Show Us Yer Kit

[harryten]

It is a great article, by the way what the brand for your kitchen scales which you can check https://www.etekcity.com/productcate/115/list as i want to buy one recently.

[Sadfield]

Great thread, I have to admit I'm pleased to see some pots on stoves and cooler mash tuns. There are some great looking automated setups, but all those switches, controllers, pumps and stainless is a bit too much like the day job for my taste. Admittedly adding some more shiny to my setup though, at the back end of things to keep post fermentation and packaging as oxygen free as possible. And looking to experiment with fermenting under pressure. Will post some pictures when it all comes together and I've run a brew through it all.

Very much jealous of the dedicated brewing spaces though.

[Secla]

Die for an expansion soon

[Fastline]

I like the Brew bucket lid, looks expensive though.
Everyone's kit looks great but you have got to say the Grainfather is a smart compact bit of kit

[Secla]

Grainfather a really enabled me to brew more regularly than I could with my 3v
Lid on the brewbucket is the lid from a chronical. £38 I think. Helps to have the added bit of headspace

[dbambrick996]

Here's mine

Single vessel brew system controlled by an ardbir, similar to a grainfather and my kegerator and fermentation chamber all in one

[orlando]

Earlier in the thread you saw my original set up, which was built on the basis of the question "yeah, but what if you don't like it?" Guess what?



Turns out I did.

[chris2012]

Damn Orlando, that's magnificent. What size are the kettles/hlt/mash tun out of interest? Where did you get those from?

The two temp controlled conicals look awesome too!

[orlando]

Damn Orlando, that's magnificent. What size are the kettles/hlt/mash tun out of interest? Where did you get those from?

The two temp controlled conicals look awesome too!

Thanks, glad you like it, thankfully I do too, bit more than a fivers worth of kit there.

70/70/50. I brew 25 litres mostly but can get 50 at a pinch if i keep the abv below 6. The conicals can easily handle 50 litres apiece and have internal coils for temp control with the Maxi's controlled by an STC 1000 apiece. I want to upgrade that part with a data logger of some kind so I can track the fermentation temps accurately. Unfortunately I don't have the skills. Everything was sourced from Brewbuilder who was and has been to date superb with his help and advice. The conicals can be pressurised so have been experimenting with pressurised transfers to eliminate oxygen, signs are so far very good.

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Damn Orlando, that's magnificent. What size are the kettles/hlt/mash tun out of interest? Where did you get those from?

The two temp controlled conicals look awesome too!

Thanks, glad you like it, thankfully I do too, bit more than a fivers worth of kit there.

70/70/50. I brew 25 litres mostly but can get 50 at a pinch if i keep the abv below 6. The conicals can easily handle 50 litres apiece and have internal coils for temp control with the Maxi's controlled by an STC 1000 apiece. I want to upgrade that part with a data logger of some kind so I can track the fermentation temps accurately. Unfortunately I don't have the skills. Everything was sourced from Brewbuilder who was and has been to date superb with his help and advice. The conicals can be pressurised so have been experimenting with pressurised transfers to eliminate oxygen, signs are so far very good.

Are they the high end brew pots that he does in your setup?



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[orlando]

Damn Orlando, that's magnificent. What size are the kettles/hlt/mash tun out of interest? Where did you get those from?

The two temp controlled conicals look awesome too!

Thanks, glad you like it, thankfully I do too, bit more than a fivers worth of kit there.

70/70/50. I brew 25 litres mostly but can get 50 at a pinch if i keep the abv below 6. The conicals can easily handle 50 litres apiece and have internal coils for temp control with the Maxi's controlled by an STC 1000 apiece. I want to upgrade that part with a data logger of some kind so I can track the fermentation temps accurately. Unfortunately I don't have the skills. Everything was sourced from Brewbuilder who was and has been to date superb with his help and advice. The conicals can be pressurised so have been experimenting with pressurised transfers to eliminate oxygen, signs are so far very good.

Are they the high end brew pots that he does in your setup?



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No. The high end ones have thicker bottoms so you can direct fire. Nothing worse in my view, mine are electric 2 x 2.4kW in the kettle and 1 x 2.4 in the HLT

[Rogermort]

Here's mine

Single vessel brew system controlled by an ardbir, similar to a grainfather and my kegerator and fermentation chamber all in one

I have one of those thermopots. How did you fit the top inlet through the skin. Can you post some more images and show how it all works?


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[dbambrick996]

I have one of those thermopots. How did you fit the top inlet through the skin. Can you post some more images and show how it all works?

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I used a step bit and a qmax to drill the inlet.

I started with a pilot hole from outside skin to inside, used the step bit on the outside wall and the qmax punch on the inside wall. All fittings are 1/2".

I will throw up a few pics tomorrow when I get home of the entire workings of the system

[Sadfield]

Busy weekend brewing and bottling, so I've had most of the kit out at various points. Here it is.

The 32L HLT/Kettle used on the gas stove top. Complete with thermowell, hop spider, filter and immersion chiller.



The next piece is the 19L Igloo cooler mash tun with false bottom.



I'm big fan of Beersmith, but it's only as good as the data you put in it, so I like my measuring equipment to be accurate and reliable. As well as OTT and a bargain from ebay.

I weigh and calculate all my volumes. I have scales, more scales, thermometers, hydrometers, and a pH meter.





I'm currently experimenting with my fermentation setup, with the aim of limiting oxygen pickup to a minimum, once fermentation is well under way. I start fermentation off in my plastic FV's, then at around 50% attenuation I transfer over to a CO2 purged Corny to complete fermentation. This allows me to do two things, firstly I can harvest the yeast cake before dryhopping. Secondly this allows me to carbonate the beer using the CO2 produced during the remaining fermentation. This is done by adding a spunding (pressure release valve) to the gas outlet, maintaining a set head pressure whilst the beer ferments out. In theory, hop aroma should retained. I'm going to try dry-hopping at this point by adding hops direct to the keg and putting a filter around a shortened dip tube. Fermentation temperature is controlled using a fridge, heater and STC1000.





Corny Keg, dryhopping filter and Spunding valve.

Once carbonated and conditioned, I bottle using a Blichmann beer gun, purging bottles with C02 and keeping oxygen pickup to a minimum. I think some extra kegs will be the next purchase.



One more bit of kit is the Vacuum Packer, ideal for keeping those hops in top condition.

[Fil]

Busy weekend brewing and bottling, so I've had most of the kit out at various points. Here it is.

Another nice setup..

nice to hear another brewer calculating volumes with scales too