How Long Did It Take You To Build Your Rig?

[Ces]

it's taken me five weeks to get as far as having a mash tun and two full converted kegs for a 3v, gravity system (albeit without any research prior as to sourcing materials) and will it will be at least that long again until i break it in... I'm not into lifting hot, full kegs and splashing hot wort all over myself... so, i wont be brewing until the rig is done... complete... finito. (i know it will never be finished and will have plenty of probs to start off with, but it will have all the attachments that i have planned)



how long did it take you... from start of build to first boil?

 

[Rowy]

10 minutes to drive to BigW to buy my 2 pots. Another 3 from there to drive to Craftbrewer to buy my bag. All up with a stop off to pick up a pie and an iced coffee 40 minutes. 43 to 44 if you include eating the pie.

 

[mr_tyreman]

few months waiting on parts from o/s, changing the plans along the way and waiting for cash flow

 

[ekul]

the only thing i built on my rig is the stand, which took about half an hour. My rig is pretty simple. It constists of a 32 jet mongolian, some bricks, a stand, a pot, a 1.5m piece of silicon hose to siphon and a bag. I used to have a pulley system but i have to get some excerise somewhere.

 

[manticle]

From build to boil, maybe a day or 2 but from rig till finished? Still building and tweaking 2 years later.

 

[peaky]

Building 3 tier frame, cutting and welding keggle, and building esky mash tun only took about 6 hours as I had all the bits at work but had to wait a couple of weeks for the cheap-arse ebay urn to arrive.

Single tier 3 vessel herms has dragged out a bit since I had to move from a house with a large garage into a 2 bedroom unit. In fact construction has completely ground to a halt, shameful

 

[Ces]

few months waiting on parts from o/s, changing the plans along the way and waiting for cash flow

i don't have the normal bloke's access to tools, so some begging and pleading has taken some time... but has also allowed me to change plans... for the better, i hope. because i'm keen but not handy, its taking me longer to do the hands on stuff. can't wait to fire her up though

 

[QldKev]

I started my ultimate 3V system in 2008, still have not made a beer on it yet. One day it will get there, until then BIAB is doing the job.

My BIAB setup took me about 2 weeks to get the gear together before my first brew (thanks to AndrewQld jumping in with some gear to make it happen, and hosting the brew day, and supplying the grain and hops and the recipe.) About a year after that we built my dual BIAB brew stand.

QldKev

 

[Kingbrownbrewing]

6 months to plan (Had to build a special room in my house for it, complete with sinks, drainage, exhaust fan)
1 Year to build (chipping away at it every weekend, and I am the least handy person this side of the river....)

Worth every second.

 

[Screwtop]

Ever ongoing project, finishing controlbox off today. New HERMS HEX began 2 years ago, still not finished.

My brewstand took only a few days after having a brewer/engineer around for beers, showed him a drawing of what I was planning. Three days later I get a call, it's done :super:

Screwy

 

[argon]

First full size BIAB was a weekend. Cut the keggle, installed the taps one day. Brewed the next. That was about 2 years ago.

The 3V however was a spur of the moment thing when i was in at Craftbrewer's one day and saw an SS false bottom. Installed same day and then was brewing 3V gravity next day. About 1 year ago.

Now i have 3V single tier (brown pump) double batch on a slotted angle frame. Frame took about 2 hours to build.. but constantly tweaking things to get it right.

Just get brewing with whatever you've got... you'll need beer to sip on while your handling power tools making the rig anyway.

 

[hsb]

I would just get stuck in as soon as you are able.
You can gravity drain your mash tun to a bucket, then transfer that to your kettle and leave enough clearance below kettle to gravity drain again into whatever.

So you really only need HLT (bucket of death) above MLT and room for a bucket below and you're flying/falling on gravity.

It might help your design process, as you'll realise you've got your own way of doing things.

You should be able to avoid lifting hot full kegs pretty easily but definite one to be avoided.

I got 3v gravity set up pretty much straight away - I had access to extra stackable kegs to use to get the height for HLT - but building a (wooden) stand and tweaking everything to my processes has taken a year and is pretty organic still.

 

[komodo]

Started a plastic bucket of death 3V brewery shortly after joining. Decided that I really didnt like that approach. Ordered a 70L SS kettle from Beer Belly that took a while to arrive then I started BIAB Recently got a Beer Belly 50L SS mashtun (its awesome) and I'm just saving for a 98L HLT and trying to work out the best way to make a RIMS tube. I reckon theres another 2 years before my rig is setup.

 

[drsmurto]

Build? :blink:

This word in not familiar to me.....

 

[Yob]

about 4 months to date, but an evolving process of tweaking things, as I use it (3rd on in the FV Yesterday) I figure there is a better way to go and so the "next phaze" of constructing begins... I hope it never ends as I love the builds and it's a great excuse to expand on the tool shed B)

Currently working on Sparge arm design... cant seem to settle on an idea I like.. thinking of mounting it on a detachable hinge to the end of the Willow MT so I can just fit and lower it when required..

 

[Jono_w]

First 3v rig around 6 months.. Current project 4 years and counting!....ha, what's the rush..

 

[Spoonta]

about 2 years on the rig I use now about a week on the first one

 

[Ces]

First full size BIAB was a weekend. Cut the keggle, installed the taps one day. Brewed the next. That was about 2 years ago.

The 3V however was a spur of the moment thing when i was in at Craftbrewer's one day and saw an SS false bottom. Installed same day and then was brewing 3V gravity next day. About 1 year ago.

Now i have 3V single tier (brown pump) double batch on a slotted angle frame. Frame took about 2 hours to build.. but constantly tweaking things to get it right.

Just get brewing with whatever you've got... you'll need beer to sip on while your handling power tools making the rig anyway.

yeah, the more i play with it, the more i realise i wont be able to wait until it's 'finished' to break it in.

been trying to decide what to build the frame out of. how does the slotted angle stand up to heating and cooling? i thought if i used that, i'd go mental constantly rechecking the bolts to make sure they hadn't come loose...

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I don't think a brew rig is ever complete...

As soon as I'm nearing completion I'm already planing a reconfig / redesign...

Cheers

 

[Nibbo]

I've got most of the gear in place to go 3V...just need to build my 12m x 18m shed around it...Then it will be on like donkey kong...