Lael's Braumiser build

[lael]

Some people asked about my build. It's a 42cm x 45cm pot with a BigW malt pipe. I'm hoping to upgrade the malt pipe to something larger. And it needs a stand.

There isn't a side port cause i figured I could plumb it out the bottom, and then also use the pump to do whirlpooling with the immersion chiller. It works well so far. Also means I can pump the wort into the fermenter once it has cooled down (so far I've forgotten whirlfloc on the two brews I've done... so not sure how this affects the trub cone yet) - which has given me good aeration and fermentation in both brews so far.

 

[lael]

ghetto stand for the moment I'm looking into getting something in stainless made for it. The plates were some 1.5mm stainless a fabricating shop gave me (they offered the reinforcing tube for the top plate for free and I took a case of beer as thanks... they seemed to like that). Big W malt pipe, with craftbrewer 3/8" tube as seal at the bottom. Ikea splatter guards for fine mesh.

 

[lael]

splatter guards still need to be drilled larger to match the hex nipple and nut I put on the plates to let them slide over the threaded rod smoothly (new addition to the build).

Results I was pretty happy with! crush from millmaster mini set to credit card (1.2mm) for second crush (marking straight up on the mill), first was I'm guessing 1.4mm - two notches more open).

Wort cloudy at start, then crystal at the end (it's like magic to see it clear up over the mash). And the refractometer pic from my first DSGA brew - just tasted it and it is absolutely delicious. A very satisfying result.

Apart from wanting to get the larger malt pipe finished, and a more permanent stand.... very very happy with the build overall.

 

[CosmicBertie]

Good job. Is the threaded rod a permanent fixture what does it anchor to at the bottom of the pot? do you remove it before the boil? How much were the top and bottom stainless filter plates?

Does that wingnut take a long time to wind down? ;-)

 

[spog]

Wow! Nice rig,you have we'll and truly been bitten by the brewing bug. Cheers..spog..

 

[lael]

Good job. Is the threaded rod a permanent fixture what does it anchor to at the bottom of the pot? do you remove it before the boil? How much were the top and bottom stainless filter plates?

Does that wingnut take a long time to wind down? ;-)

The rod is permanent. 10mm rod, through a hole in the bottom of the malt pipe. Fastening is a nut, washer, silicone washer, pot, underneath doesn't matter so much. (Nut etc. The earth should be in contact with the pot really) I'm going to swap out the washer for a 3/8" one as they come with larger diameters.

Plates were free, the drilling was not. I spent about 8-12hrs drilling them. I would just buy perf steel if I was doing it again. Go to a stainless place and check their offcuts. I found generally they won't talk to you about offcuts on the phone, but in person they are really helpful.

Yeah, it takes about 30 seconds lol. Seems longer. The rod is long because of my plans for a taller malt pipe

edit: answered inside quotes

 

[lael]

Wow! Nice rig,you have we'll and truly been bitten by the brewing bug. Cheers..spog..

Thanks! yeah... my gf might have used the term 'obsessed' recently...

 

[Edak]

Hey Lael, great job! I see you have taken on several of my design tips which you will be happy about in the long run. Yeah that wing nut goes a long way. Can you still get a lid onto your pot?

Did you figure out what those u shaped metal bars that hold down the malt pipe are called?

I bet you feel awesome when you brew now can't wait to see it with a proper stand.

 

[Edak]

Oh oh oh and do you collect a lot of gunk when you first start to drain into the fermenter? With the out port down underneath I imagine the pipes filling up with trub.

 

[PeteQ]

Thanks! yeah... my gf might have used the term 'obsessed' recently...

haha I never get that from the boss...

We'll have to organise a brew day now you're all sorted, maybe at a reasonable hour of the day???

 

[lael]

Hey Lael, great job! I see you have taken on several of my design tips which you will be happy about in the long run. Yeah that wing nut goes a long way. Can you still get a lid onto your pot?

Did you figure out what those u shaped metal bars that hold down the malt pipe are called?

I bet you feel awesome when you brew now can't wait to see it with a proper stand.

Thanks! I totally copied you - loved your work! I got 3/8" hex nipples and nuts for the plates, but they don't give much play / slack between the center rod. Thinking about going larger. The pot didn't come with a lid... needless to say my ramp times are atrocious at the moment. I need to find a 42cm lid.... hmm....

