[quote name='Pumpy' date='Sep 8 2008, 07:54 PM']Comon Bluedog explain how your brewery works.
whats that white thing on top of the Mash Tun?
Brewery looks great
Pumpy [/quote]
Thanks mate.
My wife put this up by accident, I have not posted it yet as it will take a bit of explaining
So here goes.
First of all almost all of the steel was picked up from the "recycle centre" nice name for the dump, or as some people call it Mitre 11. The paint cost the most.
The kettle is on the left, mash tun in the middle and the HLT is on the right. All three "vessels" lift up with the hoist you can see above. I got all kinds of ideas from this board so I picked different things other people have done.
The HLT has a scale built into the platform it sits on to measure the water additions. The white thing on top is a cover on a motor that stirrs the water to even out the temp. Only use it for a minute or so, don't really need it as it turns out.
The kettle is a double, has a nasa burner under it and it lifts up to drain into the cube. I will post some more pics now so you can see some of the details. I bought the full flow 1/2 inch "bling" ball valves, got them at a really good price so went with it.
I underlet into the mash, and made the false bottom out of some stainless mesh and a top of one of the vessels. It has a bolt through the bottom, welded in with a wing nut to hold it in place. All drains are through the bottom of the vessels. No stuck sparge as of yet, and the first beer I made has a lot of wheat in it. All hoses are 16mm ID silicone, with 3/4 brass hose quick disconnects. I made the fittings to go from these to 1/2 inch ball valves out of a few different parts from bunnings, the end result is that there is no hose barb that brings the ID down below about 16mm.
This is not a space saving unit, space is not a problem for me, but it is a rather sefl contained unit. This way I can find stuff. It has swivel wheels on the right end, and fixed wheel on the left, but they are to the right of the kettle so I can have the boil out side the door.
I used a weld type fitting for the mash temp thermometer, and only made a small hole for the stem of it. I have a piece of silicone tubing in the hole and this allows me to install and remove the thermometer with out having to tighten it at all.
The silicone gets squeezed between the vessel wall and the back of the thermometer sealing it with very little pressure. I can then handle the vessel for cleaning without worrying about breaking it.
The temp probe for the HLT is mounted to a 1/2 hose fitting as well and is also quick disconnect. The power for the element unplugs at the vessel as well.
Element is 3600 watt so I do have a relay on it. I have provided a 20 amp circuit for the unit for future add ons if I want.
There is a three ring burner that goes under the mash tun if I start to lose temp.
Have a look at the blue dog site for more pics.
Wife is uploading more on her computer as I write this.
She is using Blue Dog, I am Budwiser
