New equipment and/or upgrades discussion

[sts9fan1]

It's for fermentation temp control. Not really for cooling the wort. Right now I'm not using it. Just the heating pad to hold a nice 67F. My basement is ~58-62F.
I will use it once the weather warms up. It comes with a pump to run cool water through it from a cooler.

 

[DoctorM1]

Speaking of conicals. Just got these pictures from our manufacturer in China.

Our four 2bbl Jacketed Conicals


Our three 10bbl Conicals



Can't wait till our new system and conicals arrive!

As for homebrewing conicals Brewershardware.Com is pretty much the best option. My home brewing partner is about ready to buy a 20 gallon jacketed and I may do the same sometime this summer.

 

[DoctorM1]

Brewery PLC showed up today. Glycol chiller should be here in the next couple of weeks. Brewhouse and conicals are on a slow boat making their way to us.

 

[ncaudle]

Brewery PLC showed up today. Glycol chiller should be here in the next couple of weeks. Brewhouse and conicals are on a slow boat making their way to us.

bet you'll be glad for the glycol. must be a pain to move the FVs into the bathrooms everyday...

 

[usfmikeb1]

bet you'll be glad for the glycol. must be a pain to move the FVs into the bathrooms everyday...

Wait, what's glycol? Never heard of it...

 

[SirDickButts]

Wait, what's glycol? Never heard of it...

organic compound used for cooling/chilling/controlling temps of wort/FV's and BT's

 

[DoctorM1]

Wait, what's glycol? Never heard of it...

Ha yeah. Having temp control will be huge for me.

 

[neorunner]

organic compound used for cooling/chilling/controlling temps of wort/FV's and BT's

whoosh.gif

 

[SirDickButts]

I have a brewery question....so do brewers acidify their HLT's?
I'd imagine there would be a possibility of calcium/mineral build up.
Then im also guessing...if there's an onsite RO, it would handle most of the mineral removal.
wut dat CIP be looking like doe?

 

[DoctorM1]

I have a brewery question....so do brewers acidify their HLT's?
I'd imagine there would be a possibility of calcium/mineral build up.
Then im also guessing...if there's an onsite RO, it would handle most of the mineral removal.
wut dat CIP be looking like doe?

I assume your talking about for sparge? We throw it in the mash before sparging. Many other breweries do this.... including palefire. Which is where I'm brewing today.

 

[SirDickButts]

yeah...i was thinking in regards of sparging.
so you're converting first...then adding to sparge?
are the results of PH the same vs adding/mixing lactic acid to water before doughing in?

 

[SirDickButts]

whoosh.gif

wait a minute...that was sarcasm and i didn't catch it. LOL

 

[SirDickButts]

oh...forgot to post my new additions to the kegerator. inkbird itc-310 and brewers edge space heater..

this controller is pretty sweet and the heating pad works very well!

 

[neorunner]

oh...forgot to post my new additions to the kegerator. inkbird itc-310 and brewers edge space heater..this controller is pretty sweet and the heating pad works very well!

I'm curious, anyone know the differences between the brewers edge and a zoomed reptile tank heater?

 

[SirDickButts]

I'm curious, anyone know the differences between the brewers edge and a zoomed reptile tank heater?

probably isn't one. had i known about the reptile heater...i would have ran with that, since its cheaper.

EDIT: using an oust fan (without the scented oil) is a cheap addition for air circulation for the kegerator.

 

[Five28 hz]

I have a brewery question....so do brewers acidify their HLT's?
I'd imagine there would be a possibility of calcium/mineral build up.
Then im also guessing...if there's an onsite RO, it would handle most of the mineral removal.
wut dat CIP be looking like doe?

Russian River treats all their water and sends it all the the HLT and then pulls off the HLT for their strike and sparge water.

 

[Snarf1]

Thinking of just fixing up my current keggle set up for now, instead of going straight to a bigger system. If I build a stand with the big burners for 55 gallon pots am I going to be able to use that for my 15 gallon pots without melting the sight glass, etc? I tend to think not.

 

[rcubed1]

I keep forgetting to bring my boil kettle to work so I can drill a hole in it for a whirlpool valve.

Any tips on where to place the whirlpool arm with respect to the output valve on the bottom?