Those bars are bain marie dividers! got them at a commercial kitchen place in Auburn. Work a treat!

I'm not sure about the trub question - I forgot both brews to use whirlfloc, so didn't see much of anything left after draining - I guess it was all still in suspension. I'll look next time. The answer is - potentially yes. But from what a lot of people have said on here, it doesn't seem to be a big deal to let the beer sit on the hot and cold break when fermenting (some saying better beer, some saying can't tell, few saying slightly worse). What do you think?

Seriously - thanks for all the inspiration - I think it was your rig that first made me go... oh yeah... that looks great!

 

[lael]

haha I never get that from the boss...

We'll have to organise a brew day now you're all sorted, maybe at a reasonable hour of the day???

Love to! I don't understand - you don't want to brew from 9pm - 5am? lol

 

[Edak]

Those bars are bain marie dividers! got them at a commercial kitchen place in Auburn. Work a treat!

Of course! I didn't think of that

I am flattered that you used some of my ideas, I am just glad to hear that they worked out.

I like to keep the trub out personally.

 

[lael]

Of course! I didn't think of that

I am flattered that you used some of my ideas, I am just glad to hear that they worked out.

I like to keep the trub out personally.

I only knew because they were with all the trays for the bain maries lol.
trub out - from personal experience? or just seems better/ purist?

 

[lael]

Upgraded the System to a 33cmdia x 36cmHeight malt pipe. Squeezed 10.8kg in there for a 50L batch of DSGA

I cut the hole in the bottom of the pot to the same size as the smaller BigW pot so I can use the same seal, and also the same bottom plate - but I needed a new larger plate. I got some perf SS from M&S for this a while ago.

Cut down the longer bain marie supports to size as reinforcements just in case...

oh - and a little while ago I swapped out the aldi drill for an ozito - the Aldi one i got happened to have an issue switching into low gear. The new one definitely has more torque and power, but seems to shred the grain and husk more - not sure if I need to run it through faster or something.

 

[lael]

I am still looking to get another pot to do the pot - in a pot trick to increase the malt pipe capacity. The store was out when I went there this week though... so hopefully next week!

Mashing went well, but with a liquor - grist fluidisation ratio of 2.6L to 1kg in the malt pipe it was definitely a stiff mash and was pushing up against the top plate, even with a coarse grind @ 1.4. Efficiency was slightly lower than expected, but still got a final 1.050 49/50L into the fermenter.

Having an over the side element to get the boil going was fantastic! no need for floating pie tins this time around (normally would need 2-3 to speed up ramp rate to boil time)

Very happy with the upgrades! Going to try a finer crush next time, but a little nervous about trying it with such a low ratio. I think 2.7/2.8 is probably the lowest I would comfortably like to go. That said - I did leave this one alone after the first 30 mins went by uneventfully... so... maybe

Ironically, with the ots element, I think the boil ramp time was reduced so much that the total brew time might have actually been marginally quicker than a single batch.

Cheers!

 

[mje1980]

This is brilliant. Well done mate!

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Just a suggestion Lael you could make a couple of spacers out of stainless tube to suit the small and large malt pipes, and how did you go with the whirl pooling?

 

[lael]

Thanks mje!

Not sure I understand wide eyed? both malt pipes work, i just have different top plates for them. Ideally you could use a single plate size by doing pot in a pot and removing the top one for small batches. Depends on finding a straight walled pot ( not tapered like BigW though).

Whirlpooling... Was fine, but i don't get a really strong flow out of the kaixin pump - but the outlet is not in the most efficient spot. If i was starting again i would put a third bulkhead / skin fitting on the opposite side of the pot with a right angle going into the pot and then could pump through the plumbing to whirlpool. Rafinus' great idea, but I haven't heard how well it works yet.

It took a while to chill... I was wondering why and then realised i was trying to chill twice the volume. Any suggestions?

Edit: using a copper coiled immersion chiller

 

[wide eyed and legless]

What I mean by the spacer is it would save you having to wind the wing nut all the way down to the plate, so your spacer would sit over the thread. I have a copper coil chiller but I made mine from 3/4'' tube and I used to run the water from a water tank in the garden using a powerful pump and then back into the top of the tank cooled the wort down real quick but I no chill now.