Scuba's Herms Build!

[ScubaSteve]

Alright guys....brewing a Stone Clone on it right now....gonna follow Ed's recipe, but will also add 2 oz. whole Cascade continuously towards the last 30 mins, and also during whirlpool (first time doing this). I was setting up and my neighbor across the street had to come over and ask me the obligatory questions....he said he and his GF jokingly thought I was a terrorist:cross: I'll take that as a compliment

BTW, Bobby you're right Not 15 minutes into heating my mash water did the thing start to smoke and bubble the polyurethane stain! I just turned it down and I was fine. I'm thinking about a couple mods already:

1) Beer holder
2) Therm holder
3) Using that fireproof concrete impregnated fiberglass board as a wind/heat shield

I'll keep y'all posted

 

[ScubaSteve]

Okay, so I had my first brew day on the rig as-is. I have not yet incorporated the HERMS coil, pumps, etc. etc. I just treated it as one big turkey fryer.

The brewhouse eff per ProMash was 62%; that was using a double sparge (with half of the sparge water: sparge, vorlauf, etc...then repeat with other half) and no mash out. I have a perforated stainless false bottom.

The recipe I did was Ed's Stone Clone, 'cept I also used 2 oz. whole cascade hops towards the end, and also at whirlpool.

Those DAMN whole hops screwed me! There was at LEAST a gallon left in the kettle, and no matter what I did, I couldn't siphon, filter, or strain it out while still maintaining sterility!

I ended up with probably 4 gallons of VERY hoppy brew. It'll probably turn out pretty darn good, but I'm pissed that I left all those good soldiers behind

I don't think I'll be using whole hops again, unless I can figure out a way to prevent this from happening again. Any suggestions

 

[olllllo]

I don't think I'll be using whole hops again, unless I can figure out a way to prevent this from happening again. Any suggestions

What are you using at the bottom of the boil kettle?

Google the Hop Stopper.

 

[Grimsawyer]

here's an idea. boil longer to evaporate your beer down too much. Then In your HLT boil up some water and move it right on the hops in your empty keg. Chill and fill your fermenter to where it should be?

 

[ScubaSteve]

What are you using at the bottom of the boil kettle?

Google the Hop Stopper.

I knew about the hop stopper....but:
A) It's expensive (for some odd reason)
B) I use an IC

And does the hop stopper REALLY work THAT well (for the price)?

 

[ScubaSteve]

here's an idea. boil longer to evaporate your beer down too much. Then In your HLT boil up some water and move it right on the hops in your empty keg. Chill and fill your fermenter to where it should be?

Say what? You mention boiling down and evaporating even more wort.....absorption and wort loss was the problem, not the solution. How would this help? Are you suggesting I raise my OG and then add water back in the fermenter?

 

[olllllo]

It does exactly what it says it does.
It will not work well with an IC.

So are you using a braid or false bottom? other?

 

[ScubaSteve]

It does exactly what it says it does.
It will not work well with an IC.

So are you using a braid or false bottom? other?

Hmmm....these days, a product performing as advertised is a pretty big thing

I use a false bottom in a keggle with a 1/2" ball valve. The keggle MT only lost 5F over 60 mins. I used smaller thermoplastic tubing (1/4") to drain with.....maybe that slowed down my sparge.....but then again that may not be a bad thing.

 

[Grimsawyer]

...Are you suggesting I raise my OG and then add water back in the fermenter?

yes. Although not an ideal solution, just thinking outside the box. Lets say you can only get 4.5 gallons from a 5.5 gallon batch. reduce your wort down a bit before any hop additions so when it's done it's a bit concentrated. Chill that and put it in the carboy, then pump more hot water in chill and pump to primary. Literally rinse and repeat until you have your 5.5 gallons in your primary. You will be rinsing the sugars left behind in the hops into your pirmary and you won't lose any volume. Kind of like doing a partial boil extract batch. I use to boil 3.5-4 gallons of wort in my 20quart kettle on the stove. When it was done I'd put a strainer on funnel on my carboy and dump everything out into the strainer. I'd then top up pouring water THROUGH the hops to recover what extract/sugars were left in the hops. The same theory here. I'm not saying it's a good or practical solution but I'm sure it would work if nothing else.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Okay....here's the latest:

On my maiden voyage, I had some issues with the wood charring; especially on the back and front boards. Solution: Heat Shields!

