Home Super Brewery Build: Hybrid Electric/Gas 3BBL Build

[ScubaSteve]

Lol, hop screens are a passion of mine ; )

This is actually my fourth brew system and with each one I have bought or built a base and then enhanced them. Eventually I want to upgrade (in some cases after one brew day!) then I sell and start over.... It's not like I went and bought a seam welder or anything!.......

I totally understand the "bug"...I've built several systems myself (of course not to this level of complexity/$$$) and know exactly what you mean by wanting to updgrade after one brew. Something doesn't work the way you imagined, and *pop* in comes another idea that you just HAVE to see through to fruition.

You mention a seam welder...ironically, the brewing bug got me really into learning other skills such as welding and machining...and those are all disciplines in their own right. I got bitten by the "Old Iron" bug when I lived around Chicago and started buying old machine tools and fixing them up....I'm on my 6th lathe (South Bend 13") and 2nd milling machine (Van Norman 12)....have MIG/TIG/Stick welders, plasma cutter, and just got an industrial spot welder. All I "need" is a slip roll and possibly a finger brake and I can make anything I want for my brewery. There's nothing cooler than doing your own R&D....:rockin:

I guess you can say I've come full circle!

 

[marcb]

I totally understand the "bug"...I've built several systems myself (of course not to this level of complexity/$$$) and know exactly what you mean by wanting to updgrade after one brew. Something doesn't work the way you imagined, and *pop* in comes another idea that you just HAVE to see through to fruition.

You mention a seam welder...ironically, the brewing bug got me really into learning other skills such as welding and machining...and those are all disciplines in their own right. I got bitten by the "Old Iron" bug when I lived around Chicago and started buying old machine tools and fixing them up....I'm on my 6th lathe (South Bend 13") and 2nd milling machine (Van Norman 12)....have MIG/TIG/Stick welders, plasma cutter, and just got an industrial spot welder. All I "need" is a slip roll and possibly a finger brake and I can make anything I want for my brewery. There's nothing cooler than doing your own R&D....:rockin:

I guess you can say I've come full circle!

Bummed you don't live closer! Do you ever get out to the SF Bay Area?

 

[kerklein2]

Most ODHWHs are more than 80% efficient. Versus a burner and kettle at about 20% efficient. An electric burner in a HLT is 100% efficient, but electricity is slow compared to an ODHWH and you'd also need another 20 to 40A electrical feed to run elements in another vessel... so on demand wins in my books, even if its just for filling an HLT that will then be heated with something else.

Electric element in HLT is not 100% efficient. Sure the element converts electricity to heat at 100%, but the tun loses plenty of heat in the process, unless you insulate the **** out of it. I would imagine not any better than 80%.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Bummed you don't live closer! Do you ever get out to the SF Bay Area?

Nah...having 3 kids keeps me from doing coast to coast travel....

 

[brewman !]

Electric element in HLT is not 100% efficient. Sure the element converts electricity to heat at 100%, but the tun loses plenty of heat in the process, unless you insulate the **** out of it. I would imagine not any better than 80%.

I think that is obvious to everyone.

 

[marcb]

Nah...having 3 kids keeps me from doing coast to coast travel....

I've got 4 boys, my job used to keep me on the road a lot but I have been home more in the past year. I also tend to do crazy short business trips just to limit time away from the family....

 

[marcb]

So it's official, we've got an industrial space and are getting ready to do this for real! Half of this system is going over to a production facility for piloting while we get our license going and we'll be ordering a small scale production brewery to be delivered before the end of the year!


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[Dog House Brew]

That is awesome! What system did you decide on?

 

[marcb]

That is awesome! What system did you decide on?

Still in the process of selecting a vendor but for the system itself we are going with a direct fired 7BBL compact brewhouse, 2 7BBL FV + Brights, 1 15BBL FV to start off with.

 

[TZOR]

Congratulations

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

That's awesome, really dig this thread. Seeing what you came up with as a mere amateur, I hope you'll post some pics of the commercial setup.

Good Luck!


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[IndyMcLovin]

Great thread. Thanks for documenting your build! I'll certainly be using it as a reference.

 

[ScubaSteve]

That's great! Good on ya for going relatively big from the beginning....everything I have read is that you need to be able to produce enough beer to keep up with demand and make enough $$$ to pay the bills (and yourself).

