Bennachie brewery new build

[pantsmachine]

I'll see whats on the hard drive. Cantillon and DT's are great. Best advice i can give is to buy the book Around Brussels in 80 beers. It was in my pocket every day and in use right up until the point my eyes crossed over in the evening(must be something in the air over there, be careful)! In that book you will find image d nostre Damme and in this pub you will find Bourgone de Flandres beer on tap. I only found it there and the owner said there were very few pubs in Brussels had it on tap. Truly truly stunning unforgettable beer and the find of the trip for me. Ask for Raf or Heedo when you are in there(say them like they read). Top fellas and as friendly as you could hope for. You won't find the pub easily as it does not have a front onto the street but there is an old fashioned sign with its name on the street and its down the narrow alley you go. Once you get your bearings its only 2 minutes from D.T's. Mort de Subite, pochenkelder, cafe 1920(or something like that) are great as well.

La mort subite

Don't know what the big deal is about these. I make better

D.T's as seen from the gutter

Raf on the right, heedo with hand up in air

If you know your stuff, get craiking with the barmen in D.T's. Those boys really know their beers and like guys that know as well. They hate the tourists that come into a bar with 2000 beers in it and order ozzie lager(i swear i saw this happen on more that one ocassion).

Other than that just have a blast. I'm going back next Winter.

[awalker]

Thankyou you are a star

Sorry to divert from the brewery build, enjoying it

[pantsmachine]

No worries, i was helped before going and i'm sure you'll do the same for someone down the road. Breweries mostly done. Just tweaking the niggling bits now.

[pantsmachine]

Took out my old hop filter last month as the losses were too much(pints lost). Made up a new one out of bits in the plumbing box and my losses now stand at 150ml. For some reason the wort also has less trub in it with the new filter! Assuming its due to the lack of holes spread over a large area so instead everything is getting dragged through the hop bed to the lowest point with the least 'exposed' surface area?

Anyway the cleaner wort was an unexpected bonus. A couple of pictures below.

OLD filter



NEW filter



Together for scale


In place waiting on the next brew session(i do clean before brewing)!.

[pantsmachine]

Continuing to tweak the system and my process. One flaw with my hot liquor tank is that to mount the lower element on a truly flat surface i ended up with 10ltrs of water below the lower element. As we all know, heat rises so i have been draining the colder 10 ltrs and taking temp readings of the draining liquor prior to diverting it into the mash tun and underletting. Its a PITA and its not elegant so i've made myself a long stirring paddle. Its not particularly elegant itself but it is shiny and it is made of aluminium and i really enjoyed making it. Only weighs a few Oz's! Under the handle its been wound with paracord and then heatshrunk on top. Should keep the handle isolated from burning me as it heats up.






Running total
stainless copper £96 incl delivery(Sept 2009)
igloo mash tun £110 incl delivery
conical fermenter £92 incl delivery
3 of 3mtr lengths 22mm copper pipe £20
Various copper fitting for manifold builds £20
Carbon steel flatbar & 25mm box section for fermenter tri leg stand stand(incl 4 adjustable feet)£16
SIlver paint,drill bits and bolts for above £25
Stainless 1" ball valve £10
2 of 80 ltr HDPE containers c/w lids £26
Temp kettle valve and hop filter fittings £20
Various fittings for mash tun and kettle connection £30
Stainless filter mesh £8
3 of Speck fluid pumps £129
SOLD 2 of pressure barrels
Barrel funds purchased 24V variable power supply to control the Speck pumps and a inline water flow meter so i can monitor volume used.
22mm end cap
2 of 2mm drill bits
wand mounting clips
Cutting disc £5
Paint £10
30mm box section 14mtrs,end plugs and adjustable feet for brewstand and overback mounting bracket £38
Pump control switches £4.20
Plastic box for transformer and switches(pump control) £12
Rubber grommets for sealing cables in JB £2.20
1/4 turn pump throttle valves and various related fittings(pump flow control) £20
soldering of and supply of 2.5 mtr twin core onto each of three pump switches £5!
4 big steel rawlbolts & 4 brass hooks to stop me killing myself with the overback £10
More fittings and a few bolts £14
Yet more fittings to get a brew on and Damn the RAF finish! £30(Oct 2009 1st Brew)
Sight level gauge kit £30(March 2010)
2 tescos cheap kettles and a holesaw for the elements £16
1 of 22mm gate valve, various yorkshire fitting. £12
Copper for cooler £0 as it was 'in stock in the shed from a house project'.(April 2010)
New Hop Filter £0, parts in the plumbing box.(May 2010 8th Brew)
Large aluminium spoon of stirring £0 aluminium from a previous project.(June 2010)
To date £816

[befuggled]

Ah, a medieval long handled wife beater!

Nearly there, finally got another couple to ruin your palate with, did you want a bottle of Proper Job thrown in?

[pantsmachine]

DP tastic as the actress said to the bishops.

[pantsmachine]

Feck, I almost fell off my seat laughing. Being both Scottish and a bloke AND you know this, how can you even ask?

[befuggled]

It'll be leaving later this week.
I thought you were going to Norway, or was that a while ago?
Anyway, if you're away when it gets there, the missus will just have to drink the lot before you get back to use that implement on her!

[pantsmachine]

Sssh,
Don't tell anyone but i'm In Norway the now. Typical oilfield waste of money, sent to show guys which gear to test. Now hanging about FTD waiting for a flight tomorrow to go to a meeting in london(3 to 4 hours max) then fly back up to Aberdeen. As i said total waste of money, on the upside i get paid for it and there's a fighting chance that me and spoony will get back to Aberdeen in time to make the Aberdeen beer festival's 1st night. Also going to said event on Saturday with SWMBO and another couple. The blokes will be fine i'm sure, its these feisty women that get me worried!

P.S Very much looking forward to trying a Pharsical brewery brew.

[pantsmachine]

I though spoony was looking a bit lonely so made Mashy the Oar to keep him company. Is this the slippery slope of insanity i see before me?

[garwatts]

I though spoony was looking a bit lonely so made Mashy the Oar to keep him company. Is this the slippery slope of insanity i see before me?

You're probably well down it by now

[stu-le-brew]

I though spoony was looking a bit lonely so made Mashy the Oar to keep him company. Is this the slippery slope of insanity i see before me?

The only thing that may re-assure you is that there are lots of us sliding down there with you

[boingy]

.. so made Mashy the Oar to keep him company. Is this the slippery slope of insanity i see before me?

Actually I think the slippery slope of insanity is that thing that slopes up behind you. The one in front of you is the slippery slope of so-barking-fcuking-mad-I've-started-giving-names-to-kitchen-utensils.



Nice stirrer though

[garwatts]

.. so made Mashy the Oar to keep him company. Is this the slippery slope of insanity i see before me?

Actually I think the slippery slope of insanity is that thing that slopes up behind you. The one in front of you is the slippery slope of so-barking-fcuking-mad-I've-started-giving-names-to-kitchen-utensils.
Nice stirrer though