Maiden Voyage=19 Gallon Split Batch High Gravity Herms Brew

[benbradford]

This was the first time that I brewed on the completed system in which I have a 2 keggle single pump 120v electric herms system, that I also added my stovetop 6 gallon system to.

My limitations are:

I do not have access to 240 volts, therefore the 120.

Apartment brewer in cold climate, therefore no stand, and inside with electric.

The first batch was a 13 gallon pale ale, and also a 6 gallon tripel. I had to do a high gravity brew on the tripel, because the mash tun was too small for the grain bill.

Here is the system in storage.


Everything fits into a armoire that I added refrigeration to the bottom chamber too.

 

[benbradford]

Here is the system setup in kitchen...Takes about 10 minutes or less.

 

[benbradford]

Here are the grain additions as I am heating water to mash in...

 

[benbradford]

The pump and control panel(at least until I get something nicer and more automated)

 

[benbradford]

Mashing in..small system is gravity fed to the small mash tun, while the larger is a pumped addition.

 

[benbradford]

Heating large boil kettle for next addition and so that the herms coil is hot for the recirculating that will take place on both mashes...Temperature dropped a couple of degrees on both, but I recirculated for a few minutes seperately as necessary, and the mash temps turned out wonderful.

 

[benbradford]

Due to elevation (my apartment is right at 10750 feet or so) my boiling point is actually right around 195.5. This sometimes limits my additions, as beersmith calculates up to 212 to raise temps for sparging sometimes. I usually have to kind of fiddle with the program to get it to give me the additions that make sense.

Here is the boil kettle getting ready for the last addition before sparging. I batch sparge pretty much, sometimes drain into a bucket as I do addition from bk.

 

[benbradford]

Empty boil kettle... a little grain made its way back to bk on spoon and such, and caused a little discoloration in the last bit of water left behind.

 

[benbradford]

Finished grain bed in large mash tun...

 

[benbradford]

Both boil kettles ready for boil

 

[benbradford]

For a boil this size, and the limitations on the two 2000 watt 120v elements, the boil takes a few minutes to get going, but as I mentioned earlier, only having to go to 195.5 helps. At sea level, a third element or rims tube would be an advantage, but would require a third extension cord and a third circuit off of breaker box

Here are both beers post boil before cooling...

 

[benbradford]

In order to cool, the 13 gallon batch is pretty simple and cold water is circulated through herms coil. Another advantage of the elevation, is the ground water stays about 40-45 degrees year round. Takes about 25 minutes to cool the 13 gallon batch, then the 6 gallon batch is moved to the larger boil kettle and cooled in the same way. This adds the most significant amount of time for the seperate batches, but cleanup is taking place and it really isn't that much more

 

[benbradford]

The turnaround on the pale ale was actually about 30 days, and the tripel will age for anouther 2 months at least.

 

[benbradford]

This week, I am hoping to add a third vessel to setup, with option to presuure ferment, and increase brew volume up to 31 gallons

 

[benbradford]

added a couple more tanks for muli use as extra mashing, boiling, and hlt functions...

also pretty much completed the control panel/base for stand

 

[Paul07293]

I'm impressed you've been able build this system to fit in your small space, especially like the armoire storage facility. The ingenuity of the determined brewer knows no bounds!