First up I should mention that my final goal will be to run a 3V setup someday but not fussed if it takes me a few years to get there.
Brewery design parameters:
Capable of outputting 23L batches and also the occasional 46-50L batch @ 1.050.
Completely electric to allow indoor brewing and also remove the need for $$ LPG(although my last elecy bill gave me a scare!)
Basically an electric brewery that can pump out a double baych but still be small enough to easily do singles.
Initially I'm looking to make up one vessel and use the BIAB method while I build up the parts I require over the next year or two or three. No hurry, I have done 2 small BIAB brews and theyr turnd out great!
I have had a pot fabricated from 2mm 316 stainless steel. The dimensions are 450mm diameter by 450mm high making it 70 litres. I went for 2mm to allow ease of welding sockets etc in and also to give a good base if I ever do go the gas fired route.
I also had the base domed approx 10mm in the centre to allow excellent draining if I choose to use as a mash tun one day but it should also help with whirlpooling while using BIAB.
So far thats where I'm at, I think the pot is a bit big for my immediate needs however should I ever want to do a 60L batch one day it could be done. It also cost me no extra to make it 70L from my original 50L design.
Its from here on that I would like some ideas. Ill write down my thoughts and hopefully get some feedback.
This 70L pot will one day become one of the 3 vessels for my brewery. Im thinking of simply using three 70L vessels for neatness I guess. I realise the mash tun can be smaller and the kettle could possibly be a bit bigger but well see what happens.
Im lookign to have a socket welded in the side to install a single 3600W electric element as low as I can get it. Also a socket or possibly a thermowell at at the same height for a temp gague. Not the best location I know but it will allow me to have the next item:
Im then looking to make a pot within this pot. Say 400mm diameter and 300mm in height made from 2mm perforated stainless steel either 1.6 or 2mm thick.
This will act as my grain bag and allow me to do away with the voile hopefully. If not the voile can sit inside the perforated pot.
The base of this internal pot will be offset approx 50mm up to act as a false bottom. This will prevent anything touching the electric element or temp gague, I wi8ll just have to cut slots in the lower part of this internal pot to allow it to slip over the element and temp gague.
This will allow approx 25kg of grain to be held using a grain density of approx 800kg/cubic metre(not that it will ever need to hold 25kg of grain. more likly 12kg with plenty of headspace).
Will also weld in a 3 piece ball valve to drain as it will be too big to pour as I do with my 19L pot. This will also allow me to whirlpool (assuming electric element doesnt get in the way)
Hopefully im making sense up to here.
Now for a standare 23L batch im allowing approximately 5kg of grain(takes up approx 50mm height in the internal pot). Plus the 50mm of dead space where the electric element is gives me a minimum water height of 100mm to cover all the grain with water. Call it 120mm to be safe.
120mm of water in my pot equates to around 19L of water which gives quite a high water to grain ratio. However after absorption I will likely be left with 15L or wort allowing an 8-10L sparge.
The initial wort will be run out into my 19L Big W pot and stored while I do the sparge. Alternatively I may use slightly more grain and skip the sparge all together. Im more concerned with the large size of the pot if one day it becomes my mash tun in a 3V setup.
This all seems reasonable to me, can anyone see any problems or improvements? Am I over complicating things?
Brewery design parameters:
Capable of outputting 23L batches and also the occasional 46-50L batch @ 1.050.
Completely electric to allow indoor brewing and also remove the need for $$ LPG(although my last elecy bill gave me a scare!)
Basically an electric brewery that can pump out a double baych but still be small enough to easily do singles.
Initially I'm looking to make up one vessel and use the BIAB method while I build up the parts I require over the next year or two or three. No hurry, I have done 2 small BIAB brews and theyr turnd out great!
I have had a pot fabricated from 2mm 316 stainless steel. The dimensions are 450mm diameter by 450mm high making it 70 litres. I went for 2mm to allow ease of welding sockets etc in and also to give a good base if I ever do go the gas fired route.
I also had the base domed approx 10mm in the centre to allow excellent draining if I choose to use as a mash tun one day but it should also help with whirlpooling while using BIAB.
So far thats where I'm at, I think the pot is a bit big for my immediate needs however should I ever want to do a 60L batch one day it could be done. It also cost me no extra to make it 70L from my original 50L design.
Its from here on that I would like some ideas. Ill write down my thoughts and hopefully get some feedback.
This 70L pot will one day become one of the 3 vessels for my brewery. Im thinking of simply using three 70L vessels for neatness I guess. I realise the mash tun can be smaller and the kettle could possibly be a bit bigger but well see what happens.
Im lookign to have a socket welded in the side to install a single 3600W electric element as low as I can get it. Also a socket or possibly a thermowell at at the same height for a temp gague. Not the best location I know but it will allow me to have the next item:
Im then looking to make a pot within this pot. Say 400mm diameter and 300mm in height made from 2mm perforated stainless steel either 1.6 or 2mm thick.
This will act as my grain bag and allow me to do away with the voile hopefully. If not the voile can sit inside the perforated pot.
The base of this internal pot will be offset approx 50mm up to act as a false bottom. This will prevent anything touching the electric element or temp gague, I wi8ll just have to cut slots in the lower part of this internal pot to allow it to slip over the element and temp gague.
This will allow approx 25kg of grain to be held using a grain density of approx 800kg/cubic metre(not that it will ever need to hold 25kg of grain. more likly 12kg with plenty of headspace).
Will also weld in a 3 piece ball valve to drain as it will be too big to pour as I do with my 19L pot. This will also allow me to whirlpool (assuming electric element doesnt get in the way)
Hopefully im making sense up to here.
Now for a standare 23L batch im allowing approximately 5kg of grain(takes up approx 50mm height in the internal pot). Plus the 50mm of dead space where the electric element is gives me a minimum water height of 100mm to cover all the grain with water. Call it 120mm to be safe.
120mm of water in my pot equates to around 19L of water which gives quite a high water to grain ratio. However after absorption I will likely be left with 15L or wort allowing an 8-10L sparge.
The initial wort will be run out into my 19L Big W pot and stored while I do the sparge. Alternatively I may use slightly more grain and skip the sparge all together. Im more concerned with the large size of the pot if one day it becomes my mash tun in a 3V setup.
This all seems reasonable to me, can anyone see any problems or improvements? Am I over complicating things?