Dedicated Braumeister Guide, Problems & Solution Thread

[Ckilner]

I have also considered avoiding the problem by holding the hops in muslin bags but I'm not sure they would impart as much flavour if trapped in a bag.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Looks interesting. What website is that being sold on?

New tap should mean no blockages in any case.

 

[durgarth]

I have had my 50 litre for 18 months or so and have tried using an immersion chiller and whirlpooling, then gave it away. It was just too difficult. So I shelled out the extra and moved to a plate chiller and have not looked back. I now I whirlpool, leaving it settle for 15 minutes (adding last minute hop additions during that time) then chill straight into the fermenting vessel. Adding a clarifying agent also helps. I know the 30 plate chiller is fairly expensive and was was around $150, but it is money well spent .

 

[Ckilner]

Here http://www.vigoltd.com

 

[Ckilner]

This is my hop blocker (excuse the thumb, I trapped it in the sash window on brew day!

)
Just a square of SS mesh. The mesh sits behind the element of course - the reflection is deceptive.

 

[Ckilner]

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I have had my 50 litre for 18 months or so and have tried using an immersion chiller and whirlpooling, then gave it away. It was just too difficult. So I shelled out the extra and moved to a plate chiller and have not looked back. I now I whirlpool, leaving it settle for 15 minutes (adding last minute hop additions during that time) then chill straight into the fermenting vessel. Adding a clarifying agent also helps. I know the 30 plate chiller is fairly expensive and was was around $150, but it is money well spent .

I've thought about a plate chiller but I've read various opinions about sanitising them and how you know they are clean inside. How do you clean them?
(I add Protofloc 15 mins before the end of the boil)

 

[Ckilner]

As I mentioned earlier, I pump the wort from the Braumeister to the fermenter so would a plate chiller cool fast enough I wonder?

 

[pnorkle]

I've thought about a plate chiller but I've read various opinions about sanitising them and how you know they are clean inside. How do you clean them?
(I add Protofloc 15 mins before the end of the boil)

With my chiller, as soon as I've finished with it I flush & back flush it a couple of times, then empty it out. Prior to next use, I fill it with a solution of hot water & NapiSan and let it sit for half an hour, then immediately before use, rinse it out and flush it with StarSan. Might be a little OTT but haven't had a problem with it yet and have never had an infection.

 

[durgarth]

Plus one to Pnorkle. I also back flush the plate chiller several times (it only takes a couple of minutes and then let it air dry upside down). On the day I'm going to brew I put the plate chiller in the kitchen oven and turn it on to 120 degrees just after I mash in. It warms up for about 90 minutes or less and I take it out of the oven at the time I start to boil. I cover the mash in/out tube ends with foil. That way its has time to cool and there is no chance of any bugs getting into the chiller, or if they do they are fried.

I have never pumped the wort, I have always used gravity, then adjusted the flow of the hot wort to achieve the right temperature. For example in Canberra at present the water temp out of the tap sits around 20 degrees. So its a bit slower and I cant get the wort below about 22. However in winter the water is freezing cold....10 or 11 degrees (max) and the tap from the Brau goes flat out or I adjust the cold water flow.

Either way its no more than 15 minutes to empty. I have a very long garden hose and i put it on the garden beds at the front of the house (comes out warm not hot), so no waste

 

[stakka82]

^ That's impressive. I always worried about sanitising a plate chiller but the oven is a great trick and foolproof.

Question - I have absolutely no electrical knowledge and want to take my 50l brau over to a mate's to brew. He doesn't have a dedicated 15 amp socket. What happens if I try to run it on a normal socket? If it draws too much power will it just trip the circuit and activate some sort of circuit breaker/safety device on the powerboard?

 

[pnorkle]

I think you'll find that the 15A plug won't fit into a 10A outlet - the earth pin is larger than the 10A.

 

[durgarth]

Yeah

I think you'll find that the 15A plug won't fit into a 10A outlet - the earth pin is larger than the 10A.

Even if you could somehow get it to plug in the 50l regularly draws 14 amps especially during the boil. It will trip the circuit.

 

[stakka82]

Really? The plug just looked normal to me, but I've never had that close a look at it to be honest.

And if it trips the circuit what happens? Other stuff on the circuit just turns off and I have to go to the board and turn the circuit back on yeah?

