OTT Fermentation Chamber

First post by Philip321, 3 years ago

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This is my OTT Fermentation Chamber. It took me 3 weeks to make it.
For heat only. I live in England.
It has a 120 watt tube heater that has to be hung horizontally.
A fan to distribute the warm air. I’m using a stir plate I built for the time being.
There is fibreglass insulation in the base and above it. The walls and the inside of the doors have celotex. I sealed any gaps with silicone.
It has a STC1000 Temperature controller.
A double socket. One socket for the tube heater and one socket...

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Here are some more photos

Is this boil too pathetic?

First post by Kangarooster, 6 years ago

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I want to buy the electric kettle he is using but after seeing the boil with 20 liter of water I am not sure... Also I can't see any insulation. Maybe it will work better with the lid partially on, but I have assume the worst.

Costs approx. $160.

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My boil isn't much stronger than that (and not because I'm limited in heat power). I boil with the kettle semi-covered, and then I uncover it completely during the last 15 minutes of the boil.

If I'm using a pilsen malt I aim for a boil pH of 5.6 to speed up the SMM->DMS conversion and lower it to 5.1-5.2 during the last 15 minutes of the boil to get good protein coagulation.

Location for Ball Valve & a Mushroom Discussion

First post by rbcon2, 11 years ago

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Hi guy, I need some advise. I will be receiving my stainless steel ball valve tomorrow Wednesday 7-23-14. How high off the bottom should this be placed?

MODNOTE: This thread side-tracks into some discussion on mushrooms for those interested. :)

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Hi Jube,

Apologies for the lack of replies. At this point in time, don't worry about starting a new thread with any question you have.

One thing I'll ask is if you checked the link I made in about the third post of this thread. It's really important that you understand the problems with ball-valves. I was chatting with a head-brewer the other day and he agreed that they are a real danger. So check out some of my rants on ball-valves on this site first.

And yes, those seals will very likely...

Whirlpooling Tool --- New England IPA Hop Additions

First post by Scott, 8 years ago

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Researching brewing a New England IPA, from an article in Craft Beer & Brewing. Lots of hops are added late in this style, in the Whirlpool...along with a double dry hop (and first wort hop). I think the pros whirlpool their wort when hot or very warm, but from what I understand homebrewers that do this normally chill then whirlpool their wort.

Does anyone here whirlpool your beer...? I try to give some stirring but have never seen the cone of trub develop, and so don't really worry about...

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Okay, yeah that was the New England IPA. I didn't brew that one. Modified it to try and mimic Deschutes IPA as noted above. Used these hops late but early used a little bit more traditional hopping. Result as was described in the last post.

I've heard good things from others brewing NEIPAs but will need to drink more and like before brewing one and having several gallons to drink.

Conical Fermenter

First post by Streamer, 8 years ago

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I just purchased this conical fermenter from a neighbor who is moving out of state. I've been thinking about getting a conical set up for a while so this seemed like a good deal. It's been around the horn a few times, but still looks good. I doubt if there's much to go wrong with it. It came with a ball valve at the bottom of the cone to drain the trub, a twist valve above that and a thermometer and heat belt. I'm retiring the ball valve and will clean everything thoroughly before first use....

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Interesting, Steamer...

I have no idea on your question, have never used the product, and don't know anyone that has. Trying to find their website, and think it is this one: I don't see the model listed on their site. Link from yellow pages appears to be correct and has their phone number.

You should make sure you have everything you are supposed to have. (Is there a parts diagram, user manual you could download, etc.?) Any missing gaskets, etc.? Website shows some air locks but I don't know...

ideal False Bottom Height

First post by Davo, 8 years ago

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I've recently moved to BIAB. I can do a 2 gal batch (by the math) on the stove top. If I'm doing anything larger, or with a heavy grain bill, I've got to use the 8 gal pot on the propane. The pot on the electric stove is no problem with the nylon bag, but i'm not so sure about over the propane.

