1 bbl brew day on Twitter.

[dragon99]

Sounds pretty awesome! Wish you the best of luck.

If I may ask, what was your investment to get to 1 bbl production?

 

[Gordie]

Hi Tiedhouse. I'm using 23 tip jet burners with an adjustable high pressure regulator at the propane bottle. It took me about an hour to get 36 g of wort from 140 to 212. Normally I light up the BK when the kettle is about half full to save time, but this was my first brew with this rig and I wanted to make sure my gravity was right before I started the boil, so I was checking runoff gravity and stirring and sampling the collected wort up until I got my preboil volume so it was easier/safer to not have a F-16 engine going under the BK while I was doing that.

Hey Thantos. You know, I wouldn't be able to fill a corney, really. I could probably swap one for you, though. I naturally carbonate all my stuff in the kegs and I'm using 5g sankes. If you want to give me enough lead time, I could prime up a keg in a corney for you and set it aside and you could swap me an empty one or something.

Thanks Berkbeer. Let me know if you're coming to the fest and I'll keep an eye out.

Kevin

 

[magnj]

Gordie I missed your live brew day but I'm really excited to hear that you started as a homebrewer and made the jump to nano. I followed you on twitter and look forward to your updates!

 

[LakeErieBrew]

This is awesome. Congrats on taking the plunge!

 

[artyusmc]

can you post pics of the brew house system

 

[user 22118]

Any update?

 

[JMO]

Hey Gordie, great threads! What is your twitter name? I'd love to follow.

 

[dantodd]

Hey Gordie, great threads! What is your twitter name? I'd love to follow.

It is in his original post:

@Healdsbrew

 

[Beermaker]

Gordie, not to hijack your post, that sounds exactly what I am going through here in TX. The TTB is free, but I only need a $600 bond. TABC license is $2k per year, paid every 2 years. I 35 gallon batches, times 3 or 5 a day. I piped NG into the building for a steady gas rate, and boil, xfer wort, mash, boil, xfer wort mash, etc. I usually do about 110 gallons, and I bought and converted 55 gallon stainless barrels turned sideways for fermentors. 110 gallon batches pretty much fills 2 drums. They are on a wheeled cart, and when cooled and full, I wheel them into a cold room for fermentation. I am going to bottle and do a few kegs. I found bottles here in Waco, TX, for $3.59 / case of 12 oz long necks. Labels, caps, 6 packs and cases are a bit more. I buy grain in bulk with a local brewery. They get 40k lb truck loads, so my 500 lb orders cost about $ .47 / lb. Not to bad. My BK has a baffle plate welded into the bottom. it is about 4" tall and 12" long. It is curved to match the circumfrance of the barrel, and welded 2" from the side, directly in front of my drain valve. That way, when I whirlpool, all the trub goes to the center of the drum and the clear wort runs around the dam and the wort stays out. I can send you a picture if you like. Its a great idea, I recommend. Really helps keep the CF plate chiller clean. I also use a 2 pump system at this point. I pull the wort out of the BK with the 1st pump, and boost it to the 2nd pump to push it through the chiller. No plugging. I cool with well water down to about 78º, then into the fermentors. The cold room does the rest. I would like to talk to you more about this process. Sounds like we are on the same page.

 

[oldschool]

This is great stuff. just added you on facebook even though i will probably never get a chance to try your beer since i live in Indiana.

 

[Gordie]

Hey Beermaker! We're practically doing the same things, except you're brewing way more often than I am. My assistant is younger, too. I got the plugging/chilling situation sorted (finally) by modifying how I was using a steel wool pad and using hop bags. Last couple brews went without a hitch. Damn, $2,000 for a state license? Crikey. I originally was going to be doing only bottling but the logistics, time commitment and the space requirements convinced me to go keg only much easier process-wise. I'm also naturally carbing in the kegs instead of force carbing. When did you get licensed? What are you doing for distribution, etc?

 

[Beermaker]

License? We dont need no stinking license. I am still working through the last bit of that. Its a nightmare in Texas. Feds are ok, but state sux. I have 2 local distributers fighting for my business here. I love it. The idea of a nanobrewwery here in Beaumont is inviting to the local govt.

 

[petep1980]

I searched forums with no luck. Can someone simply tell me what bbl means?

 

[LakeErieBrew]

I searched forums with no luck. Can someone simply tell me what bbl means?

bbl is the abbreviation for 'barrel'

1 bbl = 31 gallons