Blichmann BrewEasy

[Hex23]

Also, one lesson learned the hard way: when calculating your strike temperature, do it on the volume of the mash-tun. I merrily went on my way the way I always have for BIAB and entered the full volume of water in my handy app... needless to say, dropping 24#'s of grain into 8 gallons of water, I missed my dough-in temperature by ~10°! Fortunately when I started to recirculate, the temperature came back up quickly and stayed rock steady throughout the entire mash using the offsets above.

M

I was thinking about this recently, and (theoretically) I'm not sure either extreme would be ideal. In the case where you consider your strike volume to be the volume in the MT, you might get the MT to hit the initial rest temp during the 10 minute dough in, but as soon as you start re-circulating, the the temp would go up because you've still got strike temperature water in the BK. The system would eventually stabilize, but not sure how quickly. OTOH, during the dough in process you've got the heat turned off (else it would run away), so the liquor in the BK is cooling. All of this depends on the external temp, so it's a little complicated. I suspect this is something that would take trial and error to really hit the initial rest temp. Personally, I'd rather consider the full volume as the basis. That way, at least your not potentially overshooting the temp and denaturing enzymes.

 

[Hex23]

I am wondering if SOP shouldn't be to bring the entire volume of water up to strike temperature in the bottom kettle and then fill the mash-tun circulating for a few moments to bring the pot up to temperature before adding grains and ultimately speed the process along.

Any thoughts?

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not seeing how this would speed up the process. What step are you skipping or shortening?

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Well when I "watched" the instructions for the system on you tube, you bring water up to strike temp and then dough in. I circulate during this process to heat both pots up. If you are using the top tier application program, dough in wait 5 minutes then press start, open all valves and turn on the pump and wait until mash is complete!

Ohh, no argument. It's how I have done both batches so far. Just wondering if pre-heating in the lower pot first would save time...

M

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not seeing how this would speed up the process. What step are you skipping or shortening?

Not skipping, but with a 6° temperature differential between the tun and kettle. Skipping the heat loss and doing the full volume at once seems more efficient, and thus shorter... :dunno:

M

 

[Hex23]

Not skipping, but with a 6° temperature differential between the tun and kettle. Skipping the heat loss and doing the full volume at once seems more efficient, and thus shorter... :dunno:

M

If I understand what you're saying, you're eventually going to heat up the MT by starting to circulate. That heat will partially go into the MT kettle, and it will take some time for the whole system to reach equilibrium. When that circulation starts, the overall water temp would drop until it can be brought back to the set point by the PID. That would take time and I think it's unlikely you'd get to equilibrium any faster that way than just starting circulation right at the start.

 

[Want2BS8ed]

I was thinking about this recently, and (theoretically) I'm not sure either extreme would be ideal. In the case where you consider your strike volume to be the volume in the MT, you might get the MT to hit the initial rest temp during the 10 minute dough in, but as soon as you start re-circulating, the the temp would go up because you've still got strike temperature water in the BK. The system would eventually stabilize, but not sure how quickly. OTOH, during the dough in process you've got the heat turned off (else it would run away), so the liquor in the BK is cooling. All of this depends on the external temp, so it's a little complicated. I suspect this is something that would take trial and error to really hit the initial rest temp. Personally, I'd rather consider the full volume as the basis. That way, at least your not potentially overshooting the temp and denaturing enzymes.

Hadn't thought about that... That would certainly explain why the temperature came back up so quickly once recirculating and I could certainly see where it could overshoot as you suggest.

Hmmmm... any others wish to weigh in with what you have experienced?

Great conversation!

M

 

[cookinwood]

Just think of it like cooking... You can always add, but you can't take away. I'd rather start with a dough in that's 5-6 degrees low than a dough in that's 5-6 degrees high and missing a conversion step because equilibriating back down would almost seem irrelevant because the grain would have acclimated to the higher temp at that point. When I dough in I just shoot for 6-8 degrees above desired temp by winging it. I use brew pal and in the past whenever I doughed in at the strike temp advised it was always too high. And ambient air temp is always warmer in Arizona.

 

[samandbekah]

I have a question for those of you having the temperature differences between the TOP and the mash tun/boil kettle - how many of you are brewing outdoors?

I am in the process of converting my basement kitchen into a dedicated brewing area and I'm going to be ordering the electric version... just wondering how much ambient temperature is coming into play...

 

[Want2BS8ed]

I have a question for those of you having the temperature differences between the TOP and the mash tun/boil kettle - how many of you are brewing outdoors?

