Brew Rig Options

[FarsideOfCrazy]

Nice Jono :super:

Don't worry about the jet ski the water is getting too cold anway . I wouldn't try to get it back in the water before Summer, so that should leave plenty of time to finish off the brewery.

BTW. Bloody nice work there mate.

Cheers.
Farside

 

[raven19]

It is really looking awesome Jonathan. Words cannot do justice to the brew p0rn pics you have posted. :icon_drool2:

Is brewday #1 getting any closer?

 

[Jono_w]

Nice Jono :super:

Don't worry about the jet ski the water is getting too cold anway . I wouldn't try to get it back in the water before Summer, so that should leave plenty of time to finish off the brewery.

BTW. Bloody nice work there mate.

Cheers.
Farside

That's what wesuits are for, and the surf is so big and smooth this time of year!

Im on the silver ski

It is really looking awesome Jonathan. Words cannot do justice to the brew p0rn pics you have posted. :icon_drool2:

Is brewday #1 getting any closer?

Cheers mate, It definatly is getting closer or I'm going to have some irate and thirsty mates..

I'm still without fermenters so if anyone has any ideas on where I can get at least 2 150 - 200 L stainless fermenters I'm all ears..

Jono

 

[roller997]

That's what wesuits are for, and the surf is so big and smooth this time of year!

Im on the silver ski



Cheers mate, It definatly is getting closer or I'm going to have some irate and thirsty mates..

I'm still without fermenters so if anyone has any ideas on where I can get at least 2 150 - 200 L stainless fermenters I'm all ears..

Jono

That looks like wicked fun - Almost as exciting as the brewery you are building. I hope for all the people following the thread that you will succumb to your irate and thirsty mates.
I hope it didn't cost too much to fix the blue jetski.

In terms of larger fermenters, I suspect 150-200 is an odd size. It is a bit bigger than most hobbyists would want (well moreso could afford) and it is a fair bit smaller than most micro breweries would use.

I know that there are 70-80L ones around for about $800 and Craftbrewer has 100L ones for $999 which look great as conicals. Makes the fermenters a rather high investment when compared to some of the bargains you have been able to get. As you are very skilled with welding, I suspect a home made conical solution would satisfy both your size requirements while being easier on the budget. While I have no welding experience, I have been told that sanitary welds can be a bit challenging. Mind you the welding you did with the corny keg would have been quite challenging as well.

Keep up the great work.


Roller

 

[Jono_w]

Cheers Roller,

Ski all good, lucky the hull is the cheap bit to fix, the 800cc stroker motor running avgas on the other hand not so cheap, lucky i didn't sink it. I got a spare hull now..

I have looked at making my own and other than the conicals have everything I need. The bit that puts me off is as you mention the food grade welds and also being a pressure vessel they need to be tested and all sorts of red tape. The goal is to go commercial and the fermenters from what I have read need to be calibrated and certified pressure vessels. If i could get these already to go it would save alot of time and money. I have 3 1000L open top jacketed milk tanks wich I could possible do multiple batches into but something around 200L would be better. I have found a few in the states starting at about $6500 each.. Thats more than I have spent on the whole system.

Surely there is a micro out there somewhere with some small fermenters in the back gathering dust?

 

[alowen474]

You can get stainless wine fermenters for under a grand with the pump up sealed lids etc.
If you're not caught up on conicals these can be an option.

 

[Supra-Jim]

Hi Jonothan,

The rig is looking great.

Check this link it's a bit bigger than what your looking for, but worth thinking about non the less.

(also there is a smaller looking tank just beside it, half in the photo).

Otherwise I remember from a while back, Cellar Plus have some stainless fermenters (i think they were for wine) in the volumes you are looking for.

Cheers SJ

 

[roller997]

I have looked at making my own and other than the conicals have everything I need. The bit that puts me off is as you mention the food grade welds and also being a pressure vessel they need to be tested and all sorts of red tape. The goal is to go commercial and the fermenters from what I have read need to be calibrated and certified pressure vessels.

Jonathon,
With the fermenters, are you sure they need to be pressure vessels? White Rabbit and I am sure others in Australia use open fermenters so I would be surprised if that is a requirement for going commercial. It does help with the carbonation process and gives you great control without artificially carbonating the beer but it might not be a necessity.
What has to be done from a calibration perspective? Sizing the unit so the Excise tax can be correctly calculated?

If I was looking at moving into a commercial setup, the fermenters is where I would make sure to get properly designed ones, ideally with glycol cooling capability so I could do both lagers and ales at the same time.
I would suggest that a properly designed beer fermenter is likely to be sanitized easier than milk or wine equipment, which should reduce the chances of making beers with undesireable flavours.

I hope you find a purpose built fermenter for a good price. If they have more than you need, I am sure there are a few folks around here (including myself) who would be keen on conicals around that size.

On that note, does anyone know what happens when a brewery produces an off beer (perhaps with a sour note)? I would assume that ATO is very interested in collecting the tax so that would make it costly if you can't write it off, while on the other hand the health authorities would be interested why / how the infection took place so when you write off a beer that is infected do they become involved?


Cheers

Roller

 

[BEC26]

Joanthon

Great looking setup!!!

But, a word of warning . . . . .

the timeline is beginning to approach Franko's Red Rocket!!!!

Cheers
Bruce

 

[Bandito]

Hey Jonathon,
I plan on getting my conical fabricated by beerbelly. I will be modeling it up in solidworks most likely, and sending it off to some mates at an engineering company I used to work for to mesh in strand (its basically where they tell the program what pressure is inside the vessle, and adjust the wall thinkness and number of stiffener plates to compensate. - I could model up a design to your specs also and send it at the same time if you like. I have modeled quite a few coal bins, and although they are usually about 400 tonnes, the principle is the same. They usually require lots of stiffeners at welded joins. I'll pm you when I'm doing mine. I suspect the cost for yours might be about 4 slabs of great beer - these guys are not cheap and love their beer! My time will be free of course.

Anyway, great setup, very impressed!

PS. there is another company I work with that automates commercial brewerys, pm me for their details - but not cheap also. Might be good to have a chat with someone there just to make contacts.

 

[Jono_w]

Roller,
I am looking at maybe getting some fermenters built, but the price for a 200L is really quite substantial and hard to justify when larger second hand ones can be bought for a similar price. I would prefer a jacketed tank able to hold pressure also, makes them so much more versatile as you note, carbonating, transfer and individual temp control.

Bruce,
Iv'e done more work in the last week than I have in a year, might not fix the jetski until its finished!

Bandito,
I'll take that offer on board mate. I have the automation under-control you might say..:lol: It's what I do..

Cheers..

Today had a few hours before nightshift.

Got the mash motor mount made up and tacked on looks like it is going to work out quite well, I also raised the mash tun pivot point 150mm so that the bottom of the mash tun is higher than the HERMS coil and Lauter inlet. This gets rid of and dead space in the plumbing.. Tomorrow I will make the mixing fingers.

 

[Jono_w]

Short New Vid

 

[Fents]

awesome vid.

 

[brettprevans]

Short New Vid

viewable porn at work. awsome!!


thats such a nice rig mate. and that work area you have! how awsome it must be.

 

[roller997]

Excellent stuff - Looks like a great workshop setup as well.
Would be great to have some spare space at home and some nice tools (and know how) to get to work on all that stainless.

 

[devo]

Jonathan

Any timeframe/idea on when you might get to debut the rig with a brew?

devo

 

[Jono_w]

Devo,
At the rate i'm going at them moment I would like to say in the next month or so it will be ready for a liquid test, still alot of programming to go but that should not take too long.

I made the Mash Tun Grain Agitator today. The blades can be tightened at any angle by using washers in the top bolt. They still need a polish and I might add a few wings.

 

[Bandito]

Nice! I've been hankering for a look inside the MLT. I thought you would go horizontal bars welded off the stem. Interesting concept! Keep up the motivation, make sure its done well before mine

Those fingers look a bit flimsey at the bottom, might they flare out? or is it plenty strong enough? is a bottom tie on the books?

 

[Jono_w]

Nice! I've been hankering for a look inside the MLT. I thought you would go horizontal bars welded off the stem. Interesting concept! Keep up the motivation, make sure its done well before mine

Those fingers look a bit flimsey at the bottom, might they flare out? or is it plenty strong enough? is a bottom tie on the books?

That 50mm Stem up the middle doesn't spin it houses a 18mm drive shaft couple to the gearbox at the base and the cross piece up the top. The blades had 150mm cut off them after the top photo was taken they are strong but a bottom plate is in order..

 

[Jono_w]

Finished the mash tun agitator just have to clean up the blades..


Made the tri clover refracometer adapter.




Hop Filter/strainer