 

[Snarf1]

I keep forgetting to bring my boil kettle to work so I can drill a hole in it for a whirlpool valve.

Any tips on where to place the whirlpool arm with respect to the output valve on the bottom?

Do you mean how far up or how many degrees offset? I don't think the latter matters, but I'm not sure either.

 

[rcubed1]

Do you mean how far up or how many degrees offset? I don't think the latter matters, but I'm not sure either.

So height will be dependent on my smallest batches. But I'm wondering if there is an offset along the circumference to the output that will allow for the most efficient and aggressive whirlpool.

i.e. if the output is at 0 degrees, is the whirlpool arm input best at 0 degrees, 45 degrees, or 90 degrees? Or does it not matter?

I might be overthinking this but I was wondering if anyone has experience with this.

 

[Snarf1]

So height will be dependent on my smallest batches. But I'm wondering if there is an offset along the circumference to the output that will allow for the most efficient and aggressive whirlpool.

i.e. if the output is at 0 degrees, is the whirlpool arm input best at 0 degrees, 45 degrees, or 90 degrees? Or does it not matter?

I might be overthinking this but I was wondering if anyone has experience with this.

Pretty sure it doesn't matter. Checked pics from my last job, kettle there has the whirpool port inline with the drain port, but it's also a total piece of ****.

 

[Five28 hz]

Take this for what it's worth, but the stout kettles have the whirlpool port at 30-45 degrees. That may have more to do with the tangential angle to have the whirlpool port and drain port running parallel than a more efficient whirlpool geometry. If your putting it at 90 degrees, it may end up under one of the handles which would be awkward to carry

 

[ncaudle]

I keep forgetting to bring my boil kettle to work so I can drill a hole in it for a whirlpool valve.

almost samesies here. have a 15gal keg I need to convert to a kettle. have the thermometer and valve assemblies, just keep forgetting to take it all to work to get it cut/drilled

 

[Beerontwowheels]

almost samesies here. have a 15gal keg I need to convert to a kettle. have the thermometer and valve assemblies, just keep forgetting to take it all to work to get it cut/drilled

I drilled my kettle (bayou classic stock pot) with a step bit, cutting oil and my dewalt drill. Probably a little thinner walled than your keg, but...it's an option. I can even bring down the bit and oil if you want to give it a shot.

 

[Five28 hz]

I drilled my kettle (bayou classic stock pot) with a step bit, cutting oil and my dewalt drill. Probably a little thinner walled than your keg, but...it's an option. I can even bring down the bit and oil if you want to give it a shot.

I've found the pilot hole to be the hard part with stainless kettles. The step bit will eat through the stainless quick if you have a high torque drill. The work around I've found for the pilot hole is to cut a 2x4 blocking piece to the diameter of the kettle so you can put some ol red ass into the metal punch and not vibrate the **** out of the kettle. I've used everything from Pam to wd40 for cutting oil.

 

[rcubed1]

Always drill stainless at lower speeds.

 

[Snarf1]

Always drill stainless at lower speeds.

Spoken like a man with a prince albert.

 

[axeman91821]

After about 5 years of dedicated service, my cooler is beat up enough that I'm going to build a new mash tun. Pretty annoyed that I have to order the cooler online, as my local stores only seem to have coolers that either don't have a spout at the bottom, or are on wheels with the spout inconveniently located in the back.

 

[FTowne1]

After about 5 years of dedicated service, my cooler is beat up enough that I'm going to build a new mash tun. Pretty annoyed that I have to order the cooler online, as my local stores only seem to have coolers that either don't have a spout at the bottom, or are on wheels with the spout inconveniently located in the back.

Right now I'm using a 48 quart rectangular cooler with a bazooka screen instead of a false bottom. It's does the job, but I'd like to build a better solution, because I seem to get a bit of channeling if I try to run off too fast.

 

[axeman91821]

Right now I'm using a 48 quart rectangular cooler with a bazooka screen instead of a false bottom. It's does the job, but I'd like to build a better solution, because I seem to get a bit of channeling if I try to run off too fast.

Yeah, my original mash tun was I thought 52 quarts, but I don't see a many of those, so maybe it's 48. Looking to do pretty much the same thing again (I use a SS braid), although I wouldn't mind upgrading to a 60qt if I can find one.