# 100L 1V BIAB recirc build - The BREWT



## buckerooni

Inspired by this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5SLwDvmil4 

Moving up from a 40L urn that has served me well. Looked at the grainfather/robobrew but wanted bigger volumes and besides, buying one of those kinda felt like cheating.

Will be a learning experience, please be gentle.

The BREWT will be:
- quite simple and easy to clean
- heat quickly (for 3.5 hr school night brewing)
- do triple batches
- automated
- generally kick ass

BREWT Basics:

Cheeky Peak 100L Pot - 100ltr Food Grade 304 Stainless Steel Pot, Single Base Pot. Good quality, good price and I got good service from these guys when asking questions. 
Brauduino - got one already assembled - thanks CoxR! Sparky mate looked over it. All good!
Pump with SS head - seems the consensus the SS head is worth it
3 piece taps - for ease of cleaning
SS Camlocks for flexibility, good flow and ease of use
2 Way winch for good control of grainbag/malt pipe lift - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/272012784431
Budget - $1,200 feels about right, most likely buying everything new. 

Diagram to come!


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## buckerooni

turns out the BREWT is already taken as the product name for a tea infuser. Too bad, prepared to fight it out in court and/or carpark.


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## tj2204

Very interested in your build as I'd like to do the same thing down the track when money and time permit.

Subscribed!


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## buckerooni

Gonna start KISS style. Want to minimise fittings in the pot. My thinking is, more fittings more leaks, more places for scunge to hide, more cleaning.

That means a malt pipe is out of the equation for now. With a distributed recirc via a sprayer, can I get enough wort movement through the grain bed?





here's the sprayer I have in mind. SS, very simple design, should disperse the wort well and should not clog: 




ebay link: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-4-1-2-3-4-SS316-Stainless-Steel-Spiral-Cone-Spray-Nozzle-Sprinkler-Heads-/252181802528

I'm thinking having the widest grain bed possible with this spray nozzle will allow the wort to recirc through it reasonably evenly, thoughts?


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## timmi9191

I dont understand spraying the wort on recirc, wouldnt that cause hotside oxidation?


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## mofox1

Looks pretty cool - will the nozzle spray at the recirc wort flow rate?

It mentions btwn 0.5 - 1.5 CBM/H (which I assume is kilo-litres per hour) which at its lowest boundary is just a tab under 10L/min. The keg king pumps will do 19L/min at 0m head and no back pressure... I reckon (aka - guessing, haven't measured, don't take me seriously I'm a cat with a keyboard) my recirc at open throttle is ~5L/min - it's certainly not as fast as my HLT water re-circ but it is significantly faster than my mostly throttled sparge rate of 0.75L/min.

A poke around ebay does list some at 5L/min... my guess is the smaller dia nozzles would work better than the larger ones at a lowish flow rate.


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## SBOB

timmi9191 said:


> I dont understand spraying the wort on recirc, wouldnt that cause hotside oxidation?


dont start that myth


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## Kingy

Look forward to watching this, I love build threads.

Temp probe should be on the outlet at the bottum tho as that is the best point to check temp. Unless I'm reading the diagram wrong.


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## husky

I'd say leave the temp probe at the last point before it returns to the grain bed as that way you account for temp loss through the suction and discharge lines.


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## Moad

Similar to what I just built a mate


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## SBOB

Moad said:


> Similar to what I just built a mate
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMG-20160608-WA0000.jpeg


using a biab setup, or more a grainfather like setup?


