Unboxing the Nano from CO Brewing

[jabba11]

If it were me, I wouldn't worry about the feet. You know how things weigh less in water? Well, the same principle will prevent the chiller from putting hardly any weight on the element.

If that doesn't convince you, put the chiller in a container full of water, fill the chiller with water too. Weigh the chiller with something like a luggage scale. Should be just a few pounds, if that. Plus, the water you're circulating through the chiller on brew day is less dense than the wort, making the chiller excerpt even less pressure on the element.

I actually hadn't considered that!!

 

[sgraham602]

I had considered this as well so yes its a good idea! When considering it though I will want to make sure that the connections hang outside the kettle. I use quick disconnects on them and they often leak at least some. LOL

I know what you mean. I had a hydra and experienced the same thing. I'm just kicking myself that I let my hydra go with my previous system when I sold it. That chiller rocks!!

 

[usarcher]

Not sure if this helps but here is what mine look like.

I still have a while before mine comes in but am having some heat pumps installed this coming week so thought I'd wire up the outlets that I'll need. On CObrewing documentation it says:

'Step 7: Install your main power plug. On 208/240V control panels the system ships without the power plug on the panel to allow you to match the plug to your outlet. On our “Nano Brewer Home” system the panel will require a 4 prong plug. On pro models a 3 prong plug is required as we do not need the neutral wire, however a separate 120V GFCI outlet is required for control circuit power. Refer to your plugs documentation for proper wiring.'

Wondering why you have a 4-prong plug on the pro level system? Is the extra prong just not wired? I picked up the 30 amp GFCI breaker and planed to get a nema 6-50 outlet as I have the same outlet in the garage for my ev charger. Thought if I ever decided to brew in the garage I'd already have the outlet.

 

[usarcher]

Tim from CO Brewing emailed me back that the systems are now coming default with 240v 4 wire setup vs the 240v 3 wire with separate 120v outlet.

 

[jready]

I am up early here in Nashville to start my blackberry kettle sour. I took the advice from Tim and did a 20 min rest at 118 as my recipe is 50/50 Pils wheat.

Up to mash temp now and have a good recirc going valve is probably 3/4 open.

This will be a great test of why I wanted an electric system. Will be mashing for 90 min then drain. Boil for 5-10 min cool to 110 and add the lacto. From there it'll sit at 110 for 3 days then check ph shooting for 3.4. Boil for another 30 adding a minimum amount of hops then cool and ferment as regular. Add blackberrys after a week then keg after another week. A nice summer beer and a crowd pleaser.

Anybody else brewing this weekend?

Cheers!

 

[andrewmaixner]

I am up early here in Nashville to start my blackberry kettle sour. I took the advice from Tim and did a 20 min rest at 118 as my recipe is 50/50 Pils wheat.

Up to mash temp now and have a good recirc going valve is probably 3/4 open.

This will be a great test of why I wanted an electric system. Will be mashing for 90 min then drain. Boil for 5-10 min cool to 110 and add the lacto. From there it'll sit at 110 for 3 days then check ph shooting for 3.4. Boil for another 30 adding a minimum amount of hops then cool and ferment as regular. Add blackberrys after a week then keg after another week. A nice summer beer and a crowd pleaser.

Anybody else brewing this weekend?

Cheers!

sounds good! you didn't mention purging with C02 and sealing the vessel against oxygen; do you not bother with preventing 02 contactand pre-acidifying when pitching a commercial clean lacto culture into a boiled wort?

 

[jready]

I will! Thanks for the reminder! I will seal the lid with Saran Wrap then quick blast of co2

 

[Howhownow]

First day brew notes are in!
Overall impression: wow. Easier, more efficient, and faster than I've ever brewed before. I swear I've had tougher times with extract batches! Keep in mind I didn't get the full nano system- just the kettle and recirc fitting.

First note- this was a wit with 50% flaked wheat. The LHBS forgot the rice hulls. I also just milled to their standard setting (did not get exact specs). That said, I had no recirculation issues at all. 3/4 throttle for most of the hour. I also achieved ~70% brewhouse effeciency, which I am very happy with. The grains still definitely had a lot of sweet wort, so I may do a simple pour sparge next time.

Second- The only complaint I have about the whole CBS system was the mounting of the recirc fitting. It's just not a very 'elegant' connection. I eventually found a roll of electrical tape jammed in there did the job. I'll figure something out for the future.

Third: I think I had an above average brew day length before, but today was SIGNIFICANTLY shortened. Times, as per my notes (5 gallon batch):
1:50- Start heating strike
2:25- Mash in (could have been sooner, fiddling with PID and probe)
3:27- Hoist basket
3:35- Start beating for boil
3:47- Boil achieved
4:47- Kill boil and start chill
4:54- 150* 5:08- 80*
5:14- carboy in fridge
6:34- all clean
This timetable is lightning speed compared to what I'm used to. Brewing was absolutely an all day affair. Between shortened setup, breakdown, cleaning, and heating, I shaved an easy 3 hours off. There are probably 30 minutes in there of me fiddling in figuring things out. This speed (and accompanying effiency) is the part I'm happiest about.

All in all couldn't be more pleased. Not only am I done sooner, I used to be absolutely BEAT after brewing. Today was tough work, but nowhere near what I'm used to, and it'll only get easier.

Now for some pics!
Mash (recirc fitting holder V1)

"Sparge"

Boil

Chill
(recirc holder V2)

(Bro check my trub cone)

Oh yeah- it's hard to tell from that last pic but the pickup tube gets pretty much everything. I used .75 gal equipment loss and it was spot on, including what was left in the CFC.

 

[jready]

First day brew notes are in!

Overall impression: wow. Easier, more efficient, and faster than I've ever brewed before. I swear I've had tougher times with extract batches! Keep in mind I didn't get the full nano system- just the kettle and recirc fitting.



First note- this was a wit with 50% flaked wheat. The LHBS forgot the rice hulls. I also just milled to their standard setting (did not get exact specs). That said, I had no recirculation issues at all. 3/4 throttle for most of the hour. I also achieved ~70% brewhouse effeciency, which I am very happy with. The grains still definitely had a lot of sweet wort, so I may do a simple pour sparge next time.



Second- The only complaint I have about the whole CBS system was the mounting of the recirc fitting. It's just not a very 'elegant' connection. I eventually found a roll of electrical tape jammed in there did the job. I'll figure something out for the future.



Third: I think I had an above average brew day length before, but today was SIGNIFICANTLY shortened. Times, as per my notes (5 gallon batch):

1:50- Start heating strike

2:25- Mash in (could have been sooner, fiddling with PID and probe)

3:27- Hoist basket

3:35- Start beating for boil

3:47- Boil achieved

4:47- Kill boil and start chill

4:54- 150* 5:08- 80*

5:14- carboy in fridge

6:34- all clean

This timetable is lightning speed compared to what I'm used to. Brewing was absolutely an all day affair. Between shortened setup, breakdown, cleaning, and heating, I shaved an easy 3 hours off. There are probably 30 minutes in there of me fiddling in figuring things out. This speed (and accompanying effiency) is the part I'm happiest about.



All in all couldn't be more pleased. Not only am I done sooner, I used to be absolutely BEAT after brewing. Today was tough work, but nowhere near what I'm used to, and it'll only get easier.



Now for some pics!

Mash (recirc fitting holder V1)

"Sparge"

Boil

Chill

(recirc holder V2)

(Bro check my trub cone)

Oh yeah- it's hard to tell from that last pic but the pickup tube gets pretty much everything. I used .75 gal equipment loss and it was spot on, including what was left in the CFC.

Nice!!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1464541495.617126.jpg

Just tapped my Tired Hands Hop Hands clone best one yet!!

 

[sgraham602]

what are you guys using to chill? I was just running some more wet tests getting ready for my brew session tomorrow morning and the pump really struggles to whirlpool through my counter flow chiller. I'm starting to regret getting rid of my Hydra immersion chiller. I can get a pretty rocking whirlpool with no chiller, but as soon as I attach the counter flow the whirlpool drops pretty dramatically.

 

[sgraham602]

As I sit here thinking. I'm now wondering if I've got the wrong idea about whirlpooling through my CFC. Those that use a CFC.... Are you whirlpooling through it? or just whirlpooling after turning off the element and then making one pass through the CFC on the way to the fermenter?

 

[benner_28]

I always thought the point of the whirlpool was to limit the amount of material through the chiller. I've watched the video from Tim a few times and I thought you whirlpool for a bit prior to chilling. I don't have a system yet, but that's my take.

 

[sgraham602]

That's my plan for today. Gonna see how that goes. I'm just not sure that my ground water is cold enough to chill my wort with one pass on the way to the fermenter.

 

[jabba11]

I plan to try using my immersion chiller in combination with recirc then whirlpool after I take the immersion chiller out if it disrupts the whirlpool then move to my fermenter. I'm not one who is real big on keeping out all the trub etc becaseu I don't use a plate chiller. I usually let it settle in my conical for about 30 minutes then dump the trub, oxygenate, and pout in my yeast. I know that's not helpful to the discussion here but that's my planned process.

 

[jready]

what are you guys using to chill? I was just running some more wet tests getting ready for my brew session tomorrow morning and the pump really struggles to whirlpool through my counter flow chiller. I'm starting to regret getting rid of my Hydra immersion chiller. I can get a pretty rocking whirlpool with no chiller, but as soon as I attach the counter flow the whirlpool drops pretty dramatically.

I switched from a CFC to a plate chiller because I couldn't get the other to work. My sour is down to 3.6 PH this AM will be doing my first run with the plate chiller this afternoon. How is the brew day going?

 

[sgraham602]

Night and day compared to my first brew session. Got the recirculation on the mash to work perfectly without any hiccups. Whirpooled for 5 mins after the boil and then let it settle before pumping it through the CFC and into the fermenter. Coming out of the CFC I was at 86 degrees, which isn't too bad. I probably could have gotten lower if I had slowed the pump down a little. All in all the whole day went without any problems.

 

[jready]

Night and day compared to my first brew session. Got the recirculation on the mash to work perfectly without any hiccups. Whirpooled for 5 mins after the boil and then let it settle before pumping it through the CFC and into the fermenter. Coming out of the CFC I was at 86 degrees, which isn't too bad. I probably could have gotten lower if I had slowed the pump down a little. All in all the whole day went without any problems.

Good news!![emoji106]

 

[DarkStormBrewing]

I'm brewing on an E herms and I go kettle>pump>cfc>kettle. Chilling the whole mass within a half hour. I set the PID to alarm at 100F, then add ice, water, an Epsom salt to my 50' prechiller set in a 5 gal bucket. Set PID for pitch temp. Alarm sounds, transfer to fermenters, oxygenate and pitch.

This has been the most successful for me after a few different set ups. Stainless CFC. 20 gallon kal clone kettle. Chugger center inlet pump.

 

[30Bones]

Night and day compared to my first brew session. Got the recirculation on the mash to work perfectly without any hiccups. Whirpooled for 5 mins after the boil and then let it settle before pumping it through the CFC and into the fermenter. Coming out of the CFC I was at 86 degrees, which isn't too bad. I probably could have gotten lower if I had slowed the pump down a little. All in all the whole day went without any problems.

Slow the pump down and you can get it cooler. Then again your groundwater temps in NC this time of year may be pretty high depending on if it's well or city.

 

[Howhownow]

As I sit here thinking. I'm now wondering if I've got the wrong idea about whirlpooling through my CFC. Those that use a CFC.... Are you whirlpooling through it? or just whirlpooling after turning off the element and then making one pass through the CFC on the way to the fermenter?

I went straight to whirlpooling through the (Jaded) CFC with no issues to speak of. That said, probably couldn't hurt to get a little whirlpool/trub cone going before I send it through the chiller.
I haven't needed to use this function yet, but one of the reasons I went with this particular chiller is that you can easily brush the internal run clean. If I could go back, I'm not sure if I'd stay with the CFC or go immersion. Will need a couple more brews to tell.

 

[sgraham602]

Slow the pump down and you can get it cooler. Then again your groundwater temps in NC this time of year may be pretty high depending on if it's well or city.

Yea. I was starting to rush to get finish so I had the pump running pretty quick. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten it down closer to 70 or below if I had slowed down. Might need to consider a prechiller as we get into the summer months.

 

[30Bones]

Yea. I was starting to rush to get finish so I had the pump running pretty quick. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten it down closer to 70 or below if I had slowed down. Might need to consider a prechiller as we get into the summer months.

If you use temp control for fermentation it's not a big deal to let the fridge take it down to pitching temps.

 

[sgraham602]

If you use temp control for fermentation it's not a big deal to let the fridge take it down to pitching temps.

True. that'll take some planning on my part. One of my fermentation chambers is not quite as "strong" as the others. Took most of the afternoon to take the carboys from 80 down to 60 (where I like to ferment WLP 029 Kolsch Yeast). However, my other chamber and temp controlled conical could have taken the temp the rest of the way easily.

 

[wildseedgrrrl]

UPDATE: Garage is finally rewired and 30amp gfci breaker has been installed along with outlet, lights and painted to help brighten it up. Did a dry run of putting together my brewing system. Was hoping to do a water test on wednesday and when I was installing the bar which holds the control panel I found that the holes didn't line up. I can get one screw in and the other is wonky. Screws on the arm are a hair to close to each other to get a perfect fit. Because I had no space to really put it together because of redoing my garage I only inventoried the parts (and found everything was here) and did not put it together. The other issue is the bar sits really low on the frame to me and I'm wondering if that is right. All the pics on their website show that the control panel is mounted higher. I've sent an email to them and I'm sure I'll hear back from them shortly.

 

[wildseedgrrrl]

Just heard back from them. The customer service on these guys is great.The holes were that low on original design but he's sending me the new adjustable arm. Will update on first brew day when it happens.

 

[30Bones]

I'm getting anxious to know when mine will ship. Only been a month but my order status hasn't changed

 

[wildseedgrrrl]

I'm getting anxious to know when mine will ship. Only been a month but my order status hasn't changed

I wouldn't rely on the notification. Mine said the same thing for 5 weeks and then I came home and bang, there it was. Happy relieved dance! And when you least expect it.

 

[30Bones]

It's coming to work so maybe I'll set it up in our kitchenette

 

[02RedWS6TA]

Ordered mine today. Added a whirlpool fitting to the kettle. Nano home with the fitting on the bottom of the kettle. I have a fab shop so I have some plans to modify the stand once it's in.

 

[jready]

Ordered mine today. Added a whirlpool fitting to the kettle. Nano home with the fitting on the bottom of the kettle. I have a fab shop so I have some plans to modify the stand once it's in.

Nice! Good decision on the whirlpool, if I had it to do again I probably would opt for that.

Can't wait to see your mods. I am not skilled in that way but it'll be cool to see what you do!