Brew system

[Wade E]

Well my wine cellar is full so I am going over to learn all grain better and brew a few more beers to have on tap. The last time i did an all grain beer was a while ago and pretty tough with no set up at all. I have a whole bunch of 2" square extruded aluminum froma big table saw we scrapped at work and have a plan in my head with some copying off a commercially built gravity stand. this is the pile below and then below that is a pic of a unit which I am taking most of my ideas from but will have 2 uprights.

 

[scotty]

is that some sort of pump down there????

 

[Tom]

Where is the burner?
You gonna have a chiller in the keg?

 

[smurfe]

Looks good, I would raise the HLT a bit higher above the MLT to get a better flow for sparging unless you are going to batch sparge. If doing that you really don't even need the HLT. I don't know why they have a March pump in that system? You don't need that with a gravity system. That is the reason you build with gravity is so you don't need a pump. One other thing you might do is put a heat shield under the HLT and on the side of the MLT. It is pretty easy to melt those coolers. Ask me how I know. Also, if you want a more compact footprint I would suggest using the round 10 gallon Gott or Rubbermaid coolers if you are buying new coolers. I used both and the round coolers worked a lot better for me. Better heat retention and stability and better efficiencies.

 

[Wade E]

Im going with the cooler I have now for now. The only reaqson I see for the pump which I am not going with for now is to only have heat down the bottom and pump the hot water up to the HLT instead of lifting the cooler up there with the water. Im not buiding the bottom rack as for now Im using my turkey fryer and stand instead. Smurfe, I will be keeping my HLT hicher then waht is shown if i have the room, well see!

 

[Travisty]

I like it. That's a set up that I might be building in the future as well. I'd love to have a pump to use the recirculating chiller deal that Jamil invented. It'd also be useful for a RIMS or HERMS set up.

 

[Wade E]

Okay I almost finished it today. The HLT is photoshopped in and have to make it probably this weekend

 

[Tom]

Looks good!

Now If I made one I doubt it would fit in my garage. I make 10 or 20 gallons of beerat a time. I have a 14 gallon SS pot as well as a 26 gallon SS pot. Just the size would make for a wider and higher system.

Wade, Whats on the radar once its finished?

 

[Wade E]

Most likely a wheat beer.

 

[Tom]

Thats what I plan on making this weekend. A 10 gallon batch. And I will add Raspberry to make it a Ras/Wheat

Make sure you use rice hulls to prevent stuck mash.

 

[Wade E]

Definetely.