Bulkhead fitting for Aluminium pot.

First post by aamcle, 12 years ago

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I picked up a 38/39l Aluminium stockpot, I'm going to use it as an electrically heated pot to mash and boil in and I would like to fit a tap. Obviously brass fittings are no good because of corrosion and SS will cost me as much as I paid for the pot so I was wondering if the are any plastic fittings I could use? John Guest maybe?

Thanks for your help.

Aamcvle

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

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Good work even if a hop sock is a lot easier :-) but it sparks an idea a bend on the bottom of the cane with a length of stainless braided hose on the end.

ATB. Aamcle

Aamcle

BIAB Equipment Considerations

First post by 502brews, 12 years ago

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Hello everyone.

I'm just making the move from partial mash brewing to BIAB and bought a new 62 qt Bayou Classic Stainless Steel pot to brew my batches in. I decided to go with the 62 qt so I could brew double batches in it. I've got a propane gas stand to cook on and plan to make a nylon voile bag for the grain. I also plan to install an eye hook and pulley to lift the grain out at mash out.
Having only done single batch, extract and partial mash brewing previously, I've relied on an ice...

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All,

I have been doing lots of hopping experiments in the last year. I just love hops! I visit hop farms and I grow my own hops. Three varieties, Cascade, Willamette, Nugget and (E.K. Goldings Fuggles). Wait that's four! I am so bad at numbers! Personally I am narrowing down my hopping schedule (at the moment) to this.

Bob, i have started a new thread here for anybody that has hop growing knowledge. I would love to hear of any tips you have. :thumbs:

Bag size maths help and voile supplier for the uk

First post by Sbond10, 12 years ago

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Okies for my second post I need some help working out bag size and a good uk supplier for voile unless some sells bags or custom to order bags ?
My pan measurements are as follows
19 litre total water capacity
Top width 30cm
Bottom width 28.5 cm
Height 25.5cm

I was told you could just lay a flat square of cloth rather than making a bag then following it up ....
Anyone any ideas if this would work.
And finally a bottom protector for the bag would a upside down cake tin work with holes...

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I used the cheapest net curtain fabric from my local fabric shop and it was something like £1:30 a metre. I bought 3 meters and my wife made up a couple of bags one of which I use as a hop sock. Where the wire would go if it was a curtain I have nylon cord threaded which I use as a drawstring and to hang the bag.

A blankie for my kettle

First post by Epimetheus, 12 years ago

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Several very helpful BIABaggers suggested wrapping the kettle in a duvet or an old coat to maintain the mash temp. I cut up an old comforter, doubled it over, and sewed a wrap and cap. It looks a bit silly but it really contains the heat. The water also heats up much faster from 20 C to 68 C. Next attempt will be neater.

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Gorgeous rig as far as I am concerned too! Remember, Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder .

--Todd

Stainless Steel BIAB bag

First post by MegaTrond, 12 years ago

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Hi all :)
Anybody using a BIAB bag made of SS mesh? Is this a bad idea?
If not, what mesh size is best to use?

Trond

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I've got a bag from Jeff at bagbrewer too, it's a few years old but still cranking along. As far as cleaning it, I just hang it over the chainlink fence and take a garden hose to it....easy peasy!

Industrial Infrered thermometer for brewing?

First post by Squared, 12 years ago

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Anyone ever though of /used an infrared thermometer for brewing? they appear to be fairly accurate and have an amazing temp range. Best part is you just point and shoot...

Local tool shops have them on a huge special like 70% off its only like 20 bucks.

thoughts?

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Thanks fellas

I did some research and does appear that there are some merrits to using it especially during fermentation, where you don't want to necessarily open the lids/bungs too often.

Also, I was anticipating stirring the mash first before getting readings.

Seems like a lot of chefs use them too for making candy and caramels where temp really matters by even a few degrees.

Ultra sonic level measuring devices.

First post by Yeasty, 13 years ago

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Hi Guys

First major post for a while due to life getting in the way of brewing but hopefully it will be an interesting one.

So as the title goes, how important is the Evaporation rate you get for your brews. The reason I'm asking is that as an Electrical Engineer I have aquired a fair jumble of equipment stashed in the garage. In this pile of mainly junk are a couple of Ultra sonic level measuring devices. These are used to measure a level in a vessel/gully/silo by using sound waves, just...

