July 27th, 2008
All the major construction on my new brew sculpture is complete. It’s based on the MoreBeer 1550 except it’s equipped for 5 gallon batches with Blichmann Boilermaker kettles. Also, since I was going for a smaller size I skipped the complexity of the tippy dump mash tun.
Here are a few pictures:
My New Sculpture. Three 10 gallon Blichmann Boilermakers, a 1×2 metal frame, plumbed propane, levelers, and hose rack
A Smoker BBQ Cover Fits Nicely
I still have a few things to complete this week:
- Attaching the March pump (it’s currently in my ammo box setup but I’ve got a nice stainless mounting bracket)
- Putting together the silicone hoses with quick disconnects
- Installing the third burner (just waiting on it to arrive from George)
- Upgrading the regulator (it’s currently a fixed pressure regulator that’s way under what I need. I’ve ordered an adjustable 0-30 PSI one.)
- Mounting the Ranco temp controller
The overall height is just perfect as I planned it so I can easily see into the mash tun.
Some time in the future I plan to upgrade the following:
- Add a control panel to hold my temp controllers and perhaps a float switch
- Add automatic ignition for the burners
- Upgrade to an ASCO valve on the HLT so I can control the burner with a temp controller
I did all the construction myself. Total cost without the pump and kettles was roughly $300 for all materials and consumables. Of course that assumes you’ve got access to a MIG welder and chopsaw, the skills or willingness to learn, and roughly 12 hours.
I’ve got a cutlist and a Sketchup file of the sculpture. Contact me if you’d like copies. Updated: I’ve made a follow up post with these docs: https://www.slobrewer.com/2008/07/29/brew-sculpture-details/
Dave.
Giveaway iPhone 7 Plus
July 4th, 2008
There’s been a bit of a delay in getting things posted on my site as I’ve been busy brewing, studying for and taking the BJCP exam, and working. In the next few months you should see a flurry of updates here as I get back into putting information online.
My focus right now is on building myself a brew sculpture. I’m initially thinking that I want a HERMS setup in roughly the form factor of the More Beer 1550 sculptures. Right now I’m experimenting with various techniques and configurations before I start any serious building. I have acquired two 10 gallon Blichmann BoilerMaker kettles for my mash and boil and will likely pick up a third for my hot liquor tank. Do I need those fancy kettles? Heck no but they do make the process nice and I did want to upgrade to something over my current setup of coolers and aluminum pot.
Happy Brewing,
Dave.
March 19th, 2008
After hearing about the flurry of people scrambling to get their hands on a $220 conical from Brew 4 Less through eBay, I couldn’t resist. I picked up first one and then recently another so I could do all my regular fermentations. The two will allow me to switch back and forth and brew about one beer per week while not having to transfer out of the conical to secondary except for a few beers that take longer.
I did some modifications by replacing the valves with nice three piece break down valves for easier cleaning. Then I did some very careful measuring and figured out what modifications I had to make to get the conical into my Sanyo fermentation fridge. Basically I cut the legs as short as I could so there will still be room for the dump valve (removing about 5 1/2 inches.) With that it fits perfectly with no modifications to the fridge. There’s even room for an airlock.
I had good luck with my first batch through the conical so far. I dumped the trub on my Firestone Pale Ale clone at about 36 hours. It’s ready to put into a keg so I’ll report back soon.
Dave.
December 31st, 2007
I got a new Crankandstein 3 roller grain mill from my mother in law for Christmas. First order of business was to build the base, housing, and hopper. Read all about it here.
November 25th, 2007
So when I’m done sparging I take a wort gravity measurement so I know what kind of efficiency I got and where I can expect to be at the end of the boil. If I come in low I need to either boil off more or add some Dried Malt Extract (DME.) If I come in high I need to boil off less or add some water. Of course to figure out the exact details I either need to manually do the calculations or run inside to my laptop and ProMash.
To avoid this hassle I’ve coded up some calculators that I can access from my mobile phone. You are welcome to use them as well and provide feedback on how they work on your phone. Check them out at www.slobrewer.com/mobile.
