Home Brew Forum

Just knocked this together

Townes IPA
25L OG1045

4460g Maris Otter Pale Malt
230g Wheat Malt

52g Cascade (7.1 AA) (40 IBu) 90mins
20g Cascade 15mins
25g Cascade steep at 80°c

Had to do a test run on my new kit, kept it nice and simple, was a bit down on my efficeincy, as I only had 1034 going into the boiler, should have been 1038, but nevermind. I took notes of every stage, so I can see where I went wrong later.

Off we go


Inside the new boiler, showing home made hop strainer and £5 kettle element


Home made mashtun manifold


Ball valve tap on boiler - this was so easy to use - nice and smooth - no sticking


Home made shroud from cut off silicone sealant tube, taped in red, so i can't miss it


New £2 'diet' scales from wilkos


Brewers assistant


Strike water going in


Nice clear runnings


Mushroom tub sparge thing - which worked a treat



Sparging - got a really good slow trickle with the ball valve taps, I just got them balanced and let it run, just checked every so often, sparged in about 40 mins


In for the boil - had to top up with 2 litres of water, as the gravity had dropped to 1006


Brewhouse junior


Just getting there


Rolling boil before the hops


Settling down


Into FV - ended up with 22l @ 1041 - not entirely on target - but it'll do


Going to stick some Nottingham in when cooled in the morning - it's sitting in the FV under airlock at the moment.
Pleased with my cheap kit - the only thing was, it took an hour to get to the boil - is this normal? I may fit another element.

Looks like a really well thought out system there with lots of attention to detail like the scales
and shroud. Your not that far out with you gravity and volumes so should hit them quite easily
next time

Those elements are only 2.2kw and one can struggle but I would have thought 30-35 mins
from sparge temp to boil would be normal, I'd fit another one anyway.

Great photos, I like the shots of the enthusiastic helpers

Turn the element on once it is well covered rather than waiting for the full 25lt, failing that fit a second element because an hour is a longer than usual.

Set up looks fantastic.....well done......second element was the answer for me and in addition i now get a much better boil and hit the hot break more quickly.

Regards

Andrew

scarer wrote:Turn the element on once it is well covered rather than waiting for the full 25lt, failing that fit a second element because an hour is a longer than usual.

alefric wrote:Set up looks fantastic.....well done......second element was the answer for me and in addition i now get a much better boil and hit the hot break more quickly.

Thanks guys, second element it is then

Scooby wrote:Great photos, I like the shots of the enthusiastic helpers

Stopped the wife complaining that I spent to much time brewing - played with the kids and brewed - Result
Actually my daughter was very interested and wanted to know when we were brewing next
Having them on side makes things a lot easier - just need to convince the wife

Excellent images, wanted to do this one myself.

Glad the mushroom box trick worked for sparging.

ChrisG wrote:Glad the mushroom box trick worked for sparging.

Cheers Chris, Tried a foil baking try originally, which kept bending and i had to hold it, scolded fingers - ouch
Mushroom box was excellent, mainly because it fitted perfectly in the top of the MT, so i could just leave it there. It's now a permanent part of my brewery

Kristoff wrote:

ChrisG wrote:Glad the mushroom box trick worked for sparging.

Cheers Chris, Tried a foil baking try originally, which kept bending and i had to hold it, scolded fingers - ouch
Mushroom box was excellent, mainly because it fitted perfectly in the top of the MT, so i could just leave it there. It's now a permanent part of my brewery

Yeah its so simple yet so effective. I'm brewing on Friday so will be using it again.

mushroom box here we come. looks better than my watering can rose which gets really hot. nicely done and good pics.

Laughed out loud at the brewing assistants, they looked like they were having a great time.

Nice set up and a very tasty beer too. good choice.

Townes IPA was one of my first All grain brews...and one of the best...simple and tasty. The boiled wort looked like dishwater but for some reason it turned out crystal clear without any finings...something I have struggled to achieve with other light ales ever since.

By the way my 2 kids still remember stirring the FV and sucking the syphon when they were about 5YO....Now 25 and 21....and they drink like fish

I like the look of your tap - I am thinking of getting a big stockpot to boil in after problems with my electic boiler thermostat keeping cutting out, but cannot find a suitable tap. I have looked at ball valves but cannot seem to find a way of connecting then into the boiler - ie searching for threaded tube is not bringing up satisfactory sources - if you could describe the spec you used for the whole tap (and where you got the bits) that would be really helpful.

SKING wrote:if you could describe the spec you used for the whole tap (and where you got the bits) that would be really helpful.

Here's a rough diagram of the tap fitting (not to scale), it shows the fitting that I used on both my MT and boiler, the only difference is on the left of the pic, the pipe is shown blank, but it is attached to an elbow going to hop strainer on the boiler and on the MT the pipe is longer with a bend, that goes to the T connector at the base on the MT.

I did mine in 15mm copper pipe, as its cheaper and i already had some fittings, but 22mm would be exactly the same set up.
1. TANK CONNECTOR - £2.50 from B&Q, you need to file the shoulder out (or drill) so the pipe can feed all the way through
2. RUBBER WASHERS - 99p from B&Q need to cut a bigger hole with stanley knife to fit tank connector thread
3. 2m 15mm COPPER PIPE - £5.50 fom B&Q
4. 15mm ELBOW - pack of 10 fittings £3.50 B&Q
5. 15mm BALL VALVE - Screwfix £3.50
I used B&Q for most of the items, as Screwfix only sold in larger packs, so more cost effective to use B&Q - apart from Ball valve,
which B&Q do sell, but I think they were about £9 each



Once you've filed out the TC, feed the pipe through, cut to size to allow enough pipe to fit the nuts for the tank connector and the ball valve,
but try and keep as short as possible, because you dont want too much pipe work sticking out
Tighten the back locking nut on the TC tightly (if fitting to a coolbox MT, you will need to use a large socket, as the nut is recessed in the coolbox)
Tighten the locking nut on the TC as tight as you can get it, you will then secure the pipe in place, attach the ball valve and tighten, then fit your bit of pipe with elbow.
Hope this of help for someone

Chris-x1 wrote:I'd switch the tank connector round so there is only a washer on the outside.

Cheers Chris, just changed it round, much better, it's more stable that way, with less sticking out
- unfortunately I cant do it to the MT as I can't get a socket on through the hole in the outer wall
Thanks anyway - i'll have to change my diagram now!

Thanks - that is very helpful - I now just have to figure out if i can fit it to a 37l pot without the risk if a leak - it is an aluminium one though so it should'nt be too difficult????????