 

[durgarth]

The earth plug is longer and a bit wider. The positive and return are the same size. So when you go to plug it into the 10amp circuit the top two will go but not the earth.

If the circuit trips it will be that circuit alone. For what its worth, don't do it, I am not an electrician but my brother in law is and there are plenty on this forum who will probably tell you the same, its not so much the circuit breaker its the heat generated (and some other stuff I can't remember).

 

[pnorkle]

its not so much the circuit breaker its the heat generated

This is the important bit - as durgarth says, not a good a good idea to do it - if the heat generated caused a fire (say, if the electrical wiring inside the walls ignited) and the house burnt down, you'd probably find that insurance company wouldn't pay out if they found out the cause. Not worth the risk.

 

[stakka82]

Thanks, that answers my question I guess.

 

[Crusty]

Really? The plug just looked normal to me, but I've never had that close a look at it to be honest.

And if it trips the circuit what happens? Other stuff on the circuit just turns off and I have to go to the board and turn the circuit back on yeah?

I tried to cheat a bit with my new 50lt. I purchased a 15A extension cord with 15A plugs on both ends. I cut the male side off & wired up a 10A plug so I could just plug it into a normal household 10A powerpoint. The Braumeister ran fine for my water tests but a couple of problems with doing it.
1. The Braumeister was running on the same circuit as quite a few of the powerpoints in the house so if the wife switched on the kettle for a cuppa, the circuit would trip.
2. The powerpoint got quite hot from the extended power draw & continually doing that would no doubt place extra strain on the existing wiring & possibly lead to melted wires or a burnt looking plug & or powerpoint.
I ended up just getting a sparky to come over & wire up it's own 15A powerpoint with it's own circuit breaker. I paid $20.00 for the powerpoint & $150.00 for the electrician. I really wouldn't muck around with trying to run the thing on a standard 10A outlet, too hot & too risky.

Yeah


Even if you could somehow get it to plug in the 50l regularly draws 14 amps especially during the boil. It will trip the circuit.

No it wont trip the circuit unless it's running on the same circuit as another appliance & they decide to switch it on. A 10A circuit breaker will trip out @16A, the Braumeister will run without tripping the circuit.

 

[Coalminer]

I tried to cheat a bit with my new 50lt. I purchased a 15A extension cord with 15A plugs on both ends. I cut the male side off & wired up a 10A plug so I could just plug it into a normal household 10A powerpoint. The Braumeister ran fine for my water tests but a couple of problems with doing it.
1. The Braumeister was running on the same circuit as quite a few of the powerpoints in the house so if the wife switched on the kettle for a cuppa, the circuit would trip.
2. The powerpoint got quite hot from the extended power draw & continually doing that would no doubt place extra strain on the existing wiring & possibly lead to melted wires or a burnt looking plug & or powerpoint.
I ended up just getting a sparky to come over & wire up it's own 15A powerpoint with it's own circuit breaker. I paid $20.00 for the powerpoint & $150.00 for the electrician. I really wouldn't muck around with trying to run the thing on a standard 10A outlet, too hot & too risky.


No it wont trip the circuit unless it's running on the same circuit as another appliance & they decide to switch it on. A 10A circuit breaker will trip out @16A, the Braumeister will run without tripping the circuit.

Whilst the power circuit is normally protected with a 15amp fuse or circuit breaker and the wiring is rated at 15 amp the wall outlets are only rated at 10 amps
There was a time when they could handle 15 amps but even so called good brands such as HPM are now made in China and I would think that they are not over designed like in the past

 

[Crusty]

Whilst the power circuit is normally protected with a 15amp fuse or circuit breaker and the wiring is rated at 15 amp the wall outlets are only rated at 10 amps
There was a time when they could handle 15 amps but even so called good brands such as HPM are now made in China and I would think that they are not over designed like in the past

Yep.
Which is why I said, "possibly lead to melted wires or a burnt looking plug & or powerpoint."
Everything is getting made in China these days & quantity over quality seems to be the demand unfortunately.

 

[dicko]

Apart from the obvious safety factor with power points and wires getting hot and an EXTREME RISK of fire, tho boil off rates will be affected due to the equipment not being able to draw the power without resistance.
A fifteen amp circuit does not only mean a bigger power point but it requires a circuit that has the correct size cabling and has no other appliances feeding off it unless it is rated for hat load.
Spend the dollars and do it correctly!!!