That leads me to where I am today. I'm trying to find out what kind of height I should really have for a false bottom. I'm using a Bayou Classic 8 gal pot. They make a traditional false bottom for the...

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Davo, the ideal height is where the grain bag is a safe distance from the metal kettle bottom where the heat transfer to the metal is intense enough to melt the bag material. The distance should be minimized. PP wrote recently (with diagrams as I recall) that you do not want a significant volume of liquid trapped between the bottom of the bag and the bottom of the kettle. The temperature in that space will probably be very different from the middle of the mash. If one applies heat to restore a...

BIAB Bag Materials/Design - Pros and Cons

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First post by PistolPatch, 14 years ago

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I just read a post that dick kindly wrote here in the My First Post! - Post here to become Fully Registered thread.

You often see questions on other forums as to what materials are good for BIAB. Brewers ask whether they are food-safe, at what temps they melt, how long they last etc, etc.

dick always does great posts and I am hoping he will post here but if anyone else has any feedback on BIAB bag materials they have used or are using, please free to let us know how they have or are working...

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I came here searching for info because I just re-listened to the Beersmith podcast on BIAB Brewing. It made me think I could benefit from a custom bag. The info you guys have provided here is great! Thanks.

I contacted a guy who hangs out at the big homebrew site and advertises hem makes bags, he sews then to fit your kettle, they work great and are easy to handle, the first bag I got I ordered from my LHBS and it was a mess.

Stainless hop basket

First post by Muggy Dawson, 8 years ago

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I recently bought a S/S hop basket which hangs nicely on the inside of my 40L Crown Urn. It's an Ebay/H.K buy at about $26. I wanted to see the difference from a hopsock, and now prefer the basket.
I saw the KegKing equiv this weekend at my LHBS in Perth and was shocked at the quality differences. Much better to pay an extra $10 for the K.K or store eqiv in the long run. Might only get another 10 brews out of mine before it falls apart.
Anyone got other tips for basic equipment. I guess...

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You're spot on with both pieces of equipment. The bag is easier to clean as I usually did it at the same time as the grain bag. Noticed today, what I thought was a clean hop basket still had small debris in the folds and joins.
I've also tried the various sized tea balls for dry hopping, but while the main parts are stainless steel, the small joining pins or rivets certainly weren't and corroded.
The K.I.S.S method might be best here, and I'll be going back to the hop sock for the boil, and dry...

Build a BIAB-Bag for 100liter (26 gallon) Batches

First post by Advanced, 12 years ago

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Hi guys,
Lets say hello with my first posts. Im from germany and brew beer since 1 1/2 years now. My english isnt the best, but i hope everybody can understand me :luck: :thumbs:

At first lets come to my problem. In a german forum there was a action with high volume pots for low price..Here is a Picture from my friend, but i buy the same pot.

So this 26 gallon-pot is good enough to brew big batches in the garden. I found out, that biab-method is an easy way to brew in small time!

But there...

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Nice bag, how'd it go

Dead space in the pot

First post by Oldgit, 9 years ago

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I've got a 72 litre pot, wile making a dip stick to measure volume
I have found out I've got 8 litres left in my pot after draining
Is this ok ????

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:lol:

I can't believe how many people don't know that Land of the Giants is a true story?

Stuff it... I bought a Thermapen!

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First post by nicko, 10 years ago

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After standing there for about half a minute each time I want to use my existing crap thermometer and once overshooting my temp while the heat was on and I was waiting for the thermometer to catch up, I thought stuff it, logged onto fleabay and bought a thermapen. I'm massively into cooking anyway, including roasts and BBQs, so it will come in handy often. :clap:

I had to hold that stupid thing (my old thermometer) carefully too so it would actually stay on..

HELLO four second readings!!...

