My new budget Grainfather-esque setup

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GalBrew said:
Isn't the Grainfather itself a budget setup?
If you call $1100 budget, sure. I suspect many people wouldn't, though.
 
welly2 said:
If you call $1100 budget, sure. I suspect many people wouldn't, though.
I could have bought at least 3 GFs for the cost of building my original 3v HERMS system. So yeah, it's quite cheap for what you get.
 
Which would make about 10-12 of this setup, or 30-40 of the tightarse bucket setup.

Brewing is as expensive as you want to make it.
 
My 56l pot was about $60 or so and the 38l is only about $55 delivered- both stainless. My recirculated biab set up was about $160-all stainless. The only reason I'd go to the malt pipe from a bag is for sparging. I've been playing around with pulling 2 20l cubes out of my 56l biab (she's called biaby). To fit it all in I go hard on capacity of malt and water, then dunk sparge the bag for the extra 6 litres needed for top up. If I could pull up the malt pipe and sparge straight in like the GF does it would be easier.
 
I use a black good grade magnetic drive off eBay. It puts out 8l per min. I use 13mm silicone hose and 1/2" stainless fittings off the pump and for major bends. It comes out a bit of copper pipe hammered shut with holes drilled so it sprays out evenly into the grain.
 
cost me less that $200 for 82L + 38L + 2 of 3000 watt elements. Had pump laying round. good set for 2x20L kegs.
 
Thats pretty impresive Eagleburger any pics
What is youre initial pre-boil volume
Is it pid controlled
Also did you just run one cct for elements 25amp C/B
 
takai said:
Which would make about 10-12 of this setup, or 30-40 of the tightarse bucket setup.

Brewing is as expensive as you want to make it.
Has anyone built a plastic bucket single vessel? Bucket of 2 Deaths?
 
Mardoo said:
Has anyone built a plastic bucket single vessel? Bucket of 2 Deaths?
There is a guy in MM who brews with plastic. I'm tempted to do it for giggles if I can find the buckets cheap
 
I'll also be in the US in November. If we're on the same flight comng back, it should be easy to spot the guy withm a MegaPot belted on his lap.
 
yankinoz said:
I'll also be in the US in November. If we're on the same flight comng back, it should be easy to spot the guy withm a MegaPot belted on his lap.
Haha, given ill be flying just before Thanksgiving it may not be as uncommon a sight :p
 
Just looked at qldkev thread.
I guess its just grinding but still a neat job with the shorter slots.
 
After someone mentioned that you can get these pots on eBay i went looking, and found the 38L ones:

20150723-155242-iPhone.JPG


Much better size than the 19L BigW pots, and should work quite well for my purposes. Now to find time to get the rest of the bits together, and then start installing...
 
Had a bit of fun building this unit a few years back I think its where Qld kev got his insipration from to build his set up. It works well I have extended the top recirculation hose so it can be used to fill the cube at the end of the boil , it makes it easy to use the pump to transfer into the cube.

Cheers!
IMG_1187.jpg

IMG_1195.jpg

IMG_1210.jpg
 
takai said:
After someone mentioned that you can get these pots on eBay i went looking, and found the 38L ones:

20150723-155242-iPhone.JPG


Much better size than the 19L BigW pots, and should work quite well for my purposes. Now to find time to get the rest of the bits together, and then start installing...
What price was the pot? Links?
 
Im thinking of using the same mesh as thebigwilk. Do you think it would work with a motorised mash stirer or would too much grain fall through?
 

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