NB's bunker brewery build

[Northern Brewer]

I thought I would post an update, I hadn't realised it was 2012 since the last time I posted on this thread. Not much has changed brewery wise, I guess that is a good thing, proves it was built OK, it must be testament to all the advice I gleaned from this site. :grin:

About the only major change was completing the fermentation cupboard. I cut some offcuts of insulated roofing panels to size and fitted them to the top and front. This replaced the Kingspan I was using, however I haven't put hinges on, I find it more convenient to take the door off as the brewery is quite narrow. So for the moment I just stick it on with some aluminium duct tape. I also wired the tube heater into a separate PID in the controller and adjusted the time period on the PID to 10 rather than 1 second as the constant pulsing was making tube heaters fail prematurely. I also changed tube heater manufacturer so that may also be a reason I have had no failures recently

I still haven't finished the controller, I have started to integrate speed controls for the solar pumps using LED transformers rather than the tattoo power supplies but not completed yet. This is mainly because I'm still toying with making peristaltic pumps to avoid priming issues. I broke the base off one of the solar pumps on the last brew and resisted the urge to buy a replacement, however with my current list of projects, a toy powered land rover and old tractor to renovate, it will probably be 2015 before I get around to this. I do have a small second hand peristaltic pump to play with, currently I'm using it to pump cooling fluid on my milling machine but its helped me decide whether to developer a bigger brewing version.

I also want to make an improved hop filter, the one I made to Aleman's design is holding up well (when I remember to put it in the copper ) but its a pain to clean, too many little screws so a development with a stiffer holder for the mesh so few fixings is probably on the cards.

I'm brewing about 4 times a year, not much but that is still 640 pints. Last brew was last weekend, a premium bitter called "Can you ride tandem" as the Tour de France passes our neck of the woods soon. For younger members I'm referencing an old PG tips advert where a chimpanzee falls of his bike in the tour and a mademoiselle offers him a cup of tea.

Its a small world, I sold a piece of second hand metalwork machinery on a welding forum recently, the buyers are brewers on this forum :) Unfortunately I forgot the user name .

One improvement I have made, on the thermometer on top of the mash tun, I now insulate the big lump of brass with a short length of foam pipe insulation as it was giving a slightly false reading of the wort temp when flow was low.

Cheers
Andy

 

[CoxyBoy123]

Your local to me I assume, I'm in s.bridge

 

[Northern Brewer]

Holy thread revival batman!

As I've returned to the forum after about 7 years, I thought an update was due. I've done a bit of maintenance and a few mods and I've a list of improvements that need to be made. I brewed a stout last week, this revealed a few issues but first a general update.

Here's a general view of the brewery, the mash tun and heat exchanger are next door as I've just finished bottling and needed the space. Not much has changed.

However I have added these, lovely pumps to replace the solar pumps. I no longer get covered in hot wort and swear a lot.

I did put some hinges on the FV cabinet door to replace the gaffer tape, much more convenient. However this pic was before I put the catch on :)

The main change is outside the brewery, during the first lock down I partitioned off a quarter of the downstairs barn immediately outside the brewery. My use is a bar with a projector so I can watch something other than the junk my kids watch. The wife will be using it for various agricultural/horticultural courses and other similar things. This was effectively in the open air, so the old ducting I had that just pushed it into the barn and hung down the wall has been replaced with some proper ducting and fan. The steam now comes out next to the chicken shed :) The brewery tap is still on the wall, but could do with a mate.

Stuff I need to do, first is replace this PID, I thought it was the PT100 probe but after swapping it out it turns out its the PID. I had to dig out some old notes to make sure I bought the right REX C100 PID with SSR output, not a simple relay output. V type not M type if my memory serves me correctly.

The other thing to fix is the heat exchanged sensor methodology. The PT100 that sends the temp to the PID that controls the HX heating element is in the top of the mash tun feed tube. If the mash gets stuck and the flow slows, the temp goes down and the HX warms up too much. I think I can put limits on the PID. I'll have a think in this when I swap out the above PID. Below it is a Sestos Timer, that is now FUBAR and needs replacing, its very handy to have a timer in the control box so I shall get another.

Apart from that, it works and hopefully still makes good ale. This lot is now in my office during secondary fermentation, it will be back in the cellar next to the brewery on Friday.

This coming Friday is spring ale brew day, something with lots of Citra.

Cheers
Andy