I am in the process of converting my basement kitchen into a dedicated brewing area and I'm going to be ordering the electric version... just wondering how much ambient temperature is coming into play...

In my all of two brews experience on the new BrewEasy, I was outdoors on a natural gas fired Blichmann burner with ambient temperatures in the low to mid-40's and light winds. To maintain a steady 152°F in the mash tun. I was recording the following:

MT = 152°
BK = 158°
TOP = 160°

Indoors with a controlled environment and higher ambient temperature, I would anticipate less of a differential.

I actually like brewing outside, but look forward to responses from others - I have often thought about a second BK w/ BoilCoil (or even a rims rocket) and mounting an electric controller next to the gas controller on the TOP just to have the capability to brew indoors on rainy days...

M

 

[aamcle]

Would it be possible to reduce the dough in temperature discrepancy by having as much strike water in the MT as possible? Dough in then let it drain to whatever level you want.
In effect setting up with the minimum water over the elements.

I know insulation is tricky if your working with gas but just insulating the wort return tube made a big reduction to the temperature difference between the wort in the bottom of the kettle and that at the top of the wort return line in my recirculating BIAB system. I brew in the garage and it gets cold out there.

I'm interested because I had a Brutus20 and liked it very much but I'm beginning to feel a little unsure about the BrewEasy.


Atb. Aamcle

 

[cookinwood]

I am brewing using it for the fifth time Sunday before Super Bowl, I will post step by step process with photos and video if possible.

 

[aamcle]

Cookinwood, would you be able to measure how long it takes the grain bed to achieve target mash temperature after dough in and the start of recirculation?

Many thanks. Aamcle

 

[cookinwood]

I can try, I always start with the 122 protein rest with a dough in of ~128. I will give the exact recipe I will be using. Most likely an amber. I also use 7.5/10 (smallest brew easy)240v setup in my garage.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422504412.548325.jpg

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Aamcle, what were you using to insulate the return line?

Thanks,

M

 

[aamcle]

Just common pipe insulation the foam tube type you should be able to get it easily.

Atb. Aamcle

 

[cookinwood]

Here's my grain bill, hops and process I'm going to use for

Crook Lane Amber Ale
American Amber Ale
5.5 gallons
All Grain
1.059~OG → 1.014~FG → 5.9%ABV29 IBU14.0°L SRM

Yeast
Fermentis - Safbrew T-58
T-58 - Safbrew T-58
Fermentis (Ale)1750mL starter with washed yeast on its second run about 4oz of yeast slurry being combined with nutrients and 1250mL of fresh wort.


Fermentables
13 pounds 2 Row 71.2%
Biscuit 12 ounces 5.8%
CaraPils 12 ounces 5.8%
Carastan (Light) 12 ounces 5.8%
Crystal 120L 12 ounces 5.8%
Victory 12 ounces 5.8%

Hops
3.16 ounces
Cascade
9%, Leaf1.25 ounces
Comet
10%, Leaf1.25 ounces
Galena
14.1%, Leaf0.66 ounces


Miscellaneous
0.25 ounces
Orange peel (Sweet)
Flavor0.25 ounces


1 step brew in bag/ramp
90 minutes, 8.70 gallons +.25gallons for system loss via dead space/tubing
Strike
Target 122°F128°F 15 minutes
Ramp 1
Target 122-154°F22 min
Target 154F 60 minutes
Ramp 2
Target 154-168F 17 minutes
Target 168 20 minutes

Boil
90 minutes, ~6.76-7 gallons
Galena hops
14.1%, Leaf0.66 ounces
60 minutes (+30)
Cascade hops
8.1%, Leaf0.5 ounces
5 minutes (+85)
Comet hops
10%, Leaf0.5 ounces
5 minutes (+85)
Orange peel (Sweet)
Flavor0.25 ounces
5 minutes (+85)

Ferment
14 days, 2 stages
Start fermentation
63°F
7 days (+0 days)
Cascade hops
9%, Leaf0.75 ounces
7 days (+7 days)
Comet hops
10%, Leaf0.75 ounces
7 days (+7 days)
Rack to secondary
63°F
7 days (+7 days)

 

[nutty_gnome]

Nice to see others using Comet hops out in the homebrew world. I like it---- I describe it as 'more simcoe than simcoe' (tm). Congrats on your fine choice and good luck with the Blichmann Breweasy!

 

[Rmccall95]

Been following this thread for a while. Seeing the enthusiasm with which owners speak of the Blichmann BE setup, I want to ask some questions.
I am an all-grain brewer, doing mash in a 10-gallon Igloo cooler. Been brewing this way for about 4 years. No recirculation here, just letting it sit for an hour, trusting BeerSmith for making sure I hit mash temps with some degree of certainty. And no ability to precisely adjust my mash temp. Please enlighten me - what are the advantages to a recirculating system? I can easily see the ability to do step-mash, as well as a protein rest, if I decide to attempt that. What else? What advantage is there to the filtration of the wort that will obviously happen during the hour of recirculating?
I am wanting someone to convince me to either cobble together a recirculating system of some kind on my own, or go ahead and spring the $$ to invest in this system. It's just that the BE system is a sizable chunk of cash, and will require not only saving up for it, but strong justification for the expenditure.
I am thinking I will go for an electric setup, though I will have to have another 240v outlet installed in my utility/brew room.

 

[mfabe]

Had my first go around with my 10 gallon electric brew easy setup yesterday. Everything functioned flawlessly, but I did have to dial in about a 4-5 degree differential between the boil kettle/TOP temp vs. what the mash was registering using my thermapen and brewmometer. I also did about a 15 minute ramp for an attempted mashout, but didn't quite get to the 165 before I got impatient and just stopped the recirculation.

Overall I am very pleased with the system, but I only got 65% efficiency and I was a gallon short on my final volume (finished with 10 flat, normally I get 11 for dead loss etc) on the first go around. Not bad but I think I can improve on it by dialing in a bit finer crush on my MM3. My goal is to get 75% consistently. The thing I appreciated most about it was it shaved about 2 hours off my brew day vs my prior gas fired 3 vessel system. Clean up and storage is extremely easy.

All in all I think the system was an excellent investment! I can't wait for the next go around! :rockin:

 

[mash-mongrel]

Thanks for the idea, but I'm curious to know how this works for you given that it seems the threads are M6x1: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/blichmann-autosparge-rod-threads-334727/

I went ahead and bought a SS 1/4x20 threaded rod at HD, and sure enough it doesn't thread well - might get to about 1-2 threads before it stops. I need to brew tonight, so I'll prob just leave it this way for now.

For those that want to order it, here's a 1 meter M6x1mm rod from McMaster. They also sell a 2 meter, but it's probably not needed.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#94185a155/=vka9e8

Sorry about that, I was busy at sea while at work when I made my speedy reply.

I had taken my sparge arm with me when I picked up the threaded stock and asked for 1/4 inch as I handed him the arm but the helpful hand at the store never corrected me as I miss spoke, he passed me the correct metric threaded stock, I thanked him and walked away. I apologize and will edit my original post giving you credit.

 

[Hex23]

Sorry about that, I was busy at sea while at work when I made my speedy reply.

I had taken my sparge arm with me when I picked up the threaded stock and asked for 1/4 inch as I handed him the arm but the helpful hand at the store never corrected me as I miss spoke, he passed me the correct metric threaded stock, I thanked him and walked away. I apologize and will edit my original post giving you credit.

Not a problem at all. I hate to admit it, but I practically live in that store and return all kinds of things. I had also seen others refer to using a 1/4" threaded rod for the AS, so I figured I'd just take a chance that there were multiple versions. Ended up getting M6x1 rod at Grainger since I only live 5 miles away and can pick it up there w/o paying shipping.

 

[chewymatingcall]

Has anyone built the Breweasy starting piecemeal and started by adding the Tower of Power to their current system?

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Has anyone built the Breweasy starting piecemeal and started by adding the Tower of Power to their current system?

I basically did. I started with a Blichmann burner, purchased the full-TOP and was doing 5-gallon recirculating BIAB batches in a Bayou Classics pot with perforated basket.

I purchased the pots and BrewEasy conversion when I moved up to 10-gallon batches.

Anything specific you need to know?

M

 

[samandbekah]

I basically did. I started with a Blichmann burner, purchased the full-TOP and was doing 5-gallon recirculating BIAB batches in a Bayou Classics pot with perforated basket.

I purchased the pots and BrewEasy conversion when I moved up to 10-gallon batches.

Anything specific you need to know?

M

I think it would be good to provide some pricing...

I have the blichmann burner already and I had starting pricing it out piece by piece... When I did so it ended up being a better deal buying the breweasy turnkey system.

I priced it out for the 20 gallon equivalent

 

[chewymatingcall]

I currently run a 10 gallon setup using a 100qt cooler and 15 gallon pot. Was there anything missing that you needed to buy when you upgraded? How much time do you save with the BrewEasy? Does draining the kettle slowly help increase efficiency once you are done with the mash or does the recirculation make that irrelevant?

 

[Danam404]

Hi Guys.... Long time no post!