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## enoch

Not sure about return probe attached to the lid. An accident waiting to happen and get in the way if you want to stir mash.
I did the a gf variant per my gallery.
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/gallery/album/1339-enochs-great-malt-mother/


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## buckerooni

mofox1 said:


> Looks pretty cool - will the nozzle spray at the recirc wort flow rate?
> 
> It mentions btwn 0.5 - 1.5 CBM/H (which I assume is kilo-litres per hour) which at its lowest boundary is just a tab under 10L/min. The keg king pumps will do 19L/min at 0m head and no back pressure... I reckon (aka - guessing, haven't measured, don't take me seriously I'm a cat with a keyboard) my recirc at open throttle is ~5L/min - it's certainly not as fast as my HLT water re-circ but it is significantly faster than my mostly throttled sparge rate of 0.75L/min.
> 
> A poke around ebay does list some at 5L/min... my guess is the smaller dia nozzles would work better than the larger ones at a lowish flow rate.


Trying to follow this as I didn't give flow rate much thought, as I'm new to recirc. Are you saying that if the flow rate is under 10L/min the sprayer may not er..spray correctly? And that your typical flow rate through a mash is around 5L/min?

For $10 I'll probably just suck it and see and report back.


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## buckerooni

SBOB said:


> dont start that myth


Was waiting for that one. I'm going with what this guy observed: http://brulosophy.com/2014/11/18/is-hot-side-aeration-fact-or-fiction-exbeeriment-results/


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## buckerooni

Moad said:


> Similar to what I just built a mate
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMG-20160608-WA0000.jpeg


Sweet! Are there any shots from inside?

Looks like alot of builds have the lower return, from what I understand this is to potentially stop scorching at lower temps? Planning on going with low density elements and wondering if I need to bother with it?


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## buckerooni

enoch said:


> Not sure about return probe attached to the lid. An accident waiting to happen and get in the way if you want to stir mash.
> I did the a gf variant per my gallery.
> http://aussiehomebrewer.com/gallery/album/1339-enochs-great-malt-mother/


Yeah, it's not an ideal placement for practicality but I feel it's the best place to measure the temp. Was going to chase it along the silicone hose to where my pump and PID will be mounted.

The pot lid will rest on the handles at 90 degrees, so I need to place the probe fitting accordingly.


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## SBOB

husky said:


> I'd say leave the temp probe at the last point before it returns to the grain bed as that way you account for temp loss through the suction and discharge lines.


id say put it at the outlet from the base of the pot, as that will be the hottest point and most accurate indication of the highest temperature in the wort (and therefore enzyme activity)


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## mofox1

buckerooni said:


> Trying to follow this as I didn't give flow rate much thought, as I'm new to recirc. Are you saying that if the flow rate is under 10L/min the sprayer may not er..spray correctly? And that your typical flow rate through a mash is around 5L/min?
> 
> For $10 I'll probably just suck it and see and report back.


Yup, not my most eloquent post.

I was wondering if your setup would be operating under the minimum pressure of the listed sprayer, and thus not work as expected. Ie your sprayer just becomes a dribbler.

Yes, 5L/min is my best guess for recirc rate without actually measuring... should really get around to that one day.


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## husky

SBOB said:


> id say put it at the outlet from the base of the pot, as that will be the hottest point and most accurate indication of the highest temperature in the wort (and therefore enzyme activity)


Everyone's will behave slightly different, my 1V has a temp probe in pump suction, pump discharge and one in the vessel sidewall and I tried using all of them as the PID input to see which one gave the best result. When I was testing I also had three additional thermometers measuring the temp of the wort at the bottom middle and top. Mine gave the best results when reading the return back into the vessel but were only talking a difference of .5 of a degree so you can always measure what you're actually getting in the wort and use an offset, ie use a SP of 0.5 degrees higher than what you want. In the end I used the average temperature calculation of the three as the PID input and I get a distributed temp variance of 0.1 degrees at any point in the vessel. Of course recirculation flow rate has a lot to do with this as well so it should be considered when designing a return system to get max flow with out compacting the bed.
Either way will work, if you take the temp off the bottom of the vessel you risk having a lower temp at the top of the wort. Take temp off the return and you risk having a higher temp at the bottom of the wort. Either way a basic test on your trial brew measuring temp at all points in the vessel will determine any offset if required.
Another consideration might be that if you use the temp at the return back to the vessel and you get a blockage ie no flow, your PID will see a drop in temp and ramp up the heating = potentially bad. If you put your temp probe close to the heater element and you get a blockage the PID will back off as the temp at the bottom of the vessel rises sharply. Food for thought.