I got some DuraRock (I think orfy uses this under his burner) which is basically concrete-infused drywall. It is labelled as "fire-retardant". I tried to light it on fire, and it was a no go SO,

I spray painted everything in Hi-Temp black and made a box around both Banjo burners (the middle burner did just fine, and will only be at lo temp) the finished product looks like this:

The bottom is open:

 

[ScubaSteve]

Another one of my problems were the fumes/hot gases coming up from the burners. When I woud try to lean in to stir, view, etc., they would blast me. I was also concerned for the ball valves (and future tubing) that are right in the middle of this high heat area. So, I created a permanent (but still classy) Nad Guard (Copyright Bobby 2007)

I basically clad a 2x8 on the bottom with more DuraRock and hi temp black:

I let it protrude a bit to take the heat off the front of the Nad Guard. I suspect I may still have to clad the front. Also, I made recessions in the surface so the kegs could remain centered over the burners/shields:

And here's the finished product:

More to come! I still have a long way to go! I can brew on this rig as-is, but I have 2 march pumps and 100' of 1/2" copper whispering my name.....

 

[ScubaSteve]

I'd just like to add that this is completely "drop-in" and removable should I need quick access to propane plumbing, etc. It also adds a BUNCH of workspace...I can have more equipment at the helm this way! I also suspect that this will provide protection for my electrical wiring....when I get around to it....

 

[ScubaSteve]

Okay....So....

The "Drop In" method didn't work....I decided to go with the "Open Air" method. basically, I removed the board with durarock lining and went a different route. I lined the inside of the frame with durarock and said, "Let 'Er Burn!!!"

Basically, I lined the "Hot Spots" with the durarock paited in hi-temp black. That stuff is awesome. Right near the burner, that stuff glowed cherry red but didn't burn.

Oh yeah....and I decided to go Lo-Pro and chop the whole rig down 6".

I'm MUCH happier with the ergonomics. I'm 6' tall, and before, I had to lean in to stir/peek/take temps/etc. NOW, I just look down, and I'm good. 6" makes a HUGE difference. It's all about streamlining; keeping the "Brew Corner" to just a corner in the garage.....

 

[ScubaSteve]

So then I decided to address a feature I had been struggling with. Workspace! The little rail up front is just for looks ( and possibly integration of an AWESOME waterproof switch system I have in mind...)

So, I thought that any added tablespace in the front of the rig would further inhibit me...and then I decided to integrate a side table....

Look to the right and you can see the table in its fold-down position. I wanted to add work space for laying my hops, recipes, spoons, etc. down...without adding physical storage space. Here's the extended table:

I used Cedar for the work surface...it was scrap and replaced a MUCH heavier 2x10 model...(WAY too bulky!)

 

[ScubaSteve]

Next, I plan on aquiring the QD's and Silicon tubing to integrate the pumps! I also have a pretty smooth idea for a sparge/recirculation ring. After that, I'll address my shoddy durarock heat shields ( thinking about getting 2 large pots from GoodWill)

 

[jpuf]

Great build and a great thread, thanks!!

Soon you'll be suckin gas and kickin a$$

 

[talleymonster]

Yeah ScubaSteve! This is such a sweet rig! I want to build my sculpture out of metal, but you make the wood look so good!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yeah ScubaSteve! This is such a sweet rig! I want to build my sculpture out of metal, but you make the wood look so good!

Thanks, man! It requires a little more thought when it comes to protecting the wood, but I think I'm almost there. The durarock was like $8 for a sheet, so it's really not a big deal. I don't think I'd have such a problem if I weren't using the Banjo Burners!

 

[Grimsawyer]

Next, I plan on aquiring the QD's and Silicon tubing to integrate the pumps! I also have a pretty smooth idea for a sparge/recirculation ring. After that, I'll address my shoddy durarock heat shields ( thinking about getting 2 large pots from GoodWill)

I took an idea I saw from 2 people in my brew club and tweaked it for my purposes. I took some copper tubing(the same diameter that most immersion wort chillers are) and bent it in a circle. I then cut 3 - 5" lengths of copper tubing and squished them flat. Next I wrapped them around the tubing at one end and bent a 90* angle at the other. I soldered them onto the ring of copper. I now had a way to hang my circle of tubing from the rim of my converted keg mash tun. I took my dremmel and sliced thin slits every 1/2 inch or so of this ring. On the end I found a HUGE SS bolt and crimped the end down on it so if and when grain gets stuck in the sparge arm/ring/whatever... I can unscrew the bolt and flush it out easily. Earlier I had went out and bought a bunch of 1/2" copper tubing and fittings and sweated them together then made that arm adjustable. It was complicated and impossible to clean out. KISS meathodology RULES!!!:rockin: I love my new sparge arm! It works, it's easy to clean and there's no adjusting anything. Hope this helps.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Ya gotta post pics! (But make a new thread...don't jack my build thread! )

 

[mattreba]

I have a question about the functionality of single tier stands. When you sparge do you use two pumps or do you use gravity to drain the runnings to a vessel off the stand and pump it back up to the kettle? Do you batch sparge (pump in, move pump/turn valves and pump out?

I ended up going two-tier because I couldn't figure out a process for single tier. I also anticipated fly sparging and did not want to pump out of the lauter tun and run the chance of compacting the grain bed. For now I think batch sparging will be my MO. Is compaction still a concern?

I used the predrilled/slotted angle iron bolted together. I'll have to take some pictures for the board's opinions. I was worried about corner bracing but it stiffened up once all the shelves and such were bolted in. I was glad about that because the damn metal, bolts and casters cost me over $200.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

If you batch sparge, you can use a single pump to first xfer the sparge water and then xfer the wort. If you want to fly sparge, then 2 pumps are required. A lot of people use pumps to drain the MLT without problems with compacted grain bed.

 

[mattreba]

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[ScubaSteve]

If you batch sparge, you can use a single pump to first xfer the sparge water and then xfer the wort. If you want to fly sparge, then 2 pumps are required. A lot of people use pumps to drain the MLT without problems with compacted grain bed.

Nuff said. I have 2 pumps because I got a deal on a lot of equipment. I may fly sparge, but batch sparging has been working well enough (it's also quicker). I'll probably batch sparge, and use the second pump to do this: http://www.mrmalty.com/chiller.php

 

[Grimsawyer]

...and did not want to pump out of the lauter tun and run the chance of compacting the grain bed...

I plan on milling my grain a bit finer until when the ball valve on my MLT is wide open I get a compacted grain bed. Then I'm going to stirr it up and not crack it open as much. I want to find out where it happens so I can max out efficency. If you have a problem with a compacted grain bed there is NOTHING to worry about. Just stirr, recirc and go again with the knowlege that you have sufficiently milled grains to get the best possible brewhouse efficiency.

 

[kladue]

Grimsawyer,
Purchase a Dwyer VFB 4" scale flow meter (VFB-81) to monitor the flow and color of the wort from the mash. If you use one on the sparge water you could balance the flow in and out and maintain liquid level in the mash tun. These items are not terribly expensive at $41.50 and are a easy way to set and monitor pump flow from the mash. Here is a link to the Dwer flowmeter pagehttp://www.dwyer-inst.com/htdocs/flow/SeriesVFA-VFBPrice.cfm#CRA

 

[jdoiv]

Grimsawyer,
Purchase a Dwyer VFB 4" scale flow meter (VFB-81) to monitor the flow and color of the wort from the mash. If you use one on the sparge water you could balance the flow in and out and maintain liquid level in the mash tun. These items are not terribly expensive at $41.50 and are a easy way to set and monitor pump flow from the mash. Here is a link to the Dwer flowmeter pagehttp://www.dwyer-inst.com/htdocs/flow/SeriesVFA-VFBPrice.cfm#CRA

Those look pretty interesting, but the specs say they are only rated to 150F. My sparge water is hotter than that. Have you used these at high temps?

 

[kladue]

Have used the Dwyer flow meters to 180 deg but at 1/2 Psi or less with no problems. They are a valuable tool when trying to work out flow rates to and from the mash tun, and specially when doing high gravity/high percentage wheat to barley weizenbocks. The added benifit is when you recirculate you can watch the wort clear up and monitor the color of the wort as the mashing process proceeds.

 

[Grimsawyer]

SWEET! These need to be mounted upwrite, correct, being it isn't spring loaded. Looks like it relys on gravity to be read right.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Crap. No more pics. My Bad. When I get a night where I'm not watching my newborn son I'll put the pics back in. If you're hardcore about making a wood rig (and can't/don't know how to weld like me), PM me and let me know.....I can definitely give you lessons learned. Remember: WOOD IS GOOD!