The MaxOut Brew Station

[Beernip]

Outstanding man! Can you explain how you have a water filter setup? Looks like it is split on the intake? I have one myself but always dismissed it as I'd need to go on the hot water output and that would be too hot to filter properly?

 

[mikelikesit2000]

Great job, maxout. I love your setup.
I am currently building mine. I was considering an instahot (instant hot water tank) like yours to supply the HLT to save time in heating water. What temp do you get water out of yours? Do you think that it has saved time during brew day?

 

[mobilecabinworks]

Great idea with the siphon sprayer! I will be trying something like that.

 

[Stik9yne]

Ill just sit in my corner with my plastic stir paddle and 16qt boil pot....

Sweet setup!

 

[rmullins]

How did I miss this thread? Beautiful work. I would say that I am pitching a tent but I may have already finished.

If you need a 25 year old slave, I am definitely your guy. I don't need a bedroom, the garage will suffice.

 

[MaxOut]

Outstanding man! Can you explain how you have a water filter setup? Looks like it is split on the intake? I have one myself but always dismissed it as I'd need to go on the hot water output and that would be too hot to filter properly?

Just prior to the brew station there is a carbon filter on the main supply and is split on the output. One line goes into the hot water heater input and the other goes to the cold water at the brew station. I have well water and its actually really good but this is just extra insurance against heavy metals.There is another filter at the source so all water is filtered twice prior to reaching the brew station.

 

[MaxOut]

Great job, maxout. I love your setup.
I am currently building mine. I was considering an instahot (instant hot water tank) like yours to supply the HLT to save time in heating water. What temp do you get water out of yours? Do you think that it has saved time during brew day?

The hot water heater I use is a commercial model that will heat to 185 degrees. It absolutely saves time and money heating water. This thing is incredible!


I fill the HLT with water at or slightly below mash temp then I fill the BK with strike volume at or below temp. I start the BCS and it automatically controls burners to finish heating to exact desired temps. So for a typical brew day I would be heating 17 gallons between 154 and 172 degrees and takes less than ten min. Reduces my brew day by an easy 45 min. After the mash the BCS will ramp the temp in the HLT until the temp in the MT reaches 168 degrees to mash out. At this point I take the output from the HLT and use the all ready heated water and recirculate it through the coil to flush wort back into MT during sparge. Depending on your system design you could fly sparge directly from the instant hot water heater and eliminate one vessel.

 

[MaxOut]

Great idea with the siphon sprayer! I will be trying something like that.

Works great but I would like to find a stainless one. The heat makes them brittle and eventually will break. Let me know if you find a stainless one. Thanks.

 

[Whut]

In a word, DAMN! Saying how impressed I am does not even come close to what you've accomplished / completed. Congrats!

 

[cowgo]

Can you post pics of your entire garage to include the kitchen dining area? Your next build has to be a garage bar with all the bling.

 

[MaxOut]

Thank you Whutever I'm humbled by all the nice words.

 

[nukinfuts29]

I am insanely jealous

 

[MaxOut]

Can you post pics of your entire garage to include the kitchen dining area? Your next build has to be a garage bar with all the bling.

Sure, I've made some improvements to the Brew Station and will update this post after the holidays. Got a few more brewery related upgrades planned but no big bar build in the near future. Half the garage is still used as a work shop and the other is the grill zone and Brew Station. Cheers!

 

[225]

What did you use for the electronic gas valves?

 

[MaxOut]

What did you use for the electronic gas valves?

Honeywell SmartValves. I used the ones with intermittent hot surface ignition and standing pilot. I like these because they do not require a separate ignition module. I could supply you with the part numbers of the ones I used if you are interested.

 

[225]

Honeywell SmartValves. I used the ones with intermittent hot surface ignition and standing pilot. I like these because they do not require a separate ignition module. I could supply you with the part numbers of the ones I used if you are interested.

That would be great, PM me. Thanks

 

[TriangleIL]

Does PBW do enough to clean around the HERMS coils, or do you need to dump the MLT and BK after a brew day and hose them out? I was hoping to have a completely CIP system built, but I'm finding that I don't think I can completely clean out my MLT or BK without turning them upsidedown and hosing them out... is that how you clean your system?

 

[MaxOut]

The way I use my system wort never enters the HLT except through the heat exchanger coil so the HLT and coil are clean in place. The boil kettle and mash lauter tun are removed and flipped for cleaning. I could clean them in place but I find it easier to remove them and flip them over. I use a 4 wheel dolly to roll them out of my shop and suspend them at a 45 degree angle for rinsing with the hose. Once the mash lauter tun is dumped I rinse and fill with water and PBW. Once I'm done with the mash lauter tun I transfer the cleaning solution to the boil kettle and repeat. I usually clean the mash lauter tun during the boil so it gives me something to do in between hop additions. I've considered a CIP procedure but I don't think I could get things as clean as I would like. I am waiting for the weather to break so I can cut in a dedicated floor/ sink drain at the brew station. I will reconsider CIP once I have a more convenient place to drain water. Right now all waste water is rolled out of the shop and dumped or dumped in a lager wash sink in the shop bathroom. Always a work in progress

 

[MaxOut]

Thanks to a member here on HBT the MaxOut Brew Station was featured in December in the "Pimp My System" section of the American Home Brewers Association web site.

To view the article go here - MaxOut Brew Station on AHA

Thanks Daniel!

 

[BrewHobby1]

Maxout, amazing system!

I am in the market for starting a build and I just go from an awesome build to an unbelievably more awesome build. I feel like a honey bee that doesn't know where to stop. All of you creative people are killing me. I hate all of you. Now I will have to go take a welding class. Cr*p! Oh wait, the things I could try to make! My wife is gonna kill me.

 

[MaxOut]

Maxout, amazing system!

I am in the market for starting a build and I just go from an awesome build to an unbelievably more awesome build. I feel like a honey bee that doesn't know where to stop. All of you creative people are killing me. I hate all of you. Now I will have to go take a welding class. Cr*p! Oh wait, the things I could try to make! My wife is gonna kill me.

I felt the same way when I began my venture into a brewing rig...and my wife...thank god I got her to start drinking

Next week I am organizing some of the misc build photos and info on a web site. I will link it here. I have also made allot if improvements to the MaxOut Brewstation that I will update here as well. Thank you and have fun with your build!

 

[MaxOut]

Made some upgrades to the MaxOut Brewstation.
Added some shelves, overhead lights and working on some private labeling on the equipment. Here’s a few shots of the shelves over the counter and over the side wall.

 

[MaxOut]

I wanted to clear the working counter and decided to upgrade the 19” computer screen and get it off the counter. I went wireless with the keyboard and mouse and made a custom stainless sign to house the new 32” LED screen and custom lighted sign. Here is a few build shots of the sign and installation.

 

[user 84304]

I wanted to clear the working counter and decided to upgrade the 19” computer screen and get it off the counter. I went wireless with the keyboard and mouse and made a custom stainless sign to house the new 32” LED screen and custom lighted sign. Here is a few build shots of the sign and installation.

Okay, now you're just taunting us. Lol, great job. Digging the sign.

 

[MaxOut]

Wanted to have the kegs private labeled and made a few extra to label the other equipment. Made from stainless on a plasma table and backed with the black FRP board for contrast.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Your build never ceases to amaze me.....Nice!!!!

 

[dbarrm]

Freaking amazing.

Dan

 

[stratslinger]

You, sir (and I mean this in the best way possible) are absolutely nuts.

 

[Layne]

DUDE!
Keeps gettin better.

 

[MaxOut]

MaxOut Brestation upgraded to 1 BBL capacity and first 1 BBL brew!

I acquired a 60 gallon steam kettle and plan on making a single vessel brew system but for now found a place in the existing brew system to increase capacity to 1 BBL for my regular house lagers. I wrote a process in the BCS to control a dual mash. I converted my existing BK keggle to a mash tun and did two mashes at the same time direct firing the BK and using the HERMS for the MLT. I mashed out and fly sparged each mash in to the boil kettle. After boil I cooled through plate heat exchanger then through Heat exchanger in HLT with ice to get me to the 50 degrees in one pass. I got a slightly stuck mash during recirculation in the BK and scorched the mash a little but caught it quick (Lesson Learned).Overall it went well and filled 5 buckets with 6 gallons each.