STEP BY STEP: DIY AG on the cheap

[Power Wolf]

Glad my less than technical set-up has inspired a few.

@ power wolf - if you want to know anything about BIAB, BribieG is the man with the knowledge and experience and usually willing to pass it on if you ask nice. Searching first is always great. There's also that great thread which I guess is the one to which you're referring. Whatever your method you'll find plenty of people willing to help you along the way.

Best of luck Phil.

Thanks again mate, good to see brewers looking out for each other! Good to hear reports of your recent success. Would be keen to meet some melbourne crew from the forum for some brews once I get stuck into the AG later this year.

Exciting news just in speaking of beer related hapiness. As of a couple minutes I now am the proud owner of a Pride of Ringwood Rhizome, heck yeah... Brewing gives me warm and fuzzy feelings, this must be love....

 

[manticle]

I think that last part speaks for many of us. I'm inner Melbourne so shout out.

 

[Mattese]

Manticle, you have truly inspired me. I am about to rush out and buy an esky and a kitten and follow in your footsteps.

After seeing your high tech setup, I don't feel at all bad about doing my partials on the wok side burner on the barbie!

Cheers, I hope making the tun is only half as difficult as it looks.

Matt

 

[manticle]

Tun's easy. Manifold is the most difficult part. You could go stainless steel braid or tough it out. Making a manifold is quite satisfying once it's done, especially if you had no clue how when you started.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Tun's easy. Manifold is the most difficult part. You could go stainless steel braid or tough it out. Making a manifold is quite satisfying once it's done, especially if you had no clue how when you started.

I have an esky with the drain hole plug - I use that to empty my mash tun. No manifold. Providing you don't stir up the grain bed when adding your sparge water, I find this a better process that the false bottom, especially when it drains out more wort than the false bottom can. Simpler process. Won't bother again with a manifold / false bottom etc.

 

[Mattese]

Well, I manned up and manufactured a manifold. Not as pretty as Manticle's, but with luck it will do the trick. Saturday is the day for my virgin brew. I have invited others over so I have people to blame for any mistakes.

Thanks for the instructive thread, I couldn't have done without it.

 

[Cocko]

Well, I manned up and manufactured a manifold. Not as pretty as Manticle's, but with luck it will do the trick. Saturday is the day for my virgin brew. I have invited others over so I have people to blame for any mistakes.

Thanks for the instructive thread, I couldn't have done without it.

Well done Mattese, show us some pics!!

Show us ya manifold

 

[hoohaaman]

manticle,much respect.I could not have started like that B)

 

[QSR]

Yes Manticle - your set-up is awesome and so was your postings - you improvised where needed to show just how easy it can be if your really set your mind to it ( nothing can stop the tunnel vision of a real homebrewer - ey! )
And your post was filled with the second most ingredient required to be a homebrewer ( HUMOUR )

Good on you

Cheers
Chris

 

[drew9242]

And your post was filled with the second most ingredient required to be a homebrewer ( HUMOUR )

I would have thought it was the most important ingredient, it is for me any way.

 

[manticle]

Otherwise known as the ability to laugh off your own spasticity.

 

[Mattese]

While laughing heartily at my spasticity, I found one last question - What sort of clearance from the bottom of the esky to the manifold is allowable? (Or best practice...)? I know this will all become evident at the first use, but trying to iron out creases prior to making an ass of myself in other ways.

 

[manticle]

As long as it doesn't touch the bottom. Say 10- 20 mm? Too high means liquor gets left behind, too low means liquor might struggle to drain. Slots face downwards.

 

[grod5]

I was inspired by the thread Manticle and had a go myself, thanks for the inspiration. Took me 2.5 ho to knock this up with bits from bunnings.

daniel

 

[manticle]

Looks sweet and banged together much quicker than mine. Let us know how it works out.

 

[Pennywise]

Looks a hell of a lot better than my crappy job too, makes me wanna get another manifold done that looks all nice and shit. And how the hell were you able to actually get all the stuff from bunnings, my local bummings was bloody useless. Thats it, I'm doing another manifold this weekend

 

[manticle]

If you have any tradelink plumbing suppliers nearby, I recommend going there. Cheaper elbows, t-s etc and probably better advice.

 

[grod5]

Getting close to my first batch now.

daniel

http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o97/gro...Brewing%20Gear/

 

[Siborg]

Hey manticle... thanks for posting the link to this thread... I'd have never read it otherwise!

Did you solder/weld any of those pieces together? I've got a 50L esky just begging to have a manifold like that installed. I just need to get off my arse and put it together. Might need to borrow some tools from a mate as well.

 

[manticle]

No real need to solder although some do. I did centre punch them though.

Some people like to pull them apart for regular cleaning so you may get away with not even doing that but if you clear it from any grain pieces and use a vinegar/water solution to clean the oxides in between brews you should be sweet. It's pre-boil so clean is sufficient.