“Floating” 3 Keggle + HEX BCS462 eHERMs Build

[BrewKaiser]

I don't know about "gorgeous", to me it still feels like Frankenstein's bride.

I found a picture I took of the manifolds before welding. It 's easier to see how they are laid out. The manifolds with threaded nipple pipe are the HLT/MLT/HEX/HERMs (Pump 1) supply and return manifolds (top left and right in the pic). The bottom two are Pump 2 supply and return manifolds. Supply manifolds are 3/4" and Returns are 1/2". The main tube is 1".

All fittings had a radius machined so that they would fit perfectly on OD of the tube for welding. I honed the ID of all tubes and fittings prior to welding (2nd pic)

 

[user 125772]

Sweet!
...but dont bait us with the just the nice coping. We deserve to see the TIG porn too.

 

[BrewKaiser]

Sweet!
...but dont bait us with the just the nice coping. We deserve to see the TIG porn too.

Not much to show on TIG porn. Towards the end of the build it all went quickly from fab to paint. Here's the only pics I have of welds.

No back purge or walking-the-cup welds. My TIG welder is great so only have a little sugar to polish after.

 

[RicardoBrittoni]

I don't even want to know how much all that cost, I'm grumbling about my recent upgrade to SS QD's, and three piece valves cost, that manifold set up with the clamps, that's sexy. Does she have a sister?

What's your wort chill time, I can drop 5.5 gallons on a recirc through a 20' CFWC pumping ice water held the MT from boil to 65 in about 15 min at sea level in a Florida summer. I agree post boil I'm ready to pitch, clean, sit and have a beer. The cost is the ice, I'm adding about $12 per brew in ice cost.

Oh if you have any spare clamps and connects, just send them to me, I'll trade you my old barbs and two piece valves, straight over, you won't have to give me a dime.

 

[BrewKaiser]

I don't even want to know how much all that cost

...Neither does my wife!

Takes 20 min to chill 5.5 Gal. Still too long in my book. I re-use a whole freezer full of the glycol freezer packs I've been collecting along with the brick of freezer ice that always accumulates in the ice maker. I also save 10 Gal of the RO waste water and chill down to 34* in my garage fridge.

Sorry no extra manifold brackets. At one point I was thinking of making extra in case anyone was interested, but realized they likely only work with my manifolds.

 

[SmokeyRydr]

Why stand when you can float?
...
Extending and tilting kettle

View attachment 393667

This is a fantastic work of art! How has it stood up over time?

I too have an inverted keggle brew stand. it works great and is almost 100% CIP, except for cleaning the spent grains from the MT. I'm looking for some kind of tilt for my MT.

Would you be willing to share the plans for your hangers?

I'm sure we'd all love to hear how this has stood up over the years since you made this original post...

Cheers!

 

[Genuine]

Holy cow, I didn't know this thread was 3 years old and didn't get much attention. A lot of work and detail went into this. I would love to see some videos of it being brewed on!

 

[BrewKaiser]

This is a fantastic work of art! How has it stood up over time?

I too have an inverted keggle brew stand. it works great and is almost 100% CIP, except for cleaning the spent grains from the MT. I'm looking for some kind of tilt for my MT.

Would you be willing to share the plans for your hangers?

I'm sure we'd all love to hear how this has stood up over the years since you made this original post...

Cheers!

Thanks @SmokeyRydr . It's still standing, or hanging as it were...

Unfortunately, I don't have any plans for the hangers. I sketched it all out with one of my machinists and fabricators.

 

[BrewKaiser]

Holy cow, I didn't know this thread was 3 years old and didn't get much attention. A lot of work and detail went into this. I would love to see some videos of it being brewed on!

It's been so long I had almost forgotten about this. It's actually seen far less action than I had originally planned. Too little time and too much good local beer. This coupled with a serious focus on health and fitness it's hard to justify the time, cost, and effort for a 5 gallon batch. Almost wish I had made a smaller scale brewery.

I will say that when I do find the itch and the time to brew, it works like a champ. I do someday intend to make another pre-chiller to accelerate the chilling process and I would like to re-design all the manifolds into a more simplified design.

Or, just convert this to a still as I find myself drinking more bourbon than beer these days...