help designing a 200 liter system

[Robbo2234]

Hi all,
a few mates and I have decided to build a 200 liter system and brew together.
we have all done or own biabs but to have a brew day and get 2 or so cubes would be handy

has any one done this before?
any tips would be good!

thanks

 

[QldKev]

BIAB or 1V or 3V ?

Elec or LPG, or a mix?

What are the design constraints? What vessels do you already have?

I have run a 100L BIAB setup, and now I have a 112L 3V system. I find once you get into the bigger scale the 3V seems safer, than balancing big bag loads of grain that could drop back into the wort.

QldKev

 

[Robbo2234]

possibly 2v we are open to ideas on this. with mixed power.

we started going down the BIAB road, but making a bag / malt pipe to work got a complicated, cos building a 200 liter system isn't! lol

 

[stux]

44 galon stainless drums.

Surely?

 

[mxd]

http://www.braumeister.com.au/Model200.asp

you'll need 3 phase to go elec

 

[Robbo2234]

14k for the BM. need to upgrade to 3 phase and time of day metering

I think that I could make something for a lot less!

 

[Robbo2234]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Stux" data-cid="993288" data-time="1358982335"><p>
44 galon stainless drums. Surely?</p></blockquote>

that's a good idea! do you know where I can get stainless ones from? I have seen plastic and steel ones before.

 

[QldKev]

44 galon stainless drums. Surely?

That's probably what I would look at, a 3V using s/s drums. I would probably also go LPG for the HLT and kettle.

HLT 1 x NASA
Kettle 2 x NASA
HERMS you could fire it using a LPG burner, but if you don't want to ramp temps I would use a 240v/10amp element, which will hold the temps and be easy to control

Even if you had the flow through a decent pump you could directly fire the mash tun itself

QldKev

 

[Robbo2234]

I have 2 10 amp elements in my biab keggel with pid so I can strip them out from that.

I was thinking about putting the grain in one vessel with a false bottom, filling it from the other vessel at mash in temps and circulating between the two. then pumping back into the second vessel for boiling.

this will cut down on size and needed equipment.

sounds realistic?

 

[mxd]

I have 2 10 amp elements in my biab keggel with pid so I can strip them out from that.

I was thinking about putting the grain in one vessel with a false bottom, filling it from the other vessel at mash in temps and circulating between the two. then pumping back into the second vessel for boiling.

this will cut down on size and needed equipment.

sounds realistic?

The only issue I see when sparging you need to move the from HLT to MLT to Kettle


if you wont 200 litre of wort then you'll need to go a 260+ drum, maybe the innards of a HWS


the 44 would be about 160 litre of wort


an option
MLT -> 200 litre esky
Kettle -> 260+ hws tank for initial water then kettle,
HLT -> instantaneous HWS that can get to 70 to 80 degrees ?

 

[Fents]

http://www.costanteimports.com.au/product/variable-capacity-tanks/122

 

[Fents]

or try cellar plus as well, but both these are in vic so not sure how much it will help you.

 

[Robbo2234]

http://www.costanteimports.com.au/product/variable-capacity-tanks/122

$590 for 300l in stainless steel

 

[QldKev]

I have 2 10 amp elements in my biab keggel with pid so I can strip them out from that.

I was thinking about putting the grain in one vessel with a false bottom, filling it from the other vessel at mash in temps and circulating between the two. then pumping back into the second vessel for boiling.

this will cut down on size and needed equipment.

sounds realistic?

Sounds like a good idea, and staying to your original 2V system idea. It does mean it's a no sparge system, but I do hit 85% on my no sparge 1V. Even if you got 70-75% it would still be good. The 2 electric elements would be ok for getting the hot water to strike temps, taking 2 hours to hit strike temp, using water heating calc from my website. (using 150L, 20->70c, and 4400w) Also for maintaining temps it would work, but ramping times would be about 0.4c per minute max. Also 4400w will not be enough for a decent boil. I have 6000w in my 112L system's kettle and the 44 would be about the same, if not more, surface area.

 

[Fents]

$590 for 300l in stainless steel

much cheaper than a 200L braumeistie

 

[Robbo2234]

Will definitely be getting a lpg burner for boosting temps.

any one know of a place in Sydney I can get some vessels? second hand or new is ok

 

[stux]

44 galon stainless drums. Surely?

that's a good idea! do you know where I can get stainless ones from? I have seen plastic and steel ones before.

You can get them, not 100% on where though , they also sometimes come up on eBay and here etchttp://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/49410-fs-stainless-44-gallon-drum/

 

[BPH87]

What about using an old hot water system as your HLT, then try looking around at dairy farm sales/auctions for other vessels.

I have a few old milk vats but 5000lt might be too much?

 

[///]

Look at the blichman pots, have used them and they work well. Brew a bit over gravity and top up at the end of the boil, easy to get to 200l. Add a big enough low pressure burner and away you go.

Also seen folks use an instantaneous gas water heater for mash in and sparge water.

Sorry, those bruimeister things are, well, not money well spent. If your in Gods Country drop me a line, live in the Gong, can help lots.

 

[davelovesbeer]

Fallsdell (no affiliation, just dealt with them a fair bit) - http://www.fallsdell.com.au/prods_used/default.asp

They have a lot of used 2nd hand stainless drums/vessels etc. Not sure of pricing though