Ruy Lopez
Well-Known Member
I'm putting together my plans to build a "brewing staircase" for a keg brewpot system. Anyone have measurements and/or pics of their working systems?
Ruy Lopez said:I'm putting together my plans to build a "brewing staircase" for a keg brewpot system. Anyone have measurements and/or pics of their working systems?
Uncle Fat said:I can't seem to find the initial drawing / plans I made for it. I'll have to measure it out, and get back to you. (might be a day or two).
For now, find a good source for slotted angle iron.
Janx said:Uncle Fat's system looks really nice. Mine is much more simple. We basically built a staircase with 4x4 posts and dadoed 2x4 cross members. 3/4 in. plywood decks on the steps. Each step rises the height of one keg.
In retrospect, we have thought we could have just made 2 steps and put the lower burner and kettle on the ground. Our system is nowhere near as contained as Uncle Fat's. That thing looks like the setup.
Janx said:Hey Uncle Fat. How do you go into your chiller and then to your fermentor from the kettle? That's the only step in our process that requires a lift. We lift the kettle up to the second step (the mash tun step) after the boil, and let it flow via gravity through the chiller into the fermenter which is on ground level.
Ruy Lopez said:What size is that pot you have there?
Roughly how much did you spend on the whole setup?
Ruy Lopez said:I saw the link. I was talking about a pic of YOUR system.
You been drinking too much of that Janx Spirit with Zaphod, Janx?
Uncle Fat said:I use a 50' immersion chiller. With stirring, I've got it down to about 15 minutes for 10 gallons. There's already plenty of room for a bucket or carboy under the kettle. I may eventually go to a therminator. You can see a few extra inches of angle iron above the HLT platform. So if, and when I go therminator, I can raise up the kettle and HLT platforms by about 4 more inches (I'd have to extend the mash tun platform, but no real problem there). That's about all the extra height needed (therminator is pretty small).
Janx said:What is a therminator?
Uncle Fat said:It's a homebrew version of a plate chiller. Very fast, very efficient, and very small (oh, and uh.... very expensive):
http://pivo.northernbrewer.com/nbstore/action/search-do?searchTerm=therminator&x=0&y=0
I'll have to save the pennies for a while, but it'll be worth it!
friscobeerguy said:wish I knew how all this cool stuff worked. Been brewing since Jan 1st and have been hooked. Next step is all grain.. which i'm sure gets me into these goodies. I've got to wait a while though cause the lady says i'm spending too much too quickly.
So far:
Five 5 gallon batches of ale
Keg system
5 kegs
4 spigots for the garage fridge
.. and I feel i'm just getting started.
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