Effinbrewery Latest Upgrade

[Aleman]

I have been whinging and whining for what seems like forever, about my desire to have a conical fermenter . . . I am sure most of you will agree that it's more than time I shut up about it and just bought one!








Well I have! And its 110L . . . . Total capacity not working . . . but I have no intention of going bigger than two nines at home anyway.














And here it is . . . . Don't forget the sunglasses!

I couldn't really justify the cost of a 120L Shiny Conical while it would be a great nice to have it is the best part of 500 quid more expensive than what I have just paid for this (100 quid delivered from Bargains-4-Bio on eBay . . . I was sorely tempted by the 180L one he had on earlier (which didn't sell incidentally ) but decided to go with the smaller one as it fits in with my stated aim of not increasing my brew length any more ( . . . . . . at home). It's worth watching his site, as he has these on auction(I got it BIN) and they go for around 60-65 quid . . . he does have a few more as well, if anyone wants to go down the conical route

The conical is really sturdy comes with a screw down lid which seals. 1" BSP threaded sockets at the base of the cone and at about the 100L mark (Which should be good for a Blow off tube :thumb: ). As I feared the plastic where the thread of the socket is (the threading continues into the plastic as the socket doesn't go all the way through) is not pristine, but a kind forum member has offered to make me a couple of 1" BSP tank connectors in stainless so I can use those and not worry about disinfecting that area :thumb: . The cone angle was one thing I was concerned about as it looked quite shallow on eBay (both this one and the 180L) at around 40 degrees . . . This is not the case they are 60 degrees which is perfect, Pants Machine at the Bennachie Brewery has been using one for a while and reports that it is excellent in use . . . so that is a bonus. IMO these are a much better buy, for brewing, than the ones from Oilybits as they have a 16" access way (Lid even has built in vent plug), and they do not have that stupid bulge where the conical joins the cylinder . . . which will trap yeast defeating the main purpose of having a conical fermenter.

I need to

1) make some sort of stand for it (Or find a local welder that can do it for me) . . . May do it in wood first, so that I can start playing

2) Fit a Take off Valve in the conical section so I can remove clear beer easily

3) Rig up some sort of CIP device to clean and disinfect.

4) Insulate it

5) cover it in aluminium foil :lol:

The other thing I'm happy about is that the cone holds 25 Litres, so that I can make a small batch (20L) on the femto brewery (When I build it ), and a couple of days later when its fully fermenting make a 75L batch of the same beer and rack it straight into the FV thereby avoiding the need to make insane sized starters.

I'm having a warm and fuzzy moment

 

[leondz]

Congrats, sounds like a good bargain, it will be good to see it up and running in use. Those SS conicals are really pricey!

 

[Muddydisco]

I'm still waiting for some pictures of this home brewery I have seen parts of parts but never the whole thing! Come on a Aleman just one picture showing the set up

 

[Aleman]

Well there isn't really a lot to see

this is the Pico brew plant

The FV is simply a Stainless stockpot covered in insulation sat in a shed . . . and I think I've posted Piccies of the Keggereezer before

 

[Muddydisco]

Is that a Herms at the bottom of the tun? I can see an element in in?
And I take it the Boilers are Hlt as well and the pump moves around for that config?

I do like the drip tray arrangement :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

Is that a Herms at the bottom of the tun? I can see an element in in?

Its a small underback . . . I added the element as my RIMS chamber heater wasn't man enough for the job . . . . It does the job but the element is too powerful for it so I have built a HERMS unit that I will be able to swap between the pico plant and the femto unit.

And I take it the Boilers are Hlt as well and the pump moves around for that config?[/url]

I do heat all my liquor in the kettles . . . I normally jug it to the Mash tun, and use the pump when the mash is on to transfer it to the HLT for sparging. . . . With 19 KW under each kettle it's probably the most effective way to heat the liquor . . . plus I don't need a big electric feed into the system.

