Recent content by mesa

Hi Sera, What I would love is a kit with: 3 or 4 SSRs (for driving HLT element, March pump, Heat exhanger/RIMS element and maybe electric kettle be that resistive element or induction heating) 5 or 6 channels for the temp controlers (or just the 1 wire protocol for the DS18x20's) 6 or 7 channels...

In the past I've started a siphon by putting the tube through the airlock hole on my fermenter and droping the air pressure using an inflatable mattress pump (which also had a deflate port). I've occasionally caused the plastic fermenter to collapse in on its self (it pops back out though)...

I've had an issue with the digital meat pokey thermometers. I think whats happened is that there has been enough steam around to get into the digital bits and condense there. They seemed to get better after drying out. I keep a dial thermo (intened for steaming milk on a coffee machine) around...

Craftbrewer lists the specs for a March 809 as 3.25gal/min with a head of 6 foot. So yeah, should move that wort easily.

I have used this method (although I skipped the sink and just let it cool in air). It will work *most* of the time, as long as you try to pitch as soon as its cooled. The thing about the cubes is you can get rid of most of the air and use hot wort to steralise the lid. Can't really do that with...

Very true for some types of geothermal power but in this case, the geotherm boffins want to tap water from an existing aquifer (I believe its the Yarragadee). In this case they are sure water is there in sufficient quantities and temperature that it will work. The biggest risk appears to be that...

Crozdog posted this spreadsheet which may help http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&id=18011 When I've carbonated straight water for use with cordials, I've used about 200kPa (I usually do it in a PET bottle with the keg gas line adaptor). Basically you'll need a fair bit more beer...

Speaking to some of the guys in Perth who are fans of geothermal power, apparently we would require a hole 2-3km deap and about $15-20M. The money you can save on electricity will repay the initial investment in 10-20 years. Its the upfront costs at are the killer. I'm the first to say that...

I think it depends on the type of false bottom. Parallel copper pipes in a rectangle for a manifold I would say no, it won't work (but you might as well give it a try) Domed false bottom, I'd say it might work. Concentric rings of copper pipe, this might work very well. The rings will tend to...

That will work well. Of course now your procedure is suspiciously close to a batch sparge with a bag for a false bottom. If you can get roughtly equal quantities "unused" and "used" water, you'll maximise the amount of sugar you get from your grain. The downside is the amount of extra stuffing...

Hey Thirsty, could you tell us a little more about protein formation please. Like what temperature do you start to get significant clumping (or does it happen at all temperatures and we just don't notice in a regular mash) and does mechanical action play a roll in protein clumping (I'm sure...

Interesting idea. Couple of things come to mind. 1) the HX is probably efficient enough (especially for such small temperature changes) that you will want to run the hot fluid side at almost exactly the temperature you want out. Your only going to be moving the temp of the wort by around 20C...

I think jjeffery has about the right of it. I can see an argument for altering the mash to favour maltiness by droping the efficiency (probably by mashing high, or fast), but I can't see an argument for an inefficient lauter (other than the pH/tannin thing). I you leave sugar in the mash tun you...

Not so much stop working as work differently. I seem to remember reading on here that you can ferment a lager warm if you keep extra CO2 pressure on it to slow the yeast down. But really I know nothing about this. I like the articles ingenuity in producing a working hand pump, but with the...

Do you mean to recirculate through the HX like JZ's whirlpool immersion chiller (http://www.mrmalty.com/chiller.php) which he suggests could also be done with a HX or do you mean to dump the wort through the HX while the whirlpool is still going on? Either way I think the answer is yes you can...