Showing off my new toy!

[redwing_al]

Sorry to be a show off, but I wanted to share my latest project.

The Braumeister landed this week and I will be taking her for her maiden voyage this weekend with a good Ol'American IPA made with Centennial hops. Haven't thought of a name for her yet, but I'll have to work on that.

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I have been working on my basement too and I think I have a pretty lean operation.

Still need a vent solution to be put in place, but screw it. I'm brewing today.

 

[unionrdr]

Pretty good looking DIY job. I'm curious how well that rig actually works?...

 

[Broham1]

The Braumeister landed this week and I will be taking her for her maiden voyage this weekend with a good Ol'American IPA made with Centennial hops.

Congrats! I'm 7 brews into mine and I love it! I feel like this last brew, a Pliny clone, I finally dialed in the process. Good luck!

 

[Broham1]

Pretty good looking DIY job. I'm curious how well that rig actually works?...

It works very well. Rather than asking the guy who just got one, you might check into the thread dedicated to the Braumeister. It's over 2500 posts long!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=229225

 

[unionrdr]

Good point, I forgot about that one. It happens when you've got four different books in the works bouncin' around up there!
Found a Youtube video Morebeer did;

 

[jbb3]

Congrats on the new hardware!!

Also, that is an awesome work space you've created!

Is that going to be your brew room or just your organize/storage/work space??

 

[redwing_al]

I'm doing a wet run now to test the process and to run a little PBW through it. Will rinse later and maybe start one today if I can get to my LHBS.


so far it's working as advertised!

 

[jbb3]

I'm doing a wet run now to test the process and to run a little PBW through it. Will rinse later and maybe start one today if I can get to my LHBS.

so far it's working as advertised!

So is have you completed the maiden voyage??

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah, inquiring minds wanna know!

 

[rocketsan]

How much are they?

 

[dmashl]

20L is $1995 at more beer, and you have to have 220 electricity(like an electric dryer). Looks pretty nice, all in 1 system.

 

[grevengrevs]

purdee!

 

[redwing_al]

Well, I did my first batch which was a two-hearted ale clone. I was pushing the max grain bill for the BM, but it handled it perfectl. I could likely go over max grain capacity I think with no issue. If there is an instance I can't, I'll back it down by half gallon or so. In any case, it turned out fantastic...

I've done this recipe several times as it is my go-to brew.. I have never had a clearer beer out of the gate such as this. The color of the samples Ive taken is just wonderful and the clarity is on another level compared to my BIAB processes. I have to imagine that this is going to be a fantastic brew.. The step-mashing process helped to achieve mash efficiency I've never had before and I nailed my numbers right on from this recipe that Ive been perfecting over time. I deviate from the actual BTHA recipe in the way as I first wort hop and although I continually hop, I keep the amounts fairly consistent througout the entire process.

I dry hopped today, checking gravity gave me a beautiful golden, sienna hue and it tastes awesome.

I plan to do two more brews over break:
1. a partial mash that I have in the closet, but I'll use the Braumeister just the same to maintain temps and boil..
2. I am going to do my first recipe design from scratch which will be a Belgian Strong Ale meant to give you hints of a Southern Comfort Manhatan (if you can imagine that!)

Anyway, very happy wiht my purchase as it is exactly what I was hoping it would be.\

I'll be happy to answer any questions...

 

[beerkench]

Soon you will be able to control them wireless.


Sent from hell
using Home Brew

 

[humblehops500]

She's beautiful. May you have a lifetime of happiness with each other!

 

[redwing_al]

Soon you will be able to control them wireless.


Sent from hell
using Home Brew

..that is if they allow me to upgrade this controller.. I am hoping!

 

[unionrdr]

Sounds like it's truly worth the cost?!

 

[GoatyBeer]

I call her "Vera". -Jayne Cobb

 

[redwing_al]

Although she was an inve$tment, in the grand scheme of brewing, it's all relative. I can certainly offset the cost of this investment by selling some of my other gear. And given the money I saved under retail price (from a special at Morebeer) it really didn't break the bank. I could never claim to make better beer than anyone with any other system, but this, above all, fit the process that I felt was best. I kind of look at my brewing processes as a manufacturing process and I try to be 'lean' in that I eliminate variables, touch-points and waste. Every new brew requires me to re-think the process again and that is one of the joys of brewing to me! I also believe that my new system and processes will allow me to brew more frequently - which is what it's all about!

 

[redwing_al]

Congrats! I'm 7 brews into mine and I love it! I feel like this last brew, a Pliny clone, I finally dialed in the process. Good luck!

do you have any measurements for your grain absorbtion rates or boil off? Also, what mash-steps are you using by style?

I found someone on another forum who posted mash steps by profile and I'm just using those as settings in Beersmith.

just wondering what you are using for settings/calculations...

 

[Broham1]

do you have any measurements for your grain absorbtion rates or boil off?

I need to start taking better notes, but I'm hitting close to expected volume and gravity with the following settings:
Grain absorption: .8 gals/lb
Boil off: 1 gal/hr

Also, what mash-steps are you using by style?



I found someone on another forum who posted mash steps by profile and I'm just using those as settings in Beersmith.



just wondering what you are using for settings/calculations...

I got my mash profiles from that same post. I have Wheat, Lager, Muli-Step Ale and Single-Step Ale profiles.

 

[dmashl]

Any chances of boil over?

 

[KD28]

Looks like a great system except for the electric. I prefer propane myself.

Anyway, I didnt see anything about sparging with this. Is that eliminated or what? You just take the grain out and your done with it? I must be missing something.

 

[Broham1]

Any chances of boil over?

I'm still hyper-vigilant at the hot break, but other than that it's not a concern.

 

[Broham1]

Looks like a great system except for the electric. I prefer propane myself.

See, for me, it's a great system BECAUSE it's electric.

Anyway, I didnt see anything about sparging with this. Is that eliminated or what? You just take the grain out and your done with it? I must be missing something.

Some sparge, some don't. I'm starting to explore no sparge. I'm liking it so far.

 

[redwing_al]

I sparge for two reasons:

1. to get to the volume that I want to start my boil at
2. try to get more sugars...

either way, it's not necessary by many accounts.

 

[unionrdr]

While sparging may not be necessary, it definitely raises my OG's a bit. I did no sparge with steeping at first, topping off to boil volume with water if & when needed. Then I started doing PM, & found sparging to be way better quality-wise than not. Why top off with water if you can get to boil volume with more wort? My thought anyway.

 

[wobdee]

Isn't the unit large enough to hold the full volume without topping off or sparging? I guess not for a larger beer?

 

[redwing_al]

While sparging may not be necessary, it definitely raises my OG's a bit. I did no sparge with steeping at first, topping off to boil volume with water if & when needed. Then I started doing PM, & found sparging to be way better quality-wise than not. Why top off with water if you can get to boil volume with more wort? My thought anyway.

this is my thinking as well. if I need to add water to account for mash losses, may as well run the water through the grains!

 

[unionrdr]

Yup. Thought adding more wort to be better than just adding water to get to boil volume.

 

[Broham1]

this is my thinking as well. if I need to add water to account for mash losses, may as well run the water through the grains!

Actually, there is evidence (which I'll cite when I find it again) showing that systems like Braumeister and BIAB work best when the water is allowed to work through the whole conversion. In other words, full volume mashing.

 

[signpost]

Nice. My brother got me one of those Fast Ferment conicals as a Christmas gift, but I sure as heck am nowhere near snatching a Braumeister. It's pretty cool looking, though.