I do like the drip tray arrangement :thumb:

I have swapped it for a stool since that picture was taken

The 2009 Brew days on my website have a couple of boring video clips of the thing in action . . . Sole Bay Bitter and Pale Rider IIRC

 

[Bru4u]

:shock:
That is just plain sexual, me want, me want. me will have to get, I could see my postman grumbling more than usual :rofl:
Very nice purchase Aleman :thumb:

 

[Bru4u]

My God, I knew I had a brain the size of a pea, I meant to ask, have you any plans for temp control for both winter and summer.
Bru

 

[Aleman]

My God, I knew I had a brain the size of a pea, I meant to ask, have you any plans for temp control for both winter and summer.
Bru

:lol: Yep, I'm going to use a couple of product coils mounted through the sides to pump water from my chiller, and probably some residual heat cable wound round the cone for heating . . . all controlled by my Current Fermentation temp controller . . . I'll mount the PT100 though the lid though.

 

[Vossy1]

I really like the look of that conical A. I was also a little concerned about the shallow angle of the cone on the e-bay picture, but I'm really pleased that it's turned out to be at 60 deg.
I am now sorely tempeted myself. I had resigned myself to paying £600+ for a Blichman which was hard enough to justify, but now I'm going to have a long hard think, and I'm pretty sure I'll be going the same route.
What are the small steel fittings half way up the body, are they locators for bolts?

Thanks for posting about it :thumb:

 

[Springer]

Read with much interest, really like the conical and at a price that I could consider............ :)
Work suspended on my brewery, as I have lost some tank fittings for the HLT sight gauge, in the workshop chaos, not going to buy some more on principle, so its a full tidy up before any more work :evil:

 

[Aleman]

I am now sorely tempeted myself. I had resigned myself to paying £600+ for a Blichman which was hard enough to justify, but now I'm going to have a long hard think, and I'm pretty sure I'll be going the same route.
What are the small steel fittings half way up the body, are they locators for bolts?

They are 10mm mounting bolts . . . so you can do something like this

I must admit the 180L was on for 130 quid and 12 postage . . . really wish I'd gone for it now . . . . Still he didn't sell it and probably has more :lol:

I just need to find a welder to make me a stand like Pants' . . . or learn how to do it myself :hmm: :nono:

I've resigned myself to doing a wooden stand for it for the time being.

 

[Vossy1]

Did the seller sell the stands A?
On a side note, I've been considering this stuff for a stand, it's farly reasonable :hmm:

 

[Aleman]

No that stand was built by the brewer of the Bennachie Brewery (Pantsmachine) . . . The seller probably does have stands though . . . as he has some ready built Biodiesel plants using the Conical on his shop now. . . . :hmm:

Edit . . . I'm talking B*LL*cks as usual .. . the 'stand' is a converted 55 Gallon Drum . . . That'll teach me to post with out checking something out properly . . . . Not :)

 

[Vossy1]

:lol: thanks for the link :thumb:

 

[Springer]

Aluminium box section looks a good price, not sure how you would join it etc ?
A 7500mm length 25 x 25 x 2.5 mm mild steel box section about £!5

 

[Vossy1]

Aluminium box section looks a good price, not sure how you would join it etc ?

Did you see the nylon connectors ?
I've yet to find better priced aluminium on my travels.

 

[Springer]

Did you see the nylon connectors ?
I've yet to find better priced aluminium on my travels.

No, didn't scroll down far enough ! They look good. As you say the pricing at that place is very reasonable. just bookmarked it.
Personally, I would go the mild steel route, (very solid) with a nice coat of silver smooth Hammerite

 

[Vossy1]

Is it done yet A ?

 

[Aleman]

Not yet . . . . I have a really nice guy making me a couple of 1" BSP tank connectors in 316 Stainless . . . and need to talk to a local fabricators about having a stand made . . . . I'm still tempted by making one in wood . . . I've an old wooden stool that it will sit (is sitting) on nicely :hmm: Then I have to get a couple of ball valves . . . more money at BES . . . and have you seen the price they are asking for 1" 3 piece BVs . . . . on its own that gets me free carriage :shock: