What's the most cost effective way to move my brewing inside?

SSBrew - 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
V

vance

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2016
Messages
266
Reaction score
18
Currently, I do single vessel BIAB (5 gallon batches) in my backyard. I really want to move my operation inside - I've basically had to take the winters off from brewing, *maybe* squeezing in one or two if I'm lucky, and I'm tired of being dependent on weather/daylight/etc for my brewing hobby.

I want to move inside, but I can't decide how to do it. I don't have a garage, so that's out. I have a gas stove and a laundry room just off the kitchen with a 240V dryer outlet. For a while I was considering a 240V, 2-vessel HERMS system. I've brewed with a buddy who has a similar setup and really enjoyed it - the problem is, I don't have the ability or confidence to mess with 240V wiring myself, so I'd at minimum have to shell out for a prebuilt controller, and my costs for a system like that were rapidly heading towards the $1k mark.

Now I'm considering some sort of hybrid electric/stovetop system, so I don't have to mess with wiring, but even then my costs keep going up...

What's the cheapest way for me to brew inside?
 
Look into the robo brew. An ebiab set up similar to the Grainfather but half the price. I use a Grainfather in my kitchen and love it.
 
eBIAB would be the cheapest. You can use a pulley to help pull the bag and gravity to move your liquid into the fermentation vessel.

Controllers can be found for under $300, when it comes down to it a PID isn't needed if you do everything manually.

If you already have a kettle seek out local welders and have them add a triclamp port for an element.

You can probably get everything setup for under $500.
 
jaymosbeershack said:
Look into the robo brew. An ebiab set up similar to the Grainfather but half the price. I use a Grainfather in my kitchen and love it.
Click to expand...

Oh, I should add - I've looked into the Robobrew, Brewer's Edge, Grainfather, etc - not really a fan. They just look too hands off for my taste.

aprichman said:
eBIAB would be the cheapest. You can use a pulley to help pull the bag and gravity to move your liquid into the fermentation vessel.

Controllers can be found for under $300, when it comes down to it a PID isn't needed if you do everything manually.

If you already have a kettle seek out local welders and have them add a triclamp port for an element.

You can probably get everything setup for under $500.
Click to expand...

I've considered eBIAB, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to do it without making an ungodly mess. Right now I tend to spill wort pulling the bag out, squeezing it, putting a rack under it to drip, etc. A pulley would solve some of these problems, for sure, but I'm not sure how I'd set one up in my kitchen without building a whole frame for it. That would probably need to be metal, to hold it safely, and that's a bunch of cost in materials and welding.
 
I do a modified BIAB on my gas stove with no problem. I have a 10 gallon pot that almost stretches across 2 burners and a 5 gallon pot for sparging. Probably my next major purchase will be at heat stick to speed up the time it takes to get to temp though. I usually set the bag on the pot lid to move it around but if there are occasionally sticky drips I have a wet towel handy.
 
bleme said:
I do a modified BIAB on my gas stove with no problem. I have a 10 gallon pot that almost stretches across 2 burners and a 5 gallon pot for sparging. Probably my next major purchase will be at heat stick to speed up the time it takes to get to temp though. I usually set the bag on the pot lid to move it around but if there are occasionally sticky drips I have a wet towel handy.
Click to expand...
I just added a hot rod from brewing hardware to my grainfather. Great purchase. Saved me over 30 minutes the first brew day.
 
vance said:
Oh, I should add - I've looked into the Robobrew, Brewer's Edge, Grainfather, etc - not really a fan. They just look too hands off for my taste.



I've considered eBIAB, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to do it without making an ungodly mess. Right now I tend to spill wort pulling the bag out, squeezing it, putting a rack under it to drip, etc. A pulley would solve some of these problems, for sure, but I'm not sure how I'd set one up in my kitchen without building a whole frame for it. That would probably need to be metal, to hold it safely, and that's a bunch of cost in materials and welding.
Click to expand...