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Tech support at Ss Brewing suggest sliding a short length of silicon tubing over the tip.
I will try to avoid hitting it when stirring. Maybe the potato masher is better than a spoon.
Thanks for your suggestion.
Robertz

Blichmann Boil Maker for BIAB

First post by iDrop, 13 years ago

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I have a 15 Gallon Blichmann Boil Maker, I was wondering if anyone is using this kettle for BIAB. I have just recently purchased this kettle and I did not take into account the thermostat probe that extends into the kettle. I have not tried to brew a batch with this kettle yet, however it seems to me that the thermostat probe would interfere or puncture the bag.
Any feed back that can address this issue would be greatly appreciated. :thumbs:

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I fitted a Blichmann hop-blocker under the temperature probe, both for function and the hop-blocker also keeps the bag from pushing under the temp probe.

bag in place by Largus Brewer , on Flickr

Hop Ball ?

First post by soccerfan, 9 years ago

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I'm still a brew newby, 9 batches, last 3 have been BIAB.

My first brew was an IPA with a ton of hops, and I dumped everything,
and I mean everything, into the ferm bucket for a week. Racked
that first batch to a secondary for a week. There were still a
lot of hops floating around in the bottles (not that I cared...
this was beer that I brewed).

After that I suspended my hops in a muslin bag for a tidier brew,
and I've been getting away from the tons of trub and muck in the
bottom of the...

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I dry hopped with 1oz loose pellet hops for 3 days. After 1.5 days most of the hops were still floating on top of the beer, so I tapped the sides of the carboy to create some agitation on the surface which caused the hops to start settling out. After 3 days all the hops had settled to the bottom and I was able to rack the beer into the bottling bucket with only a small amount of hop debris along for the ride (this in turn also settled out during the course of bottling). I believe that more hop...

Small bag large kettle

First post by Yenren, 9 years ago

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Hi guys I am new to biab ie. never done it before, I am wondering would there be an effect on efficiency using a bag that is a lot smaller that the kettle. I have a bag designed for a 50l keggle and I want to use it in a 300l kettle as kind of a partial mash. The bag its self can hold about 20kg or so
Thanks

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Not sure where you are located Yenren, but around here a voile curtain (window sheer) can be picked up the discount mart for $5. You can either sew your own bag from the curtain or simply line the large pot with it.

---Todd

What to do with my hose?

First post by Mad_Scientist, 10 years ago

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I am looking for a better solution on how to secure my tubing during recirculation. :think:

This thermoplastic tube has a mind of its own. It jumped out when I wasn't looking and wetted (with water) two of my tool box drawers.

MS

IMG_20150710_164907127 by Mad Scientist Brewhaus , on Flickr

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This is still a work in progress :sleep:

For summertime brewing with lid off, I am thinking of adding another hook eye bolt or share the one I
already have to help secure this stiff hose up to that point, then a piece of J copper.

For wintertime brewing, lid on, but that would mean I would have to drill a hole in my nice 25 cent
lid I got at a garage sale.   :lol: 

9169099962_67417b54cd_z.jpg

Trub management with with Peco Electric mash tun

First post by mthanry, 10 years ago

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Hi,

Has anyone here tried to hack their mash tun (my question is oriented specifically to electric mash tun) to manage better the trub?

I was thinking of fitting a braid but before I do that I just wanted some feedback or ideas of what you guys have tried or used…

Thank you.

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Mthanry, you can place a ball of stainless steel Scrubber on the inside of the Valve, and Capture/Block most of the trub.

Electric Brewing is a very good way to brew, since using gas, means your outside, every brew.

JMHO YMMV

Dis-advantages of a Large Pot

First post by windrider, 10 years ago

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When I first started BIAB I did it with a friend and we did large batches using a 100 litre pot.

I inherited this pot and still use it for 23 litre brew lengths. I prefer 23 litre batches as I brew outside and have to lift the bag manually on my own (I can also fit in more brew days).

I’ve always wondered if there are any dis-advantages of using a large pot when I’m doing smaller batches in it? I’ve been thinking about downgrading to a 50 litre pot or is it a case of don’t fix what isn’t...

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The worst thing I find with using a large (70L) pot is that I could easily use a 100L pot.. Then eventually I'd want two 100L pots :thumbs: :lol:

Where do I buy a 100 litre stockpot

First post by Philip321, 10 years ago

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STOCKPOT 1) I've seen this on the internet and was wondering if anyone has already bought one and what do they think of it.
______________

STOCKPOT 2) This one seems a better quality.

