My Brewery Upgrade

[Desert_Sky]

Uncle Sam has rewarded me for having kids very generously this year with a really nice tax return. And with a little sweet talking and well timed massages I got to blow the entire thing this year on my brewery upgrade. Think of it as my "Once a decade irresponsible purchase" which every guy should get at least once.

I had a really nice Brutus sculpture I built, but I came to the realization that my time is worth something to me. So....instead of spending 4 hours making 10 gallons, why not just spend those 4 hours and make twice as much?? So, with that said I decided what the hell. Here she is, my Morebeer 2050. It has been the longest 8-12 weeks I have had to endure for a while. But it has definitely been worth the wait. They really are a great group of guys and very easy to work with, and quality is top notch! And I think the tippy dump is just way too cool, the only thing that would make it better would be to have motorized rakes for grain removal.

I think next weekend will be the initial heat loss/gains and PBW test runs.

 

[Desert_Sky]

Now I am going to need something to ferment all this beer in. So what better way than a nice Blichmann 27 gallon conical with Tri-Clamps of course.

Now....hmm, I dont have a chiller. I am really digging that Sabco Chill Wizard they have. But damn....they say right there on their website that I cant build it for less. Hmm.....wanna bet? So here it is, I plan on making a trip to the welders here sometime next week for the stand. But out of my kettle into the high temp March pump, through the Blichmann Therminator and from there into an oxygen assembly and into the fermenter.

Here is a shot of my SS Oxygen stone

So there it is, my brewery upgrade. I still have two hoses to put together, assemble the chiller, and build a floor for the fermenter. But its coming together nicely. I would like to thank my kids for the wonderful EIC I received from them this year. Thanks Guys!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Congrats on the purchase.

Have you broken it in yet?

I struggled between that and the BM. Then I brewed on one and made my decision.

Quick tip: Make a sign or something to remind you to disconnect the controller lead BEFORE you go to dump the draff from the tun.

 

[chemman14]

that looks really cool. How is temperature controlled in your system?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Any thought on break/pellet management between the kettle and chiller?

Since your kettle bottom is flat a whirlpoool will mitigate a lot of that. I am currently testing a hop back prefilter using ruice hulls as a filter medium. Cupped kettle bottoms with center siphons don't do well with whirlpool cones.

 

[Desert_Sky]

that looks really cool. How is temperature controlled in your system?

The rig is all propane and I figured out how to cram that fermenter into my existing upright freezer. Had to remove the handles on the conical.....which shouldnt make any difference becasue noone is going to lift that bad boy when its full anyway. I was able to life the 14.5 gallon one I had when full, but there is no way this one is budging.

 

[Desert_Sky]

Any thought on break/pellet management between the kettle and chiller?

Since your kettle bottom is flat a whirlpoool will mitigate a lot of that. I am currently testing a hop back prefilter using ruice hulls as a filter medium. Cupped kettle bottoms with center siphons don't do well with whirlpool cones.

Actually, I am trying to find the link, but you know that gasket that goes between two tri clamp fittings? Well they make one with a mesh screen in the middle. THat should do the trick with a nice whirlpool like you said

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Actually, I am trying to find the link, but you know that gasket that goes between two tri clamp fittings? Well they make one with a mesh screen in the middle. THat should do the trick with a nice whirlpool like you said

MoreBeer carries them. But they are usually out of stock. That thing would plug in a heart beat on my system since no whirlpool ability.

 

[Desert_Sky]

THere is also a false bottom in the kettle itself so with a whirlpool and that screen I should be ok. I WOnder if I can come up with somehting like the diverter plate and bazooka tube that the Blichmann Boilermakers come with

*edit, and I havent used pellet hops in years so with leaf I should be ok. Just need to watch out for the hop seeds

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

THere is also a false bottom in the kettle itself so with a whirlpool and that screen I should be ok. I WOnder if I can come up with somehting like the diverter plate and bazooka tube that the Blichmann Boilermakers come with

*edit, and I havent used pellet hops in years so with leaf I should be ok. Just need to watch out for the hop seeds

Yeah. Mine has a FB too. Doesn't stop the break very well. The leaf is your advantage tho'.

 

[Poobah58]

I don't know you but you suck!
I'm so jealous!!!

 

[Grimster]

Man that's shiny and pretty!

 

[jpc]

I don't mean to piss in your corn flakes, but this is a pet peeve of mine.

Uncle Sam is giving you a REFUND, not a RETURN. You file a RETURN with the IRS. And the main reason that you get a refund is that you have been loaning the US government a bunch of money at at interest rate of 0% for the year.

I'm also jealous of your new purchase, but that's another story.

 

[Brew-boy]

Damn dude what did you drop like 20K for all that bling....lol
It is very sweet and I am jealous.

 

[Yooper]

Wow. That's so awesome. I have drooled over that exact system on the morebeer.com website.

I especially like the tippy dump, and the HLT under the MLT. I'm so jealous! That system looks perfect.

 

[Desert_Sky]

I especially like the tippy dump, and the HLT under the MLT. I'm so jealous! That system looks perfect.

Thanks Yooper!

I am curious to see how well the HLT keeps the MT warm while mashing. I am thinking it just might have enough rising heat to offset temp loss for one hour perfectly. At least thats what Im hoping for

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Thanks Yooper!

I am curious to see how well the HLT keeps the MT warm while mashing. I am thinking it just might have enough rising heat to offset temp loss for one hour perfectly. At least thats what Im hoping for

It does do that well. But, watch the pin for the tippy dump and oil it often cause it has a tendancy to stick or rust.

The attachment for the sparge arm also has a tendancy to loosen as well.

Minor annoyances resolved by routine maintenance. At least you'll not need to re-finish yours with header paint to mitigate rusting of the frame work.

 

[the_bird]

Awe-****ing-some, Chimone! Color me jealous! That is one absolutely kick-ass system, that's absolutely awesome.

 

[Desert_Sky]

It does do that well. But, watch the pin for the tippy dump and oil it often cause it has a tendancy to stick or rust.

The attachment for the sparge arm also has a tendancy to loosen as well.

Minor annoyances resolved by routine maintenance. At least you'll not need to re-finish yours with header paint to mitigate rusting of the frame work.

All good points. I do however have the benefit of living in the desert which means no rust what so ever! But like every tool or piece of equipment routine maintenance is part of making it last for years to come.

The sparge arm does need a thicker o-ring to maintain sparge height I have found already. The one provided lets the arm slip down too easy for my taste. Heat loss from sparging height shouldnt be a problem when sparging with the lid on anyway so I have thought about fixing it to the max height. All my beers will be within 2-3 inches of mash height anyway

 

[MultumInParvo]

Wow. Call me impressed. I love that fermenter too. 27 gallon SS conical...mmm....

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Also, if you call B3 back they have graduated kettle stick on "rulers" for that systems sight glasses. Good looking too.

My buddy who has that system was given them.

 

[Desert_Sky]

Also, if you call B3 back they have graduated kettle stick on "rulers" for that systems sight glasses. Good looking too.

My buddy who has that system was given them.

Oh, now good idea there. I was dreading the whole add a gallon-mark a line, add another gallon- mark another line.....

I'll give Kyle a call and see what he says

 

[Desert_Sky]

Temp gains of 10 degrees every 7 minutes so far......

Not bad for 25 gallons.