My first brewery... I've got cabinets now!!!

[orlando]

OK, OK, 70l combi HTL/Boiler pot it is then... :rofl: (I'm SO weak...)

But wise as well. You won't regret it. But I did recommend 2, so how weak are you?

 

[calumscott]

I did recommend 2, so how weak are you?

Nice try! At 70,50 I can comfortably mash and boil a double...

...I'm going to stop at that for the Phase I build, I can easily add a dedicated boiler (and maybe a HERMS or something clever) in any future Phase III...

S-S-S-T-T-T-O-O-O-O-O-O-P-P-P-P!!!! :lol:

 

[orlando]

I did recommend 2, so how weak are you?

Nice try! At 70,50 I can comfortably mash and boil a double...

...I'm going to stop at that for the Phase I build, I can easily add a dedicated boiler (and maybe a HERMS or something clever) in any future Phase III...

S-S-S-T-T-T-O-O-O-O-O-O-P-P-P-P!!!! :lol:

It's not called "The Dark Side" for nothing you know. :ugeek:

 

[Vossy1]

S-S-S-T-T-T-O-O-O-O-O-O-P-P-P-P!!!! :lol:

The voices have started...... what if I try this, what if I try that...and ooohh that looks nice :twisted: does it ever stop...aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :lol:

 

[calumscott]

I'm doing my best to fight them!!

I've started a shopping list of all the bits I need to get this thing together.

Mounts up a bit doesn't it!! :shock:

 

[calumscott]

The boiler/HLT design is now:

70l stainless pot

Extra length 15mm tank connector from BES fitted inside out (so the compression end is inside for the hop strainer).

Outside end close coupled to a BSP f/f/f equal 1/2" tee.

Remaining tee ends close coupled to lever operated ball valves (BSP f/f fitting, coupled with BSP m/m nipples)

Valves close coupled to Geka hose fittings which in turn will be coupled to Vossy's hose... (Oooh err missus!)

On the inside will be a home made hop strainer starting life as a bit of 15mm copper.

Also, another 15mm tank connector

Close coupled to a 1/2" BSP f/f elbow

Close coupled to a 1/2" BSP m to 10mm pushfit connector

Into which goes a length of 10x7mm polycarbonate tube

And some sort of stabilising device at the top of the sight tube.

Q: Would anyone like to share their hop strainer designs please? I've seen alsorts on here from straight ones to round ones, ones with holes, ones with slots, ones made of various meshes...

Q: Does anyone know how to get the cost of that lot below £170? Suppliers are ebay for the pot, BES for the plumbing bits, easywatering for the geka fittings, theonestopplasticsshop for the polycarb.

 

[orlando]

I'm doing my best to fight them!!

I've started a shopping list of all the bits I need to get this thing together.

Mounts up a bit doesn't it!! :shock:

I've kept a list of everything I've ordered (except ingredients for brews) in order to get to where I am on a spread sheet and every time I order something new I add it to the list, I'm up to 44 separate items, none of which is over £100 and I'm already approaching a number with a comma in it I did start absolutely from scratch though and as I type I realise some of the items I'm using aren't actually mine, which I will have to give back at some stage or buy off the lender.

 

[orlando]

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... _cord.html[/url]. Works superbly well and I have only had one slow run off when I overdid it with Protafloc.

 

[calumscott]

Thanks, that looks nice, tidy and simple.

So slots hacksawn into the bottom 1/3 of the tube then wrapped in a straining bag...?

 

[orlando]

Yeah! That's it, nice & simple. You'll find people on here & over at Jim's that have gone through a whole world of pain with other ideas, but if you want a simple and cheap answer, this is it. As for the slots mine are more like 1/2 way but I can't see how it will make much difference. If you get a fairly fine mesh bag it might be better to go deeper but I would let that be your guide.

 

[Aitch]

Is there a manual or a book with pictures / designs? I fancy a project!

 

[calumscott]

If you're in no rush, just keep following this thread! I'll be doing the whole thing with pictures and whatnot.

Will be a few weeks until I get started though...

 

[loady]

well, ill certainly be pinching a few ideas, we are singing from the same hymn book except i am on the next page lol...i have 2 x 100ltr pots coming and a 70ltr thermo pot..and an asparagud steamer for the herms...quite interested in your fittings, the bsp /f/f/f etc is all jargon to me...is this the standard for fitting sizes people use in the brewing community ?

 

[calumscott]

BSP = British Standard Pipe. It is used to describe the threads on plumbing pipe fittings so for example a 1/2" BSP Equal Tee f/f/f is a tee-peice where all the openings are 1/2 BSP threads and all female. Once you start trawling through the BES.co.uk site it'll start to make sense!

 

[BrotherMalice]

Calum, are you going to post a list of the parts you use and their associated links / costs, I am planning to do similar to you and would love to have a guide to follow :)

 

[calumscott]

I am indeed!

