ANVIL FOUNDRY ALL-GRAIN BREWING SYSTEM

CornyKegs 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I have one similar to the one that @mbg just posted, re-purposed from my kettle. It is a 6x14 though.

I seem to be going back and forth about what I want to use, the hop spider or bags. Seems like free flowing isn't going to work, was watching clumps run through the tubing w/my riptide during last brewday wondering if it was going to clog. It never did, but the thought of it doing so just gave me a prolonged sense of dread while I was running it through those last 10 minutes of the boil to sanitize.
 
Knightshade said:
I have one similar to the one that @mbg just posted, re-purposed from my kettle. It is a 6x14 though.

I seem to be going back and forth about what I want to use, the hop spider or bags. Seems like free flowing isn't going to work, was watching clumps run through the tubing w/my riptide during last brewday wondering if it was going to clog. It never did, but the thought of it doing so just gave me a prolonged sense of dread while I was running it through those last 10 minutes of the boil to sanitize.
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat. Used bags - then spider - then basket - then those dry hop tubes - and may go back to bags or basket.
 
Knightshade said:
I have one similar to the one that @mbg just posted, re-purposed from my kettle. It is a 6x14 though.

I seem to be going back and forth about what I want to use, the hop spider or bags. Seems like free flowing isn't going to work, was watching clumps run through the tubing w/my riptide during last brewday wondering if it was going to clog. It never did, but the thought of it doing so just gave me a prolonged sense of dread while I was running it through those last 10 minutes of the boil to sanitize.
Click to expand...
You start your riptide during boil? Without issue? I always start it shortly after flame out but if I can run it earlier without issue I’m all for extra peace of mind with sanitation.
 
mbg said:
I'm in the same boat. Used bags - then spider - then basket - then those dry hop tubes - and may go back to bags or basket.
Click to expand...

Yeah..kind of maddening. After doing all the things, think I'm settling (at least until I'm not) mentally on doing bags. Just need to figure out how to remove the bags without making a complete mess. I've recently started removing the chiller, letting it continue to whirlpool for a bit then let it settle. Which also...feels like something short of a disaster waiting to happen when I do it. Trying to get some benefit out of the whirl floc add, but also worried about mucking around with stuff after the boil and potentially infecting the batch.

Summa_Brewologica said:
You start your riptide during boil? Without issue? I always start it shortly after flame out but if I can run it earlier without issue I’m all for extra peace of mind with sanitation.
Click to expand...

Yes, I read the manual, warranty exceptions and all that and it doesn't state anything explicit to not using the Riptide to circulate liquids above/below a certain temperature only to not exceed an ambient temperature of 125 F. I look at the wort that sits in the tubing from the mash recirculation and think...is that going to introduce infection if I just cycle it through? I hook up my clip on whirlpool arm to the pump as well, which I definitely want to make sure has been sanitized.
 
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/anvil-foundry-all-grain-brewing-system.666090/post-9035996This post from @Oginme is what Ive gone by to guide my processes to mitigate chances of infection. This is from page 34 of this thread and there are some good posts afterwards on that page as well that speak to this.

Personally, I don't worry about wort in the tubes/pump. During the mash (~150) you are above "vat pasteurization" temps. Then about 5-10 minutes before the boil ends, I throw in the Immersion chiller and my spin cycle whirlpool arm and hook the tubing from pump to WP arm but I don't recirculate. When time is up, I shut off the power and then go turn the water on the IC. By the time I get back to the kettle, the temp still reads ~200-195F and that's when I turn the pump on to recirculate during chilling. Based on the chart, 195 is still pretty much instantaneous to make sure everything in the pump is good to go. Been working for me with no issues of infection that I am aware of anyways lol.
 
Noob_Brewer said:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/anvil-foundry-all-grain-brewing-system.666090/post-9035996This post from @Oginme is what Ive gone by to guide my processes to mitigate chances of infection. This is from page 34 of this thread and there are some good posts afterwards on that page as well that speak to this.

Personally, I don't worry about wort in the tubes/pump. During the mash (~150) you are above "vat pasteurization" temps. Then about 5-10 minutes before the boil ends, I throw in the Immersion chiller and my spin cycle whirlpool arm and hook the tubing from pump to WP arm but I don't recirculate. When time is up, I shut off the power and then go turn the water on the IC. By the time I get back to the kettle, the temp still reads ~200-195F and that's when I turn the pump on to recirculate during chilling. Based on the chart, 195 is still pretty much instantaneous to make sure everything in the pump is good to go. Been working for me with no issues of infection that I am aware of anyways lol.
Click to expand...

With my old gas system I would dump the chiller in the boiling wort around 15 minutes before the end of boil. With the capacity of the gas burner I could easily crank it up and get a nice boil rolling quickly. With the Foundry it takes a bit of time to get a boil rolling again even on 220V. I'm tempted to do what some others do and dunk the chiller in at flameout. Based on your chart this would be fine. What are others thoughts and experience?

