~100L setup questions

[Cocko]

Hey guys,

I looking into building ~100L setup with a few mates. We are basically starting a mini brew club with a get together once a month to brew.

Anyway, I have no experience with this kind of volume and have a couple of questions.

• What kind of burner would I need? Would a 4 ring burner with a high pressure reg cut it?

My last rig was 120L = 120L HLT + 100lt MT + 120L kettle - I could knock out 4 cubes on it in around 5-6 hours including cleaning...
-The kettle was a 120L Alu pot, heated by a rambo burner on a high pressure reg - would take about 30-40 minutes to the boil, after sparging.
-The MT was a Techni Ice [style] ice box with a copper manifold.
- the HLT was a 120L alu pot with ONE 2400w element in it - it had the time to get to temp..

Trick was - heat up your strike water in the MT with OTS element.

Anyway, if you have more than one circuit, I know you will not be adding any circuts to your rented gaff but check your meter box and if you have more than one safety switch you have more than one circuit to use... you just need to work out were the point are wired to.

• I think HERMS would probably be better than an electric RIMS (not sure that a 2200W element would be able to step that volume very well) but don't really know.

The rig mentioned above, was single infusion, no rims or herms and made some amazing beers at volume - don't think step mashing is the ONLY way, YES, it does help in some styles but if you are brewing for volume you will possibly be better off avoiding steps and just getting it right.

• What pump would you recommend when dealing with these volumes?

I run a chugger, which pumps a little more than a march but I have run a march before the chugger and both are great - If you think a little brown pump is a 'investment'.. well... your choice, of course. That said, single infusion you will not really need a pump, so too easy..

These are my immediate questions but I am sure that there is a lot that I have not thought of.

Any advice from someone more experienced with larger volume brewing would be much appreciated.

Thanks

I brewed on my 'Quad' batch volume, 4 cubes, for about 2 years and made some awesome beers on mass - it is all about learning your recipes and system... that said, I now run a triple batch, all electric system, RIMS, and would not change a thing if I could....

There you go, every man with a different story and opinion - find your own.

My only advice - Buy right, Buy once.

RB

Cheers

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

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My latest (4yrs now) brewery. I reckon I've punched out around 3 - 4 thousand ltrs and still going strong.
98 ltr Robinox HLT with a 3.6kw element
70 ltr Robinox MT
98 ltr Robinox Kettle + 23 Jet mongolian burner. These things really pump out the heat.
Industrial type water filter housing (stainless of course) with a carbon filter installed.
Herms (old keg) with a 2.4 kw Element and 9mtrs of copper coil wound inside.
All SS frame work. The stainless square tube I picked up for a scrap price.
Tempmate controllers to keep things in balance.
March pump has been on two brewery's now. Can't complain about the work the pump has done.

Can't fault the output of my current system. March pump has done a hell of a lot of work and is still going strong 5000 ltrs plus. I have managed to boil up to 90 - 95 ltrs. My average boil volume is around the 85ltr mark. I have a dedicated 15 amp point. The breaker has its own anologue time hard wired to it. (standard bunnings type timers don't like anything above 2.4kw, they have been known to melt, not at my hand though )

 

[Cocko]

:icon_offtopic:

Good to see ya posting BYB.

That is all.