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## mash head

I built a similar rig but much bigger, my fluid return comes out above the grain bed but below the fluid, also I am using gas so need the recirc to avoid scorching but your plan seems to be resonable.


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## Moad

Its a BIAB setup. The lid factor was considered, deemed a non issue. Can be moved to the bottom return if required.

Will get some pics tomorrow, maiden brew day.

edit: I should add, those pots are quite nice for the price. Solid lid on it too


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## buckerooni

The slippery slope! Thinking long and hard about now going a malt pipe with 2nd return!

Here's some very tidy work by pugwash: 



Link to Pugwash's gallery: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/gallery/album/1267-1-vessel-system/

*Malt pipe: *better flow & temp distribution through grainbed, easier sparging
As a decent false bottom (44cm+ diamater) and a custom BIAB bag is getting close to the price of a 2nd inner pot, the malt pipe idea becomes more attractive.

*2nd return*: for low temp mashes, whirlpooling, temp distribution around element.

The question remains - without these additions will I still make decent beer?!


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## buckerooni

just found a candidate for a cheapy false bottom - a 440mm alu pot lid, plus a few stainless bolts: http://www.nisbets.com.au/Vogue-Stock-Pot-Lid-440mm/S363/ProductDetail.raction

still need a custom BIAB bag however. Could you just a false bottom with no holes, so the flow has to go over the edge like this?


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## Mr B

Dont think that would work too well, the flow wouldnt go 'through' the grain too much (hydraulic pressure and all that). Thats the beauty of a malt pipe, the flow has to go through it, and if you get a stuck mash etc you can see that it isnt flowing through it so you can do something about it........

If you have a bag setup, you really want it to fill the diameter of the pot - for flow reasons.

You could have a false bottom on the bottom, with a hose connecting to the outlet, then the bag on top of that, but it sorta defeats the purpose and you would probably have to remove it for the boil (gas anyway certainly).


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## buckerooni

thanks for the feedback, the big bag/false bottom idea has been canned and I've got myself a malt pipe: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/172083055859


5 star distilling are still out of stock on their elements, so looking to source 2 x 4800w elements from StillDragon, as they have the elements and the guard kits locally:
http://www.stilldragon.com.au/4800-watt-element-ultra-low-density/


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## buckerooni

pot for the malt pipe arrived today, well, it's thin so should make easy cutting! There isn't much room left over with a 56L pot in a 100L pot!

Only 65mm shorter than the outer pot, which means I don't have a hole lot of room for the elements, but enough.


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## Aydos

Nice work, I'll continue to follow this build for sure


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## buckerooni

grinder power button stops working 3/4 way through the grind - not going to use a tool like that can only be turned off at the switch! Ordered myself a nice makita brushless 18v grinder skin, looking forward to loads of fap disk action once it arrives. so many burrs!

WD-40 and a constant trickle of water over the pot appeared to make the cutting easier.


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## buckerooni

thinking about using silicone tubing and camlocks for the two returns. idea being it'll be easier to make, less 'hard' plumbing, easier to clean, keep dry between brews and hopefully less chance of leaks. opinions on this welcome.


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## buckerooni

slightly modified bottom return for better clearance and tube layout to pump.


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## buckerooni

camco elements cheap on amazon at the moment, picked up 2 x Camco 02922/02923 4500W 240V Screw-In Lime Life Foldback Water Heater Element - Ultra Low Watt Density, hex lock nuts and ss washers for AUD $101.75 delivered.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YUDSI/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

fits under the 20A limit (per heat source) on my Brauduino nicely.


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## Matplat

Have you given much thought as to how to mount and earth the element?