Thanks
 
Noob_Brewer said:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/anvil-foundry-all-grain-brewing-system.666090/post-9035996This post from @Oginme is what Ive gone by to guide my processes to mitigate chances of infection. This is from page 34 of this thread and there are some good posts afterwards on that page as well that speak to this.

Personally, I don't worry about wort in the tubes/pump. During the mash (~150) you are above "vat pasteurization" temps. Then about 5-10 minutes before the boil ends, I throw in the Immersion chiller and my spin cycle whirlpool arm and hook the tubing from pump to WP arm but I don't recirculate. When time is up, I shut off the power and then go turn the water on the IC. By the time I get back to the kettle, the temp still reads ~200-195F and that's when I turn the pump on to recirculate during chilling. Based on the chart, 195 is still pretty much instantaneous to make sure everything in the pump is good to go. Been working for me with no issues of infection that I am aware of anyways lol.
Click to expand...

I do remember reading that post. Personally, since there is no danger in doing so because the Riptide can handle it, and the Riptide has the release valve so I don't need to worry about those tubes collapsing, I just do it all at once. 15-10 towards end, timer goes off in Brewer's Friend. Drop the yeast nutrient, whirl floc, IC, connect the whirlpool arm, turn on the pump. I just hook up everything at the same time so I don't forget.

and so I can spend the rest of the time before the boil ends staring at the ceiling and cycling through what I might have forgotten....🤔🧐😬💩
 
Knightshade said:
Yeah..kind of maddening. After doing all the things, think I'm settling (at least until I'm not) mentally on doing bags. Just need to figure out how to remove the bags without making a complete mess. I've recently started removing the chiller, letting it continue to whirlpool for a bit then let it settle. Which also...feels like something short of a disaster waiting to happen when I do it. Trying to get some benefit out of the whirl floc add, but also worried about mucking around with stuff after the boil and potentially infecting the batch.
Click to expand...

Do you lower the boil pH down to 5.2-5.1 before adding the Whirlfloc? This makes all of the difference for the product.

I used a spider for a while but then switched to commando with pellets. I chill, remove the chiller then let the wort sit for 30-45 minutes covered. Then rotate the racking arm so it's at about 10:00 and get very clear wort out to the fermenter.
 
Thanks for the tip, but I have so many other things I could get wrong I'm not ready to introduce more steps. When I'm using a clear fermenter, I can watch the beer clear out while I'm waiting for it and/or the yeast to get to a suitable equalized temp to pitch...presumably from the whirl floc. I sit there and say....ah...if only I had been more patient. Oh well..

When the beer is so damn good that I start lamenting that it isn't clear or hazy enough, I figure I'll be in a good place.
 
No worries. All in good time. The lower pH in boil kettle is important to leave the undesirables behind. Clear wort is easier for the yeast as well as giving them a head start on lowering the pH. I know people say "yeast benefit from the trub" but I think a lot of that is overblown in the homebrew community as a replacement for actually working on getting clear wort. I used to do it and it is easy to let it all go in the fermenter. But these days I am all about subtracting the negative flavors. Its as easy as a squirt of lactic acid five minutes before you throw the tablet in the boil.
 
I've assembled my new Anvil Foundry 10.5 unit and will mostly follow the manual for my first brew, a Sierra Nevada pale ale clone. I've been brewing for a little while now, 35+ total batches and 15+ all grain, but I have never used a brew kettle with a dip tube. So I'm curious how folks are using it in this system. I was thinking I would position the tube straight down during mash recirculation then turn upward to some degree when transferring wort to the fermenter. So my question is: How are you positioning the dip tube and what factors lead you to your decision? Or is it as simple as looking into the kettle and turning the tube until the inlet is above the trub? Have I over thought this?
 
I point the dip tube at 6:00 during recirc and then turn the dip tube so it points at about 10:00 or 2:00 right before I transfer to the fermenter. This is after I boil, chill and let sit for 30-45 minutes. After running the first little bit out the wort is super clear. It is super simple and no need to over think!
 
Agreed with @Bassman2003 for the most part. During mashing, I have my dip tube oriented at 3 oclock with the outer ball valve pointing down at 6 o'clock. My only reason for this is that after the chilling is done, I only need to rotate the dip tube down little to 4-5oclock so hops/trub doesn't settle in the hoses as much. Then when its time to go into the fermenter, I rotated the dip tube to be oriented around 2oclock pointing upwards somewhat. I usually discard the first 200ml into a glass dish as it can be a little messy but the rest is very clear wort. FWIW, remember these kettles are really narrow compared to your traditional kettles so there's no real place for all the trub/hops to go towards the center. So as long as you have the dip tube pointed upwards around 2oclock, you will get clear wort into the fermenter and leave about a gallon behind. I let my hops roam free so I gladly take higher losses going into the fermenter. If you like to use hop socks/baskets/etc, you might be able to leave less behind. Just depends on how you want to roll with it.