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Yeasty , I was extremely depressed that sonar won't find my beer glass let alone kill bacteria. Who invented that uaess bit of technology? :roll:

jimcoffey , You have renewed my will to live and brew :thumbs:. I haven't given up yet on Yeasty's prize for the most high tech brewing gadget of the year but yours will definitely get the most simple and clever prize.

:thumbs: :clap: :salute: :champ:

Wine kit straining bag?

First post by Shepfl, 13 years ago

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Why can't I use a wine kit nylon straining bag. These are designed to keep sediment to a minimum and are already premade in sizes to fit most kettles.

Save having handles sewn in I see no reason to spend $35 and upwards for custom bag. Educate me on this topic.

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Welcome! Like BB said, swiss voile (white or natural) as found in a fabric store or Walmart. You can certainly find somebody to sew one up with 100% polyester thread. Good luck with your BIAB adventures.

Visit my picture link below for info on my bag design for a US sized beer keg, keggle.

Gas Fired 70l S/s Pot Or Electric Urn

First post by aydanrogers, 13 years ago

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I am really undecided on how I would like to progress into AG brewing as I don't want to go down an avenue and find out that I am going to need more parts or things are going to become obsolete to me in the future. I have decided for now that I would like to get into it via BIAB as it seems to be far cheaper to start out with just the one vessel and build from there. Now before everyone tells me to search this subject, I have already and there is so much information on multiple sites that the...

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aydanrogers,

I brew with propane. I have never brewed with electricity but it is interesting to me? The only thing I want to say is that I do a lot of club brews or go to club events to brew! That's harder to do with electricity. I brew in parks and on lakes? portability is important to me! If you brew alone or don't care to join a brewing club than electricity may be all you need!

52 qt pot in the states

First post by hashie, 13 years ago

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Found this while surfing this morning, bloody thing hit my board :headhit:

Looks like a good cheap pot for anyone looking to go gas fired. I think the steamer base would/could be used as a false bottom to keep your bag away from the heat?

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My pot came today. Not real heavy. .045/1.15mm thick. but it is a keeper. The false bottom is going to work very well for BIAB. A 52qt/ 49 liter pot for $35 delivered is a screaming deal. The price has gone up to $60 now. I guess I will have to use it to brew beer with as well as cooking crabs.

Fitting tap on buffalo urn

First post by Lars, 13 years ago

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Hi guys, I've a 40litre buffalo and I want to fit a ball valve(I know PP , but I'm doing it anyway:)). Has anyone here managed to do that without having to enlarge the hole? The guys on Jimsbeerkit seem to be enlarging the hole which I'm reluctant to do??

Thanks

L

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My goodness! I was so negative in my last post here :P. I haven't seen a braumeister in action but hear good reports. In fact the only automated systems I have seen in action have been three vessel systems.

I think thughes, nala (and many others) have got theirautomated single vessel systems working well now and I know you have followed their posts so you should be able to avoid some of the teething problems they had. One thing's for sure, you'll have lots of fun with it so ignore my...

Do I really need a false bottom?

First post by de5m0mike, 14 years ago

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Has anyone ever actually had their polyester bag melt in the pot or is this really just a superstition. For some reason I just don't see it happening. I remember seeing someone boil water in a plastic bottle over an open flame and I think, if that cup didn't burn up, how could my bag melt. I'm not scientist but it seems like as long as the bag is in contact with the water/wart then it couldn't melt. I did some quick looking around and I think the melting point of polyester is something like...

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Hi Argon, I have a buffalo boiler, I'm considering a fb like that. How do you actually get the dome shape that keeps the crap from getting under the fb? Since the buffalo element is in the centre I can't really have anything sitting tight to the centre but that looks like it'd work fine once the dip tube stopped a few mm above the bottom

Thanks

L

G'day Lars, The false bottom I have in there is domed already. Got it from my LHBS.

Looks like this, i'm pretty sure you'd be able to find...

Refractometer

First post by Shifter, 13 years ago

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I have just purchased a Refractometer. Can't believe how easy it makes taking SG's. Should have got one years ago!