I wasn't 100% happy with the way I did mine... but it works...


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## buckerooni

got my sparky mate coming this week to wire up the shed with some serious ampage. Will ask about the element mounting/earthing and report back!


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## buckerooni

already got some bulkheads but came across this today, too bad they only do NPT, as my valves and fittings are BSP https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ptbulkhead.htm: 

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe74CAysApw[/media]


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## malt junkie

You could use that tool to pull through a BSP coupler, you'd have to waste one to do it. Grind one end of a coupler to a tapper pull it through so it's just onto the original surface, knock it out with a hammer, put new coupler in the puller and pull into place and Bob's your fathers brother.


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## stilvia

buckerooni said:


> already got some bulkheads but came across this today, too bad they only do NPT, as my valves and fittings are BSP https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ptbulkhead.htm:


1/2" NPT and BSP are pretty much identical, apart for the 5° difference in thread angle. No issue interchanging these with low pressure liquid.


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## buckerooni

Thanks fellas. The idea was to minimise leaks and provide a solid fitting onto the pot. If I can get away with NPT to BSP I'l give it a go!


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## huez

Most of my fittings are a mixture of BSP and NPT. Works fine. Brewhardware come out with some pretty good stuff every now and then.


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## buckerooni

indeed! brewhardware do have some very nice stuff.

after getting some alloy boxes for my element guards, I've now changed my mind and gonna wait until these are back in stock. Makes cleaning really easy, leaks shouldn't be an issue and good value - https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/etc4s.htm:


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## buckerooni

what a rabbit hole, a few people have bitched about the build quality on the above item, now this one seems to be the ducks guts: http://www.brewershardware.com/TC15F10NPSCOV.html. The 1.5 TC is a versatile spec that SSBrewtech also use if you have any of their gear.


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## huez

buckerooni said:


> what a rabbit hole, a few people have bitched about the build quality on the above item, now this one seems to be the ducks guts: http://www.brewershardware.com/TC15F10NPSCOV.html. The 1.5 TC is a versatile spec that SSBrewtech also use if you have any of their gear.


Brewhardware is like the bastard child of Brewershardware. I just broke my bank account with an order with brewershardware.

I went with the following element guard, nice quality and correct thread for australian elements. 2" tri clover though, not sure if thats what you're after. 5star also do nice ones if you manage to get one before that all sell out

http://www.stilldragon.com.au/element-guard-kit/


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## buckerooni

Ha! Yeah, those are also good options I was looking at but by the time you get the guard, clamps + weldless TC fitting in Oz you're pretty much covered the ones from the states. My camco elements are also NPS so the brewershardware one also makes it literally a good fit. But fk me, postage from those blokes is a killer!


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## huez

Some of their item weights are questionable that's for sure. They stick to the usps box sizes, so you might add one to many tri clover clamps and BOOM postage doubles!


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## buckerooni

ended up getting the brewhardware gear after all, they have all the kit, couldn't justify spending any more $ and the 1.5 TC will match my SS Brewtech gear if I ever bling it up.

2 x solderable tri clover flange & element cover : https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/etc4s.htm + spare TC blank if I use just the 1 element. 

3 x solderable pull through bulkheads : https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ptbulkhead.htm + tool 

I figure the extra $ up front will come back in time savings cleaning and should be solid and leak free. well, that's what I'm telling myself AU$385 later...it hurts just typing this...did I really just do that?


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## buckerooni

coming together. had to ditch the 56L grain basket as it didn't allow enough room to do sidewall recirc. I didn't want a hose running through the pot lid. it makes taking the pot lid off a pain, as well as more difficult to change the recirc hose position (see http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/93631-cutting-the-lip-off-a-54l-pot-to-reduce-height-to-use-as-1v-grain-basket/ )

have silver soldered the tri clover fittings on, this is before cleaning up with barkeepers friend/polishing disc:


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## buckerooni

this cost me some sweetass time and money, but I LOVE being able to remove the elements for storage already!


