Brew Rig Options

[zxhoon]

Only thing I know to keep in mind with pressure testing anything is to make sure it is fully filled with water first, if the vessel is no good it will just spring a leak instead of going bang..

 

[Jono_w]

Only thing I know to keep in mind with pressure testing anything is to make sure it is fully filled with water first, if the vessel is no good it will just spring a leak instead of going bang..

I'll keep that in mind..Cheers

 

[Bandito]

Just on that, I'm fairly disappointed with the replies or lack of from businesses I have emailed in regards to fermenters.
Not sure if I don't sound serious enough or a too smaller fish either way it's looking like building my own is going to be less frustrating and probably cheaper.

Welcome to the world of trying to get quotes - takes a long time - sometimes I wonder how they make money. They should reply, but is often after a week or more.

I would be supprised if a fermenter had to be a certified pressure vessel, any idea where you got that from? Large vessles, like 400 tonne coal bins and the 1 million litre fermenters at Manildra are engineered by assigning a pressure to the inside wall, but the top is open in so far as the coal bins (the pressure is purely a result of the height and density of the contents) - not sure about the largest fermenters in the southern hemisphere though - could this be it? I'll ask someone.

I reckon building it yourself would be great. A blinckman next to your rig just wouldnt look right.
To get over your 70mm rolling radius, perhaps machining or lathing the bottom bit from a SS billet could be the go?

 

[Jono_w]

Welcome to the world of trying to get quotes - takes a long time - sometimes I wonder how they make money. They should reply, but is often after a week or more.

I would be supprised if a fermenter had to be a certified pressure vessel, any idea where you got that from? Large vessles, like 400 tonne coal bins and the 1 million litre fermenters at Manildra are engineered by assigning a pressure to the inside wall, but the top is open in so far as the coal bins (the pressure is purely a result of the height and density of the contents) - not sure about the largest fermenters in the southern hemisphere though - could this be it? I'll ask someone.

I reckon building it yourself would be great. A blinckman next to your rig just wouldnt look right.
To get over your 70mm rolling radius, perhaps machining or lathing the bottom bit from a SS billet could be the go?

Because of the potential of the blow off tube blocking, it could build up a serious amount of c02 pretty quickly and boooom..

I'm interested in building its just time I don't have, ill look into the cones again from toledo i think..

 

[komodo]

Theres plenty of metal spinners in Australia capable of spinning some SS.

As for getting quotes - email sucks. Use a fax and follow up with a phone call. Give an appropriate amount of time for them to prepare a quote 5 working days is typical minimum turn around time for a quotation request to be turned around in manufacturing industries for joe blow off the street. I spend millions of dollars a year with many of my suppliers and im lucky if I get a next day quotation filled and they know my leads have genuine purchase order potential. Theres a reason procurement officers earn a decent living

 

[Jono_w]

Theres plenty of metal spinners in Australia capable of spinning some SS.

As for getting quotes - email sucks. Use a fax and follow up with a phone call. Give an appropriate amount of time for them to prepare a quote 5 working days is typical minimum turn around time for a quotation request to be turned around in manufacturing industries for joe blow off the street. I spend millions of dollars a year with many of my suppliers and im lucky if I get a next day quotation filled and they know my leads have genuine purchase order potential. Theres a reason procurement officers earn a decent living

I have spoken to metal spinners and the problem was the initial cost of making the spinning die or blank, Unless there is a market for 200L fermenters getting 2 cones spun was not affordable.

I guess these guys get a lot of emails from dreamers and such so they need to filter out the bull$hit. I will draw up a design and see how I go..
Cheers

 

[Bandito]

I am told that commercial fermenters are open to the air (not pressure vessels conforming to the pressure vessel code), perhaps with some sort of disk valve within a large diameter pipe coming off the top. Sounds like a heavy metal disk valve pivoted on one side so the other side can raise up from co2 pressure releasing it?

 

[Jono_w]

I am told that commercial fermenters are open to the air (not pressure vessels conforming to the pressure vessel code), perhaps with some sort of disk valve within a large diameter pipe coming off the top. Sounds like a heavy metal disk valve pivoted on one side so the other side can raise up from co2 pressure releasing it?

I would like my fermenters to be able to be pressurized for transfer and with the use of a spunding or pressure relief valve could be used to self carbonate.

 

[Bandito]

Sweet.

As far as sanitary welding goes. When a commercial plant has sanitary welds, each weld is given a unique number and the location and number are shown on marking plans. Then the weld is logged with the electrodes used, who did it etc.

