I've been brewing 5 1/2 years using the very simple cooler mash tun, boil kettle method a lot of us started with. Has served me well but I wanted to upgrade to some automation and less lifting on the cheap. Didn't have time to build a new setup from scratch and this deal came along so I jumped on it. The guy I got it from built it. He doesn't know about brewing so I'm assuming he sorta followed someone else's build. In fact, he only brewed on it twice he said. He enjoyed building it more than he enjoyed using it.
Moving on, I'm posting pictures. If anybody wants specific pictures, please say so. I'm really excited about using it, but I feel like it's not 100% complete and I don't think a brew day would be fun at this point.
Here's the whole thing. Under the second table there is a large pre chiller. The lines weren't on or labeled when I got it so I put it together and cut many of the lines to fit since they were mostly the same length. I have no idea if this is the best config(doubtful) and am open to redoing them.
Herms setup/hlt.
Mash tun. I'm assuming he made this sprinkle thingy. It was designed to evenly sprinkle incoming water/wort but basically did nothing. I flipped it upside down so the incoming water would trickle off the edge. Before it would merely pool in the cup part, then run over the edge and collect back in the center on the bottom. Not sure if was designed to be submerged during wort recirc through the herms setup or what. Also, I do have a sparge arm I'd like to use. I'd like to close up that gap in the false bottom and there is a mash screen below that.
Kettle. The silicon tubing does a nice job whirlpooling, but I don't like how it is submerged in the boil, and resting on the bottom. I think I'd like to replace this with stainless.
The kettle/chiller.
3 chuggers total, each with these fittings and valves.
Control panel. I haven't taken it apart yet but I think I'm going to have to. I'll upload a picture when I do. There are 4 plugs on the bottom. Heating element, and the 3 pumps. The toggle switches control the pumps. The potentiometers control the pump speed. A quick look on chuggerpumps.com verified that is NOT recommended. I was under the impression this was capable of controlling each of those things. Not sure if that's true..
I've only hooked it up, and ran water/cleaner through it at this point. I have not been able to control the heating element. It just stays on. I'm not sure what each of the controllers manage, and I'm unsure why the one in the middle is different.
Got valves?? There are quite a few on here. I can make the liquid go where I want it but am concerned about the wort drain rate. If I use the valve on the pump to limit the outgoing wort to kettle, some of that wort will be diverted back to the herms coil. Not only that, but I think it's going to drain the mash tun to quickly. That could be solved with an end cap on one of the pump outlets, but then I'd need to reconfigure the rest of the tubing so I'm not sure if that's a good idea.
If you've made it this far, you deserve a beer. There are other things I haven't mentioned I'm sure, but I'll run across them later. Please, ask any questions you'd like. And don't hesitate to make suggestions regarding what I've mentioned or otherwise.
Help me get this thing running!:rockin:
Moving on, I'm posting pictures. If anybody wants specific pictures, please say so. I'm really excited about using it, but I feel like it's not 100% complete and I don't think a brew day would be fun at this point.
Here's the whole thing. Under the second table there is a large pre chiller. The lines weren't on or labeled when I got it so I put it together and cut many of the lines to fit since they were mostly the same length. I have no idea if this is the best config(doubtful) and am open to redoing them.
Herms setup/hlt.
Mash tun. I'm assuming he made this sprinkle thingy. It was designed to evenly sprinkle incoming water/wort but basically did nothing. I flipped it upside down so the incoming water would trickle off the edge. Before it would merely pool in the cup part, then run over the edge and collect back in the center on the bottom. Not sure if was designed to be submerged during wort recirc through the herms setup or what. Also, I do have a sparge arm I'd like to use. I'd like to close up that gap in the false bottom and there is a mash screen below that.
Kettle. The silicon tubing does a nice job whirlpooling, but I don't like how it is submerged in the boil, and resting on the bottom. I think I'd like to replace this with stainless.
The kettle/chiller.
3 chuggers total, each with these fittings and valves.
Control panel. I haven't taken it apart yet but I think I'm going to have to. I'll upload a picture when I do. There are 4 plugs on the bottom. Heating element, and the 3 pumps. The toggle switches control the pumps. The potentiometers control the pump speed. A quick look on chuggerpumps.com verified that is NOT recommended. I was under the impression this was capable of controlling each of those things. Not sure if that's true..
I've only hooked it up, and ran water/cleaner through it at this point. I have not been able to control the heating element. It just stays on. I'm not sure what each of the controllers manage, and I'm unsure why the one in the middle is different.
Got valves?? There are quite a few on here. I can make the liquid go where I want it but am concerned about the wort drain rate. If I use the valve on the pump to limit the outgoing wort to kettle, some of that wort will be diverted back to the herms coil. Not only that, but I think it's going to drain the mash tun to quickly. That could be solved with an end cap on one of the pump outlets, but then I'd need to reconfigure the rest of the tubing so I'm not sure if that's a good idea.
If you've made it this far, you deserve a beer. There are other things I haven't mentioned I'm sure, but I'll run across them later. Please, ask any questions you'd like. And don't hesitate to make suggestions regarding what I've mentioned or otherwise.
Help me get this thing running!:rockin: