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Finite

All Grain Gremlin
Joined
17/1/06
Messages
628
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14
Blake's AG brewery progress:

Well I mentioned last week that I was going to move on from BIAB, get my arse into gear and work on my 3 vessle system.

No where near finished yet but Ive made enough progess to have something to show. I have been working on it heavily for the last 2 days and today I went for a bit shop around to find some bits and peices to insulate the mash tun and make some sight glasses. Bought everything from bunnings aside from window visors. I didnt buy the insulation at first but thought I should visit clark rubber first. Well I thought they were a rip off but my fears were confirmed today. The only thing that came CLOSE to what I bought was about $60. I looked unimpressed so the guy sujested a yoga mat...$55. ;) . A camping mat? yeah.....I thought but I wanted it to be neat and I already have one at home if i need it but ill look anyway..... :eek: $16.50..they are $6 at BigW. I walked out "ill keep looking, thanks mate". Bunnings was a clear cut winner here. I was concerned as they only had the thinner cut rolls of armaflex but it turned out to be great because it fit very uniformly to the ridges on the keg. $18.95 with enough for 2 kegs. $9.50 a keg isnt bad.

Mash Tun, HLT and piping Insulation:

The mash tun and HLT will both be insulated, my inspiration for this comes with thanks to warren. The insulation used is like armaflex (25m roll was $18.95), I forgot the name but it rhymes with armaflex. Thanks to Toto for modeling it:

The piping insulation is real armaflex (1m, 12mm inside diameter was $4.50), sorry didnt snap a pic of it but you can see it in action on wide shot at the end comming out of the HLT. I messured the armaflex into hoops, taped with water proof duck tape on the seams and slipped them onto the tun:

After I finished the insulation I cut out the handles to shape and used a window sun visor to make it neat. I bought two for $2.50 each from an asian $2 shop. I couldnt belive my luck when I fitted it. It wraped around the keg perfectly and the height was perfect to. The cutout for the mirror also goes exactly where the handles are.


False Bottom:
Because for the moment im using a plastic drilled false bottom I was concerned that grain might slipp under the edges of the false bottom. I will ad a rim of PVC to help it sit flush with the base of the tun but Ive added a few additions to the drainage of my tun to help solve it. I do intend to upgrade to a SS false bottom as soon as I can afford it. The drainage setup enables me to adjust the pull of the false bottom against the tun by tightening the top hex cap nut. I also drilled 2mm drainage holes into the shaft under the false bottom to try and catch any clever little husks. On the dry run this drain didnt impeed flow at all and the ball valve still flowed at max capacity. Sorry havnt snaped a pic of the false bottom yet but its nothing special just the base of a plastic bucket with lots of 2mm holes.

View attachment 11063

SS Sight Guage:

One thing I have been considering is how I can reuse the SS spears that I cut out of the keg (I hate waisting things!). I had all sorts of ideas including a lamp but I had a brain storm after reading a post by SAH from a while back. Scotty mentioned cutting them up to make a sight guage. I went through a few designs in my head including filing a channel down the spear then slipping a PVC tube inside that but that would take a while. I didnt want to grind it as it leaves heat marks and wouldnt be very neat. My solution was to drill a large hole every litre and a small hole every half litre. As the liquid rises it fills a hole and you can judge the volume. Turns out to look very neat that way and very easy to replace the tube inside, while keeping the PVC straight. I do intend to change the PVC to polycarbonate eventually but untill I can get some PVC will do. A SS Conduit mounting saddle and a few SS bolts, nuts and washers keep it in place and neat, l also added an O ring do you can remember where you want to fill it to. I already had the compression fitting elbow and PVC tubing but I imagine it would come to cost about $10. I only just started the sight guage before I lost the light this arvo as you can see, so stay tuned for the finished version.

Brew Stand:
At the moment its just some bolted together dexion, which ive just roughly mocked up and im yet to add supporting beams. I cut a platform for the HLT out of some unused wood. I will have a shelf under the HLT, A temp controler will be mounted on the side somewhere in a project box. I need to add more supporting beams before putting liquid in the kegs, which includes a skirt of beams at the bottom which I will put some wheels on so I can move it around. The HLT and Mash tun both feed from the bottom. Ive yet to source a pump but thats on the list. Ive also got some nice leftover silver paint my dad and I used when restoring our boat so I might fill up the spray gun with that and give the stand a hit with that.

Thats me for now,

Cheers,
Blake
 
Blake's AG brewery progress:
The only thing that came CLOSE to what I bought was about $60. I looked unimpressed so the guy sujested a yoga mat...$55. ;) . A camping mat? yeah.....I thought but I wanted it to be neat and I already have one at home if i need it but ill look anyway..... :eek: $16.50..they are $6 at BigW. I walked out "ill keep looking, thanks mate".

Carpet underlay is cheap and does the trick.
 
Coming along very nicely. You're already well ahead of me in terms of equipment. I don't even have a brewstand.
 
Top work Blake :super: I't's really starting to take shape. i love seeing these brew rigs take shape & all the different ideas implemented. One day I'll build myself a new brewery....one day

Cheers Ross
 
Blake's AG brewery progress:

Well I mentioned last week that I was going to move on from BIAB, get my arse into gear and work on my 3 vessle system.

No where near finished yet but Ive made enough progess to have something to show. I have been working on it heavily for the last 2 days and today I went for a bit shop around to find some bits and peices to insulate the mash tun and make some sight glasses. Bought everything from bunnings aside from window visors. I didnt buy the insulation at first but thought I should visit clark rubber first. Well I thought they were a rip off but my fears were confirmed today. The only thing that came CLOSE to what I bought was about $60. I looked unimpressed so the guy sujested a yoga mat...$55. ;) . A camping mat? yeah.....I thought but I wanted it to be neat and I already have one at home if i need it but ill look anyway..... :eek: $16.50..they are $6 at BigW. I walked out "ill keep looking, thanks mate". Bunnings was a clear cut winner here. I was concerned as they only had the thinner cut rolls of armaflex but it turned out to be great because it fit very uniformly to the ridges on the keg. $18.95 with enough for 2 kegs. $9.50 a keg isnt bad.

Mash Tun, HLT and piping Insulation:

The mash tun and HLT will both be insulated, my inspiration for this comes with thanks to warren. The insulation used is like armaflex (25m roll was $18.95), I forgot the name but it rhymes with armaflex. Thanks to Toto for modeling it:

View attachment 11056

The piping insulation is real armaflex (1m, 12mm inside diameter was $4.50), sorry didnt snap a pic of it but you can see it in action on wide shot at the end comming out of the HLT. I messured the armaflex into hoops, taped with water proof duck tape on the seams and slipped them onto the tun:

View attachment 11057

After I finished the insulation I cut out the handles to shape and used a window sun visor to make it neat. I bought two for $2.50 each from an asian $2 shop. I couldnt belive my luck when I fitted it. It wraped around the keg perfectly and the height was perfect to. The cutout for the mirror also goes exactly where the handles are.

View attachment 11060

View attachment 11058

False Bottom:
Because for the moment im using a plastic drilled false bottom I was concerned that grain might slipp under the edges of the false bottom. I will ad a rim of PVC to help it sit flush with the base of the tun but Ive added a few additions to the drainage of my tun to help solve it. I do intend to upgrade to a SS false bottom as soon as I can afford it. The drainage setup enables me to adjust the pull of the false bottom against the tun by tightening the top hex cap nut. I also drilled 2mm drainage holes into the shaft under the false bottom to try and catch any clever little husks. On the dry run this drain didnt impeed flow at all and the ball valve still flowed at max capacity. Sorry havnt snaped a pic of the false bottom yet but its nothing special just the base of a plastic bucket with lots of 2mm holes.

View attachment 11063

SS Sight Guage:

One thing I have been considering is how I can reuse the SS spears that I cut out of the keg (I hate waisting things!). I had all sorts of ideas including a lamp but I had a brain storm after reading a post by SAH from a while back. Scotty mentioned cutting them up to make a sight guage. I went through a few designs in my head including filing a channel down the spear then slipping a PVC tube inside that but that would take a while. I didnt want to grind it as it leaves heat marks and wouldnt be very neat. My solution was to drill a large hole every litre and a small hole every half litre. As the liquid rises it fills a hole and you can judge the volume. Turns out to look very neat that way and very easy to replace the tube inside, while keeping the PVC straight. I do intend to change the PVC to polycarbonate eventually but untill I can get some PVC will do. A SS Conduit mounting saddle and a few SS bolts, nuts and washers keep it in place and neat, l also added an O ring do you can remember where you want to fill it to. I already had the compression fitting elbow and PVC tubing but I imagine it would come to cost about $10. I only just started the sight guage before I lost the light this arvo as you can see, so stay tuned for the finished version.

View attachment 11059

View attachment 11061
:unsure: Woops how did that get in there :p

Brew Stand:
At the moment its just some bolted together dexion, which ive just roughly mocked up and im yet to add supporting beams. I cut a platform for the HLT out of some unused wood. I will have a shelf under the HLT, A temp controler will be mounted on the side somewhere in a project box. I need to add more supporting beams before putting liquid in the kegs, which includes a skirt of beams at the bottom which I will put some wheels on so I can move it around. The HLT and Mash tun both feed from the bottom. Ive yet to source a pump but thats on the list. Ive also got some nice leftover silver paint my dad and I used when restoring our boat so I might fill up the spray gun with that and give the stand a hit with that.

View attachment 11062

Thats me for now,

Cheers,
Blake


Nice work Blake. Is that Coopers "red" I see? Might pay to remove it if it is.

cheers

Darren
 
Well done Blake. Looks the goods. :)

The Armflex is good stuff. I don't even lose a degree over the course of a 90 minute mash. Insulates well. :super:

It's a really great, cheap solution and durable too. Mine's been on for around 2 years and hasn't given me a problem. The trick is to make sure you put the Armflex bands on nice and tight so they don't slip up or down.

Warren -
 
Update:

Finished Sight Glass:
I just stuck a PVC tube in the elbow and calibrated it, I conveniently found that very close to 1cm in the tube = 1litre in the keg, so I drilled the SS tube to match. I cut the back half of the tube off so that you could read the water level. I also fabricated a bracket for it to attach to the keg with.

View attachment 11076View attachment 11075View attachment 11077

I also insulated the HLT and fixed any leaks in the system.

View attachment 11078View attachment 11079

Next is the temp monitor and a home made teak mash paddle :)
I might take it for a maden brew next week. Its pretty bare bones atm but can just collect the runnings in a bucket then into the kettle.
 
looks good blake , aint it amazing what you can do with some $2 bits from a chinese special store to dress things up a little ...
 
Teak Mash Paddle

Finished my madle paddle today:

*Strong as an Ox
*Big 1m long stem
*Teak Hardwood

paddle was made with peices of teak and joined with lap joints and glued with waterproof and heat resistant epoxy.

mashpaddle.jpg
 
Finaly not sick anymore :)

Did a maiden run on it yesterday with a vienna lager.

Went as smooth as silk....easiest AG by far! Having the 3 vessle setup really makes it much more tidy. Homemade false bottom worked like a charm too, no stuck sparge. efficiency into boiler was 74.5% which is ok but I will be trying to improve that. Temp display worked well also. HLT is probably the best peice. That little kettle element has cut a huge chuck out of my brew day, heating my strike and sparge water in about 10mins a pop. Overall it was very very relaxed and I had ALOT less gear.

Pitched a 1l starter 50mins ago and its already slowly bubbling. :super:

pics to follow,

Cheers,
 
Brewery is all done so here is the final shot of it finished (for now), further additions will be made but is brewable as is.


View attachment 11272

I also brewed my 2nd AG on it today (an ordinary bitter) and invited my good friend James over to help and learn who was a good assistant brewer! He also brought so presents over from his trip to Europe for me. A genuine Swiss Army knife and this one I think you all might like:



Stien.JPG
 
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