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I just checked my start of boil gravity with pipette and straight off my dipstick.No difference to my eye through the refrac.Waiting for the wort to cool to check the hydro.BTW this is just an exercise on my part to keep PP from spending too much time on that biabacus thingy. :lol:

Strange stuff in my aluminum stockpot

First post by philipforget, 13 years ago

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I bought a 40qt aluminum stockpot last weekend to finally give BIAB a try. I managed to get 8 gallons to a boil with the lid on. I then let it cool on the stove and the next day I opened the lid and there is now some strange stuff all over the sides. Cloudy little 'growths' speckle the sides of the kettle below the water line. This was actually the third time I boiled water in it (to build an oxide layer). Any idea as to what this is?

Full size:

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It's looking very likely that it's mineral crystallization. No barnacles ;)

As for the oven, this thing is way too big! My gas stove can barely get it to a boil across two burners. Looks like I wont be able to do full volume batches (5~ gallons into the fermentor). I'll post that as a separate topic though

50 l keg litress to cm

First post by samuls35, 13 years ago

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hi has anybody worked out litres to cm for a standard 50 l keg ( has 50 lb written in on side for volume ) i don't have the keg yet but just playing around with the calculator on the site

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thanks that makes things easy .. Saturday is brew day ...................

Fridge Conversion

First post by solly.schoultz, 13 years ago

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Hi

I have a old fridge that I want to convert to ferment in,

The fridge has a Ranco K59 L1035 thermostat in it

thermostat old.jpg

I have purchased a cold room thermostat model F2000 -35 to +35 Degrees C. (unfortunately the digital versions are hard to come by here and extremely expensive to import)

thermostat.jpg

The question is can I replace the current thermostat with the new one or would it be easier to create a external plug to control the switching on and off of the fridge.

The...

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Thank you to everyone for the help, I have connected the thermostat and it is working nicely

Thermal Bag Squeezing Straight Jacket?

First post by Ziggybrew, 13 years ago

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:idea: de5m0mike just invented a really cool kettle insulator ( ) and it got me to thinking. I plan to start BIAB in January (Northern Hemisphere = cold & windy). Has anyone came up with a way to wrap your bag after it is hoisted from the mash and use a series of straps to cinch and squeeze the bag while keeping it warm to finish draining in the cold wind? I have a lot of sleeping bags that have these strap systems to squeeze the bag down smaller so it fits better in a backpack. I thought of...

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I'm totally with BobBrews on this. Not just on the self-abuse bit but also on the brewing advice :smoke:.

Great to see you thinking your brew through Ziggy. This will actually make a significant difference on your brew day. Even getting set up the day before seems to make things run smoothly.

The amount of liquor you will score from a drained bag is, in my opinion, not worth the effort. Just twist and squeeze with industrial rubber gloves and pull the bag. If you want, hang the bag in a...

Leather Pot Insulation

First post by de5m0mike, 13 years ago

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I'm thinking about wrapping my pot in leather to help insulate during the mash. I have access to loads of free leather from work. I'm currently using some packing blankets but I don't like how bulky and cumbersome they are. I did a little poking around online and it looks like leather has a pretty good insulation value. I also think it would be pretty easy to cut some pieces to size and wrap them around my pot and hold in place with a belt strap or bungee cord or something. Not to mention the...

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Yea, make sure it's a good sewing machine. I killed my wife's sewing machine making backpacks and tents. She aint happy.

BIAB New Keggle Build - HOLE SIZE?

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First post by TopherM, 14 years ago

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I am an experienced extract brewer about to go AG with BIAB. I recently obtained a keg that I am going to turn into a keggle. I have a friend with a fabrication shop that is going to plasma cut the top for me.

In your experience, what is the optimum keggle top hole size for BIAB? I assume the more flush to the wall, the better, but do some of you BIAB with a keggle with a 12 or 14.5 hole? These seem to be common stainless steel lid sizes. I was leaning towards a 14.5 hole, which would leave...

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Quick question in relation to ball valves (if you have one) - Do you guys use a pick up tube or just an elbow piece inside you kettle?

I have a pickup tube on mine. It was a 'center' but I flipped it and cut it a little to make it a side pickup tube so my immersion chiller would sit on the bottom.