In fact I think I'm about ready to divulge the final HLT/Boiler spec. I'll maybe chuck it on later today.

 

[BrotherMalice]

:party: its partly me being lazy & mostly the fact that I find it facinating to see how people do things (and a very little bit of if I can do it cheaper I can say to SWMBO look what it could have cost....) I have the electric brewers bookmarked for just that reason :rofl:

 

[calumscott]

OK, here's the shopping list to make a gas powered 70l Combi HLT/Boiler.

Main Pot
--------
70l pot                     ebay                        40.11
15mm tank connector         BES                          6.18
1/2" BSP F/F/F tee          BES                          1.28
2 x 1.2" BSP close tapers   BES                          2.56
2 x 15mm ball valves        BES                          5.18
2 x geka male               Access Irrigation            4.00
sightglass tube             The One Stop Plastics Shop   6.09
elbow                       BES                          2.49
nipple                      BES                          1.45
backnut x 2                 BES                          0.88
tube fitting                BES                          4.83
washers x 4                 BES                          0.68
eye bolt                    Sheridan Marine              4.67

Wort Chiller		
------------
wort chiller                The Malt Miller             84.00
2 x Geka females            Access Irrigation            4.00

Hop Strainer		
------------
copper                      BES                          4.84
4 elbows                    BES                          0.96
1 tee                       BES                          0.37
        
Heating		
-------
Burner                      Gas Products                26.00
gas line                    Gas Products                 7.80
gas reg                     Gas Products                 4.00
gas                         Calor                       50.49

                                            TOTAL	   262.86

And it works a bit like this:

70l pot has one of those long tail tank connectors as the main outlet. To that is attached on of the straight tails of the Tee resulting in two BSP female threads at right angles to each other. Into each of those goes a BSP m/m close coupling tapered nipple giving two BSP male threads. Onto each of those goes a ball valve leaving two BSP female threads. Into each of these goes a BSP male Geka fitting. This allows me to semi permanently plumb one valve to the mashtun and one to the FV.

Next, a second hole in the pot has a standard tank connector fitted. To this is close coupled the BSP f/f elbow which inturn is close coupled to the tube fitting (it's a 1.2" BSP -> 10mm pushfit). Into the pushfit bit goes the polycarb tube. Another small hole at the top of the pot will take the eyebolt, through which the polycarb tube also goes for stability.

I simply cannot make the build of the twin coil wort chiller stack up - the complexity and parts prices are prohibitive and Rob's are a bargain in that light. The only addition is a couple of Geka fittings close coupled to the BSP threads they come with.

Hop strainer is a square copper affair, constructed with 15mm copper pipe and capillary fittings unsoldered to allow dismantling and cleaning and just squeezed a bit to make them hold their shape.

If anyone can find my parts cheaper than this, please do let me know!

 

[calumscott]

This just gets better and better. Not only does this new house have a mahoosive shed to build a brewery in...

...well, we went to measure windows and stuff and got chatting to the vendors: "Oh, you like brewing? Come and have a look at this..."

just outside the back door is a well established vine complete with mountains of baby grapes! Completely missed it first viewing!

Ho Hum, wine making starts about there then.

:thumb: :

 

[calumscott]

Right then, mash tun design and shopping list:

50l Thermopot from German ebay dudes

One hole in the bottom filled by one of these:

I'm going for the "straight through" the bottom approach rather than the "hack out the insulation from the middle to the side" approach. I also reckon that I should be able to cut channels into the deck fitting so as to alleviate the remaining small puddle problem without resorting to trying to distort the bottom of the pot.

That gets connected via one of these:

To a length of copper running to the perimeter of the pot. I'll have to craft some kind of additional height into the thing with a hole and a tank connector:

To which is attached the ball valve:

and to which is attached the Geka fitting:

So the tricky bit will be the addition of the extra rim round the bottom, I guess I need some chunky stainless formed into a ring and welded to the bottom rim of the pot. I know a man... :thumb:


Sparge Arm is going to be a simple squarish afair, made from 15mm copper, fed onto a centre rail running across the square. Some sort of thing that sits on the rim of the pot to hold it in place and a retort stand boss (remember those from chemistry at school?) to hold the sparge arm at the right height.

Shopping list looks a bit like:

Tun
---
50l thermo         ebay              61.01
Deck fitting drain ridethewaves       9.00
elbow              screwfix           1.79
washers x 2        bes                0.34
tank connector     bes                6.18
15mm ball valve    bes                2.56
Geka male bsp      access irrigation  2.00

Sparge Arm		
----------
5 elbows           bes                2.65
3 tees             bes                2.25
1 x Geka male      access irrigation  2.00
retort boss        ebay               3.50

TOTAL                                82.88