Your Best DIY Equipment?

[Buffers brewery]

Looks like some pretty cool engineerding! Does a motor move the tank?

Afraid so . You can see the original design in motion on my youtube channel, sound is rubbish but you can see it working

 

[foxy]

That looks good, a lesson for other brewers if you are going to sparge do it slow and steady. Well done BB.

 

[Subtle Duck]

That looks good, a lesson for other brewers if you are going to sparge do it slow and steady. Well done BB.

Should this not be in the joke of the day section?

 

[foxy]

Should this not be in the joke of the day section?

Please feel free to explain.

 

[BeerCat]

Great question, love to see people’s hacks!

My converted water boiler. Also, because the boiler has no volume graduations, a 45cm plastic rule (the boiler has a convenient diameter such that each 1cm depth is a litre volume).

View attachment 23378 View attachment 23377

Looks awesome, where did you get the grain basket?

 

[Dutto]

....... Now where's that rocking chair...

Here's a man that is obviously dear to your heart and one of my own heroes ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson

Heath Robinson could invent the most complicated equipment known to mankind in order to carry out the simplest of jobs.

Enjoy!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Looks awesome, where did you get the grain basket?

Amazon £80, I found a link for one below but there are others. Google hop spider and see what comes up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DQM-Stainl...0?keywords=hop+spider&qid=1583393199&sr=8-110

 

[Buffers brewery]

Here's a man that is obviously dear to your heart and one of my own heroes ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson

Heath Robinson could invent the most complicated equipment known to mankind in order to carry out the simplest of jobs.

Enjoy!

Yes Dutto, I’ve been a fan of his for a long time! Brewing can be a little boring in that it’s a bit of activity followed by a period of waiting so it’s good to have a piece of “over-complicated” machinery to watch

 

[Buffers brewery]

Please feel free to explain.

I think Subtle Duck is probably referring to my reciprocating sparge as being a joke, not your comment. I must say it brings a smile to my face every time I use it . Thanks for your comment BTW

 

[foxy]

I think Subtle Duck is probably referring to my reciprocating sparge as being a joke, not your comment. I must say it brings a smile to my face every time I use it . Thanks for your comment BTW

Well it isn't much different to a commercial set up, their mash tuns are round so the circular motion suits. Yours is square so a reciprocating motion suits .

 

[Buffers brewery]

Well it isn't much different to a commercial set up, their mash tuns are round so the circular motion suits. Yours is square so a reciprocating motion suits .

That’s where I got the idea from. Went on a training day at a micro brewery and saw the equipment up close. As you say, their mash tun/sparge was circular and rotated slowly. My cooler mash tun being rectangular needed a reciprocating movement.

 

[BeerCat]

Amazon £80, I found a link for one below but there are others. Google hop spider and see what comes up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DQM-Stainl...0?keywords=hop+spider&qid=1583393199&sr=8-110

Nice, others i have seen were double that!

 

[Subtle Duck]

I think Subtle Duck is probably referring to my reciprocating sparge as being a joke, not your comment. I must say it brings a smile to my face every time I use it . Thanks for your comment BTW

The problem when you start your mid week weekend and decide a quite a few imp stouts are a good thing. But yes, it is an amazing creation.

 

[ssashton]

Amazon £80, I found a link for one below but there are others. Google hop spider and see what comes up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DQM-Stainl...0?keywords=hop+spider&qid=1583393199&sr=8-110

Thank you! Unfortunately my water boiler has a 28cm internal diameter..

I ordered one of the Klarstein grain sacks. See how it goes with a stand to hang from. I did buy a mig welder a few months ago..

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Thank you! Unfortunately my water boiler has a 28cm internal diameter..

I ordered one of the Klarstein grain sacks. See how it goes with a stand to hang from. I did buy a mig welder a few months ago..

That’s a shame. Mind you with a welder you might get some business making these larger grain spiders, I’m asked about mine quite often.

 

[ssashton]

That’s a shame. Mind you with a welder you might get some business making these larger grain spiders, I’m asked about mine quite often.

I was thinking of making a stand for the grain bag. Can't really weld stainless right now as that needs Argon gas and I have CO2.

 

[Justin15]

If you had to pick one or two items that you really value for brewing, but are not standard kit or brewing specific, what would they be?

I recently got a large (40cm!) and strong whisk. It is sooo much better for mixing the mash to avoid clumping than the ubiquitous long handle spoon and has no trouble reaching the bottom of my electric tea-urn kettle. I didn't expect such large and tough ones were available but oh yes!

These items were Advertised on amazon.

I've been struggling for ages with sparging the grain bag and had to use less than 3kg grain because I just couldn't find a big enough colander to hold the bag above the kettle (I bought two but neither were ideal). So recently I got myself a 12L stainless bucket and drilled lots of holes in it. It works brilliantly, now I have no trouble even with 4.5Kg! I hadn't considered buckets made of stainless existed, I've only seen plastic ones!

Hi Ssashton, New to the forum so know this is a late reply to your post but I was also looking for solutions for a grain basket for mashing/sparging. I have recently come across this chip shop strainer which looks to be quite large and judging the dimensions should fit my 30l burco nicely.

https://www.uniqueregalia.co.uk/pro...ucket-for-chip-shops-restaurants-new-design-1
Ordered one so will let you know how it fits/works. Not a bad price compared to the micron mesh baskets that go for about £80. Also look sturdier?

 

[Justin15]

Hi Ssashton, New to the forum so know this is a late reply to your post but I was also looking for solutions for a grain basket for mashing/sparging. I have recently come across this chip shop strainer which looks to be quite large and judging the dimensions should fit my 30l burco nicely.

https://www.uniqueregalia.co.uk/pro...ucket-for-chip-shops-restaurants-new-design-1
Ordered one so will let you know how it fits/works. Not a bad price compared to the micron mesh baskets that go for about £80. Also look sturdier?

Sorry, Hi to everyone else!

 

[itry]

I broke one of the seals off my grain father. So i made this to take out the top grain basket filter lid thing. I call it a grainhat. Its made out of titanium. Why wouldnt it be? It works a treat when your mashing!! Oh i love over engineering!!!

 

[Ashley]

Call me old fashioned but I don't have a sparge arm. I use 2 x sheets of tin foil and a fold them together making a wide square piece and slide a tea towel underneath it.

I then use a kebab skewer to punch lots of really, really small holes in it and then place it on top of my mash so that I dont disturb the grain. I've never had an inefficient mash but doing this and I dont actually want a sparge arm because it works so well for me