Unboxing the Nano from CO Brewing

CornyKegs 728
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synonymous18 said:
I received my 20gal kettle and everything looks great, except the recirculation tube is not what is shown in the pics online. It is very short and would never make it down into the mash for a 5 gallon batch. Thoughts?
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None of the tubes I've seen with the 20 gallon will make it to the mash of a 5 gallon batch. You need to run a piece of tubing down to it.
 
I got mine months ago and it was the same way. You can do a 5 gal batch in the 20 but you need to modify the return. The first thing I did was jam some silicone tubing on the return to lengthen it. If you wrap some copper wire around it you can aim the tube fairly well. However several of us are happier using this instead of the recirc tube:

https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products/re-circulation-manifold-for-infussion-mash-tuns
 
I'm getting ready to order a system from CBS. I haven't gone through every post of this thread, but is there anything I should have them change at the factory? Anything I should change when I get it? Think I might get a ssb manifold.
 
AHol said:
I'm getting ready to order a system from CBS. I haven't gone through every post of this thread, but is there anything I should have them change at the factory? Anything I should change when I get it? Think I might get a ssb manifold.
Click to expand...


Get the whirlpool valve! My 2 cents
 
Good choice. If I had it to do over I'd go dual. I have limited time and lots of friends who like my beer. It'd be nice to do two batches or 20 gallons finished at once
 
jready said:
Good choice. If I had it to do over I'd go dual. I have limited time and lots of friends who like my beer. It'd be nice to do two batches or 20 gallons finished at once
Click to expand...

I'm going to get another with the dual 25's around Christmas time. I never make anything less than 10 gallons so I'd even go dual 30's if he had them.
 
I've actually been thinking about getting the dual, but swapping out one of the 25's for a 20gal. That way I can easily do 5gal batches for new recipes.
 
ive often wondered if I got a 25 gallon pot made if it would fit my nano so I could make 1/2bbl batches. it couldn't be much taller for sure but maybe a combination of a little taller and a little bigger around. I could also make a high gravity wort and water it down to 15 gallons before the boil but that's not my preffered way of doing it for sure.
 
jabba11 said:
ive often wondered if I got a 25 gallon pot made if it would fit my nano so I could make 1/2bbl batches. it couldn't be much taller for sure but maybe a combination of a little taller and a little bigger around. I could also make a high gravity wort and water it down to 15 gallons before the boil but that's not my preffered way of doing it for sure.
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I make 1/2bbl batches almost every batch, or as close as I can. I always hold back 4-5 gallons of hot water to sparge with and haven't had any issues so far. Mouth feel, body, and flavors are all just the same as when I was doing 10 gallons.
 
Mash was a bit rough on the pb porter today. 33# of grain with 3# of flaked oats. Probably should've milled a little bigger but made it through. Definitely going to be cloudy but nothing a little gelatin or a 72 hour cold crash can't clear up.
 
3 posts in a row, pretty awesome lol.

OG ended up WAY higher than expected. If I average my refractometer and hydrometer it was 1.068. efficiency shows 95%, definitely my best batch to date.
 
Has anyone else had trouble with the sight glass fitting leaking? I appear to have a slow drip coming from the end cap on the base. It looks like it's screwed into place but haven't been able to remove it to add plumber's tape. I forget... did it come screwed in or does it come apart?
 
hibbleton said:
Has anyone else had trouble with the sight glass fitting leaking? I appear to have a slow drip coming from the end cap on the base. It looks like it's screwed into place but haven't been able to remove it to add plumber's tape. I forget... did it come screwed in or does it come apart?
Click to expand...

mine did leak when I got it but it was leaking where the glass fits to the fitting. I put some tape on it it never leaked again although I don't currently use it as I have a whirlpool there now
 
I got the 20 gallon Nano Brewer Home w/ whirlpool a few months ago and now that my basement brewery is finally finished, I am eager to try out my new system. After some trial and error, I believe I have figured out how to assemble everything (CBS' instructions are pretty vague and this thread has been helpful). The problem is that I believe that I am short two tri-clover clamps. I received ten and I believe that there should be 12 (which is what is also listed on the packing list). Am I correct in my setup:

1x clamp for the element
1x clamp for the sight gauge
1x clamp for the temp sensor
2x clamps for the main output valve
2x clamps for the whirlpool valve
1x clamp for the tube in the basket
4x clamps on the two hoses going to and from the pump

Can anyone here confirm my setup and/or explain how this system should be set up? I am getting pretty fed up with CBS not returning calls and taking several weeks to respond to email. I just figured that asking here would be a lot faster. Thanks.
 