 

[marcb]

That's great! Good on ya for going relatively big from the beginning....everything I have read is that you need to be able to produce enough beer to keep up with demand and make enough $$$ to pay the bills (and yourself).

Thanks! Interestingly enough it's not much more expensive to go with a 15BBL or a 30BBL system, the space we are in though dictates that 7BBL with 15BBL cellaring is probably about as big as we can go this round. As for the $$$ I don't think getting paid is in the cards for a few years but hopefully we will recoup the investment in the equipment....

 

[ClaudiusB]

So it's official, we've got an industrial space and are getting ready to do this for real!

Congratulations.
I hope your business will be so successful to give us Texans a change to enjoy your beer too.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[marcb]

Congratulations.
I hope your business will be so successful to give us Texans a change to enjoy your beer too.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

thanks, you've provided me enough inspiration over the course of my crazy builds I'll happily ship you beer my friend! Your garage is even more 'breaking bad' than mine : )

 

[njenabnit]

Something to be said about crashing and carbing in the fermenter! Beer is kegged and tapped the same day....

could you please expand on how you are doing this? do you just plug the fermenter to carb for a while naturally, cold crash, keg, and it is ready to serve? if so, how long do you usually let it ferment while plugged and at what temp do you naturally carbonate?

AWSOME build by the way! Glad to see that you are taking this to the next level!

 

[marcb]

could you please expand on how you are doing this? do you just plug the fermenter to carb for a while naturally, cold crash, keg, and it is ready to serve? if so, how long do you usually let it ferment while plugged and at what temp do you naturally carbonate?



AWSOME build by the way! Glad to see that you are taking this to the next level!

Sure, my fermenters are pressure rated to 15psi. I usually cap the fermenter at about 2/3 of primary fermentation to naturally carb but also have carb stones in the fermenter for force carbing as well. The glycol chiller gets the beer down to about 40 degrees which also speeds up force carbing as well.


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[njenabnit]

Awesome! I have some corny lids with holes for fermentation and blow off/bubblers. I guess I can do the same thing and just change the lid out (at the risk of oxygen exposure) when I am winding down on the primary. Maybe I'll do that!

 

[marcb]

Awesome! I have some corny lids with holes for fermentation and blow off/bubblers. I guess I can do the same thing and just change the lid out (at the risk of oxygen exposure) when I am winding down on the primary. Maybe I'll do that!

Since you already have a hole in the lid, just mate it up with a compression fitting and a small valve that would allow you to change out the bubbler or cap it for carbing.


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[ImNoExpert]

Congrats on going pro! Keep us updated with lots of photos of the beer bling!

 

[marcb]

Congrats on going pro! Keep us updated with lots of photos of the beer bling!

Thanks, will do. Should have the 1.5bbl half of this system up and running in its new home shortly. This will involve replicating some essential components like tankless water heater and control panel. We'll also need to source a small glycol chiller for fermentation temp control. Short of that we'll be good to go on pilot batches while we are in process on the licensing. Lead times on new system is anywhere from 4-6months and I have no idea what the speed of bureaucracy for the licensing will be. At this point my goal is to have a legal, licensed production facility up and running with 7bbl brewhouse and 30bbl cellaring in place by the end of the year.


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[kickflip_mj]

Were is the new location? I'd love to stop buy when you get some tanks


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[marcb]

Were is the new location? I'd love to stop buy when you get some tanks


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Probably about halfway point between our houses, beautiful and bullet hole ridden Richmond, CA!


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[kickflip_mj]

So Hayward? Dublin/pleasington


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[marcb]

So Hayward? Dublin/pleasington


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Richmond


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[kickflip_mj]

Well I'm going to have to check it out!


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[marcb]

New toy showed up today!


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[txjoe]

Cool toy, where'd you get that (if don't mind me asking)?


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[marcb]

Cool toy, where'd you get that (if don't mind me asking)?


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Cpe systems from Canada, they advertise on probrewer and really have the best prices around (and fantastic support)

My other march nano pumps have about 15' of head, these have like 65'

Not only planning on leveraging for CIP but also to design a variable program for automating keg washing correctly.... And hey, it's always great to be able to push the envelope!


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