Single Vessel, All Electric, NS, NC Brewery

[wyzazz]

About the 5/32" holes....good to know. I'm not concerned with small amounts of grain...even my prefabricated machined FB will pass a bit at first; that's why I plan to recirc. I'm concerned with grain that doesn't stop coming through the holes...once enough of it gets in the lines, it's destined to make it to the plate chiller or at least clog it's prefilter. Could also scorch on the elements; all bad things.

You could always make a swiss voile bag and toss it in to the basket with the top tied off for the grain. I know it's not an elegant solution but it would certainly work. Or use the larger mesh and try out a "Mash Pad". I'm told that they work great for folks with a tight crush after a little recirc.

 

[KCBrewer]

About the 5/32" holes....good to know. I'm not concerned with small amounts of grain...even my prefabricated machined FB will pass a bit at first; that's why I plan to recirc. I'm concerned with grain that doesn't stop coming through the holes...once enough of it gets in the lines, it's destined to make it to the plate chiller or at least clog it's prefilter. Could also scorch on the elements; all bad things.

I suppose I should clarify, I did mean small pieces that don't stop coming through. I would vorlauf and vorlauf until eventually I just got a stuck sparge. I ended up using a paint strainer on the last couple brews before going back to my braid. It was only about 1/4C worth of very small pieces, but enough that a plate chiller wouldn't have liked it.

Like I said though, this may have been due to the edge of the cut keg top not giving a good seal, so not the best example. I need to find some type of SS trim to run around the outside edge of the cut keg top to see if that is where the problem lies.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Well, I couldn't resist and I had to get back out there I wanted to try fermcap just for kicks...to see if the surface tension would break...but I think SWMBO "misplaced" it when cleaning the fridge.

So I grabbed a nail that was just slightly bigger than 3/32" and punched a few holes in each area of the screen that covered the basket's holes. It definitely releases a lot more bubbles, and I still retain my fine filtering abilities. The holes are still too small to pass much grain.

If I had to start over on the basket, I'd either cut the bottom out and insert perforated sheet, or just drill more holes in it....laying something like a 12x12 mesh over.

You need as much open area as possible for the boil to be released. Otherwise, you get a big splash around the sides, and only the liquid under the basket sees boiling temps.

 

[burglar]

Maybe I missed this - but why is the basket in during boil again?

 

[wyzazz]

Maybe I missed this - but why is the basket in during boil again?

Double duty, using it as a hop filter so the plate chiller doesn't clog.

 

[ExHempKnight]

I'm glad you discovered a problem with the mesh. I was kind of waiting for you to guinea pig that one lol.

I think I'll just make a voile grain bag, and line the basket with it.

 

[burglar]

Double duty, using it as a hop filter so the plate chiller doesn't clog.

Aha. So, does he plan on removing the basket, cleaning out the spent grain as he goes to boil, and then putting the basket back in? I'm stealing this idea, and was considering using tea strainers for hop additions. Seems easier to work with.

 

[wyzazz]

Aha. So, does he plan on removing the basket, cleaning out the spent grain as he goes to boil, and then putting the basket back in? I'm stealing this idea, and was considering using tea strainers for hop additions. Seems easier to work with.

That was the original idea.

 

[ScubaSteve]

That was the original idea.

Ha Well, I'd recommend anyone following this thread/technique go with 15x15 mesh. Why? Because the open area is halfway between 8x8 mesh (0.090 opening size, which is about the same hole size as a FB) and 30x30 mesh, which is the size most people use with hopstoppers and the like. So you know that AT LEAST you can stop the grain, and probably MOST of the hop matter, even if it's pellets. Cold break doesn't enter the equation because the chiller is external. And the "boil bubbles" will pass through. I'd also drill more holes in the bottom; preferably the same size as the prefabbed holes.

Right now, I have a 12" circular piece of perforated SS with 3/32" holes. I am going to replace the bottom with that, drilling holes for the carriage bolts to secure against. I will mash with that, clean the grain out, then drop a scrap piece of 6x6 mesh on top (with holes for the bolts so it'll sit flush). That way, it will do double duty. The larger mesh "should" increase the filtering capability without smothering the boil.

God, this feels like an episode of Junkyard Wars......

 

[ScubaSteve]

Okay, we have a green light to brew this weekend! VOTE HERE for the type of beer I should try first!

There's a few finishing touches, left to do...but then again, are we EVER done tweaking our systems?

 

[ScubaSteve]

And here we go! Videos galore....pack a lunch and grab a beer because I documented the hell out of this!

UNIBREW 5500 MAIDEN VOYAGE!!!!!

 

[theschick]

Well Done! That is a ton of hops

 

[theschick]

Ha, love that you turned on the RIMS without any liquid going. Your sacrificial aluminum, did you just drop that in there? I need to do the same thing for mine, as my elements are already showing rust from my system tests. Now I just need to figure out where I can buy a chunk of aluminum, and clean the crap out of my elements.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yup, just dropped it in. Really anything will do, a nut, bolt; aluminum is everywhere. Just make sure you won't accidentally suck it into the pump!

 

[jeffmeh]

Looks great Steve. Will you be handing out cigars?

 

[burglar]

Oh, awesome. Quick question:

At the end of the sparge process, did you stop the flow early and let it drain a while, or just shut off the flow and haul that sucker off of there still draining like a mofo?

 

[ScubaSteve]

I actually oversparged it because there was still quite a bit draining. So I actually got 1/2 gallon more. Next time I'll stop early. Also, I noticed there was a spot where the perforated screen didn't meet right up with the bottom. There was more sparge water coming from that place than the center, so I know I had channeling. The efficiency was lower than I expected at ~65%....fixing this gap will probably increase efficiency as well as filter more hops.

Some folks have mentioned using a solid walled pot and just screening the bottom. I noticed the sides clogged pretty early on, so I was essentially doing this. It worked fine. I may pull the screen from the sides and replace with something more open.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Looks great Steve. Will you be handing out cigars?

Ha! Funny thing is, there's still lots of stuff I want to do to it. But at least I can brew on it now.

 

[KCBrewer]

That is too cool. I'm on 44 of 58 now. I thought your original plan was to have something that lifted the basket for you, like an ATV winch or something? Something like that would allow you to raise the basket as you sparged. Not trying to nitpick, you've done an amazing job on it. It's in my favorites now!

 

[ScubaSteve]

That is too cool. I'm on 44 of 58 now. I thought your original plan was to have something that lifted the basket for you, like an ATV winch or something? Something like that would allow you to raise the basket as you sparged. Not trying to nitpick, you've done an amazing job on it. It's in my favorites now!

I probably will still do something like that...if even to hoist the basket enough to slip the grate under. That sucker was heavy and I basically had to hold it up until it drained enough to make the weight manageable. Thanks for watching, I know it's a lot of material, but too much is better than not enough!

 

[wyzazz]

Looks good, glad the first brew was a success! Thanks for all the documentation, you've certainly got a brew rig to be proud of!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Okay, so my wheels have been spinning ever since I did this brew....I think I'm going to rip out the fine mesh and get ALL of the JB Weld out of there.

A couple reasons:

1. The epoxy absorbed the hop pigment so it is perfectly green and looks like paint
2. The mesh was too fine and wasn't allowing any flow as intended.
2A. It wouldn't drain the mash well, so it stayed heavy as hell.
2B. The pellet hops immediately clogged the mesh, rendering it useless. FACT: A coarser mesh will STILL filter ~80% of pellet hops, I'm learning the trick is to use STAGES of filtration. You only want the mesh to handle the appropriate particle size and then allow everything to pass to the next filter size. Otherwise, you're going to kill your flow and have to service the filter mid-brew. I want a filter that will catch junk, but still allow wort to flow! I will try to achieve this "balanced filtration" with 4 additional levels of filtration between the kettle drain and hopback. Have you ever seen A GOLD MINING OPERATION? Same concept!

So, here's what I'm planning on doing, let me know what you think:

1. I have a fair amount of 6x6 mesh with 0.028 wire diameter. It's pretty sturdy. I was thinking about wrapping it around twice on the inside, and just bolting it in. I think this would give me about 12x12 mesh while still allowing good flow...plus it's pretty burly.

2. Now, how about this: When I bolt in the screen, I can use short carriage screws with the heads on the outside of the basket. These would be like the LIFTING BOLTS ON THE SPEIDEL BRAUMEISTER but actually a bit more safe. Then, I'd just slide a rod in on either side. If I wanted to suspend it really high, I could slide the rods under the basket but medial to the legs so they can't slip out. I'll just use the grill for grilling

3. Split some silicone tubing and run it around the perimeter of the FB. I noticed a lot of hops and sparge water coming through an open area where it didn't mate up well. The liquid will always go with the path of least resistance, and I want that path to be even across the basket so nothing bypasses my filtration.

Lots more ideas.....who's picking up what I'm puttin' down?

 

[wyzazz]

Sounds very workable, I like the carriage bolt idea!

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Awesome work Steve! I loved the whole thing. That was a crap load of hops. I was laughing my ass off at the basket full of hops. You definitely put it through its courses.

 

[Bachhus]

Just got done watching your videos, great job by the way. I had a couple questions since I've been putting together a similar project.

1) If you were to do it again would you go with a lower wattage element in the RIMS due to the surging the 5500 was causing at slow water flow settings? Follow up, do you think something like a 3500 would cause the same surging at a slower flow?

2) If you were to do it again would you go with a larger pot size so you wouldn't have to drain off wart to get the liquid level below the basket top for filtering the hops?

Thanks for documenting your build, I've already learned a bunch from your build!

Mark

 

[ScubaSteve]

Just got done watching your videos, great job by the way. I had a couple questions since I've been putting together a similar project.

1) If you were to do it again would you go with a lower wattage element in the RIMS due to the surging the 5500 was causing at slow water flow settings? Follow up, do you think something like a 3500 would cause the same surging at a slower flow? Maybe, but I wanted to be able to do on demand sparge water, so that is why I overpowered the element. The surging is less of an issue if the hose is properly secured and it is CRUCIAL that there be no back pressure or you'll have a very dangerous situation. I have no idea what would happen with a 3500w element but I think it's worth a try, and an easy swap if you ever wanted to change.

2) If you were to do it again would you go with a larger pot size so you wouldn't have to drain off wart to get the liquid level below the basket top for filtering the hops? Yes, but not because of the draining. I just want a bigger kettle! Something like 20-25 gallons would be great, but not until I completely figure out the mesh. This was a big batch for me, so it's the perfect size for 5 gallons. Also, in that situation I could have raised the basket back up if I wanted to.

Thanks for documenting your build, I've already learned a bunch from your build! Thanks for reading! I wouldn't have accomplished this without the support of this board!

Mark

See above....

 

[cyberbackpacker]

Steve, I may have missed it in this massive thread, or just forgotten about it, but... in your pics from the brew it looks like you had a tri clover gasket filter. Where did you get that? What was the mesh/filter size?

Great work too, btw....

 

[ScubaSteve]

Steve, I may have missed it in this massive thread, or just forgotten about it, but... in your pics from the brew it looks like you had a tri clover gasket filter. Where did you get that? What was the mesh/filter size?

Great work too, btw....

I got it on Ebay from a vendor called IndustrialCorps....it's 3" wide, and I can't remember what the mesh was, but it's really fine. I think it was like 0.03 openings, somewhere around 20-30 mesh. Ya just gotta hunt around, but you could probably make one with a custom sized mesh if you were so inclined.

 

[TripleZ]

Great job Steve, both on the build and the brew session video. The wealth of information you and others members here have provided is phenomenal! So I am now planning something very similar. I was originally planning on using the RIMS for sparging only, and using a DIY peristaltic pump for the recirculation, but after watching yours in action I may reconsider. I will be watching you basket mods with great interest!

Thanks again.

Mike

 

[fugazzi]

+1 vote for stitching your videos together into one.

Looks awesome! I was thinking that you may have to resort to another vessel to hold your hops, as the mash filter and hop filter are performing two different tasks. One is filtering water, the other is filtering hops. Also, your hop filter doesn't really need to be so large, or so robust, so I was thinking of something similar to a tea strainer, but on a larger scale to accommodate more hops.