If you have any wooden beams in the ceiling you should be able to hook an eyehole in there to put a pulley up on brew days. I let my grain bag hang over the pot for ~25 minutes while letting the wort come to a boil. By the time I pull my bag it's pretty dry. I'll throw the bag into a 5 gallon bucket and bring it out to the yard waste bin after it cools off (usually when I'm cleaning up after the brew).

Cleaning out a grain bag is going to be so much easier than cleaning out a mash tun, especially inside.
 
The cheapest would be smaller batch BIAB on your present stove. That partially solves the drippy bag problem also, should be light enough that you don't need a hoist.

I think you are overstating what a Grainfather, RoboBrew or others can do. The controller controls the heat and can step mash. The rest is no more hands off than BIAB outside.

They are also 110v so you don't have to mess with getting 240v where you need it.
 
If you have the option to go 240V I would do it. Even brewing 3 gallon batches a 110V 1500W element feels underwhelming.
 
vance said:
What's the most cost effective way to move my brewing inside?
Click to expand...

Through a door.



Smartassery aside, eBIAB or using your stove top would be the way to go. If you want to go electric, you can do 110v and use the existing circuits in your kitchen.
 
My top choice is definitely something involving 240V - however, I can't seem to think of a way to do it for under $500, when a controller is $300 easy. Then I have to buy an element, cords, temperature probe, either another kettle or a false bottom... it all adds up fast.

Currently I'm leaning towards a 110V element that would only require drilling a hole in my current kettle, and then either doing eBIAB or working out a cheap option for a second vessel. I like the second vessel more, since I haven't really had good experiences with BIAB efficiency-wise, but that opens up the question of HERMS or RIMS.
 
vance said:
My top choice is definitely something involving 240V - however, I can't seem to think of a way to do it for under $500, when a controller is $300 easy. Then I have to buy an element, cords, temperature probe, either another kettle or a false bottom... it all adds up fast.

Currently I'm leaning towards a 110V element that would only require drilling a hole in my current kettle, and then either doing eBIAB or working out a cheap option for a second vessel. I like the second vessel more, since I haven't really had good experiences with BIAB efficiency-wise, but that opens up the question of HERMS or RIMS.
Click to expand...

In a single vessel, one 110v element won't do it alone. You will need two. The bonus is that you can actually do without a PID. You run both elements to heat and only one to maintain a boil.
 
I've done indoor batches using a cooler mash tun and a $20 stainless pot from Walmart, doing step mashes by necessity. Heat 4g of water, dough in, heat 4g of water, raise temp, etc. For the boils, with Fermcap-S, you can boil 3.5g of water in a 4g pot, so doing two boils yields 6g of wort.
It's a long brew day, and a hassle, and I don't recommend it, but it is very cheap in terms of equipment, especially if you don't put any value on your time.
 
I would reconsider the grain father or robo brews etc with your situation. I built a 1/2 barrel 3 vessel eherms in my basement but am considering buying one of the small systems for experimental stuff in the kitchen with easier clean up
 
bleme said:
One 1650 watt element can do it, you are just looking at an hour to get to mash temp, then an hour to get to boil. That can be cut down some with insulation.
Click to expand...
Wow...that's along time. I guess in a pinch or on a budget, that would work. Would you use a PID with the 1650?
 
I know nahthing about N American electrics - but if you wanted thermostat control of 240V up to 15A, why not just import a Europe/UK spec Inkbird? Would cost about US$40 plus shipping, plus some new plugs or travel adapters.
 
If I did 110V I would use it in combination with my gas stove - still not a fast boil, but it would get there faster than just the element.

I've looked at some schematics, and the only thing I learned was that I have no clue what I'm doing with wiring. I want to get my hands dirty at least a little bit with this, since my DIY skills are pathetic and I want to learn how to do some things on my own, which is why I'm not too interested in a Grainfather, but I know enough about electricity to not mess with it without knowing exactly what I'm doing.
 
