Blichmann BrewEasy

[strangr419]

Profiles>Equipment>Add-ons

Sweet! Got it. Thank you!


Sorry group, damn mobile device.

 

[hmattar]

Just did my second batch. Still getting my numbers right.
Used too much water on both batches.

First batchIPA)
24,4lbs of grain(fine crush).
15.8gallons of water (added 18% more water than beersmith told me to)
MASH PH: 5.3
Beersmith estimated post-boil: 9 gallons at 1,070
My numbers: 11.8 gallons at 1,062

Calculated efficiency: 72,4%

My Second batch: (Robust porter)
39.6lbs of grains (crush wasn't fine as usual)
23 gallons of water. (added 6% more water than beersmith told me to)
MASH PH: 5.4
Beersmith estimated post boil: 15.3 gallons at 1,065.
My numbers: 17.7 gallons at 1,056.


End result: 66,6% efficiency(really bad crush)


My second bash had a really bad crush. So the lower efficiency was expected.

I will brew a Saison this weekend and will trust beersmith water volume this time.

I realize after this last batch that 40lbs of grains is the maximum I can safely use with my system.

Now i have 11 gallons of IPA and 16 gallons of porter fermenting

 

[flokason]

So after reading these two posts back to back, its seems like one of you checked pH and used water modifiers, the other did not.

ding ding ding.


this is the #1 most important efficiency factor with this system. It bumped my efficiency from the low 60's to the high 70's, consistently. Ive even hit the 80's with one batch.





I'm doing a write up and instructional video this week for Great Fermentations on my process and how to get the most out of your system.... keep an eye out for it next week.

Well I did not check the pH with a meter. I used the EZ water spreadsheet to calculate the water additions, the spreadsheet calculates the estimated pH value witch I mentioned.


Maybe some day I'll buy a pH meter

I'll be looking forward to your write up and video

I really appreciated all the things you have written here as well as the youtube timelaps video

Here are two photos from my first brew, first one I'm still mashing, the late one I have finished everything, the the beer is fermenting there

 

[Danam404]

Well I did not check the pH with a meter. I used the EZ water spreadsheet to calculate the water additions, the spreadsheet calculates the estimated pH value witch I mentioned.


Maybe some day I'll buy a pH meter

I'll be looking forward to your write up and video

I really appreciated all the things you have written here as well as the youtube timelaps video

Here are two photos from my first brew, first one I'm still mashing, the late one I have finished everything, the the beer is fermenting there

Great looking set up man! That 20 gallon is a BEAST

 

[BierHausPR]

One batch down, cryastal clear wort.

4 degree F difference between ToP and middle of mash, so had to compensate. Everything else ran smoothly.

Cinder block stand upgraded to 24x24" stainless table.

 

[flokason]

Nice setup BierHausPR

I'll have to find some table like that

But yeah I agree, the wort is super clear

 

[Danam404]

One batch down, cryastal clear wort.

4 degree F difference between ToP and middle of mash, so had to compensate. Everything else ran smoothly.

Cinder block stand upgraded to 24x24" stainless table.

Stainless porn......

 

[Wonputt]

I'm doing my first breweasy this weekend. I have the 10G gas system. I have some questions on what mash profiles to load into my software. I use the iBrew 2. Any information on grain absorption, cooling shrinkage, hourly boiloff, mash tun loss, & kettle trub loss would be appreciated. I plan on brewing a 5 gallon simple pale ale for my first trial run. Any other suggestions, hints?

Thanks! My first post on this forum.

 

[mash-mongrel]

I am going to do a 10 gallon batch of a Labatt Blue clone which is a Pilsner and a staple around here.

I'll definitely start a new thread with updates reporting time, losses and upload pictures.

 

[BierHausPR]

I am going to do a 10 gallon batch of a Labatt Blue clone which is a Pilsner and a staple around here.

I could stream this live if anyone was interested; I would take advice and constructive criticism at the same time.

I'll definitely start a new thread with live updates reporting time, losses and upload pictures.

Link me up for the streaming. I'd love to see a pils brew up north. Chilling to pitching must be a breeze.

 

[BierHausPR]

I'm doing my first breweasy this weekend. I have the 10G gas system. I have some questions on what mash profiles to load into my software. I use the iBrew 2. Any information on grain absorption, cooling shrinkage, hourly boiloff, mash tun loss, & kettle trub loss would be appreciated. I plan on brewing a 5 gallon simple pale ale for my first trial run. Any other suggestions, hints?

Thanks! My first post on this forum.

