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A single SS ball bearing should work well for the valve...look inside a spray bottle for inspiration... Large sized balls are often sold as "hunting shot" for a slingshot.

Excellent craftsmanship! It almost looks as if the bottom of that hop filter is either a short section of perforated tube, or sheet that has been bent in a slip roller. That stuff is really solid, and I bet it adds a lot of rigidity/durability. I have actually been collecting a lot of the...

If you're using the solder with high silver content...*technically* it is called silver brazing. I was referring to the standard silicon bronze that folks use. It would definitely be stronger than plumbing solder for brewing applications, but it is less aesthetic since it's bronze in color...

The ability to use mapp is nice, because you can braze with it....which is useful for repairing cast iron (it can be welded but it is difficult and the repairs are usually not too great).

The stands fold up into a really small footprint. It's one of those things....when you need it; you need it! I hoisted a 900 lb lathe into the back of a truck a few weeks ago...it wasn't happening any other way. My system? Well, it was such a long and expensive build that once I reached the top...

It's good to be objective about a product. Either it works or it doesn't. To be fair, Chad is sort of specializing in screened baskets. He makes a lot of these, and if you look closely, you can see that it is for many other applications than homebrewing. He is obviously very good at what he...

$2000 would be cool....but considering you only paid $50 for it, you might want to take that into account. Besides, those pie-in-the-sky Ebay listings stay active for years, since no one these days (not even businesses) can afford it. At $300-$400 you're still looking at a 600-800% profit...

I understand the desire to have a dedicated stand, etc. for brewing, but there is really something to be said for multitasking in a small garage. I have the 2 ton shop crane and also a 5500 lb pallet jack. If you spend the money on a shop crane, you won't be sorry. Mine has paid for itself...

Very nice! You definitely put these things to the test. Looks like the FB really caught quite a bit of gunk. For the amount of surface area it has, I think it kept an aful lot of particulates out of the chiller and fermenter...not to mention it would have combined with the cold break and could...

What was the coil made from? I'd hold onto that. You could either make a kettle or fermenter with it. If you expect it to hold pressure I hope you are a very skilled welder.

Heck, I live right on the South Side, just off 37. I'd definitely be in, but will be moving soon :(

Same thing happens to me. I think it has more to do with an extremely high yeast content when compared with filtered store bought stuff. I find I feel quite ill the next day after drinking homebrew...much moreso than drinking commercial stuff.....and I keep my ferm temps low, so I know it is not...

Do a search. There are a LOT of threads on this. It's a personal preference...but I can say that cleaning isn't an issue if you have a keg cleaner system and do several kegs at a time. When fermenting, take out all diptubes and posts and set them aside. Put small stoppers in the diptube holes...

Seems like lead hops would just sink to the bottom...lol...:mug: @ FATCITY....Nice writeup! You really put that thing to the test. Looks like if there were that much hop matter left over in the wort, the 300 is perfect for those not needing "ultra fine" filtration. For a beer with less hops, I...

I think that scraping is a good idea with these no matter what size you go with...that's something you can't really do with a hop bag.

Either way, a plate chiller has to be backflushed...and in either case you'd be surprised at what comes out! They are a high maintenance piece of equipment with only a slight speed advantage over other systems. Once you figure in the maintenance and cleaning schedule, it actually makes your brew...

I actually made a whole basket using 30x30 mesh and found that the boil really didn't circulate well. The bubbles just went along the bottom and up the sides SEE HERE Of course, I was using a steamer basket so that definitely affected perfusion. I also know the hopstopper is made of about 30...

What's wrong with an OD of ~1/2"? That's plenty. One thing that never gets discussed is that the convoluted tubing DOES have crevices: It has a helical shape with ribs in it, so there are grooves which can trap debris and you can't get it out. But, it is less of a problem than with a plate...

I think the stainless version will still work quite well. The difference in conductivity is real, but the wort will probably reach coolant temp by the time it gets to the end of the 25' vs. halfway or so in a copper version. You probably wouldn't notice a difference at the output....if that...

Yeah, I have an older HF D-handle....it's a beast at 12 amps.....will break your wrist if you're not careful.