Condo brewing

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Metzen

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There are so many ideas and sources of inspiration floating around these forums, I decided I should share my journey over the past few months...

Have a condo in the city (Chicago) without a dedicated space for the brewery (but we do have a patio). I started running all propane but struggled with temp control given lack of a controller and no permanent stand to configure something more automated.

Without a 220v outlet to go all electric (or one that could be cheaply installed), I decided I needed a hybrid setup that can be put up and broken down for storage relatively quickly (the wife isn't a big fan of brewing equipment as home decor).

After spending months designing the stand, I considered full scale welded, modular, foldable, strut weldless, etc. I drafted 3 or 4 near final designs and parts lists each running me $250-400+. After strolling through Orange/Blue, I came across a $19 black steel shelf with decent weight capacity and configurable positioning that gave me the inspiration:

120v RIMS stand that I can bolt everything to and leave the HLT and BK powered by their KAB6 burners independently.

Integrating 2 pumps, a RIMS tube, and temperature probes for all vessels into a DIY RPi controller running CraftBeerPi accessible over Wifi and an old iPad 1, you have a semi-automated kit with flexibility to reconfigure and expand in the future (and one that can be stored away to keep the Mrs happy).

The benefit of having the control panel, BeerSmith, my brewing calculators, and HBT (of course!) all accessible in the same interface made the maiden brew day this weekend super enjoyable.

And the whole kit can be stashed away in the closet (minus propane tanks, of course!).

Cheers!
Metzen

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You system looks beautiful. How and where do you clean the kettles after use?
 
Looks great! What do you do for fermentation?

I'm in Chicago, also, with limited space. I brew at CHAOS, a club that maintains a brewhouse for members.
 
doomy86 said:
You system looks beautiful. How and where do you clean the kettles after use?
Click to expand...


Thanks! I run PBW through them, scrub and hose them down on the patio after use. After drying, I lug them inside and stack in storage. Makes the brew a bit longer than ideal, but it works.
 
Pappers_ said:
Looks great! What do you do for fermentation?

I'm in Chicago, also, with limited space. I brew at CHAOS, a club that maintains a brewhouse for members.
Click to expand...


I have a mechanical closet downstairs that stays cool year round. I throw a fermentation wrap around my carboy controlled with an ink bird to keep temp around 69. Without an actual fermentation chamber (yet!), I stick to ales.
 
Metzen said:
I have a mechanical closet downstairs that stays cool year round. I throw a fermentation wrap around my carboy controlled with an ink bird to keep temp around 69. Without an actual fermentation chamber (yet!), I stick to ales.
Click to expand...

That was the sticking point for me, when we moved from our house in the suburbs back into the city and lost half the square footage and the basement! Don't get me wrong, its been great in so many ways for us (I walk to work, for example) but it presented a brewing challenge.

And for me, it wasn't the brew day that was the issue but the fermentation. What you've done regarding the brew day is great, very storable, and for those of us who don't require as much control as you do, its even more doable. But a fermentation chamber is a whole different issue.

Basically, I'd have to figure out whether the ugly chest freezer would go in the living room, the kitchen, or the den. Not impossible, but definitely not optimal. And for me, controlling fermentation temps and yeast management is the most critical portion of my brewing.
 
I also brew in a condo. Ebiab. I store everything in a closet and then wheel it to the kitchen for brew days. For power i un plug the stove and plug in the brewery.
 
Metzen said:
There are so many ideas and sources of inspiration floating around these forums, I decided I should share my journey over the past few months...

Have a condo in the city (Chicago) without a dedicated space for the brewery (but we do have a patio). I started running all propane but struggled with temp control given lack of a controller and no permanent stand to configure something more automated.

Without a 220v outlet to go all electric (or one that could be cheaply installed), I decided I needed a hybrid setup that can be put up and broken down for storage relatively quickly (the wife isn't a big fan of brewing equipment as home decor).

After spending months designing the stand, I considered full scale welded, modular, foldable, strut weldless, etc. I drafted 3 or 4 near final designs and parts lists each running me $250-400+. After strolling through Orange/Blue, I came across a $19 black steel shelf with decent weight capacity and configurable positioning that gave me the inspiration:

120v RIMS stand that I can bolt everything to and leave the HLT and BK powered by their KAB6 burners independently.

Integrating 2 pumps, a RIMS tube, and temperature probes for all vessels into a DIY RPi controller running CraftBeerPi accessible over Wifi and an old iPad 1, you have a semi-automated kit with flexibility to reconfigure and expand in the future (and one that can be stored away to keep the Mrs happy).

The benefit of having the control panel, BeerSmith, my brewing calculators, and HBT (of course!) all accessible in the same interface made the maiden brew day this weekend super enjoyable.

And the whole kit can be stashed away in the closet (minus propane tanks, of course!).

Cheers!
Metzen

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Click to expand...


I saw your control box on the cbp usergroup do you have any pics of the inside of it?
 
@Metzen -- How is that CraftBeerPi w/ the Keggle setup? Do you do 5 or 10 gal batches?

I run 10 gallon batches and have concerns of boil overs w/ a remote system like that... but man the interface looks sweet.....
 
Boydric said:
I saw your control box on the cbp usergroup do you have any pics of the inside of it?
Click to expand...


I am just finishing the build of a second control box. I decided to automate the propane side of my kit, and the original box would have been too small for the added components. I'll open up the old box and snap a few pics for you tomorrow.
 
brewApprentice said:
@Metzen -- How is that CraftBeerPi w/ the Keggle setup? Do you do 5 or 10 gal batches?

I run 10 gallon batches and have concerns of boil overs w/ a remote system like that... but man the interface looks sweet.....
Click to expand...


I do both 5 and 10 gallon batches, and the keggles work great. If you are concerned about boil overs, I highly recommend fermcap-s. Works like a charm.
 

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