Show us your sculpture or brew rig

[drunkenmonk]

Does it count if I have a prefab unit? Here's a custom-built, flipped MoreBeer tippy dump. I used to have a small shed in my back yard where I brewed where the only way I could fit it in was if the mash tun / hot liquor tank stack was on the left.

 

[Irrenarzt]

It's still pimping, even if you didn't build it yourself.

 

[OneManBrewery]

Prefab? I built my own.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Prefab? I built my own.

Nice burner shrouds

 

[OneManBrewery]

Arent they? Made my life so much easier. I bought them from some company...

 

[BFD_BrewGeek]

Do you have many issues with the wood frame getting hot or scorched?

BFD Brewhaus was designed to keep any flammable material outside and below the burner shield perimeter. I used 1" angle iron back to back to make a "T" platform to mount the burners. The wooden frame was given a light spray of polyurethane clear coat to inhibit water infiltration. After I built it and fired up the burners, I found that the burner shields do get pretty hot, but the wooden frame surfaces and the steel angle below the burners were barely warm to the touch. I think I could have gotten by with wood to support the burners.

 

[Irrenarzt]

I'm not a big fan of wood, unless it's my own and some hottie has her mouth all over it, but I must say this is a pretty cool build. I like how you isolated the burners from the wood with the steel rails. This should work pretty well.

Nice work BFD.

 

[g-love]

I'm not a big fan of wood, unless it's my own and some hottie has her mouth all over it, but I must say this is a pretty cool build. I like how you isolated the burners from the wood with the steel rails. This should work pretty well.

Nice work BFD.

I'm a fan of this comment, and the build referenced within.

 

[SteveWPG]

You can't beat wood

 

[BFD_BrewGeek]

I'm not a big fan of wood, unless it's my own and some hottie has her mouth all over it, but I must say this is a pretty cool build. I like how you isolated the burners from the wood with the steel rails. This should work pretty well.

Nice work BFD.

I'm a fan of this comment, and the build referenced within.

Thanks. Tried to stay with a material that I had the most experience with. Needless to say, I'm not a welder.

Irrenarzt: that's an awesome walk-in build that you have going...very cool to watch it coming together...fight the power!

 

[Islandboy85]

Well, it ain't pretty, but that's what I get for not having a house yet. For now I brew out of a push cart. Here it is all put away. Two Sq14 burners inverted on the top shelf with my Bk and MLT ON TOP OF THEM. The rectangle cooler HLT is stored elsewhere. My kegmenter, pump, bucket for the grist mill, and tool bag with my hydrometer a, thermometers, gloves, etc is on the bottom along with my diy gfic switched extension cord for the pump. The grist mill is sitting in the cart's handle. The water filter/chiller valves manifold needs mounted along with my pump someday, but ill probably just leave it like this. When I get a house I want to convert it from the direct fire RIMS push cart brewery to a permanent single tier HERMS controlled by an Arduino board.

 

[chuckjaxfl]

I love it! I challenge anyone to show me a three-vessel system that stows as neatly.

 

[cody6173]

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

 

[Islandboy85]

I love it! I challenge anyone to show me a three-vessel system that stows as neatly.

Thanks.

 

[dcbc]

I love it! I challenge anyone to show me a three-vessel system that stows as neatly.

I'll play. I'm kind of cheating because the cooler wasn't stowed with the system. But this is my old folding rig that is still making great beer at a buddy's house.

This is an older picture of it stowed away. I hadn't added the second shelf at this point. But it stowed in the same 24"x24" space.

 

[Hex]

2 burner, 20 gal. HLT, 15.5 gal. direct fire MLT, multiple 11 gal. brew kettles.

All siphon/gravity powered. This is my pilot system which allows verses batches--2 @ 7+ gallon batches per brew go into buckets in the fermentation room.

Edit: This is a walk in vent hood with CO meter on wall. It has fans out of picture, and works like a chimney.

 

[Hex]

Twin 25' x 3/8" chillers with 50' x 5/8" ice bath pre-chiller. Cools two seven gallon batches simultaneously in about 30 minutes. Agitation helps. This was just a test photo, it doesn't leak anymore.

 

[Hex]

Just finished 50th seven gallon batch in a years time. This is the fermentation room, there is a heating and air conditioning unit maintaining 67*f.

'Look Ma, no pumps!' Three of my recipes have been scaled up to 30bbl, here is one on UnTapped:

https://untappd.com/beer/335594

 

[pfgonzo]

Nice Hex. Your location line says Ruhstaller. You affiliated with them? Are those your hops growing near Davis?

 

[Hex]

Nice Hex. Your location line says Ruhstaller. You affiliated with them? Are those your hops growing near Davis?

Yes to both. I auditioned for Ruhstaller and landed the brewmaster position last year. Turns out that they needed a brewery too, we are gypsy/contract brewing.
There were a lot of constraints on the design, mobile, no electricity and my rig worked out perfect. So I rent it to them, and produce double verses batches, and new recipes. I just finished my 50th seven gallon batch, a 12% Barleywine.
It's been a lot if work on a tight budget, but my invoices get paid, I get commissions for success, I'm being creative, and my name gets put on bottles of my signature recipes! We will grow, and I hope to help with design and process.
The hop field off hwy80 is actually our second, we started one in Winters on Sean McNamara's farm, Blue Heron. Ruhstaller has two great advantages, one we are superior marketers, two we are distributed by Tony's Foods. I'm looking forward to a full scale brewery, taphouse, and restaraunt in future, stay tuned!

 

[pfgonzo]

Awesome! I've not yet had the pleasure, but next time I'm in Sac, I'll look for some bottles. What do you recommend?

 

[scutiger]

I just drew up some plans for a simple 2-tier wooden stand. I'll be buying materials and building it tomorrow, then I'll post the pictures of it here when I'm done.

 

[Demon]

Not my homebrew setup, but I like shiny stuff so I'll post it anyway. This is the 3.5bbl PsychoBrew system for my brewery in Chicago, we'll be open in September. The system is customized from their typical 4 burner system by using larger mash tuns and stainless steel pumps.

 

[JimCharb]

Demon....pretty...shiny...very nice!

 

[pfgonzo]

Most homebrew setups are HLT, MT, BK. I'm curious to know the purpose of the 4th kettle. Full of PBW to clean house afterward?

 

[Demon]

Most homebrew setups are HLT, MT, BK. I'm curious to know the purpose of the 4th kettle. Full of PBW to clean house afterward?

Two 75gal mash tuns in the center, two 75gal boil kettles on the ends. No hot liquor tank, we use a large tankless water heater that puts out 185* water on demand.

 

[pfgonzo]

Gotcha. Do you blend the wort into a single fermentor, or are they typically used for different batches?

 

[Demon]

Blended in to the same fermenter. In an 8-10 hour brew day we can fill a 7bbl fermenter.

 

[trub quaffer]

Just finished mine last week. More pics posted in the automated brewing forum.

 

[scutiger]

Just put the finishing touches on my two tier stand for three tier brewing. Can't wait to brew with it, it should make life a whole lot easier. Built out of 2x4's and 3/4" plywood, put on casters. Real easy to move around and should put everything at hand rather than running around everywhere on brew day. Got room for the propane tank, CFC, filter, and spare hoses. Dimensions are 2' by 6' for the bottom tier, top tier is 2' by 3.5'. To the top shelf is 39".

 

[dyqik]

I used this system for the first time yesterday. CampChef burner, two 5 gallon coolers, an 8 gallon kettle from Morebeer and a CFC bought from another forum user and some commercial shelving from Costco ($30).

I have a eBay tan pump on the way so I don't have to lift the full HLT or full kettle for cooling next time.

Fly-sparging under gravity


Feeding the CFC under gravity

 

[Travestian]

What container is your CFC flowing into? The bucket? What kind of temperature are you seeing out the end of the CFC after only the one pass?

 

[StinkyVp]

Just put the finishing touches on my two tier stand for three tier brewing. Can't wait to brew with it, it should make life a whole lot easier. Built out of 2x4's and 3/4" plywood, put on casters. Real easy to move around and should put everything at hand rather than running around everywhere on brew day. Got room for the propane tank, CFC, filter, and spare hoses. Dimensions are 2' by 6' for the bottom tier, top tier is 2' by 3.5'. To the top shelf is 39".

That is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Can you get a closer photo of how the legs attach to the lower level? I'm going to build something like this. I think I may have something close already using an old desk and adding casters.

 

[NWAleDad]

I have waited a long time to post to this thread. In the words of Sean Connery THE DAY IS MINE! Finished her on Sunday and going to run through the first brew this coming saturday.

 

[nextgenxx]

I have waited a long time to post to this thread. In the words of Sean Connery THE DAY IS MINE! Finished her on Sunday and going to run through the first brew this coming saturday.

Awesome job! I wish I could be that automated!

 

[dyqik]

What container is your CFC flowing into? The bucket? What kind of temperature are you seeing out the end of the CFC after only the one pass?

This was my first go using the cfc, and I got 78 in the bucket from near boiling in the kettle. Since it was 95 outside, this wasn't too disappointing, although I'm sure I used a lot of cooling water. A couple of hours in the fermentation cabinet got it down to pitching temps. Since I'll have a pump next time I brew, recirculation should be easy, which will also get the cold break out.

 

[scutiger]

That is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Can you get a closer photo of how the legs attach to the lower level? I'm going to build something like this. I think I may have something close already using an old desk and adding casters.

Here's a close up of the underside of where one of the legs attaches to the upper level frame. The bottom is attached the same way, I have a 2x4 running in the middle of the bottom level under the plywood that can't be seen. The two center legs are anchored to this piece. Everything is just screwed together with a box of deck screws I had laying around.

 

[bd2xu]

I have waited a long time to post to this thread. In the words of Sean Connery THE DAY IS MINE! Finished her on Sunday and going to run through the first brew this coming saturday.

Can I ask what you are using for your MLT burner (in the middle I assume?). I can see you have 10" banjos for the HLT and bk. I am building a Brutus 10 as well and have one 10" banjo now (from my kab4) and thought I would get a second one for the HLT and bk and use a 6" banjo for the MLT. Trying to figure out the regulator setup for that mix.

 

[NWAleDad]

Can I ask what you are using for your MLT burner (in the middle I assume?). I can see you have 10" banjos for the HLT and bk. I am building a Brutus 10 as well and have one 10" banjo now (from my kab4) and thought I would get a second one for the HLT and bk and use a 6" banjo for the MLT. Trying to figure out the regulator setup for that mix.

my MLT is not direct fire. No burner for the MLT, only the HLT and BK.

 

[bd2xu]

my MLT is not direct fire. No burner for the MLT, only the HLT and BK.

Ah that explains it thanks. I would like to fire my mash tun for steps and mashouts but definitely don't need a 10" banjo just something small. But I need I figure out what regulator for both.