The rotating dip tube is a very simple yet very effective feature here though. Ive brewed 48 batches on this system to date. As long as the nut on the inside of the ball lock is finger tight, it rotates very well with zero leaks.
 
I am actually considering this or the spike solo since the SWMBO doesn't trust me with a Propane setup. Could you do extract kit in this or would the weight of water and extract burn the element out? Obviously this would be just one or two batches to get my hands wet with brewing before switching to all grain/ eBIAB.
 
I just did 4th batch with mine. I leave mine at around 6 and move most of the batch to my fermenter. I bought an anvil conical, so I can dump out of the fermenter. I DO use a hop spider that I bought off amazon for cheap. It is great for capturing ALL of the hops. It takes a good 5 minutes to drain at end of boil.
 
I also point the dip tube down at 6 during recirc, and then when I begin chilling, I point the whirlpool arm counter-clockwise and also point the dip tube counter-clockwise at 15. It made a huge difference in clarity when I started doing this. I now don't have the need for the hop spider.
 
abweatherley said:
I am actually considering this or the spike solo since the SWMBO doesn't trust me with a Propane setup. Could you do extract kit in this or would the weight of water and extract burn the element out? Obviously this would be just one or two batches to get my hands wet with brewing before switching to all grain/ eBIAB.
Click to expand...

Definitely. I'd recommend (just like for propane) to turn the heating off while you pour in the extract, so you can be sure it's all stirred in and not sitting in a pile on the bottom. Then heat back on and continue as normal.

It's not a bad idea really to start that way and work into the grains. You don't have to but if it makes you more comfortable it's totally fine.
 
DarrellQ said:
I also point the dip tube down at 6 during recirc, and then when I begin chilling, I point the whirlpool arm counter-clockwise and also point the dip tube counter-clockwise at 15. It made a huge difference in clarity when I started doing this. I now don't have the need for the hop spider.
Click to expand...
My Journey with the Foundry has been to start conservative and work forward. I began with using rice hulls, the malt pipe and bagging or spidering my hops. After two years I am now only using a false bottom with a Wilser bag, no rice hulls thanks to a more coarse and 45 RPM crush and letting the pellet hops run free thanks to a 30-45 minute rest after chilling and turning the dip tube for ultra clear wort. It really is a great unit!
 
Bassman2003 said:
My Journey with the Foundry has been to start conservative and work forward. I began with using rice hulls, the malt pipe and bagging or spidering my hops. After two years I am now only using a false bottom with a Wilser bag, no rice hulls thanks to a more coarse and 45 RPM crush and letting the pellet hops run free thanks to a 30-45 minute rest after chilling and turning the dip tube for ultra clear wort. It really is a great unit!
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity what's your crush size these days and are you conditioning your malt? Currently I use .03" on my 2 roller mill along with conditioned malt. This has been working fairly well (no rice hulls and no stuck mashes) for me but I've been contemplating going tighter to .025".

Any suggestion on which false bottom works best with the Foundry? This is another change I've been contemplating as I currently use a bag in the malt pipe and would like to avoid the inefficiency from the deadspace around the malt pipe.
 
I use .038 and do not condition although conditioning is great. If you want to check out some different crushes etc... I made a video about it. Follow the link in my sig. to my YouTube channel.

I use the Brewzilla false bottom from Morebeer - $19.95. The legs need to be re-worked to raise it above the Foundry valve. If your search on this forum there should be some posts about it.
 
Bassman2003 said:
I use .038 and do not condition although conditioning is great. If you want to check out some different crushes etc... I made a video about it. Follow the link in my sig. to my YouTube channel.

I use the Brewzilla false bottom from Morebeer - $19.95. The legs need to be re-worked to raise it above the Foundry valve. If your search on this forum there should be some posts about it.
Click to expand...

Ahh I remember watching a couple of your videos! Not sure if you brew with things like wheat or malted oat but if you do how do you crush them? I feel like .038" is too wide for some of that stuff.

Very cool foundry setup you've got there. Like you, I've been using a "holding vessel" w/ the foundry for the past couple of brews and it does seem to produce clearer wort into the boil.
 
I put wheat through my mill twice before I mill the barley for hefeweizen. Seems to work out well. Thanks. I am working on a video now that deals with low oxygen and different brewing practices. Four approaches using the exact same grain bill. I compare using the holding vessel vs straight BIAB. So far, the flavor is cleaner and more pure with the holding vessel. Should be ready in a week or so.
 
