Speidel Braumeister (brewmaster)

[wyzazz]

Good point Dave! I look forward to seeing your shops improvements!

 

[Yambor44]

Welcome Dave, glad you have joined us and I look forward to hearing about your experience with this machine.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Yambor: as usual, a picture is worth a thousand words, and when those pictures are taken the way you do, more like a million. You answered a lot of questions for me. Thank you again for taking the time.

There is a dead space both above and below the pipe significantly reducing its capacity. Also there is a minimum amount of mash liquor required to create the pumping circuit so a true 5 gal batch is not possible with the large malt pipe in the 50L version as more liquor is required (unless you do a long boil to reduce volume).

Hey David, welcome to the forum, and thanks for contributing to this thread.
You make a valid point about the dead space underneath the filter. About the dead space on top of it, I assume it'll be variable, depending on your grain bill.

So I have a few more questions (hey, don't blame me. It's Dave's fault ):

1. In Yambor's pictures, you can see a bead rolled at what seems to be about 4 inches from the bottom. Is that where the bottom filter rests?

2. If the filter rests at that height, isn't that enough space to fit the swirl tube, without making any further mods to the malt pipe?

3. Do you guys think that, if brewing (again, as an example) the biggest beer possible, there'd be any extra room at the top of the malt pipe?

 

[wyzazz]

3. Do you guys think that, if brewing (again, as an example) the biggest beer possible, there'd be any extra room at the top of the malt pipe?

If you were brewing the biggest beer possible on this system, there really couldn't be any headroom. You'd want to essentially fill the malt tube to it's max capacity.

You could really brew almost anything you want, just depends on how much beer you want. A longer boil will reduce the amount of finished beer but also up the gravity. I don't think there is really a hard limit on the biggest beer you could brew with the Braumeister, it all depends on your efficiency and process. Lots of folks that brew large RIS's or Barleywines use unconventional methods to get to their gravities. Boiling in multiple pots, extended boils, extended mashes, amylase enzyme, just to name a few. Every system has it's limitations, it really just depends on how you are going to overcome them.

 

[Yambor44]

The pump is from Deutsche Vortex "BW 152 o/t"
http://www.en.deutsche-vortex.de/en/
It is intended to distribute heated water in households.

Here you can buy one for 93 Euros or approx. 130 US dollars.
http://www.haustechnik-express.de/product_info.php?products_id=783
(edit: this pump in the link has 1/2" plumbing on the housing. The Speidel is bigger, looks like about 20mm. The part # of the Speidel pump-housing is 101.101.350. The motor and rotor will be the same.

The pump is not involved in moving the wort out of the braumeister. That would involve some replumbing. Tight space on the 20 liter, don't know if there's room for a T on the 50..

Another way can be to lower a pipe into the "out hole" for the pump at the bottom of the unit and running a hose from that into another container, on the sprinciple of this recirculating device that a fellow norwegian user invented:
http://www.bryggeri.net/utstyr/brygging-med-speidel-braumeister!/500/

It's made from two 12mm (1/2" should be close enough) copper bends and pipe. The short piece is 12 cm and the long 43cm (for the 20l).
This thing works (recirkulates wort to the top of the malt-pipe which is rised during mash-out). I made one and used it a couple of times but haven't lately as the wort is clear without it and it is a bit tricky to get it in place with the malt-pipe in.
Anyhow it can lift wort from the bottom up over the edge so it should be fine for filling a container. Trub in the pump can become an issue, though.

I remember seeing that a while back!! It makes sense now!

Also, from the same thread over there, another invention to recirculate the wort from the bottom back to the top to reduce chilling time, simple....yet effective.

 

[Yambor44]

The chain method...

 

[Yambor44]

Hmmm, another option...

 

[wyzazz]

I really like the drawstring idea mentioned earlier, buy a Swiss Voile curtain or a yard of fabric, then cut/sew a drawstring in. Heck, you may even be able to just use a nylon paint strainer bag over the false bottoms.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Thank you Wyzazz, for the reply. So...basically, that means there's no limits to how big you can make the beer. Hmmm...

I really like the drawstring idea mentioned earlier, buy a Swiss Voile curtain or a yard of fabric, then cut/sew a drawstring in. Heck, you may even be able to just use a nylon paint strainer bag over the false bottoms.

I have used paint strainers before, and they have no problems with boiling temperatures, they're cheap. and come with an elastic "string" (sorry, don't know the right name in English) on the mouth. Maybe you could use one of those...

 

[beefeater]

On the latest brew Iattached the bottom filter with five bent out paper clips. Quick, easy and got no grains in the kettle.

Brewing in the kitchen makes cleaning the malt-pipe easy. It fits in the dishwasher when removing the top shelf.

The bad thing about brewing in the kitchen is steam. This low tech arrangement directs most of it into the ventilator. I might go for the copper hat and attach a hose to it to be able to direct all the steam right into the middle of the ventilator.

Looking out the kitchen window. Brewing outside wasn't an option!

An hour later it cleared a bit and I could see across the sound. Those guys in the yellow building in the middle markets themselves as the northernmost brewery in the world..

 

[Yambor44]

I understand the paint strainers and agree. However, I want something more plug and play if you will. A paint bag is more of a pain to wash out to me also. So with that being said and going along the lines of the silicone hose to fill in the gap mentioned earlier in the thread, what about a braided hose as it's not much more than 175* temps? Wnated to get your input before i start cutting on the hose. Also, I was thinking of just an x slit in the middle to slide it over the bottom piece.

 

[Yambor44]

Beefeater,

Great idea on the paperclips! If I had seen that before the purchase of my recent splatter screen, that would have been my next use.

 

[wyzazz]

I guess my first question would be, is the hose food grade? Will it leech any off-flavors in to your beer? Maybe cut off a chunk and put it in a pot of water on the stove at 175 for an hour, then taste the water.

The only other thing I can see as being an issue is that vinyl hose isn't really very pliable until it's been heated up. Is that going to cause any issues with getting that FB to seat?

 

[Yambor44]

I use it a lot in my brewing, or did. It is food grade. I think it is only rated to like 170* or so. Maybe I'll just use the paperclip idea, or just let it miss the outer layer of holes on the bottom screen.

What about the slit idea? How is everyone cutting the holes in the screen, a razor knife?

 

[Yambor44]

Here's what it looks like with just the screen on it. Whatdaya think, leave it as is?

 

[wyzazz]

I think I'd probably leave it as is and see where that gets you. Or maybe sandwich the cloth filter in between it if you are worried.

 

[Yambor44]

Sounds good. Just for ****s and giggles here it is with the hose installed. I accidentally cut thru too far on on end of the slit, if not for that the ends would clamp down perfect...in a controlled ambient, dry environment.





from the side. Looks like it seals to the bottom good. Again, maybe different results in mash temp environment with 22 pounds of wet grain sitting on top. My hand is not holding anything down btw, just propped against the freezer the screen is laying on.

 

[clasley]

Can someone with a 20l unit give me a height measurement from the base to the spigot? I need to knock together a stand and want sure it's tall enough to drain directly into a carboy.

Thanks.

-Chris

 

[beefeater]

Can someone with a 20l unit give me a height measurement from the base to the spigot? I need to knock together a stand and want sure it's tall enough to drain directly into a carboy.

Thanks.

-Chris

17.5cm or 6 14/16"

If you'll be tipping it forward to empty it completely (without dip-tube) consider it 5cm/2" high.

 

[hfk2]

I'm assuming you want the height from a tabletop to the bottom of the spigot which is 6 3/4".

 

[beefeater]

Mine's bigger than yours
..by 1/8"..!

 

[clasley]

Exactly what I needed, thanks fellas.

-Chris

 

[hfk2]

Is that a metric 1/8th

 

[davewaldo]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome!

Yambor, your bottom filter is looking good. I think your screen would work well to hold down the original cloth filter. Have you brewed with it yet?

I can't wait to get my 50L Braumeister, I've even started planning a brew stand with integrated winch. I usually brew with a buddy, but when brewing solo I think the malt pipe would be a struggle to lift. The winch arm could lift the malt pipe then swing to one side to lower to the ground (I like to look after my back )

Any feedback/suggestions welcome.

Also I do recomend reading the forum from Norway as it has some great tips and mods (as shown a few pages back). Although it can be tough going with the google translation.....

I look forward to seeing how everyone progresses!

Dave.

 

[Yambor44]

Dave, that stand looks great! I have brewed with it but not with the new screens. I hope to get a brew or two in this weekend (have to work tomorrow). There are a couple of videos a few pages back that I posted.

 

[rico567]

For some reason, the height measurements from the base to the spigot reminded me of wort chillers- I had thought my chiller would work with this, and although the diameter is workable, it's not going to be tall enough. Given the cost of the Speidel chiller, maybe this is a good excuse to get a plate chiller, given the ease of keeping break material out of the wort.....

 

[wyzazz]

FWIW I love my 15 Plate Chiller! But depending on your groundwater temps, it might make sense to recirculate with it.

 

[Yambor44]

I received my replacement lid today and along with it the thermo collar that I ordered.

 

[hfk2]

On my last batch I used my old copper immersion chiller that is sized for 10 gals. My ground water is still in the upper 40's. I used my March pump to take wort from the spigot and circulated it clockwise around the pot. I went from boiling to 68F degrees in 7 minutes and it helped make a bit of a whirlpool effect. Those with plate chillers, do you prefer them to the IC, and how do you keep the trub from clogging them?

 

[Yambor44]

Yambor,

if you lower the wire rack to a hair above the wheels on your table that should make it much more stable. you got to much leg with out horizontal support toward the bottom.

Done! Thanks.