FYI: Anyone using a valve and a pickup tube must use a long enough hose to maintain a siphon. see example; onclick= window.open(this.href);return false; ... 754235881/

Electric Stirrer to Maintain Mash Temps

First post by kzimmer0817, 13 years ago

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I'm in the process of planning my BIAB build - the E-Kettle and the Controller. I have 2 more extract + specialty grain kits to brew before I move to AG - I know, I've been saying that for 2 months, now, but my schedule will be more open after January.

I want to be able to maintain mash temps. Perhaps the simplest is to wrap a quilt around the e-kettle. I have planned on adding a pump and recirculate liquid from under the false-bottom near the element back to the top. I have had second...

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coordinating manual stirring with cycling of the element

Do this for your first batch at least :)

Build your e-kettle... how many watts are you going for and what boiling volume?

perhaps put a drain port in

but do at least one batch with the manual way before you try pumps and other things ;)

After that, go for your life ;)

Anyone use bayou classic steam basket when brewing BIAB?

First post by scoundrel, 13 years ago

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I'm getting a large ss bayou classic brew kettle for christmas and it comes with the steam basket. I have a BIAB setup and would like to use the basket for simplicity and to take the stress off the bag when brewing 10+ gallon batches. I was wondering if anyone has tried this. I'd specifically like to know if it protects the bag from burning and if the wort burns in the gap between the basket and kettle. Any and all input is most appreciated!

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I should have mentioned that. It's 82 quarts and my 8 year old can sit in it. I have a very strong bag but 36+ pounds is alot of wet grain. I think for 10 gallon batches, I should have plenty of room. I have several heavy duty bungee cords to assist me in lifting it to a steel crossbar.

Blichmann False Bottom

First post by TopRowSeat, 13 years ago

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I'm a couple of BIABs in and starting to get the hang of it. My first attempt I didn't crush enough, my second attempt I had an issue getting the bag out and lost a lot of good wort. I just put up a pulley system in the garage and waiting on my Barley Crusher to arrive (both are attempts to bring my efficiency numbers up a bit to a consistent 70%)

So I'm thinking now about what a pain it is to lift the bag when I have to add heat to maintain my mash temp.

I have a Blichmann 15 Gal pot that...

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Funny, I very recently asked the same question on another forum...but what I decided was to finally make a pulley system, which when I add heat I raise the bag to a pre-set height via to a cleat. I have photos for you to see.

I asked myself why the heck do I want to always throw out big money to solve something, this year I sold off some of my equipment to make it more simply on myself, so why add another piece of gear on the hot side of the process. KISS it.

Pulling the bag from a tall, narrow kettle.

First post by PistolPatch, 13 years ago

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I have always owned wide kettles (height equals diameter) so one thing I never thought of until recently was the problems a brewer with a tall, narrow kettle (such as an urn) might experience.

With a wide pot, pulling the bag is easy as the bag immediately pulls away from the sides of the kettle. With a narrow pot, brewers may find that when they lift the bag, it stays against the sides of the kettle forming a seal that lifts the wort up as well. A bit like if you had a coffee plunger and...

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Get a good taper on the bag, then pieces of cake, man... Have you seen my recent photos?

EDIT: Get'cha some keg lube :lol:

Brew bag materials, synthetic vs natural??

First post by aussiebeerslave, 14 years ago

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Hey guys,

my mate and i are gearing up for our first biab and i was wondering if there are any downsides to using natural fibres (ie. 100% cotton) other than the working life of the bag and drain time. The concern with using synthetics is some form of chemical leaching into the brew.

Any thoughts or comments would be helpful,

Beerslave.

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Just a quick post to add some more info to this thread before I forget it...

I've read of a few brewers who are happy using natural fibres however, natural fibres need to be given a good boil first. For example, it is not uncommon for cotton to be pre-treated with arsenic.

Finding the melting point of materials is quite difficult. For example, some nylons have the same melting point as some polyesters. They are generally above 180 C though.

Some burners with a narrowly focussed flame can...

2nd hand Fridge

First post by Yeasty, 14 years ago

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I've just got my hands on a 2nd hand fridge :clap: :cool:
Now what to do with it ?. I think I'm going to add temperature control and make a brew fridge out of it. My reasoning being I think fermentation temperature control is more important than having a kegerator.

I'll post my progress as I go along.

:shoot:

Yeasty

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I like your STC-1000 build :)