Can anyone suggest another company?
I would like to buy it in England.
I definitely do not want a tap fitted.

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Thanx for the reply windrider.

I've already bought two double pulleys which will give me a 4:1 lifting ration. I'll be brewing in my garage with electricity.

Brewing stand/rig

First post by bionut, 10 years ago

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Hi,

i plan to build a brewing stand because i am sick of having to move the kettle from the burner to something higher just to be able to siphon the wort out after the boil. Are there any proven dimensions that should be followed? Some designs will be also usefull for inspiration.

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BioNut, We have a few Ideas kicking around here...See

It all depends on $$$$, your ability, and the Bling Needed!

Start of my brew build

First post by Jazzafish, 10 years ago

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So I had a day off today.

Normally I'd mash in but I've got a rare occurrence of full kegs and fermenters. So instead I went to Big W and got a 20L stainless steel stock pot to act as a malt pipe/grain bag inside my urn. It was advertised at $20 but i noticed that the lid was damaged when I got to the check out. After noticing this they gave it to me for $10! Obviously not a high grade of stainless steel as a magnet sticks to it... nor did I care about the lid seeing it will live inside my...

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Hey Jazzafish,
howz the build goin? Any pics?

aluminium pot.

First post by fongasbrew, 10 years ago

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Hello.
Does anyone use aluminium as a kettle,I am looking at a 60lt with a 40lt that fits inside that has holes in the bottom.
Does it make the beer taste different.any other advice aswell please.

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Alzheimer's has been found in people who work in the Aluminum Industry......the Lead Industry, The Hard Liquor Industry, and every other Industry.

The Problem is..your Brain get low on Acetylcholine. You body makes this from Choline and acetic acid.

There are only a handful of foods you get Choline from. Eggs and Liver provide a lot of Choline....Sad, we are not suppose to eat eggs, and Liver is %$*%.

BUT, Check onclick= window.open(this.href);return false; ... ltivitamin Beer gives use...

Brewolution - Brewster

First post by BryggBuddha, 10 years ago

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Have any one used this brewing solution? As far as I understand/know this can be seen as BIAB? I guess it should be fine using BIABacus with it?

The system looks nice imho. :)

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Sorry you didn't get more replies here Buddha,

This is the only thread I have time to reply to tonight and I probably shouldn't be replying to any as I started work way too many hours ago today. Hopefully what I write will be of value though...

You have a lot of things going for you on this site (well, usually :)). I would have hoped that someone would have already advised you as follows...

1. The only 'space-saving' you will get between full-volume and sparging is the volume of 'Liquor...

Mega Jet cooker

First post by beer4, 10 years ago

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Hi Biaber's,

I am thinking about purchasing a Mega-Jet Cooker

I have a 56 lt kettle and have been looking at burners, any thoughts on this one or others?
I will be doing mainly normal size batches
I live in Australia.

Cheers

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I agree with M_S. Very hard to tell what you are buying there. No dimensions for a start and it doesn't include a variable or HP regulator. That is very expensive!

To make the right decision beer4, post the diameter of your kettle. (For example, four ring camping burners are often too wide for a lot of kettles.)

Also consider that you might have to make/weld a stand and that you will need a variable and/or HP regulator. Lots of good burners around, some even with ignitors!

I also think that...

Stainless Steel Insulated Kettle

First post by mally, 11 years ago

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After posting in this thread here. (This shows what some people do to convert to a brew kettle).

I thought I would add it to the equipment thread as well so at least people are aware of what is available.

I have been thinking for a while about getting one of these for my next kettles .
Only thing holding me back is the effort needed to fit an element. Would make a great mash tun on its own, but thats no good for us BIABers's!

I don't think they are available outside of Europe :scratch: , but...

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I really like the idea of an insulated pot, doesn't appear to be anything similar available around these parts that I can find tho...

:sad: