Weekend Brutus!

[petrostar]

I'll have it working by Sunday.

 

[petrostar]

Don't mind the mess. Here's the control panel arm. Eventually doing a brewtroller but for now it will be switches and relays. Now to get a control panel, orrrrrr..... To build one...

 

[bkorver]

That's just sexy. Great job!

 

[petrostar]

Cleaned up that angle and finished my gas lines.

 

[petrostar]

Building the controls box tomorrow. It will be 12x12x6" deep. I went underneath the lower support with my piping because I'm going to put a shelf there and hide everything. I like the cleaner look. I also like the idea of cleaning my stand and not worrying about boil overs hitting my gas valves. Pictures of control panel to come.

 

[supe_kitchen]

Congrats on stepping your game up!!! Below is the one I built with my brother (about 2.5 month-long project).



Getting it dialed in, and having a flawless brewday on your Brutus is incredibly gratifying.

 

[petrostar]

Your stand looks great. Where did you get the switches and lights? Know a good place? Do you mind the controls being so close to the burner? Does it get hot?

 

[supe_kitchen]

Digital read outs and other such stuff came from www.coleparmer.com, and a few things came from amazon.com and northernbrewer.com. Heat from my HLT never really gets to my control panel, but my jet burner is up to close to get a true jet. My burner is dropped down more under my boil kettle and it makes a hell of a jet, gets 5 gal boiling in no time. I just start my strike water first thing and then do other things like cleaning and sterilizing when it is getting up to temp.

Only things I had to learn the hard way were, get the quick disconnects for your hoses now, because if you don't you will want them later (unless you are doing hard plumbing). Also I use a hop spider with paint strainer bags to keep my hops out and that works great.

 

[petrostar]

I have a stainless hop spider and 250$ worth of stainless quick disconnects and valves.

 

[twinfore]

so I have to ask. does anyone have a final cost on building just the stand and controls? I have a nice brew rig right now but it's on an old wood stand and I like the rig you have and that is exactly what I want to build but I'm having a hard time getting a parts list and a cost of things so I know how much to save lol. Any information you are willing to share would be helpful.

 

[gifty74]

Just curious, all of you guys with Brutus clones with keggle mash tuns, what are you using for a false bottom? Are you really happy with it? Have you ever stuck a sparge? What size dip tube do you have?

 

[supe_kitchen]

Not sure what you already have, but my total cost was around 2k. The keggles were around 100 for 3 kegs and another 50ish a piece for the conversion kits which could have been done cheaper. My pumps were approx 100-150 a pop. Honestly if I could do it over again I would have got the Lowe's credit card and got 10% off all my purchases there. I spent way more on little crap than I thought I would have. My thoughts are buy the big ticket items over time to spread out the cost, then devote a few weeks/months putting it all together when you have everything.

 

[petrostar]

Look up oxo splatter screen false bottom. That's what I did.

 

[petrostar]

My build will piss some off I think.

3 kegs - free
40 ft 2" tube - free
Electric panel - free
Gifts/presents/donations:
welder, 2 burners, 2 propane regulators, 2 stainless splatter screens, copper dip tubes High voltage wire, state wire. 6 cans black high temperature paint, silvabrite solder w/flux, Transformer

$50 gas pipe fittings
$160 2-gas valves w/conversion kit, 2-glowfly igniters, 2 Honeywell ignition modules, 2 flame sensors, 3 ssrs
$25 welding wire/tips
$20 flap disks/files
$30 castor wheels
$10 switches
$12 hop spider
$275 stainless fittings and sight glasses/thermometers

This is just what I have right now. I need a brewtroller and digital displays with temp sensors. Also need silicon tubing with pumps. Hermes coil will be free too.

 

[lukadog]

Subscribed! Very nice work. Can't wait till I get to start mine!

 

[petrostar]

It has begun

 

[petrostar]

I have plummed the basic electrical through conduit and made mounts for the HSI and Flame sensor. I just need to pick up some electrical connections from the store. More pics to come today. Hopefully of me firing this bad boy off. I am just doing on/off controls for both burners right now because I can't afford the temp controller/probes and lcd displays. I have a really nice solid control panel for when I do that.

 

[petrostar]

Got it to fire off today but the burners are hp bg12 burners. I tried drilling out the orifices for my burners and can't get a decent flame no matter my gas valve setting. The gas valves are propane converted for .5 psi or 13" wc. I checked pressures with a manometer and they're right on. When converting these burners to low pressure in think I'll lose too many btuhs for 10 gallons boils. I'm gonna go with ten tip low pressure jet burners I think from bayou Classic depot. 28 each. I'll post pictures when I get them.

 

[Tarheel4985]

Where did you get the stainless flexible hoses for the burners? I need that exact part and haven't had luck at Lowe's or HD.

 

[petrostar]

They came with a 10psi regulator from bayou Classic website. They have a hp orifice on them.

 

[petrostar]

I got impatient and just ordered 2 - 6" 10 tip jet burners from bayou classic. They were $28 each and are designed for low pressure LP gas. I will post pics when they are installed and running.

 

[petrostar]

Been working on this sucker like crazy.

 

[petrostar]

Need to fill this thing badly. Taking donations on a march pump! Lol, ill keep you guys updated. The adjustable risers for the burners cost me under 20 bucks to make. They're great!

 

[petrostar]

The control panel is not what I want to do, I have a nice panel from a large package Hvac unit but I don't wanna put that in till I can afford a brewtroller and temperature probes and lcd screens. This should do for now.

 

[petrostar]

Cleaned keggles and installed mash tun screen and boil kettle filter.

 

[petrostar]

Stand is just awaiting a couple pumps. Also made a counter flow chiller. I need to clean it up though. Also made my own unique herms coil. Te picture is of it soaking in star San.

 

[petrostar]

Made a mash paddle today

 

[TaylorInOK]

Great build! Subscribed.

 

[motobrewer]

My build will piss some off I think.

$160 2-gas valves w/conversion kit, 2-glowfly igniters, 2 Honeywell ignition modules, 2 flame sensors, 3 ssrs

that DOES piss me off! where did you get all that crap for $160!?

 

[petrostar]

I work in HVAC and got parts for cost from a friend who's a vendor.