Help Needed For Ag Setup

[sponge]

Hey everyone

Well I am one immersion element away from having everything i need for AG'ing (hopefully, unless something else pops up), but only just thought about where i could put it around the house.

With me still being at my parents house I am a little limited to where it can go. Our whole balcony area is made of timber so didnt really want to put it on there, and theres little to no room outside near the pool area as we have tables and what not out there already. There is no room out near the clothes line as its pretty much the clothes line and thats it. I decided that this little area is about the only space i have for it (hopefully i can attatch the pic alright) I'll get rid of all the leaves and timber which is out there atm, but thats just the picture of the area which im working with. Note the not-so-tall-trees around it. The area is about 2m wide and (after giving the trees a bit of a trim) about 2m tall

Just after some opinions on how I can set everything up. Keep in mind that im using 2 keggles for a boiler and HLT, and a 35L esky for a mash tun, and everything will be gravity fed. I plan on getting my mates dad to help me weld together a proper setup, but just after some simple solutions for now...

Thanks heaps, Sponge

 

[bitterman]

Have a word with Scotty he has a bit of a set up that may make a good template to work off for the space you are looking at, get him to post a photo

hope this helps
Les

 

[mje1980]

Just try to reduce heavy lifting as much as you can, then you'll be sweet. You could ( if you're game ), fill the tun on the ground, then lift it up onto the bricks, if you think its stable. Then have your kettle sitting in the one spot underneath it, so you can runoff straight into the kettle, without disturbing the mash, although you'd have to lift the sparge water into the raised tun, but it shouldn't be a big problem.


Are you doing single or double batches mate??

Either way, after you do a few brews, you'll narrow down what you need to change, in order of what's the biggest pain in the arse. Just get all your stuff together, plus ingredients, think it through in your head, maybe do a dry run ( might look silly but it could save you dramas ), and it will come to you.

Whacha brewin??

 

[sponge]

Cheers for that les. I might give him a call later on

And mark, just doing singles for now. (i'm pretty sure you said that the mash tun struggles above the 6kg mark?) I was thinking of using that white table (pretty sturdy) for the HLT, and heating that with the immersion element. Then placing the mash tun on the chair and once it is filled lift that onto the table, so then it can drain into the boiler which will be on the ground with the gas burner and element heating it up. That way the only real lifting I will have to do is with the mash tun. Just need to make sure the boiler and mash tun can both fit on the table, and support their weight

And that is where a dry run will come in (well i'm assuming by dry run, you mean doing it all but just with water to make sure theres no leaks etc?) and then i can see how well everything will come toegether

Still open for first recipe ideas. I'm about 99% sure it will be a pretty simple ale. mabe 90% ale (maybe 50/50 ale/pils), 10% wheat, bittered to around 35IBUs.


Sponge

 

[Steve]

HLT on the wall, mashtun on the table, kettle on the floor....but you will then have to lift to kettle up onto the table to fill the fermenter.
Cheers
Steve

 

[sponge]

Hmm... didnt think of that. I'll be NC'ing but still need to be able to lift the boiler high enough to fill a cube. Hmmmm....

 

[Swinging Beef]

All sounds like a good plan.
Just be careful on round tables. They have a tendency to tip if too much weight is placed one one edge.

Are you doing it this weekend?

 

[mje1980]

You can do lowish gravity doubles in the tun ( is that the one i used to use?? ), but you need to use a little DME/sugar ( i used both once, no probs ). It does get right up to the top though, and it is pushing it, but it can be done, so do a few singles first to get used to it.

Hmmm yeah i forgot about the boiler being the right height so you can drain into your cubes.

 

[Steve]

You could build a milk crate tower next to the wall for the mash tun to sit on, move the table close to it and put the kettle on the table on some bricks (IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TABLE) and then cube on the floor. Easy
Cheers
Steve

Edit: It could be worse......Bonj please can you show us your old tower again!?

 

[sponge]

I just tested your option Steve and its pretty much the perfect heights (except for the problem with the filling of the cube at the end of everything). That way I don't even have to worry about having more then one thing on the table, as it will just be the mash tun.

Nah Darren, not this weekend. Need to wait for the element first. Just with there still being a month left of holidays I get really bored and thought I might as well get this all sorted so I can start ASAP.


EDIT: just read your post Steve. I dont think there is enough height difference between the wall and the table for there also to be a middle milk crate level for the mash tun. I can give it a go though. Also, with your suggestion were you thinking of putting the gas burner on the table?

 

[Steve]

Also, with your suggestion were you thinking of putting the gas burner on the table?

yes - on a flat layer off pavers or bricks and then four or five bricks on their sides for the kettle to sit on? Probably easier and less precarious to have the kettle on the floor. You'll be able to lift a single batch up on to the table - I used to have to do that too. Just make sure you're careful and watch you dont spill wort or touch the kettle too much!
Cheers
Steve

 

[sponge]

I might just set everything up this afternoon and see how it goes, maybe post a couple of photos and see some responses.

If you're out there scotty, are you able to give any advice as les says your the man for the job?

Cheers, Sponge

 

[sponge]

Well just thought id post a quick pic on what the setup will most probably look like. I tried finding a way to have the kettle up a little higher, but looks like bricks and pavers will have to be used for height (note: the bricks that are there atm are just as an example. pavers and bricks will be used in a better fashion to raise the kettle and gas burner)

 

[Screwtop]

Well just thought id post a quick pic on what the setup will most probably look like. I tried finding a way to have the kettle up a little higher, but looks like bricks and pavers will have to be used for height (note: the bricks that are there atm are just as an example. pavers and bricks will be used in a better fashion to raise the kettle and gas burner)

Well, that right there is what Ag brewing is all about. All newbs should take note, doesn't have to be any more complex than this.

Screwy

 

[Swinging Beef]

Looks alright.
But I reckon, as you have youth on your side. Once the mash tun is full, stick that on the wall too, then drain to the table for the boil.
Then you can fill the cube from the table.
Mash tun isnt heavy when full.
My whole set up gets lifted from ground to bench height throughout.

 

[sponge]

Cheers for that screwy

And darren, thats not a bad idea actually. Hopefully the table will be sturdy enough to hold a full keggle and gas burner. Ill fill it up with water tomorrow and see how it goes.

Cheers, Sponge

 

[Barramundi]

i the table doesnt work find yaself some more bricks to build the kettle up to cube height .. apart from that your away !!