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## buckerooni

with the pull through bulkhead, silver soldered on the inside. this thing is SOLID. it's NPT but screws into the BSP 3-piece valve no worries.


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## buckerooni

death from above.

2 x 4500w elements with temp probe between right element and the tap (where my right knee is, bad photo).

having the triclovers set back the elements a bit made fitting two possible and not having them meet in the middle.

have also got a triclover blank if I just want to use it with 1 element.


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## fdsaasdf

Looks great, I like the idea of element removal for storage and cleaning.


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## technobabble66

^^ +1
Starting to look very impressive!


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## rude

> with the pull through bulkhead, silver soldered on the inside. this thing is SOLID. it's NPT but screws into the BSP 3-piece valve no worries.


Is that youre temp probe at the end of the ball valve

Also is that youre return wort

Sorry for noob questions looks great by the way


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## buckerooni

yeah, that picture does look a bit odd but it's a hose clamp with a black plastic adjuster! The temp probe is at the top middle part of the picture. You can see it better in the top down pic, clockwise at around the 4:30 mark 

It was discussed that the temp of the wort is the most important measurement where the highest temp and conversion occurs - not in the grainbed/circulating fluid - which was the primary reason for the placement inside the vessel. I don't have the data behind this, I was really steered by the discussions in this forum that made most 'layman' sense to me.

This placement also keeps wires off fittings and allows temp measurement without the use of the pump.


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## buckerooni

3rd trial after having a few leaks in my soldered tri-clovers - no leaks! PITA to repair solder and I hope it lasts.

had about 80L in there and still ramps at 1c every 30 seconds with 2 x 4500w @ 90% - crazy! Having an ambient temp of 30c helped


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## rude

That makes sense thanks the black adjuster through me

Keep the pics coming it's a great build thread cheers


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## Matplat

Awesome work mate, that pull-through bulk head fitting look neat as... Have you looked into adding a second whirlpool return? You'll find you only need a fraction of the available flow to go through the grain bed, plenty of head left over to circulate the wort around the elements while you're mashing...


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## Matplat

Double posts.... stupid app!


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## buckerooni

Matplat said:


> Awesome work mate, that pull-through bulk head fitting look neat as... Have you looked into adding a second whirlpool return? You'll find you only need a fraction of the available flow to go through the grain bed, plenty of head left over to circulate the wort around the elements while you're mashing...


Thanks! Yeah - that's a good point, have factored in a second return - got a pull through for the job! The PT design is so good, more confidence inspiring that the straight silver soldering of the tri clovers. Wouldn't be surprise if the PT approach is used more in the future.

Now that I have the element height and grain basket clearance sorted I can put that in. It's my first 1V and I can see the logic now as there won't be much movement in the wort once it goes through the grain basket. But I'll do a few brews first before I put in it, I'm curious to see the difference.


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## fdsaasdf

buckerooni said:


> grinder power button stops working 3/4 way through the grind - not going to use a tool like that can only be turned off at the switch! Ordered myself a nice makita brushless 18v grinder skin, looking forward to loads of fap disk action once it arrives. so many burrs!
> 
> WD-40 and a constant trickle of water over the pot appeared to make the cutting easier.


Just curious as to the thickness of the cutting disc you used for these slots? Any feedback on the gap so far?


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## Moad

FYI you can request a shipping cost from brewers hardware, if you ask they will often squeeze it into smaller boxes and refund the difference from the calculated postage


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## Matplat

fdsaasdf said:


> Just curious as to the thickness of the cutting disc you used for these slots? Any feedback on the gap so far?


I used a 1mm disc on mine, and it looks about the same... works perfect.

Buckerooni, let me know how you go getting the burrs off. I never really managed to clean mine off, they would just end up on one side of the pot or the other. As a result cleaning it is a pain, and sponges get ripped to shreds. I just rely on chemical cleaning rather than mechanical cleaning now.


