SH Brewery

[shbrewery]

Hi, my name is Pete, I just invested in a Stout Kettles 1BBL system for brewing my own! Just starting and learning. Looking forward to guidance and support.

 

[yeahfairly]

1BBL..... Go Big or Go Home right Pete????

 

[shbrewery]

thats my motto.
40g Mash Tun, false bottom and sparge arm
40g Hot Liquor, with sight glass and 5500w element, HERMS Coil
45g Brew Kettle, with sight glass and 5500w element
40g Conical Fermenter in a 12.5 CF Fridigeaire Freezer with Thermostic Controller (keeps it a 70 for ale yeast)
40g Brite Beer Tank (pressurized)
2 Chugger Pumps
Brewtronix Hosehead Controller
Elsinore Brewery Software

First Harpoon IPA clone went in to ferment last saturday, moving to BL tomorrow, and on to next batch.

 

[FatDragon]

I would recommend keeping that conical cooler. If you're measuring with a thermowell, you're probably keeping it around 70 in the middle of the conical, cooler near the walls, but 64 is ideal temp for most ale yeasts, 70 is a bit high on its own, and when you start an ale at 70, it's hard to keep it from getting out of hand in the first couple days of heavy fermentation.

If I may ask, how much did your system cost? I'm looking at doing some nano-scale brewing here, and while US prices and equipment will be different from what's available in China, another data point would be good.

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome to the hobby, and the group, from CO

That's quite a system, enjoy!

Hope you have lots of friends to enjoy with- kegerator?

 

[shbrewery]

thank you. we worked a maibock today. nearly 95lb of grains. ugh. having a problem chilling after boil. we use hot liquor as a chiller. fill with ice,,,like 60lbs and hose water at 60F. we get to 72 and no lower. we transferred to fermentor no yeast and are letting get to 55. before adding a M84 yeast. thoughts? our fermentor is in a chiller/freezer with a thermostatic controller...

 

[FatDragon]

Don't add the ice until you've already got it down around 100, if not even lower; chilling to that level is quick even with ground water. Save the ice for the later part of the chill where it gets a lot harder to lose those last few degrees, otherwise it will all melt too early to do its job. Also, are you recirculating the chilling water? That's another no-no, you're going to melt all your ice in the first few minutes that way because you're adding hot water into your chilling water tank.

 

[shbrewery]

Thanks good tips. We put it in freezer. Got it down to 55. In about 6 hours. Then pitched. We will see. SG .070. Target is .009 2 weeks in fermenter. Hold temp around 55. Btw. 1bbl system was about $6300. With tanks and fitting. Another 300 for pumps, 800 for fridge

 

[shbrewery]

And by the way. Stout kettles are awesome. Really well built beautiful welds, hardware eg. Valves and tri clamps are really well built. It's hard to imagine nicer stuff. Looked at blichman and for the price this is much better.