jcmcdowell
Well-Known Member
I'm stepping up from a 3 vessel propane keggle system to a variation on a RIMS/Braumeister with 2 vessels and all electric.
I'm using a 55 gal SS drum with 3-240v 5500w heating elements as the quasi heating vessel and a 35 gal, 140 quart SS stock pot, as the "malt pipe" or grain vessel, or mash tun.
The idea is 3 heating elements and one pump run by a controller and being able to brew about 40 gallons of average gravity beer.
The Braumeister uses a "malt pipe" inside the kettle like a bag in BIAB brewing and pumps UP the wort through the grains and it gravity flows back into the kettle (like a fountain). I like the simplicity of the system but for bigger applications a crane and 150 lbs of hot, wet grain sounds like too much work.
I decided to put the grain vessel along side the boil kettle and pump UP through the bottom of the grain vessel and gravity drain back into the boil kettle.
I'm waiting on some 300 micron screen and perf plate from Utah Biodiesel for the lower false bottom in the grain vessel and the top strainer that keep all the grain from getting in the boil kettle.
I can no sparge, possibly batch sparge, and with another pump fly sparge with this setup. It will depend on the efficiency in the end. I like my 3 vessel system with 2 march pumps and blichman terminator, but it's not real practical to UPSIZE the system to 1bbl or larger and trying to dump 150lbs of grain. The final frame will incorporate a tippy dump for the grain vessel.
I could possibly use the grain vessel with the 300 micron screen as a hop grant or like a hop rocket. It may be easier to just build a large hop rocket and stick it inside the 55 gal drum during the boil however.
I just got the two kettles back from the TIG welder, who welded on the tri clover ferrules. I built a test frame to test fit all the pieces together. I'll likely weld up a steel frame first to workout the kinks before building a stainless frame.
I'm using a SS 240v Chugger Pump and all tri clover fittings and valves. I bought the tri clover heating element fittings from Brewers Hardware.
For a controller I am adapting one of P-J's 3 phase plans (I have 3 phase) and only using the boil kettle side of the plan with a 50amp breaker feeding the whole system. I opted to go the Arduino route versus Auberins PID. I am working toward the Brauduino system developed by Mathos, an Australian for single vessel, Braumeister clone like operation. I've ordered a couple of the PCB boards, which are en route, to build a controller using a 40amp 3 phase SSR for the elements and an SSR for the pump.
I'm hoping to run a test SMASH batch mid January if I can get the controller built. I may run a batch on the wood frame to test layout before cutting steel.
So far, so good.
I'm using a 55 gal SS drum with 3-240v 5500w heating elements as the quasi heating vessel and a 35 gal, 140 quart SS stock pot, as the "malt pipe" or grain vessel, or mash tun.
The idea is 3 heating elements and one pump run by a controller and being able to brew about 40 gallons of average gravity beer.
The Braumeister uses a "malt pipe" inside the kettle like a bag in BIAB brewing and pumps UP the wort through the grains and it gravity flows back into the kettle (like a fountain). I like the simplicity of the system but for bigger applications a crane and 150 lbs of hot, wet grain sounds like too much work.
I decided to put the grain vessel along side the boil kettle and pump UP through the bottom of the grain vessel and gravity drain back into the boil kettle.
I'm waiting on some 300 micron screen and perf plate from Utah Biodiesel for the lower false bottom in the grain vessel and the top strainer that keep all the grain from getting in the boil kettle.
I can no sparge, possibly batch sparge, and with another pump fly sparge with this setup. It will depend on the efficiency in the end. I like my 3 vessel system with 2 march pumps and blichman terminator, but it's not real practical to UPSIZE the system to 1bbl or larger and trying to dump 150lbs of grain. The final frame will incorporate a tippy dump for the grain vessel.
I could possibly use the grain vessel with the 300 micron screen as a hop grant or like a hop rocket. It may be easier to just build a large hop rocket and stick it inside the 55 gal drum during the boil however.
I just got the two kettles back from the TIG welder, who welded on the tri clover ferrules. I built a test frame to test fit all the pieces together. I'll likely weld up a steel frame first to workout the kinks before building a stainless frame.
I'm using a SS 240v Chugger Pump and all tri clover fittings and valves. I bought the tri clover heating element fittings from Brewers Hardware.
For a controller I am adapting one of P-J's 3 phase plans (I have 3 phase) and only using the boil kettle side of the plan with a 50amp breaker feeding the whole system. I opted to go the Arduino route versus Auberins PID. I am working toward the Brauduino system developed by Mathos, an Australian for single vessel, Braumeister clone like operation. I've ordered a couple of the PCB boards, which are en route, to build a controller using a 40amp 3 phase SSR for the elements and an SSR for the pump.
I'm hoping to run a test SMASH batch mid January if I can get the controller built. I may run a batch on the wood frame to test layout before cutting steel.
So far, so good.
