New Nano Brewery Hobby

[DoubleFisted]

Anywhere in the QC, or all in Muscatine?

All muscatine county so far...

 

[KruegerBock]

Good luck with everything

 

[bh10]

All muscatine county so far...

Let me know once you get it out and where its at, Id love to go try it. Good Luck BTW.

 

[DoubleFisted]

I will most certaintly do that. I am still probably 6 months out before you will actually see products in the bars. I have found another building that I may do instead of the "backyard" brewery.

 

[Bob]

I find that keg cleaners are about 5 thousand dollars. Is there cheaper ones? Or ways to make your own?

There are a bunch of ways to make your own.

The intent is to clean. To do that, you must:

1. Purge the CO2 and old beer. Purging and dumping are easily done with an old Sankey coupler. Put the keg on its side and tap it. When pressure is bled off, invert the keg, then hit it with a hot-water rinse. Drain.

2. Use a high-pressure pump to force cleaning solution into the inverted keg. The hot cleanser should recirculate to the cleanser's specifications. Rinse.

3. Sanitize with another recirculation and a different relatively high-pressure pump.

4. Purge with CO2 and pressurize.

You can make your own with a used stainless double sink from a restaurant supply equipment dealer, some plumbing, and a couple of pumps. For the hot caustic rinse, you'll need a high-pressure pump. For the sanitizer, you can use a submersible pump from a place like Lowe's; just make sure to get a unit powerful enough to shoot a jet.

The idea is to force the solution and rinse water up through the inverted keg's stem, so the stream hits the bottom (or top, when the keg is inverted) and covers the entire interior surface of the keg. The solution drains out the "gas in" port of the coupler (don't forget to remove the check valve!).

You can plumb a manifold to get water into the keg. I made one where the caustic recirculated in one side of the double sink. The sink drain connected to the input of a CIP pump, with the pump's output going to the "beer out" fitting of a Sankey coupler. The other sink had sanitizer and a submersible pump (IIRC, it was a pretty stout sump pump...). The sanitizer side had a manifold of valves for cold water and sanitizer.

In order, I did the following:

1. Clean the exterior of the keg with caustic. Rinse.
2. Release the internal pressure with a loose Sankey coupler. When pressure drops, invert the keg to drain old beer.
3. When drained, connect keg to coupler connected to hot water; the "gas out" fitting on the coupler has a drain hose which leads to the old-beer discard point (that may or may not be the floor drain; depends on your local codes). Rinse until no more scunge comes out.
4. Disconnect keg, move to caustic side. Connect coupler to keg and invert. "Beer out" fitting of coupler is connected to centrifugal pump output. "Gas in" fitting is disconnected, to drain into the sink. Recirculate according to cleanser recommendations.
5. Stop pump, let drain. When drained, move back to rinse fitting. Rinse.
6. Connect sanitizer fitting, invert over sanitizer sink. Recirculate until sanitizer specifications are met. Drain (and perhaps rinse, depending on specs).
7. Remove from contraption, set upright, and purge with CO2 at 5psi. Connect CO2 to "beer out" fitting, and let "gas in" unrestricted. A few seconds is usually sufficient.
8. Lather, rinse, repeat until all kegs are clean.

Once you get a good flow going, you can have a keg going at each stage. Makes it simple.

Any more Qs, let me know!

Bob

 

[DoubleFisted]

Where are you from Bob?

 

[Bob]

Born and raised in central PA, currently living as far east in PA as you can go before you swim to NJ. Why?

Bob

 

[joety]

All muscatine county so far...

Based on that, I don't think you need Microstar. You should be able to keep a handle on those 17 bars. Just find a cheap source for kegs.

I have relatives in Blue Grass. Next time I am in the QC area, I'd love to visit. I like how your business plan is developing.

 

[bh10]

Based on that, I don't think you need Microstar. You should be able to keep a handle on those 17 bars. Just find a cheap source for kegs.

I have relatives in Blue Grass. Next time I am in the QC area, I'd love to visit. I like how your business plan is developing.

Yea, might take 15 minutes to get from one side to the other of Muscatine.

Speaking of Blue Grass, might want to talk to the Corner Pub they just built on Mississippi Ave, they serve a lot of the local brews.

 

[DoubleFisted]

Born and raised in central PA, currently living as far east in PA as you can go before you swim to NJ. Why?

Bob

Just curious if you were close to me so that I could take my small plane and visit your brewery and chat.

Another note I have talked to uncle harleys in blue grass and they are interested. I have hit a minor bump in the road yesterday which I have found out thus far happens on a regular basis.

 

[rexbanner]

In case you weren't aware, double-fisting means holding two beers or other items. Double-fisted means something very, very disgusting. The logo plus the name is kind of funny, I like it.

 

[DoubleFisted]

This is exactly why the name will probably change haha. We will see I guess I did t know there was a distinct difference. Thanks for the clarification !

 

[bh10]

In case you weren't aware, double-fisting means holding two beers or other items. Double-fisted means something very, very disgusting. The logo plus the name is kind of funny, I like it.

I agree, I like it.

 

[critch]

you guys dont half have to jump through hoops to brew!

these guys do decent gas fired systems although you could convert them to electrichttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/200-Litre-Microbrewery-Brewing-System-Brewery-/320697190580?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item4aab0ac8b4

this guys good toohttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/240L-Stainless-MicroBrewery-1-2-Fittings-/280667973725?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item41591d685d

im sure theyd export if asked, hope this helps

 

[DoubleFisted]

you guys dont half have to jump through hoops to brew!

these guys do decent gas fired systems although you could convert them to electrichttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/200-Litre-Microbrewery-Brewing-System-Brewery-/320697190580?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item4aab0ac8b4

this guys good toohttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/240L-Stainless-MicroBrewery-1-2-Fittings-/280667973725?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item41591d685d

im sure theyd export if asked, hope this helps

Not sure I understand what u r trying to say here.

 

[Jaybrinks]

subscription filled

 

[bwomp313]

Subscribed. Interested to hear about further progress.