Velinos said:
I got the 20 gallon Nano Brewer Home w/ whirlpool a few months ago and now that my basement brewery is finally finished, I am eager to try out my new system. After some trial and error, I believe I have figured out how to assemble everything (CBS' instructions are pretty vague and this thread has been helpful). The problem is that I believe that I am short two tri-clover clamps. I received ten and I believe that there should be 12 (which is what is also listed on the packing list). Am I correct in my setup:

1x clamp for the element
1x clamp for the sight gauge
1x clamp for the temp sensor
2x clamps for the main output valve
2x clamps for the whirlpool valve
1x clamp for the tube in the basket
4x clamps on the two hoses going to and from the pump

Can anyone here confirm my setup and/or explain how this system should be set up? I am getting pretty fed up with CBS not returning calls and taking several weeks to respond to email. I just figured that asking here would be a lot faster. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Message them on Facebook or email Tim directly. He gets back to me within a day or two still, if you're missing something just let them know. I was missing a few things and he got them right out to me.

That said, buy a bunch of extra clamps, fittings, and nipples anyway. You will use them at some point and you'll be glad you have them.
 
I'd also get some TC caps. You can then take all of the "stuff" off the kettle, cap the ports, and give the pot a good scrub without slopping all over the place.
 
hibbleton said:
Has anyone else had trouble with the sight glass fitting leaking? I appear to have a slow drip coming from the end cap on the base. It looks like it's screwed into place but haven't been able to remove it to add plumber's tape. I forget... did it come screwed in or does it come apart?
Click to expand...


I hated the sight glass so, on the recommendation of others on this post I turned it into a whirlpool port which I love.
 
Wanted to post a couple of pics from yesterdays brew session. There's no pics of when I scalded myself with boiling wort from a hose LOL (no worries I'm ok). Anyway. I'm posting these to show wort clarity I'm getting and what the ULD element looks like after brewing a blonde ale (no wheat etc) and trub amounts etc . I use a stainless basket for my hops I don't add direct but I do "flush" worth through the basket to help extract the hop oils etc. That's how I burned myself too. never turn the pump on when the valve is open full unless that hose it connected to something heavy...duhh.

20170721_182335.jpg


20170721_195823.jpg


20170721_173814.jpg
 
jabba11 said:
Wanted to post a couple of pics from yesterdays brew session. There's no pics of when I scalded myself with boiling wort from a hose LOL (no worries I'm ok). Anyway. I'm posting these to show wort clarity I'm getting and what the ULD element looks like after brewing a blonde ale (no wheat etc) and trub amounts etc . I use a stainless basket for my hops I don't add direct but I do "flush" worth through the basket to help extract the hop oils etc. That's how I burned myself too. never turn the pump on when the valve is open full unless that hose it connected to something heavy...duhh.
Click to expand...

Do you have a picture of your wort after pulling the basket, but pre boil? Wort clarity is the main reason I went to a two vessel approach from single vessel with a bag, and is also the one issue that would prevent me from purchasing a single vessel system from Co Brewing.
 
TexasWine said:
Do you have a picture of your wort after pulling the basket, but pre boil? Wort clarity is the main reason I went to a two vessel approach from single vessel with a bag, and is also the one issue that would prevent me from purchasing a single vessel system from Co Brewing.
Click to expand...

the glass of wort is post basket pull. Sorry its a little blurry. Some of the haze is actually condensation too. You can see there very little trub in the bottom of my kettle after whirpool. Its never perfectly clear but its more than reasonable enough in my opinion. I do not "squeeze" the grain bed either. I run a short 1 to 2 gallon sparge after pulling the basket up. By the time I'm close to boil its typically only dribbling from the basket. I have measured the remains before after putting the basket in a tub and it was about half a quart. Also its worth noting that I use an SS manifold too
 
After my first brew with the recirculation manifold I'm very happy with it. The mash wort was more clear than I've ever had on this system, the recirc didn't get stuck, and I didn't have to watch/stir the mash at all once it got dialed in. Also, after the session my heating element was as clean as it's ever been. Thanks for the recommendation everyone! Now to work on increasing the mash efficiency...

IMG_20170723_125436.jpg
 
hibbleton said:
After my first brew with the recirculation manifold I'm very happy with it. The mash wort was more clear than I've ever had on this system, the recirc didn't get stuck, and I didn't have to watch/stir the mash at all once it got dialed in. Also, after the session my heating element was as clean as it's ever been. Thanks for the recommendation everyone! Now to work on increasing the mash efficiency...
Click to expand...

Ive been using a quick heated sparge tat the end that I believe is increasing my efficiency quite a bit. (constantly in the low to mid 80's). Just a gallon or two sent into the hanging basket as fast as my sparge arm can spin
 
Another brew day down. Since I was trying to verify best practices and BeerSmith settings I did a familiar recipe, a simple pale ale. Everything worked out great. I set my estimated brewhouse efficiency at 75% based on my last batch, and hit 73.3%. Target OG was missed by 1 point. Estimated mash efficiency was 78.3%, actual was 77.9%. Close 'nuff. (All my BeerSmith settings for the Nano Home 20 gallon version are in this previous post.)