DarrellQ said:
I also point the dip tube down at 6 during recirc, and then when I begin chilling, I point the whirlpool arm counter-clockwise and also point the dip tube counter-clockwise at 15. It made a huge difference in clarity when I started doing this. I now don't have the need for the hop spider.
Click to expand...
What's your process for turning the dip tube with the Foundry full?
 
szap said:
What's your process for turning the dip tube with the Foundry full?
Click to expand...

If you rotate the spigot on the outside, the inside goes along for the ride.

Or just do it ahead of time so you don't have to worry. I have mine pointing sideways and then when I'm about done draining it to the fermenter I just give it a little tilt to keep going til the trub is about to get sucked in.
 
tracer bullet said:
If you rotate the spigot on the outside, the inside goes along for the ride.

Or just do it ahead of time so you don't have to worry. I have mine pointing sideways and then when I'm about done draining it to the fermenter I just give it a little tilt to keep going til the trub is about to get sucked in.
Click to expand...
I always have concerns that rotating the spigot will loosing the nut on it and potential cause it to leak.
 
szap said:
I always have concerns that rotating the spigot will loosing the nut on it and potential cause it to leak.
Click to expand...

I hear you! When I have done it I rotate clockwise so it's in a "tightening" direction.

But I just have it pointed to the side and leave it there. I drain what I can then tilt to get the rest so I can max out what I get w/ minimum trub. I honestly never move it anymore. Well, I clean it often but don't move it during the brewing process.
 
tracer bullet said:
I hear you! When I have done it I rotate clockwise so it's in a "tightening" direction.

But I just have it pointed to the side and leave it there. I drain what I can then tilt to get the rest so I can max out what I get w/ minimum trub. I honestly never move it anymore. Well, I clean it often but don't move it during the brewing process.
Click to expand...
When you say you "drain what I can then tilt" I interpret that to mean you have raised the unit off the floor so wort can flow by gravity into the fermenter. Is that correct? I'm curious how folks transfer wort: by gravity or pump and why.
 
I've got mine kinda lifted on a small furniture dolly. Has made it a 'wee' bit easier to move a couple inches here and there if I need to during brew day. And if I have to reset the damn thing for some reason, stupid button underneath the unit is a little easier to reach.

I use a pump to transfer. No way that thing (10.5) is going up on the counter to transfer via gravity. I'm only 5'6" so I have to guess I'd be on a damn ladder to lift up the mash basket if that were the case. Although I have done this when I thought my pump was broke one time. Lifted the damn thing while it was full up on a chest freezer so I could transfer. Handles held, but not something I would want to routinely do by any stretch of the imagination.
 
Ahh, yeah - I have a 6.5 and it's on a counter top.

I think you could still tilt a 10.5 while on the floor, but would have to do it before it runs dry and gets air in the pump.

Good reminder how everyone has a different setup.
 
Will be keeping my eye on this. About the only thing I don't like about the 10.5gallon foundry is the fact that during slow times of the year, I wish I could do 10gallon finished batches and split them into two fermonsters. Interesting the malt pipe has integrated a removable false bottom looking exactly like blichmanns false bottom with buttons.

Perhaps @highland_brewer has one (or will soon) to review? Curious what the actual inside diameter is on this one.

https://www.anvilbrewing.com/foundry-18
 
Last edited:
Noob_Brewer said:
Will be keeping my eye on this. About the only thing I don't like about the 10.5gallon foundry is the fact that during slow times of the year, I wish I could do 10gallon finished batches and split them into two fermonsters. Interesting the malt pipe has integrated a removable false bottom looking exactly like blichmanns false bottom with buttons.

Perhaps @highland_brewer has one (or will soon) to review? Curious what the actual inside diameter is on this one.

https://www.anvilbrewing.com/foundry-18
Click to expand...

Or if you're tired of being limited by the 16lb weight limit. 36lb weight limit on this one, with a 5G minimum batch size. Looks interesting for sure. Short Circuited Brewers seems to have become the unofficial/official brewtuber for Blichmann, so something is probably coming soon.
 

Similar threads

David Coy
Power 1 and/or 2 Anvil Foundries at 240 from a 30 amp 240 spa panel
Replies
4
Views
570
David Coy
David Coy
J
Decoction in an all-in one electric brewing system
Replies
23
Views
2K
Ozarks Mountain Brewery
Ozarks Mountain Brewery
zman
CIP system for the Anvil Foundry 10.5
Replies
3
Views
673
Whisky River
Whisky River
gorlox18
What’s with all the low mileage secondhand anvil foundry units for sale??
Replies
36
Views
4K
LegacyBanker
L
Flyingpond
Looking for advice on an electric system, Anvil 6.5?
Replies
9
Views
1K
AlbertaBeer
A
Williams Brewing 300

Latest posts

Back
Top