kinds of set ups.

I use a 3 tier stand and let gravity do the work for me.

View attachment 412220

Thanks Transamguy. Yeah, I should have said that a heck of a lot more clearly. I was thinking more along the lines of Mary's or Beerntz's rigs below - these are what I meant by "linear," but that was a poor choice of the word. I applaud yours, too. Was blown away by the idea when I first saw the style come out. For some reason, the sculptures like Mary's and Beernutz have always appealed to me.

I'm not dead set on anything, at this point. I preach how gently I want to use the malt and move the wort around, etc., but I'm also in poorer health than 10 years ago and huffing a two-tier, manually operated entirely, wasn't fun then. So a pump or more may be wise, if not wanted.

Thanks for your pics and thoughts, guys. And Transamguy, thanks for the link, will look forward to combing through the thread.

 

[augiedoggy]

Thanks Transamguy. Yeah, I should have said that a heck of a lot more clearly. I was thinking more along the lines of Mary's or Beerntz's rigs below - these are what I meant by "linear," but that was a poor choice of the word. I applaud yours, too. Was blown away by the idea when I first saw the style come out. For some reason, the sculptures like Mary's and Beernutz have always appealed to me.

I'm not dead set on anything, at this point. I preach how gently I want to use the malt and move the wort around, etc., but I'm also in poorer health than 10 years ago and huffing a two-tier, manually operated entirely, wasn't fun then. So a pump or more may be wise, if not wanted.

Thanks for your pics and thoughts, guys. And Transamguy, thanks for the link, will look forward to combing through the thread.

if your looking for a pump that is easily moved around or that you can even leave permanently attached to the kettles I have been using these for 5 years now and they do work pretty well with quick release fittings attached....
They pump 3 gallons per minute and are designed as food grade with encapsulated magnets and they are made of a special stable high temp plastic composite designed to be foodgrade at high temps unlike a lot of the other options out there. At $20 shipped they are steal and I use 3 in my beer "sculpture" they are also very quiet, sealed, and run on 24v dc so safer in that regard around liquids.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-24V-Brus...558247?hash=item3d397de9e7:g:JJoAAOSwcgNZA1qf


also available in 12v but not as strong..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-24V-...hash=item466a409caf:m:mDu55F4-NTSQaYCRQXc14pQ

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Thanks for all the ideas, guys. Gives me lots to consider. Truthfully I suspect I'll end up with a 2-tier and a Chugger pump, but we'll see. On my first system, which did really well, it was 2-tier and everything outside of sparge was manual. Even the whirlpool was great with not much manual stirring, actually. I was really anal about the vorlauf and so forth, and didn't mind lifting large ladlefuls here and there.

I'm older now though, so there is that...

 

[MaryB]

Thanks for the pump link! Soon as I complete brew shed construction I will be recirculating ice water for wort cooling to my immersion chiller. I have seen the link pop up before but never added it to my watch list!

if your looking for a pump that is easily moved around or that you can even leave permanently attached to the kettles I have been using these for 5 years now and they do work pretty well with quick release fittings attached....
They pump 3 gallons per minute and are designed as food grade with encapsulated magnets and they are made of a special stable high temp plastic composite designed to be foodgrade at high temps unlike a lot of the other options out there. At $20 shipped they are steal and I use 3 in my beer "sculpture" they are also very quiet, sealed, and run on 24v dc so safer in that regard around liquids.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-24V-Brus...558247?hash=item3d397de9e7:g:JJoAAOSwcgNZA1qf


also available in 12v but not as strong..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-24V-...hash=item466a409caf:m:mDu55F4-NTSQaYCRQXc14pQ

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Hadn't thought of that, Mary - excellent usage. Thanks again, Augie.

 

[MaryB]

Water in my town is stupid expensive, like $100 water bill last month because I used 2500 gallons and 2000 is the split between $70 and $100 so if I can recirculate water I am going to! Plus I will not have the issue of water freezing up on everything in winter, last year my driveway turned into an ice skating rink.