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## buckerooni

Matplat said:


> I used a 1mm disc on mine, and it looks about the same... works perfect.
> 
> Buckerooni, let me know how you go getting the burrs off. I never really managed to clean mine off, they would just end up on one side of the pot or the other. As a result cleaning it is a pain, and sponges get ripped to shreds. I just rely on chemical cleaning rather than mechanical cleaning now.


just an SS 1mm disc from the big green shed. Adding the cuts was time consuming and yeah, soo many burrs. I ended up using both my dremel and individually deburring every slot as well as a few rounds with the fap disc and came up pretty clean.


with this build I definitely had to come to terms with not getting some tasks completed on the day I started them!


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## fdsaasdf

buckerooni said:


> just an SS 1mm disc from the big green shed. Adding the cuts was time consuming and yeah, soo many burrs. I ended up using both my dremel and individually deburring every slot as well as a few rounds with the fap disc and came up pretty clean.


Thanks very much. I have a 1mm cutting disc and some fap discs, no dremel but we'll see how we go.


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## buckerooni

the mistake I made with my slots in the grain basket is that are they are too long and due to the thin base being so flimsy, they make quite a gap. Next time I'd make them half to a third as long.


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## malt junkie

A braumeister screen would fix that issue, available from grain and grape.


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## buckerooni

very tempting. it would change the way I'd have drilled out the bottom of the pot 

I'm also having trouble with getting enough wort above the grainbed, as the 38L pot is taller than wider and isn't a great match for a 100L pot. Will remove some of the clearance I have between the elements and the inner pot via adjusting the ss bolt/legs.

gonna give the 56L another go. even though it sticks out higher than the outer pot, I might end up with a better overall result - better grain bed and flow.


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## malt junkie

No not the filter plate!! the mesh screen!! (the one linked is 350mm Diameter), just throw it in the bottom of the pot before you start,


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## wobbly

buckerooni said:


> I'm also having trouble with getting enough wort above the grainbed, as the 38L pot is taller than wider and isn't a great match for a 100L pot. Will remove some of the clearance I have between the elements and the inner pot via adjusting the ss bolt/legs.
> 
> gonna give the 56L another go. even though it sticks out higher than the outer pot, I might end up with a better overall result - better grain bed and flow.


Why not just drill some holes in the side of the inner pot at a level to allow enough wort to cover the grain bed and if/when you want to use the full height of the inner malt pipe cover the holes with a piece of a silicon baking dish of suitable diameter to stretch over the inner malt pipe 

There was a photo of how this was done on a Braumeister malt pipe to accommodate smaller mashes in a 50lt unit. I will see if i can track down the photo and post it here

Cheers

Wobbly


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## wobbly

Found it 

Cheers

Wobbly


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## fdsaasdf

buckerooni said:


> the mistake I made with my slots in the grain basket is that are they are too long and due to the thin base being so flimsy, they make quite a gap. Next time I'd make them half to a third as long.


Thanks for sharing that, I'm yet to slice open my malt pipe but was considering how I could offset the slots to avoid compromising the integrity of the base. I was also planning to leave an un-slotted area in an X pattern so the area I drill holes for feet & the centre overflow pipe remains sturdy.


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## buckerooni

here's how little flow I got over the grainbed, and this was with only 10kg of grain in a 38L pot in 61L of wort! 

After mash in I let it settle for at least 10 mins before turning the pump on verrry gradually. It would channel more at a lower flow rate: 



So upping it kinda worked out better, as you can see here:

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ja0G2gJWQ[/media]


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## buckerooni

fdsaasdf said:


> Thanks for sharing that, I'm yet to slice open my malt pipe but was considering how I could offset the slots to avoid compromising the integrity of the base. I was also planning to leave an un-slotted area in an X pattern so the area I drill holes for feet & the centre overflow pipe remains sturdy.


