upgrading my system capacity

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RubberToe
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upgrading my system capacity

Post by RubberToe » Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:52 am

Hey, everyone! I haven't brewed in almost 12 months!

Despite that, I'm planning on upgrading my system. I want to do 20+ gallons into fermenters per brew. By bye BIAB.

Right now I have a ~18.5 gallon BIAB rig. With top up water I can do 15 a gal 1.050 brew day but I think I've only done that once, maybe twice. I want 20 gallons to make a brew day more worthwhile. Brews are few and far between anyway.

I want to go 2 vessel. Some combo of 25 and / or 30 gallon stainless kettles / tun.

Right now I have a 15 gallon bottom drain keggle I can do something with but it's too small to be worth switching from BIAB.

The "new" setup will either be:

1) 2 vessel HERMS. Heat water in boil kettle, transfer to mash tun, rest, recirculate through a coil in the BK maintaining temps that way. I could get away with using only 1 pump in my system this way.

2) Electric "direct fire" RIMS: Element in boil kettle, heat and pump to mash tun, rest, recirculate liquid between vessels with the BK maintaining temps. This method would require two pumps.

#2 would use the full volume of water for the brew between the two vessels while #1 may be a thicker mash since the BK would only contain water. Method #1 would require a coil ($150-$200 with fittings) while method #2 would require another pump ($200) to cross circulate, or two tier which I'm not going to do. I may be able to hack it with some kind of batch recirculation and a single pump. Larger vessels would help there.

So, help me thing this through. Ideas or something I haven't thought of?

Does anyone have gear for sale that may be suitable?

Thanks!

:cheers2:
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GAM
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Re: upgrading my system capacity

Post by GAM » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:37 pm

No gear you you.

Can you use two keggles joined together as a tun and save the expense there.

One pump should be workable with valves and cam locks.

Did you ever do the Solara project. If not I'll take the keg back for a fermenter.

Draw it out and you may get a better idea.

Fun and games.

S

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Re: upgrading my system capacity

Post by RubberToe » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:56 pm

Hi Sandy,

I was thinking about having another keg body welded up. I think Liverdance did something like that. Brian, if you read this, how did that one work out?

I didn't get the solera off the ground, yet. It's high priority once I get brewing again though. I have a second keg now so if you need it I can get it back to you.

Thanks,
-Rob
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Re: upgrading my system capacity

Post by GAM » Sun Apr 16, 2017 1:21 pm

No rush. I can pick up if your home or can leave on the back step.

S

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Re: upgrading my system capacity

Post by LiverDance » Sun Apr 16, 2017 2:48 pm

Welded kegs worked out great
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

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Re: upgrading my system capacity

Post by RubberToe » Sun Apr 16, 2017 3:19 pm

LiverDance wrote:
Sun Apr 16, 2017 2:48 pm
Welded kegs worked out great
How large batches were you doing? Don't you have one of those SS Brewtech insulated tuns now?
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Re: upgrading my system capacity

Post by LiverDance » Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:50 am

We were brewing 60L in the welded keg boil kettle. I have an 80L ss brewtech mash tun now.
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

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