1. Grain absorption, cooling shrinkage remain the same.
2. Hourly boiloff may remain the same, subject to elevation and ambient temp.
3. MT loss is minimal, if you dump straight from mash out. I'd say about 2 cups in 10gal BE.
4. Kettle and trub loss depend on the mash, finings and hops.

Tips: Monitor your mash temp carefully. If you have a Tower of Power, your actual mash temp may vary. Also, invite a friend to clean your MT while you watch the kettle boil and add hops.

 

[mash-mongrel]

I'm doing my first breweasy this weekend. I have the 10G gas system. I have some questions on what mash profiles to load into my software. I use the iBrew 2. Any information on grain absorption, cooling shrinkage, hourly boiloff, mash tun loss, & kettle trub loss would be appreciated. I plan on brewing a 5 gallon simple pale ale for my first trial run. Any other suggestions, hints?

Thanks! My first post on this forum.

Leave the lid on the mashtun as much as possible. It helps keep the temp difference between the pots near zero. With the lid off it will be 3 to 4 degrees difference.

I crush my grains to 0.045. I had a stuck sparge but my efficiency was good.

 

[chewymatingcall]

Lead times appear to be down for people ordering the BrewEasy. It took one week for me to receive the 20 gallon gas system without the tower of power.

My mash tun did not have a hole punched so I am waiting on getting that swapped out. I was brewing yesterday anyways so I brewed a recirculating batch with my 100 quart cooler as the mash tun. I was very pleased with the ramp times for a 12 gallon batch and I am excited to brew with the full system later this month. I have some tinkering to do but am excited to do so.

 

[nooloo]

Most of my 10 gallon gas has arrived. About a week from order to door. Unfortunately, it looks like the pump and LTE stand were back ordered.

I was not expecting how many pieces this thing came in. Will probably take a night or two to get assembled. Dying to get some brew time in on this thing, hope that pump gets here ASAP!

 

[roncruiser]

I have the gas (propane) 5 gallon version of the Breweasy. I don't plan on getting the Tower of Power in the near future.

I plan to use the system this weekend. Just trying to plan for unforeseen events.

Help me out here:

1. Get the proper amount of water up to strike temperature in the bottom kettle. Then pump that water up to the top mashtun. Make sure the valve on the top kettle is closed so the water does not drain back into the bottom kettle.

2. With the pump off, the pump valve closed and the valve for the bottom kettle closed, add the proper amount of water to the bottom kettle and quickly heat the water to target mash temperature.

3. Add grains to top mashtun kettle. Give it a good stir.

4. Open the valve for the bottom kettle. Open the pump valve. Turn on the pump. Open the valve for the top kettle.

5. Monitor top kettle mash temperture and adjust the flame as needed to maintain target mash temperature.

Does this sound about right? Sure it's over simplified, but I'm trying to get the logic of the basic procedure correct in my head before moving any further.

Please chime in with further insight or tips. Especially, since this will be a manual method of maintaining mash temps. I can't afford the Tower or Power just yet.

Thanks.....

 

[BierHausPR]

I have the gas (propane) 5 gallon version of the Breweasy. I don't plan on getting the Tower of Power in the near future.

I plan to use the system this weekend. Just trying to plan for unforeseen events.

Help me out here:

1. Get the proper amount of water up to strike temperature in the bottom kettle. Then pump that water up to the top mashtun. Make sure the valve on the top kettle is closed so the water does not drain back into the bottom kettle.

2. With the pump off, the pump valve closed and the valve for the bottom kettle closed, add the proper amount of water to the bottom kettle and quickly heat the water to target mash temperature.

3. Add grains to top mashtun kettle. Give it a good stir.

4. Open the valve for the bottom kettle. Open the pump valve. Turn on the pump. Open the valve for the top kettle.

5. Monitor top kettle mash temperture and adjust the flame as needed to maintain target mash temperature.

Does this sound about right? Sure it's over simplified, but I'm trying to get the logic of the basic procedure correct in my head before moving any further.

Please chime in with further insight or tips. Especially, since this will be a manual method of maintaining mash temps. I can't afford the Tower or Power just yet.

Thanks.....

1. You could heat ALL the water in the bottom kettle and then pump to the MT on top, OR you could divide the water in half to each vessel, start cycling between both vessels while you heat until you achieve strike temp. Your choice. I just heated the bottom, and then circulated half onto the MT, and THEN doughed in. Remember to close off the valves and shut off the pump while you dough in.

2. Between step 4 and 5, remember to adjust the Auto-Sparge (AS) to about 1-2 inches above the grain bed. This step is tricky, since the water and metal will be hot, so be careful. The soft and tender skin in my armpit served as a cute reminder not to lean on the MT while doing this.