Good thinking, next time I might just punch out big ass holes in the pot and use the brau mesh over the top - for $35 it's barely worth doing a DIY hack job that won't have the finish or the finesse, keep the integrity of the pot, reduce burrs and should make cleaning easier. seems easier than chucking a mash tun false bottom in there too.


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## rude

That was my way of thinking
mash tun false bottom or is it not fine enough


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## malt junkie

10kg of malt in 38L is pretty much par for liquid to grain ratio. Thicker mash and extraction goes down, and bigger chance of sticking the mash.


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## buckerooni

been a while, finally got around to adding the lower input value on the BREWT, so wort will recirc over the 2 elements, and had to add another valve, so flow is controlled at both top and bottom inlets:






carport hung winch, as I brew just outside my garage, mounting that winch somewhere had me scratching my head until I came up with the top mount approach:






boiling up a storm, 55L in 100L top, no need for the sprayer just yet:





a quick vid:


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## buckerooni

inside the pot with the elements removed (thanks tri-clover removable hotpods from brewhardware) - wort output on left, lower wort return on right, those elbows sure are handy


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## buckerooni

getting pretty poor efficiency (~60%) - even with finer milling and I think it's due to the large gap between the inner and outer pot - probably about 20L of quite stagnant water that never gets passed through the grainbed properly. The 2nd return port near the base doesn't move this water enough. Could put a higher 3rd return port into this gap but, well, this basket has some nice features like the down hooks for drainage, and if it doesn't yield better results the port idea may be the go.

https://cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/300-micron-304ss-mesh-brew-basket-suit-95l-vessel


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## Jangles

Do you run more elements on the kettle or fired with gas ?


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## buckerooni

Jangles said:


> Do you run more elements on the kettle or fired with gas ?



I run 2 x 4500w ULD camco elements with a Brauduino controller. Heats 80L at 1c per minute!


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## captnhaddock

buckerooni said:


> getting pretty poor efficiency (~60%) - even with finer milling and I think it's due to the large gap between the inner and outer pot - probably about 20L of quite stagnant water that never gets passed through the grainbed properly. The 2nd return port near the base doesn't move this water enough. Could put a higher 3rd return port into this gap but, well, this basket has some nice features like the down hooks for drainage, and if it doesn't yield better results the port idea may be the go.
> https://cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/300-micron-304ss-mesh-brew-basket-suit-95l-vessel



To be fair, it's easy to get poor conversion rates with biab. I've struggled to get into the 70% range with my setup (similar to your idea : 58L keggle w/ a SS grain basket) and have found that a slightly courser grind w/ longer sparge time, paying attention to my mash PH (and actually adjusting when needed) and if all else is failing simply adding additional alpha and beta enzymes has allowed me to get nearer to 75-80% conversion rates. I have not found that increasing my sparge flow rate to make much of a difference.


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## buckerooni

captnhaddock said:


> To be fair, it's easy to get poor conversion rates with biab. I've struggled to get into the 70% range with my setup (similar to your idea : 58L keggle w/ a SS grain basket) and have found that a slightly courser grind w/ longer sparge time, paying attention to my mash PH (and actually adjusting when needed) and if all else is failing simply adding additional alpha and beta enzymes has allowed me to get nearer to 75-80% conversion rates. I have not found that increasing my sparge flow rate to make much of a difference.



good to know, will grab on of the kegland PH meters when they're back in stock. 

by sparge I assume you mean lifting basket, using circa 78c water. Is this more efficient than just mashing out?

what are the enzymes you use - this is the only one I could find with my quick search: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lauzyme...ers-distillers-cooks-and-bakers-/182970422826


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## buckerooni

mesh basket fits nicely, can't wait to give it a shot!


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## fdsaasdf

Looks good! Hopefully solves your issue with "dead" liquid around the malt pipe when mashing. Interested to hear about your results.


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