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This one is a pale Maris Otter lager experiment (fer t'missus) inspired by comments in Graham Wheeler's book:

5.5Kg Pale Maris Otter
20 IBU Hersbrucker (copper)
15 IBU Saaz (aroma)
Safale05


Here's me brewery - it is slightly Heath-Robinson and is in the garage which is not the most sanitary of environments.




Here's the control panel - looks lethal but I've tested all the components and every single bit of metal is earthed, every cable correctly fused:




Thermometer close-up:



False bottom mashtun a la DaaB - excellent design - works a treat :


When I made the brewery I did the boiler first and in my haste to get going I made 3 mistakes - (a) It's too big for the elements (lots of insulation needed to reach foamy rolling boil) (b) Elements mounted too far off the base (c) Made the first element hole a bit too big. Anyway it just about works and here it is getting filled:



Sparging action:



Mid-sparge gravity check:



Boiler extractor fan:



Forgot to take boiling and cooling photos.

Thar she blows:



Actually did this on Sunday - fermentation seemed to take a while to get going but I checked last night and it's now well on it's way.

Looks and smells like it could end up largery - I'll let you know!

Thanks to everyone who posts on this forum - my first 2 brews have been pretty successful mainly due to the large amount of info I've plundered from this site.

Great pictures of a good looking set-up (compared to mine at least !)

I particularly like the temp. control box

Good photos. Like it alot

Great setup there Steve, nice piccies, is it in you loft or summat?

Thanks - unfortunately I'm only 3 brews in and the electronic thermometer's already spannered. Either the mash temperature sensor is a duff one or it's just not suitable for immersion. When I'm happy that the design's reliable I'm going to post it.

Tidy set up Steve

That is really clear stuff in the hydro, mine never gets that clear.

Tasty electrics setup.
Hope the brew turns out ok.

Garth wrote:Great setup there Steve, nice piccies, is it in you loft or summat?

- It's in the garage - which does have a ridged roof. I'm tempted to move into it for extra height. At the moment I'm using a pump to pull the wort from my boiler through the cooler - each time I use it it sounds like it's about to croak - gravity would be more reliable.

DRB wrote:That is really clear stuff in the hydro, mine never gets that clear.

I reckon it's the false bottom mash tun design - I've never tried anything else (and I've only done 3 brews) but each time it's run clear almost straight away.