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BrewStew

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Well I wasn't expecting this for at least another week!

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ordered this wednesday last week... that's not bad coming from germany

checked for defects as per Vossy's recommendation... it's all good :thumb:
 
They are a thing of beauty aren't they? The taps is top class on them Stew isn't it :lol: I'm sure once you pimp it up you'll have many happy brews with it :party:
 
to be honest, the tap aint tooooooo bad. it'll last until i've sorted some ball valves anyways :thumb:

the build quality isn't the best i've seen with steel, but i cant complain for the price! and it's still shiny :cool:
 
I was a lot happier with the thermobox quality than i was with the pots from Nordic, I'm not sure i'd trust that tap to get through a brew ;)
 
70L ;)

it'll be my mashtun... but i'm already thinking of getting two 80L ones for fermenters :thumb:
 
BrewStew said:
70L ;)

it'll be my mashtun... but i'm already thinking of getting two 80L ones for fermenters :thumb:

That would be cool and compared to the Brupaks and Blichmann fermenters they are a snip.
 
BrewStew said:
... but i'm already thinking of getting two 80L ones for fermenters :thumb:

Ahh the slippery slope.....You start with a mash tun...then a couple of FVs..

Then you get a packet of these:
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:party:
 
xmas came early again, and some more beauties arrived today :thumb:

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haven't tested the line chiller, but as it turn out it's actually got 3 lines. the landlord said to take it home and test it, and if it works, i'll sort him out £30. if it does work.... i reckon that's a bargain :thumb:


My thermobox is now a mashtun!!!!

i spent all flipping day in the Brewery/Garage sorting out bits and making stuff for the thermobox.

special thanks go to Vossy for this. cos without him i'd have probably spent more money than i should have on parts, and probably ****** it up in the process! :shock:

I undid the tap and inspected it. i didn't spot that the separating piece from between the skins of steel came apart until vossy pointed it out. so i went back to Wickes and took some parts back, then had to run around Northampton to find a Plumbers Centre for a specific part that was key to this al happening, which actually turned out to only be 42p in cost!!!!

so here is the disassembled existing tap:

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it is the chrome sleeve i needed to separate and keep which unscrews from the old tap.

this was then slotted back into the hole, and the special 42p piece that's threaded on the outside AND inside, went on along with the existing gromets

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i then attached a special thingamyjigit that's got a nut the right size, a gromet and a 15mm pipe connector to that:

200811041353_792.jpg


the 15mm ball valve from Wickes screwed straight into the old chrome sleeve with no hassle:

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so then it was onto making the manifold and sparger. i purchased a roll of microbore, and a 15mm to 10mm reducer as the previously said thingamyjigit is only available in 15mm sizes.

i bent some microbore around and hooked this up to the connector thingamyjigit and this was the result:

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then it took me over an hour to dill a **** load of 2.5mm holes, and stick an end piece on it. just loose fitted. i didn't want to solder for three reasons; A) i dont have a blowtorch B) i cant solder anyway C) i want to be able to fully dismantle it after use to fully dry it and reduce the risk of verdigris

so here's the holes:

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i tested it with the pump and it runs full flow without restricting the pump :thumb:

onto the sparge device. this was the same principle as the manifold, which was just a curled piece of copper with lots of holes:

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i'm afraid i couldn't get a pic of it in action because the light had gone and my cameraphone is even more pants in bad light... but it works, and works REALLY well.

i built it with a long stem that protrudes through a hole i drilled in the lid. the length was deliberate because if i do a shorter brew length, i want to be able to reduce the height of the sparge device to nearer the surface of the liquor, so it doesn't drill holes in the mash bed. this is secured in place with a clothes peg :thumb:

so that's it! i now have a fully functional mash tun and am ready for receipt of the boiler care of the V man

well chuffed, and thanks again Vossy :thumb:
 
You have been a busy boy :shock: inspiration for me to get my finger out and finish my HERMS :hmm:
Did you get those pumps from Norm? i have the same pumps :D although i'm having problems getting mine to behave :evil:

Great work mate ;)
 
it helps having a week off work ;)

i did get the pumps from norm and yes i had the same problem in getting them to behave.

the slightest air bubble and they give up. i worked out the cause though. the john guest fittings supplied with the pumps are pants. they let air into the line which caused pump problems. i then stuck the pipe on with a hose clip and all was hunky dorey.
 
i really cant wait mate. the sooner we sort the exchange of the boiler the better :lol: :thumb:
 

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