3. As for step 5, monitor both the temp AND THE VOLUME in each vessel while you recirculate. If your MT sigh glass bottoms out, you're dumping into the kettle too fast. You want the highest flow that does not empty it out before it goes back up the pump.

4. If you are manually adjusting your burner, remember to shut it off a few degrees short of your target temp. This will avoid temp overshoots, and keep your thermal mass happy.

5. Final tip: Don't drink homebrew until AFTER pitching the yeast.

 

[roncruiser]

1. You could heat ALL the water in the bottom kettle and then pump to the MT on top, OR you could divide the water in half to each vessel, start cycling between both vessels while you heat until you achieve strike temp. Your choice. I just heated the bottom, and then circulated half onto the MT, and THEN doughed in. Remember to close off the valves and shut off the pump while you dough in.

2. Between step 4 and 5, remember to adjust the Auto-Sparge (AS) to about 1-2 inches above the grain bed. This step is tricky, since the water and metal will be hot, so be careful. The soft and tender skin in my armpit served as a cute reminder not to lean on the MT while doing this.

3. As for step 5, monitor both the temp AND THE VOLUME in each vessel while you recirculate. If your MT sigh glass bottoms out, you're dumping into the kettle too fast. You want the highest flow that does not empty it out before it goes back up the pump.

4. If you are manually adjusting your burner, remember to shut it off a few degrees short of your target temp. This will avoid temp overshoots, and keep your thermal mass happy.

5. Final tip: Don't drink homebrew until AFTER pitching the yeast.

Very cool. Thanks man.

Since I will be recirculating directly from the pump into the mashtun, should I use the valve at the pump outlet to regulate flow?

I imagine calculating the mash thickness would be the standard calculation of 1.25 to 1.50 quarts per pound of grain. That would be the amount of water needed to begin with in the top mashtun kettle. Minimum. It would be okay for the water level to remain above the top of the grain but falling below would likely affect efficiency.

The rest of the water in the bottom boil kettle would amount to the difference in water to get a full pot for boil.

Which of the rubber flow control orifices would you recommend I use to begin with?

 

[BierHausPR]

Very cool. Thanks man.

Since I will be recirculating directly from the pump into the mashtun, should I use the valve at the pump outlet to regulate flow?

I imagine calculating the mash thickness would be the standard calculation of 1.25 to 1.50 quarts per pound of grain. That would be the amount of water needed to begin with in the top mashtun kettle. Minimum. It would be okay for the water level to remain above the top of the grain but falling below would likely affect efficiency.

The rest of the water in the bottom boil kettle would amount to the difference in water to get a full pot for boil.

Which of the rubber flow control orifices would you recommend I use to begin with?

No AutoSparge? With the AS, you fully open valves, and the AS regulates the flow, mostly.

Without it, you need to dial in the flow coming out of the kettle into the pump, or better yet, coming OUT of the pump to match the drain orifice.

I started with 1.5 GPM, but it was too fast for such a thin (26lbs of malt) grist, so I'll drop down to 1.25 GPM. You want the largest orifice that will drain without doing so too fast. I would suggest a simple water run to familiarize yourself with the flows.

I calculated water volumes in Beersmith as if I had been doing a BIAB. You need the full liquor volume, divided into 2 vessels to even them out, plus a few inches above the grain bed. The rest is BrewEasy.

 

[mash-mongrel]

3. As for step 5, monitor both the temp AND THE VOLUME in each vessel while you recirculate. If your MT sigh glass bottoms out, you're dumping into the kettle too fast. You want the highest flow that does not empty it out before it goes back up the pump.

Just my observation, when the sight glass bottoms out as you mentioned, ( I'm using the 1.25 orifice) I found the cause was a stuck sparge or at least a slowed one. I shut the valve in the MT off, same for the pump and stirred the grain bed all the way to the false bottom removing what feels like clumps in the grain bed.

I then waited a minute or two for things to settle, then started recirculating again.

This has happened to me on both 10gal batches so far and I never figured out on the first batch how to fix the painfully slow sparge.

On the second batch I follow the instructions that came with the kit and it worked like a charm. I found this happened right after dough in as the grains raise to sparge temps.

 

[roncruiser]

No AutoSparge? With the AS, you fully open valves, and the AS regulates the flow, mostly.

Without it, you need to dial in the flow coming out of the kettle into the pump, or better yet, coming OUT of the pump to match the drain orifice.

I started with 1.5 GPM, but it was too fast for such a thin (26lbs of malt) grist, so I'll drop down to 1.25 GPM. You want the largest orifice that will drain without doing so too fast. I would suggest a simple water run to familiarize yourself with the flows.

I calculated water volumes in Beersmith as if I had been doing a BIAB. You need the full liquor volume, divided into 2 vessels to even them out, plus a few inches above the grain bed. The rest is BrewEasy.

I forgot about that. Oops. I do have auto-sparge.

I'll conduct a simple fun using only water. Good advice!

 

[roncruiser]

Just my observation, when the sight glass bottoms out as you mentioned, ( I'm using the 1.25 orifice) I found the cause was a stuck sparge or at least a slowed one. I shut the valve in the MT off, same for the pump and stirred the grain bed all the way to the false bottom removing what feels like clumps in the grain bed.

I then waited a minute or two for things to settle, then started recirculating again.

This has happened to me on both 10gal batches so far and I never figured out on the first batch how to fix the painfully slow sparge.

On the second batch I follow the instructions that came with the kit and it worked like a charm. I found this happened right after dough in as the grains raise to sparge temps.

What were the instructions you followed? Was your grain crush too fine?

 

[BierHausPR]

For efficiency's sake, I raked the top third of the mash every 15 minutes. Got 80% mash efficiency that way in a 90 min dry saison mash.

 

[mash-mongrel]

What were the instructions you followed? Was your grain crush too fine?

I use a 0.045 crush. It came preset on the Monster Mill.

The instructions were in with one of the Blichmann products when I opened the box, I'm not sure which one but I would guess the false bottom or one of the kettles; I'll check when I get home.

They basically said what I posted, stop circulation, stir, settle, recirculate.

 

[mash-mongrel]

I have a Stainless Coil that I chill my wort with, my question is how long does it take the Blichmann plate chiller to cool a 10 gallon batch. My stainless coil takes a good hour to cool a 10 gal batch. My coil is only a 3/8 diameter by 50ft and I feel an hour is too long, I want to upgrade. I found a 1/2"x 50' stainless coil or should I go with the Blichmann chiller? Does anyone have experience with the Chillzilla?

 

[chewymatingcall]

Using the Therminator and recirculating a 12 gallon batch took about 15-20 minutes to reach 80 degrees with 70 degree groundwater. From there I would drain into the fermenters. With excess pellet hops it could get clogged and slow things down. Also note I chose to decrease the entire batch to 80 degrees before moving to the fermenter. I could have improved times by draining directly to the fermenter to just the time to drain.

 

[strangr419]

Highly recommend a hop spider when using the Therminator. I didn't use it during my first brew on the BE and regretted it tremendously. I spent three hours the second brew day flushing and back flushing with PBW and water before I even started mashing. Take my word for it HOP spider.
The Therminator chills my wort instantly. Great device.

 

[chewymatingcall]

I finally took the time to build a hop spider after brewing a PTE clone. It was worth the time and money. If I could just find a better bag that attached better to the hop spider that would be nice.

 

[BierHausPR]

This solved all my trub/hop/chiller woes:

http://www.brewershardware.com/FILTER1.html

 

[mash-mongrel]

Highly recommend a hop spider when using the Therminator. I didn't use it during my first brew on the BE and regretted it tremendously. I spent three hours the second brew day flushing and back flushing with PBW and water before I even started mashing. Take my word for it HOP spider.
The Therminator chills my wort instantly. Great device.

Yes the action of chilling is instant but how long would it take to lower to pitching temperature, let's say for lagers?

A hop spider is a good idea as it takes a long time to whirlpool the wart and let hops settle to the bottom for the hop blocker to work correctly.

I picked up the "tea bags" to put hops in next time, I have a stainless rod that I'm going to lay on top of the pot hanging each bag from the rod with stainless wire that I bent into hooks.

Don't let the bags touch the bottom of the pot if you are a propane burner or the boil coil for electric guys as they melt easy.

 

[Rmccall95]

Yes the action of chilling is instant but how long would it take to lower to pitching temperature, let's say for lagers?

A hop spider is a good idea as it takes a long time to whirlpool the wart and let hops settle to the bottom for the hop blocker to work correctly.

I have the Blichmann Therminator. Great device. Not quite as efficient in Summer,when my groundwater is quite a bit warmer. Very efficient in Winter! Brewed today, did a whirlpool after,as is my routine, and let that stand for 20 mins, then started draining through my Therminator. One pass, and my wort was down from near boiling to 55 F. Could easily have pitched lager yeast, if that was on the menu. I'll have to look into a hop spider.