Brewster Beacon 40 query

[Hoppyland]

Well, I have bought myself a Beacon 40, so as to cut down on my extremely labour-intensive way of mashing, sparging and boiling. I was very happy with my method, but due to increasing decrepitude my body wasn't!!
However, I am surprised at the volume of water it seems to need for mashing. After cleaning it, and pumping out the rinse water, I thought I'd measure capacities. To get the water level to the bottom of the grain basket, I need to add 7·7l of water. Seems an awful lot of "void space" - presumably to protect the pump from running dry. Worse, the top filter plate in the grain basket will only go part way down the overflow pipe (the increasing diameter of the telescopic overflow acts as a "stop"). To get the water level to the top filter plate, I had to add a total of 22·6l (at this point the sight gauge read 24·1l, presumably reflecting the dead space in the pump and pipework).
My problem is that I only want to brew enough to fill a 19l keg (I've also packed in bottling), and my planned brew length is 20l. Now, I'd prefer to have the water level at least up to the top filter plate when mashing, to avoid a lot of splashing (hot side oxygenation), and also to make it more efficient. But clearly I can't: I'd already be well over-volume, even if I decided not to sparge - plus I normally employ a very gentle boil and lose very little volume there.
So, all I can think to do is to grind back the edge of the hole in the top plate so that it will slide all the way down the overflow pipe, and can then lie on the top of the grain when mashing and sparging (I brew fairly weak beers, so my grain bill is relatively small). I'm a little nervous as I don't want to bugger up the filter plate!
Has anyone any thoughts, or experience of similar issues with these machines?

 

[Scrattajack]

I have one on order so haven't any direct experience of this problem but the blurb says that batches as small as 15 L can be made. I thought there was a smaller pipe supplied, is this no use?

 

[Hoppyland]

Thanks, Scrattajack. That got me thinking..... Only one pipe was supplied, but it is telescopic to accomodate different mash capacities.
However, the one I have seems absurdly long. I've just had a play with it and, fully extended, it is much, much taller than the grain basket - which is clearly pointless. At its shortest, the "stop" where the top filter plate sits still comes half way up the grain basket: too high for my grain bill.
I wonder if I have been supplied with the wrong overflow pipe - one that was meant for a larger model?

I'll get in touch with Geterbrewed who supplied it.

I

 

[The Baron]

Hi Hoppyland from your picture IMO the bottom plate is the wrong way round and I know you are probably going to say that's how it shows it but it can cave in that way round under the grain weight. It is much stronger the other way around same with the top plate too.
I do not use the top plate when mashing/re-circulating you just need something to make the flow be like a shower head/garden rose.
I have seen many ingenius things used by forum members to do this and somebody will pipe up what exactly to use.
I personally use a plastic sieve under my recirc pipe.
I only use the top plate when sparging to dissipate the flow out through the grain bed

 

[Hoppyland]

Thanks, Baron. That sounds a good tip about the orientation of the plates.
I had been thinking of some sort of drilled copper circle or coil to go even out the flow over the top plate, both when mashing and sparging, but I can see that the top plate probably isn't necessary during the mash. After all, up until now my mash tun was simply a picnic box with the grains sitting in the water. I'm not sure about a spray, though, as I'm nervous about hot-side aeration (but, I'm perfectly sure that topic is a can of worms!!).
This is almost like learning to brew all over again!

 

[Scrattajack]

If you haven't already, check out the Brewolution youtube videos on the Beacon. There's one on assembly and another on mashing that may provide a clue...

 

[The Baron]

Trust me the bottom plate is the wrong way around no mater who tells you different, I know that is a bold statement but there are many brewing AIO systems who use the same type of plates and many are shown the wrong way around just look at the construction and press down on the plate when not attached you will see which is the strongest.
Right now hot side aeration does it exist? thats the can of worms you mentioned. I know many
brewers on this forum who will say they have never had this as a problem and IMO it does exist but not under most brewers conditions and systems so do not get paranoid about this and go about your normal brewing.
Myth or Reality?
There is no lack of scientific evidence that oxygenation of hot wort can have deleterious consequences for the stability of bottled beer (Alexander, 2009). However, there are no shortage of people who do not believe it is an issue.

 

[Hoppyland]

f you haven't already, check out the Brewolution youtube videos on the Beacon. There's one on assembly and another on mashing that may provide a clue...

Thanks, but the ones I watched didn't seem to help much with quite small batches.

 

[Hoppyland]

There is no lack of scientific evidence that oxygenation of hot wort can have deleterious consequences for the stability of bottled beer (Alexander, 2009). However, there are no shortage of people who do not believe it is an issue.

No, no - let's not go there
I knew I shouldn't have mentioned it!!!

 

[The Baron]

No, no - let's not go there
I knew I shouldn't have mentioned it!!!

Well you have :tinhat: :tinhat:

 

[foxy]

Thebottom screen is the right way round, that is the lock in screen, different to the early models. The length of the O/P could be the same size fits all, 40 to 70 litre. If you don't lose 3 litres in the boil you are not boiling hard enough. Read O'Rourkes artical, 'the reason for the boil'

 

[Hoppyland]

If you don't lose 3 litres in the boil you are not boiling hard enough.

Thanks, foxy. However, I fear this is a bit like the "hot side oxygenation" issue
But, even if I lost 3 litres in the boil, that would still leave me with no sparge water allowance. Yes, I could let it drain, and not sparge. But, I like to sparge. I've always sparged. Sparging makes me feel good
I suppose that, if I didn't sparge, I'd lose mash efficiency. Therefore I'd need more grain, therefore I'd need a bigger mash volume, and so my problem would be reduced. Logical - but, hell, it just feels wrong to me!
I like the potential of this machine to reduce both physical effort and tedium. However, as I said, it feels like learning to brew all over again - and my first beer was made in the 1960s (OK - it was awful....)

Mostly, though, I feel that there is no real reason for these issues. Why 8 litres or so of "dead space" water below the grain basket. The most volume I ever put in my picnic box mash tun was 11 litres. So, if my brew length was 20l, then I still had 9l of sparge water to play with. (Or 12, if I were ever to boil vigorously) If the "extra" 8 litres below the grain is to avoid the pump running dry, then surely the overflow pipe should sort out any problems if the mash sticks - well before you need 8 litres of leeway? Why doesn't the top filter plate travel all the way down the overflow pipe, so that it sits on the grain bed no matter how much or little grain you're using? I don't see it.

Ah, well. Perhaps I've two options. Either modify my brewing habits and style. Not easy since I've been doing this for decades . Or modify the machine to fit in with my preconceptions. Also not easy when I've paid a lot for it and don't want to screw it up!!

 

[foxy]

The increments on the side are allowing for 2 litres dead space. If I mash into 32 litres I fill up to the 30 litre mark. I like to keep everything as simple as possible. No O/P no sparge, too many people make to much fuss over efficiency. It isn't about getting the highest number possible it's how your method and equipment perform and the efficiency your process is getting. As for HSO, see Barons Post even Charlie Bamforth says there is no real proof, if it was it is unlikely to have any effect on home brewers. We brew our beer we store it we drink it, it isn't being shipped all over the place. You are worrying for nothing.

 

[stripeyjoe]

Too late as you've bought one now but there are a few AIO's that have 'burn protection' with a return from the pump going back into the bottom of the vessel. The Bulldog one does that as does the Cobra and probably a few more. No idea if they mean you have less dead space though!

 

[Hoppyland]

Well, I e-mailed Geterbrewed about the overflow pipe this morning, and to my amazement they were able to relay a reply from Brewolution to me at 2100 this evening. Remarkable!
You were right, foxy, the overflow pipe is common to both the 40 and the 70. Brewolution suggested that, if I wanted the top filter plate to sit on the grain bed then, for a small mash, I should enlarge the hole by filing it, such that it would slide all the way down the overflow pipe. Pretty much what I had already thought, but nice to have it from the "horses mouth".
Oh, and I still don't like the idea of an 8 litre void space below my mash (at least for smaller brew lengths). It is physically impossible to lower the grain basket further (at least without an awful lot of metal work!!), so my plan is to pop a few 1 litre plastic soup/sous-vide bags full of water into the void space so as to reduce the effective volume. As far as I can see, the only problem that this might cause is the pump running dry in the event of a stuck mash.

Oh, and please do forget that I said anything at all about hot-side oxygenation, or boiling regimes, or brewhouse efficiency.
Don't know what I was thinking about, trying to sabotage my own thread!

 

[Scrattajack]

Mine arrived today and like you, I'm unimpressed with the grain basket top filter. In this case, it's because of a tight fit in places and gaps between the edge of the filter and the tube in others. Spoiling the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar.

 

[foxy]

Mine arrived today and like you, I'm unimpressed with the grain basket top filter. In this case, it's because of a tight fit in places and gaps between the edge of the filter and the tube in others. Spoiling the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar.

It isn't the filter, it is the cylinder which is out of shape. Thin s/steel with a seam weld not going to get a perfect round shape. For the price they are OK, you live with it, before long you won't even be using the top screen, even the overflow pipe will probably get the Tijuana.

 

[Scrattajack]

It isn't the filter, it is the cylinder which is out of shape.

Thanks, I'd come to the same conclusion before I went to bed last night.

I wasn't expecting perfection but did think that the parts would fit.