My bespoke Japanese garden brewshed with pics!

[chris_reboot]

10/10 for effort!
well done that man!

just one thing...is a bathroom vent sufficient for extraction when boiling?
I chuck loads of steam out.
I lose 4L per boil, so concerned about the venting.

Apart from that, top job!

[prolix]

brilliant mate, absolutely brilliant!

[stephenfranks]

Hadn't thought about the fan... I havent bought it so maybe a centrifugal fan would be better? I have one kicking around that would do the job. Thanks for raising that!

4L loss... I hadnt realised it would be so much. Unfortunately my pots are small. Do you top up with boiled water during or at the end of the boil then?

Thanks!

[GARYSMIFF]

Beer Sauna.

[Andy]

Velly nice

[JamesE]

Brilliant looking brewshed mate

I have one comment about the brackets you are using for the HLT (above the fridge). I use the same sort of brackets to form a 3 tier set-up on my shed wall. Whilst they're rated for the static load of the vessel + water, I had an accident recently due to unforeseen dynamic excitation - namely tightening up a jubilee clip on the outlet of my HLT. The excitation caused the brackets to “jump” out of their seating - ended up with 15 litres of (luckily) cold water all over me and the shed . I now have a restraint above the brackets so that they can't jump out under any circumstances.

Good luck with the first brew in the new shed!

[grmills]

I came across several horizonatl dual pump systems on the web (when researching for my own) so concluded that pumping out the mash-tun when sparging cannot be an insurmountable problem. Can't say for sure as my brewing trolley (on wheels, I fancy brewing outdoors in the summer) isn't built yet so I haven't been able to put it all together and try it. I would have thought that restricting the flow on the outlet side (gate valve for fine control?) would be the way to avoid cavitation in the pump, and if necessary a rheostat could be added to the pump's power supply as well. But surely someone out there's already pumping from MLT to boiler when fly sparging so can advise..?
PS Like the shed, top work
PPS Don't see why you need to restrict yourself to 2 or 3g with a 30ltr boiler, I used to do 5g in an Electrim 25ltr(?) without drama.

[stephenfranks]

"I'll come back and do that later" - does that sound like a builders excuse?

No, really, that is temporary whilst I pipe up. It is being replaced by a piece of routered MDF!

Ceiling isnt finished either!

[mysterio]

Wow, excellent work. Especially like the roof.

13 and 17 degrees via digital controller - ideal for fermentation

Actually that's a bit of a no-man's land for fermentation. Too warm for lager yeast and a bit too chilly for ale yeast... you may need to modify it slightly.

[stephenfranks]

Oh dear!

I checked and actually I posted incorrectly, it is 12 - 18 degrees.

Is this any better?

At worst I can use to keep ale cool in kegs.

[stephenfranks]

I had a look at the CBA website, and most recipes there were fermented at 18 degrees.

Do you think the fridge is OK then?

[stephenfranks]

JamesE & grmills - apologies for delay in replying. I get sporadic emails saying someone has posted, but not for every poster, its weird?

JamesE - Noted. I am modifying the brackets tommorow.

grmills - I think it will be trial and error. I shall let you know how I get on when im piped up. As for brewlength, I bough the pots second hand and Im not sure of their capacity? I think vendor said 30l, but until I test and fit sight tubes I cant be sure. Also, I want to brew frequently and like variety. It would be nice to have 2 weeks worth of beer say, then onto next beer?

[Garth]

Also, I want to brew frequently and like variety. It would be nice to have 2 weeks worth of beer say, then onto next beer?

I don't think you'll be able to brew 200 litres in one go with that setup mate,.......oh, sorry I forgot you probably don't drink as much as me

[stephenfranks]

Hi Garth,

Only drink on weekends these days!

[stephenfranks]

I have been working all day in the Tea House.

BOILER INTERIOR


FERMENTER CLOSED


FERMENTER OPEN


PIPEWORK


PIPEWORK


MANIFOLD


WORT COOLING


Any comments/criticisms gratefully received.

I drilled both thermoboxes today, and the ball valves ended up a little high, but very close to the bottom rolled stainless (as close as I would dare go to get good seal). Shall I modify manifold with street elbox to drop it to bottom of thermobox? at the moment it is about 1/2" in the air... Same with the boiler valve.

The mash tun will have lid cut to allow for permanent pipework (one pipe is adapted phils sparger and the other the main filling pipe).

A few of the compression fittings are still loose, thats why one pipe touches the mash tun, it shouldn't!

You wouldnt believe the problems I've had with imperial pipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Phils sparge arm is imperial. 1/4". Can you get 1/4" to metric compression inserts or fittings? No. Can you get imperial olives? No. Do they fit in metric fittings. No, to small or too big. The stainless immersion chiller: imperial 3/8" same problem!!!!!! In the end I soldered a piece of 8mm pipe over the end of the spinny (being careful not to unsolder Phils rough work - its p@ss poor)

I haven't solved the 3/8" stainless problem yet - as I am using a braided 1/2" tap connector I need to get from 3/8" compression to 1/2" bsp parallel. I cant even do it in chrome or stainless fittings from BES's vast range. They can do it in bsp taper though! Fittings in photo are 10mm, just to give you the idea in the photo. It would leak!