Show us your sculpture or brew rig

[kal]

I saw this on your site, and that's what i did. But I find that when I do this, I end up with a deep pool right underneath the end of the tube, caused by the trickle of wort squirting away grains. I have only used it twice and got about 85% efficiency, which works for me, but I always wonder, when most of the grain bed is 3 inches deep, and the grain bed directly under the end of the hose is only 1 inch deep, isn't wort going to preferentially go through the shallower part? I use a very slow recirc rate so it doesn't upset the grainbed much, but the result is that the recirculating wort drips straight down in a single location.

Am I doing this wrong? After seeing this, I had considered building a similar ring to the one built by Otter_bay_brewing.

It really depends on the type/quality of false bottom you have and the depth of grain. Not to take this off-topic, but I'm surprised you only have a grain bed that is 3" deep. That seems very shallow. Is the mash tun vessel very wide/large instead of high? You want enough depth so that channeling doesn't occur.

Kal

 

[kshuler]

I am using 15 gal blichmann boilermakers with their false bottom, with a batch size of 6.5 gal, so it was about 4 gallons or so for the grain bill of about 12 pounds. I am not sure the actual depth of the grain bed. 3 inches was a guess, and likely way on the underside. But you certainly see a deep pit in the grain where the hose is, at least 2 inches deep, and likely, in fact, more. Should I crank up the speed on the recirculation?

 

[nu2brewing]

Here's my setup, just finished the welding and will soon be adding the 3rd burner for the mash tun. Currently using a cooler mash tun.

 

[JonM]

Yep, that's a half of a two-gallon mead bucket for a splash guard. The whole rig breaks down and tucks neatly away in a corner, which makes SWMBO happy.

 

[kal]

I am using 15 gal blichmann boilermakers with their false bottom, with a batch size of 6.5 gal, so it was about 4 gallons or so for the grain bill of about 12 pounds. I am not sure the actual depth of the grain bed. 3 inches was a guess, and likely way on the underside. But you certainly see a deep pit in the grain where the hose is, at least 2 inches deep, and likely, in fact, more.

You shouldn't have any issues with channeling with that. The Blichmann false bottom works well.

Should I crank up the speed on the recirculation?

During mashing? I always recirc with my pumps open 100%. But then I only have the silicone hose as the return. No sparge arm that may get clogged.

Kal

 

[oscar127]

Still working on the set up but almost there.

 

[ThirstyNomad]

Thirsty Nomad Brewing :rockin:

 

[Chaddyb]

Thirsty Nomad Brewing :rockin:

Am I seeing that right, is that front tube the gas line also?

 

[BeardedIdiot]

Am I seeing that right, is that front tube the gas line also?

I think the gas line is attached to the back of the front tube... You can see where the line comes off towards the right side to go to the propane tank.

 

[ThirstyNomad]

The gas line is within the tubing, not behind.

 

[user 103238]

That's what I thought - nice touch! Was it difficult to run the propane line inside?

The gas line is within the tubing, not behind.

 

[BeardedIdiot]

Yeah, how did you manage that? Rigid pipe inside the tubing? Seems like it would have been a pain to do, although it does give it a really nice look.

 

[CoalCracker]

No, it's just like the other original brutus builds. Cap the ends of the tube to create the manifold and then weld half couplings to it for your gas valves. Nothing goes inside.

 

[chanigan]

here is the evolution of my sculpture

the humble beginnings
a pot, cheap cooler and a keg for a boil kettle that i had to lift up on the one burner i had :

as i couldn't stand lifting the brew kettle any more i decided to build a what i call a 2 1/2 tier sculpture consisting of 2 burners, one pump and a beter cooler

this sculpture had worked great for the last year and a 1/2, but i wanted more accuracy, and the only way i could figure that out was update the sculpture to 1/2 electric.
now i have electric HLT with a herms coil inside of it:

the HERMS in action(the beginnings of a breakfast stout running through the lines):

 

[CrankyBeaverBrewery]

Yah !! Now I can post some pics on here.. So far this is what I have got.. Gunna get it painted a nice neon orange.. It's being made for a 1 bbl system..

 

[McCuckerson]

The gas line is within the tubing, not behind.

well done

 

[ccrum]

Yah !! Now I can post some pics on here.. So far this is what I have got.. Gunna get it painted a nice neon orange.. It's being made for a 1 bbl system..

You'd have to brew about 3 batches using keggles to get 1 bbl. A keg is actually 1/2 bbl.

 

[BeardedIdiot]

You'd have to brew about 3 batches using keggles to get 1 bbl. A keg is actually 1/2 bbl.

Who said he's using kegs? All he showed was the brew stand being built.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

The stand is 74" long and 22" deep. Large enough for 1 BBL.

 

[CrankyBeaverBrewery]

Il be using stout 1bbl hlt, mash tun and brew kettle.. Nice and shiny and tri-clamp all around

 

[jfrizzell]

You'd have to brew about 3 batches using keggles to get 1 bbl. A keg is actually 1/2 bbl.

LOL...wut?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

LOL...wut?

Yeah, normal keggles are 1/2bbl limiting you to around 10 gallons. 1bbl is 31 gallons. Three times.

 

[CrankyBeaverBrewery]

True. Or in other terms I'd be making 330 12 oz beers everytime I brew. Enough for my hockey and baseball teams to last for only 2 weeks

 

[wncbrewer]

True. Or in other terms I'd be making 330 12 oz beers everytime I brew. Enough for my hockey and baseball teams to last for only 2 weeks

Two weeks....hellfire...my girlfirend's pilates team drinks that much just kidding man, that is one fantastic looking stand. I hope to have my stand finished and posted here in the next couple months. This thread just continues to impress and inspire

 

[ccrum]

Who said he's using kegs? All he showed was the brew stand being built.

I assumed it was a standard Brutus type build. If it is bigger then great! One thing you might consider though (and this has come up with our brew club's 100 gal system) is that tall narrow vessels take longer to heat/boil than shorter wider ones. If I was going that big, I'd look for shorter, wider vessels and add more burners myself.

 

[Cruzn4aBrewzn]

Ok, well here we go, I'll finaly post some pics of my setup.

I have been using a three tier gravity system, first pic untill I just got myself a pump yay! and now I have cut down my three tier to have a two tier with an elevated hot liquor tank for gravity sparge and dough in's. and a separate burner for my boiler so that I can re-arrange my system to take up less space if I wan't. wich is why my pump is mounted in an ammo box, for portability and water proofieness.

 

[duckredbeard]

Three propane tanks? Afraid of running out? Actually I've been wanting to have a full spare just in case.

 

[Cruzn4aBrewzn]

Three propane tanks? Afraid of running out? Actually I've been wanting to have a full spare just in case.

ha..ha.. ya I actually own four but like to keep three full ones around just incase I run out mid boil, witch has happened. I like to keep a rotation. it really sucks to go fill up your tank mid brew!

 

[duckredbeard]

The brewstand is the primary, the grill is secondary. When the grill runs out, brew tank to grill, refilled tank to brewery. I get three brews and one good cleaning from a tank before I worry.

 

[BeardedIdiot]

Ok, well here we go, I'll finaly post some pics of my setup.

I have been using a three tier gravity system, first pic untill I just got myself a pump yay! and now I have cut down my three tier to have a two tier with an elevated hot liquor tank for gravity sparge and dough in's. and a separate burner for my boiler so that I can re-arrange my system to take up less space if I wan't. wich is why my pump is mounted in an ammo box, for portability and water proofieness.

Hey cruzn, how tall is the burner stand holding the keg on the left side of the 3 tier? I'm thinking about building a stand, rather than ordering one with a burner, and trying to figure out the best height.