This is the mash after about 40 minutes but it was starting to clear noticeably by 20 minutes. I did not stir at all after mashing in--just set the manifold on top and let the pump run. I started at about 20% speed and moved up to about 30-40% speed after ~30 minutes. That was as fast as I could go without overdoing it.
o9MIwY3.jpg


I tried one new thing this time, which was stirring the heck out of the mash just before draining. It did not seem to make a difference. Mash efficiency was 77.9%, but on my last batch when I did not stir before draining, it was 78.6%. The beers were not identical, but had similar amounts of grain and gravities.

As before I ended up about 1/2 gallon short after draining, and did a small cold water pour-over rinse. I know I did a lousy job of distributing the water evenly so there is room for improvement here.

The wort in the kettle was very cloudy. For the sake of @TexasWine I will get a picture of my next batch after draining but without stirring the mash beforehand. I don't expect it to be too pretty though.

Wish I had another fermenter, I want to brew again already!
 
it's been a loooong time since I brewed, so I dusted off the system and brewed yesterday. I had to clean my grain mill and during that process decided to set it back to the factory settings (.039" i believe). I went with a low grav recipe so that I wouldn't be maxing out the mash and had the smoothest brew day ever. I think the larger mill setting in conjunction with the newer style short recirc arm and my newly 'remeshed' mash basket totally solved my mash recirc problems. I expected that the change in mill settings would throw off my efficiency, but I actually hit about 78%.

Now I just need to streamline my cleaning process:confused: and it'll be smooth sailing!
 
Speaking of cleaning I made a discovery the other day.

I have noticed that even if I carefully clean the pump, it often sticks and won't start after it sits around for a while. I have to take it apart again and rinse it, as if I had missed something sticky when cleaning it.

Here is the problem.

j4KCwLX.png


That glob appeared after the pump sat around drying for days... after an hour soaking in hot PBW. It is sticky wort and I can see how it would lock up the impeller. There must be a gap there that collects a little wort, and it takes time to weep out. If you have had a stuck pump that should have worked, I bet this was why.

My overall cleaning method is:

  • During the boil, dump out the basket, then hose it off on the lawn to remove as much grain as possible
  • Finish cleaning the basket in the utility sink, put on drying rack
  • After the kettle is empty, disassemble the system and put everything into a bus tub
  • Special handling exceptions:
  • - the temperature probe is immediately carefully hand-washed and set aside to keep the electrical contracts dry.
  • - the pump head is removed, stow the electronics and screws in the box; pump head disassembled and cleaned by hand
  • - Set the element in the bus tub so that the electronic stuff stays above the future water level
  • Fill the tub with hot PBW solution and let it sit for a while
  • Dump kettle crud in yard waste bin, scrub the kettle, put on drying rack
  • Whenever I get back to it, dump the PBW finish the small parts--bottle brush where needed, scrub element, rinse parts as I go
  • Place all rinsed parts into a second bus tub, this one with a sink rack inside so the parts don't sit in the drips
  • Disassembled pump head and RTD share the same plastic box which sits in the tub of clean wet parts

It takes about 30 minutes hands on time to clean everything. It is not my favorite part of the brew day but I have arranged my utility room to make it as easy as possible. The giant sink is also one of my favorite bits of "brew" gear.

nIu94sp.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I need a sink like that! My biggest problem is that I cannot take the kettle off of the stand to dump out the remaining trub without removing all of the fittings. This is because I had a trolley system added to mine. The way the fittings are positioned, they will not pass through the two outer bars. I'm toying with rotating the kettle around and possibly being able to slide the kettle out the side. It also dawned on me that I could just use my wet/dry vac to suck up the liquid that wont drain. Then I can start doing more of a 'clean in place' type of process

image1%281%29.JPG
 
I thought about CIP but I don't have a drain anywhere near where I brew, and PBW water is probably bad for my lawn. If you can drain waste water I bet you could get by with just scooping out as much trub as you can easily manage... flushing out the rest with 1 or 2 water rinses... and then starting the PBW recirc.

Assuming pellet hops anyway. I wouldn't want to put leaf hops down a drain, but a handful of pellet sludge among gallons of water probably doesn't hurt.
 
sgraham602 said:
I need a sink like that! My biggest problem is that I cannot take the kettle off of the stand to dump out the remaining trub without removing all of the fittings. This is because I had a trolley system added to mine. The way the fittings are positioned, they will not pass through the two outer bars. I'm toying with rotating the kettle around and possibly being able to slide the kettle out the side. It also dawned on me that I could just use my wet/dry vac to suck up the liquid that wont drain. Then I can start doing more of a 'clean in place' type of process
Click to expand...

I clean in place but I do use a stainless hop spider. The trub that is left in the bottom when I am done is small fine particles. I simply pump it out to a drain while flushing the kettle with water at the same time until the particles are all gone. Then I fill partial with water and homemade pbw and heat the water some then scrub it all down and pump it out (cleans the pump then too) then flush it again with water. all in place. At the end I take an old (clean) towel and wipe it out.
 

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