I spoke with John Blichmann yesterday on the phone. He read a review I posted online where I voiced some customer service concerns, and contacted Great Fermentations for my info. I will say he's a very nice guy, and was apologetic for the ridiculous 1.5 year dog and pony show that was the BrewEasy release... sounds like they got hosed by their suppliers, and over-promised to the customers. Doesn't fix the ringer that I was put thru as a paying customer, but they are making an attempt to be better... they've cleaned house a bit in their customer service dept.

Anyway, aside from the 45 minute conversation we had about customer service, we had a few minutes to chat about the system, which is way more interesting...


Some highlights:

-He said that it is normal to have to offset your controller temp a few degrees for system loss based on your setup. He says he always adds 2.7 degrees to the controller to keep the temp he wants in the mash tun

-As far as efficiency, its extremely important to have around 100 PPM of Ca in your water, as the BrewEasy will buffer over twice as much as a normal system

-My method I outlined several pages back, where I overshoot my target temp during ramp up, and then back it down when I reach temp, is an acceptable way to speed up ramping and shave time off the brew day.

-Always make sure to reference your brewmometer and make sure your mash tun is up to temperature before starting the clock on mash time... the "let the controller stabilize at 152 and trust it" is not the way to go

-Rake the top of your grain bed every 10 minutes, especially when ramping, helps speed up the process... says the grain tends to insulate the brewmometer so if you don't move it around you may be getting false readings

-slow the flow rate when draining into the brew kettle, can pick up a few efficiency points this way



Also look for some new products coming out from them, said they've got a bunch of stuff up their sleeve but are going "full apple" on product releases because of what happen with the BrewEasy. Sounds like they are trying to get better with their customer service, and will also be better about making youtube videos, demonstrating the best ways to use their products.

Hope this helps!

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Danam404,

Awesome input! Will definitely put those into practice on my next batch.

Thanks for taking the time to share from your conversation with John.

M

 

[Nuclearlavatory]

Hello, I’ve been considering the 10 gal electric system. I like that I have the ability to easily integrate the majority of the components into a three vessel RIMS system down the road if I so choose. However, I am concerned with the flexibility of the system in producing different beers. I am limited to 5 gallon batches on my current cooler batch sparge set up. There have quite a few times where I wished I had brewed 10 gallons at a time. But, I also have never thought that about high gravity beers 1.08 and up.

I would like to know from those who own the system, what the batch/gravity limits are. What is the lightest gravity I can go at a 5 gallon batch size on the 10 gal BrewEasy system? What is the heaviest 10 gal batch I can brew on that system? From what I understand the 20 gal BK used on the 10 gal BrewEasy, a 5 gal min must be used for boil (not a problem considering trub losses would drive a higher than 5 gal boil for a 5 gal batch). But, when I’m doing a light beer at 5 gallons and the total water is split between the MT and BK, what is the minimum gravity I can brew and still achieve the minimum volume in the BK (which during the mash is the RIMs heater)?

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Hex23]

But, when I’m doing a light beer at 5 gallons and the total water is split between the MT and BK, what is the minimum gravity I can brew and still achieve the minimum volume in the BK (which during the mash is the RIMs heater)?

Hope that makes sense.

This probably seems counterintuitive, but your limitations around volume balancing are going to be due to higher gravity beers. I realize that the mash thickness in the MT is not really to be considered in a traditional way (e.g. shooting for 1.25 qt/lb) for conversion chemistry purposes - after all, it is really a full volume/no sparge system. But for recirc/lautering/thermal considerations you don't want the mash to be too thick. So, for larger grain bills you're going to end up with more of the wort in the MT, leaving less to cover the coils (assuming your system is electric)

 

[Nuclearlavatory]

This probably seems counterintuitive, but your limitations around volume balancing are going to be due to higher gravity beers. I realize that the mash thickness in the MT is not really to be considered in a traditional way (e.g. shooting for 1.25 qt/lb) for conversion chemistry purposes - after all, it is really a full volume/no sparge system. But for recirc/lautering/thermal considerations you don't want the mash to be too thick. So, for larger grain bills you're going to end up with more of the wort in the MT, leaving less to cover the coils (assuming your system is electric)

That makes sense. I didn't effectively look at it from that angle. I was simply dividing the total water needed into two equal parts and split between the MT and BK. But, you're right doing that with some of the high gravity beers would yield a really thick mash preventing good recirculation. While if increasing the water volume in the MT, the BK wouldn't have enough volume to cover the heating element (~5 gal min).

I guess, what is the optimum grist ratio for the BrewEasy system?