I guess this allows say 10% of the welding rods to be tested? or perhaps if a weld fails or is found to have a hole, other welds done by that batch of rods or that welder can be traced?

 

[Bandito]

So now I want to know what sanitary welding is. Some search results:
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&...ing&gs_rfai=
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&...eld&gs_rfai=
http://wwwbdp.ncifcrf.gov/pdf1/11001.pdf A more detailed procedure of what I mentioned in above post for the biopharmaceutical industry
http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=16536 a home brew forum
http://www.mcwelding.com/welding/sanitary.html A couple of lines saying that the inside of the tube or vessel needs to be filled with inert argon gas and be passivated

Tomorrow I will ask if sanitary welds are required in commercial brewerys, this is just beer afterall, its not milk or biopharmaceuticals. I suspect it may only be required in some yeast culturing lines on the lab side.

 

[Jono_w]

Another busy Pre night-shift arvo in the shed today. Plumbing almost complete..





Flexible lines so the mashtun can tip, going to try and find some stainless wire wrap or similar instead of cable ties..


The Mashtun inlet comes up through the mixer drive shaft through a banjo type fitting then out two 90 tees at the top..


This is a test sparge tube it rotated with the rakes, not sure what i'll run with here, I want something that helps wash out when its tipped also..


Two peristaltic pumps for dosing the HLT with cleaners and sanitizer and a tray.


False bottom mk1.

 

[Cocko]

Sorry if it is obvious but I have looked and thought and looked and thought...

WTF is that tube thingy for?

 

[Jono_w]

Sorry if it is obvious but I have looked and thought and looked and thought...

WTF is that tube thingy for?

View attachment 37289

Well i'm going to use it to chuck hops in and recirculate through the kettle, its outlet is behind it.

edit- I also realise it is lower than the top of the kettle, so if i needed to take off the lid while brewing it would make a mess, this will be modified soon..
cheers..

 

[Cocko]

Well i'm going to use it to chuck hops in and recirculate through the kettle, its outlet is behind it.

Awesome.

So like a hopback on the way out? Hot wort, on the way to chill OR do you have other ideas??

 

[Jono_w]

Awesome.

So like a hopback on the way out? Hot wort, on the way to chill OR do you have other ideas??

Yeah, I can recirculate through it at anytime, but I plan to use flowers that I have grown in it and near the end it will act as a bit of a filter catching the pellet debris in the flower bed.. There is a lager filter cage inside..

 

[Zwickel]

Sir Jonathon......
.......................

thats the most beautiful self designed, self made home brewery Ive ever seen. :icon_chickcheers:

Prost :icon_cheers:

 

[Jono_w]

Sir Jonathon......
.......................

thats the most beautiful self designed, self made home brewery Ive ever seen. :icon_chickcheers:

Prost :icon_cheers:

Cheers Sir Zwickel,
When are you coming over for a test drive?
Not until the volcanic ash cloud clears i guess?

 

[goomboogo]

Another busy Pre night-shift arvo in the shed today. Plumbing almost complete..
View attachment 37275
View attachment 37276
View attachment 37277
View attachment 37278

Flexible lines so the mashtun can tip, going to try and find some stainless wire wrap or similar instead of cable ties..
View attachment 37279

The Mashtun inlet comes up through the mixer drive shaft through a banjo type fitting then out two 90 tees at the top..
View attachment 37280

This is a test sparge tube it rotated with the rakes, not sure what i'll run with here, I want something that helps wash out when its tipped also..
View attachment 37283

Two peristaltic pumps for dosing the HLT with cleaners and sanitizer and a tray.
View attachment 37281

False bottom mk1.
View attachment 37282

I guess it's over to you Bandito.

 

[Bandito]

I guess it's over to you Bandito.

No, this is Jonathons thread. I'll update my thread when I have some progress. Patience is the key - its the automated brewery that desides how long it takes to build it - not the brewer.

So Jonathon, are you going to give him/her a name? Mine will be called Jessica (after Jessica Alba). I figure an automated brewery should have a people name rather than a piece of equipment like something a'rather brewery.

The silicon hose and blue peristaltic pumps look a bit out of place, perhaps some SS braid and chrome spray would shiny things up? Purely from astetics, looking great as far as I am concerned.

 

[bum]

Mine will be called Jessica (after Jessica Alba).

Well, that's the hard bit done.