Does anyone else do natural gas? I’m using natural gas to brew in my basement with proper ventilation. It’s pretty cheap and easy.
 
kh54s10 said:
I don't know the electronics needed but if you can find a schematic of that it looks to be about $50 in parts.
Click to expand...
You can buy an almost identical thing in kit form from StillDragon - here - for $41. Add the switch linked above, and you have power control on the kettle, pretty much as for gas.

Add the Brew Hardware weldless TC port kit, and a stainless element, and you are pretty much there.
 
My stock pot came with a basket. I put the bag in that and lift that out with a pully attached to a step ladder with carabeaners. Very little mess if you go slow. Then I press the bag within smaller pot lid.
 
I've brewed up to 6 gallons on my stovetop. It ain't pretty with 4 kettles going at once, but it works. I can post a picture later if you're interested, but it's been known to make people laugh loudly.
 
I recently moved inside. I added a 3500w induction cooktop, an overhead vent, and a 1650w RIMS to the equipment I used outside.

I use the brew kettle on the induction cooktop to heat water, pump it into a cooler for the mash, recirculate using the pump and a RIMS, pump to the brew kettle, boil on the induction cooktop, and use the pump to whirlpool and cool with an immersion chiller. I do this in my laundry room using the dryer electrical circuit for the induction cooktop and reg 110v household plug for the RIMS controller.
 
Last edited:
brewbama said:
I recently moved inside. I added a 3500w induction cooktop, an overhead vent, and a 1650w RIMS to the equipment I used outside.

I use the brew kettle on the induction cooktop to heat water, pump it into a cooler for the mash, recirculate using the pump and a RIMS, pump to the brew kettle, boil on the induction cooktop, and use the pump to whirlpool and cool with an immersion chiller. I do this in my laundry room using the dryer electrical circuit for the induction cooktop and reg 110v household plug for the RIMS controller.
Click to expand...
I am curious to know which induction cooktop you use, and how long does it take to bring your wort to a boil (assuming 5 gallon batches)
 
I'd say use your stove and a HotRod Heatstick

Even cheaper, BIAB, cut your batches to 2.5G and just use your stove and a bag. That's mostly what I do. It gives me a case of beer per batch which allows me to brew more and have variety on hand. Although, when the weather is nice outside, I go outside and use propane and enjoy the weather and let my dogs run around.
 
I was very happy when I finally moved inside, in Minnesota its F#*^ing cold and the winter is when i brew, mostly during football games, but I built a controller with a MYPIN TA7 and 5500W serpentine element, If you try do this yourself you will put up some money right away but it will be worth it, figure out what you need to make the move even if its a move to smaller batches then you can start to build up to bigger batches from there getting pieces one at a time, where are you located...........................cheers

:mug:
 
philjohnwilliams said:
I am curious to know which induction cooktop you use, and how long does it take to bring your wort to a boil (assuming 5 gallon batches)
Click to expand...

It’s an MDC Commercial Induction Cooktop.

I have two layers of reflectix insulation wrapped around my BK/HLT.

I heat strike 9 gal water to 140-ish*F in the time it take to prep the MLT, crush grain, measure minerals, setup the RIMS and pump. (I haven’t timed it).

Then, after the mash is complete, I bring 7-ish gal 170*F sweat wort to boil partially covered in probably 10 - 15 minutes. (I guess)

I haven’t timed it because I only get to brew 12-13 times a year and when I do brew I enjoy the process so time is not so important to me. The only thing I time is the mash steps and boil additions.
 
I went eBIAB a few years ago. I built the controller myself, 5500w element, my first ever electrical project. I haven't so much as blown a fuse in all the time I've been using it. That is to say, building your own can be fairly easy, just study wiring diagrams in the electric brewing subforum, ask lots of questions, and try to get someone with at least a little knowledge of electrical wiring to have a look at it at some point.

I started with a HotRod heat stick, but had a tri-clamp port added so I could use a false bottom and a HotPod.

Good luck!
 
Moved into the new place - it's got a gorgeous, brand new gas range with a larger middle burner, so I will be able to heat 3 gallon batch sizes easily, and possibly even 5.

I've fleshed out my plan a little bit - I'm going to use the stove, and potentially add a 110V-powered element to speed up boil times a little bit. My sticking point is the exact process.

If I had my way, I'd go for a 2 vessel HERMS system, but the prices add up fast when doing that - most HERMS coils I see are ~100 bucks, plus I'd need another kettle, in addition to all the valves and pumps and tubing I'd need to buy. I'd love to keep this project under $300, but we'll see how it goes.

My other option is sticking with single vessel BIAB. I'd have to figure out my efficiency woes, but more importantly I'd need to figure out how to do it without getting wort all over my kitchen.

The second biggest problem I have is chilling. I currently use a Hydra chiller, which works fantastic, but I don't think my sink could power it. It's possible there's a powerful enough pump to run it effectively, but I'm sure it isn't cheap. I'd probably have to buy another chiller - likely the sink-specific one, from JaDed - but that's another expensive cost.
 
I do 4 gallon brews on my kitchen gas stove; pretty sure I could do 5 gallons with this setup but 4 is a good size. I have an 8 gallon kettle, and a 1650W "Hot Rod" immersion heater from brewhardware.com. I bought the heating element from Amazon and assembled the hotrod myself. I do BIAB process, with a bag from Wilser (sp?) because the 5 gallon paint strainers from the hardware store are stretched a little too tight in this kettle and don't last long. (before I got the 8 gallon kettle, I used paint strainer bags and a 22 quart canner and that worked pretty well)
 
I have what you might call a hybrid system. Since I wasn't quite ready to deal with what's involved with adding 220V where I brew (furnace room in basement) I use both a 5000W element connected to 120V in a 10G kettle and a 1800W induction plate I already had. Both on different circuits of course.

I've done about a dozen 6G batches so far and it's working great. The boil I get with both the element and the plate is so vigorous that I have to run the plate at 50%. Quite happy with the setup so far.
 
I'm not sure if moving into a new place was the easiest way but you you did what I was going to suggest. You got a better stove. I do a modified version of BIAB on my stove. I have a 10-gallon kettle that I position over three burners when I need to raise the temp. The large burner alone will maintain a good boil.

Regarding your efficiency problem, try what I do. In my modified BIAB method I heat only the amount of mash water that I would use if I were using a mash tun. I mash using the bag. In a separate not-quite-so-big kettle I heat sparge water in the amount needed to achieve the boil volume I want. I remove the bag from the boil kettle, let it drain for a minute or two, begin heating the wort in the boil kettle, "launder" the bag in the sparge water (imagine washerwoman movements), drain the bag, squeeze it like crazy, combine all the wort and boil. (Yes, in my brewing path I acquired two kettles. The smaller one is only 7 gallons and they nest nicely for storage.)

Regarding, cooling, chill out man. I gave it up. Google no-chill brewing. I put my boil kettle in the garage or on the deck overnight and pitch the next day. People will wag their fingers, but you were rebel enough to try BIAB so I think you could also handle no-chill.

Good luck and enjoy your new indoor sport. It's warm in the winter, has AC in the summer, the family is nearby, and you can listen to you music or the game.
 

Similar threads

BigMooseBrewing
Help Me Build My Home Brewery Setup on My Budget.
Replies
32
Views
2K
adhomebrew10
adhomebrew10
B
eBIAB PID Controller Wiring Diagram - Feedback Requested
Replies
14
Views
1K
beerisambrosia
B
B
240v : Scary start of brew
Replies
9
Views
753
passedpawn
passedpawn
C
Best brewing system for 5-15 gallon batches
Replies
25
Views
1K
Ninoid
Ninoid
PashMaddle
What to brew next?
Replies
8
Views
492
PashMaddle
PashMaddle
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top