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Getting the itch to brew again...


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#101 denny

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Posted 06 December 2016 - 10:20 AM

My batch is about ready to keg. It hasn't left the kettle yet. In fact it hasn't moved. It's still sitting on the burner. I'm planning on kegging right off the ball valve. It's high enough off the floor that i should be able to gravity fill into a horizontal keg with it at a slight angle.

I'm going to brew again this weekend with the bag from brewinabag.com. The bag looks pretty good. I'm hoping to have my electric hoist system set up by then, too.

I have pictures from the brew day, i promise i'll post them this weekend!

 

I got my bags last week.  Hope to use them next week.



#102 positiveContact

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Posted 06 December 2016 - 10:27 AM

My batch is about ready to keg. It hasn't left the kettle yet. In fact it hasn't moved. It's still sitting on the burner. I'm planning on kegging right off the ball valve. It's high enough off the floor that i should be able to gravity fill into a horizontal keg with it at a slight angle.

I'm going to brew again this weekend with the bag from brewinabag.com. The bag looks pretty good. I'm hoping to have my electric hoist system set up by then, too.

I have pictures from the brew day, i promise i'll post them this weekend!

 

do you trust that the valve on the kettle is clean inside?  you'll still use a hose and put it into the bottom of the keg right?


Edited by Evil_Morty, 06 December 2016 - 10:38 AM.


#103 HVB

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Posted 06 December 2016 - 10:35 AM



I got my bags last week.  Hope to use them next week.

I did 2 batches with the bag in my MLT and it worked good for me.  The one issue I has was the transfer slowing down towards the end but that may have been because I pump. 

 

The first batch I had this for a pick up and the second batch I just used an elbow off the silicone tubing and that worked better. The ease of cleanup made it worth it for me.

 

31318929122_7be738f95f_c.jpg



#104 3rd party JKor

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Posted 06 December 2016 - 10:55 AM

do you trust that the valve on the kettle is clean inside? you'll still use a hose and put it into the bottom of the keg right?


That's kinda the wild card. I can't say for certain. I star san'd the crap out of the exposed portion, but there is still liquid inside the 'ball' in the ball valve. Unfermented wort, presumably. I'll probably run off the first few ounces to the drain but there's no way i can know if something bad happened in there. I recirc'd boiling wort through it for a few minutes, so that gives me a little confidence, but ultimately I won't know.

#105 positiveContact

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Posted 06 December 2016 - 11:19 AM

That's kinda the wild card. I can't say for certain. I star san'd the crap out of the exposed portion, but there is still liquid inside the 'ball' in the ball valve. Unfermented wort, presumably. I'll probably run off the first few ounces to the drain but there's no way i can know if something bad happened in there. I recirc'd boiling wort through it for a few minutes, so that gives me a little confidence, but ultimately I won't know.

 

I might consider using a racking cane.  one time thought it might be a good idea to drain from my mash tun into the valve at the bottom of my kettle.  I figured why not?  well what happened was the wort that was in there during the boil got cooked in and left some build up.  it was only when I cleaned the kettle before the next batch that I realized how much crud had built up in the drain/valve.  fortunately I think the nylon brush got the stuff out along with oxiclean.



#106 3rd party JKor

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Posted 07 December 2016 - 07:47 AM

The idea is to make this as simple as possible. I'm going to let it fly with the ball valve method and see what happens. Maybe next batch i'll think about how to improve ball valve sanitation. I certainly could backfeed a little starsan into the valve after chilling. That might be worthwhile.

I ordered a bunch of stuff yesterday for setting up my BIAB hoist system. I should at least be able to put together a makeshift hoist system for this weekend's brew.

#107 3rd party JKor

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Posted 25 February 2017 - 05:52 AM

I've been working on the insulation cover for my 25 gal pot. I'm not sure why i felt the need to make it 2"'thick, but there you go...

httpss://www.flickr.com/gp/73306536@N08/0Q92i7

#108 3rd party JKor

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Posted 25 February 2017 - 08:24 AM

I'm going to give the MLT insulation a test run right now. How will it perform???

#109 DieselGopher

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Posted 25 February 2017 - 02:00 PM

It's 2" thick because MOAR is always better. Right?!? Looks great, how did it work?

#110 3rd party JKor

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Posted 25 February 2017 - 08:17 PM

Got sidetracked by kids, as usual. <_<

#111 3rd party JKor

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 03:48 PM

I'm thinking about getting a 3500W induction cooktop for my wort.  Anyone ever tried induction heat for brewing?

 

 

https://www.webstaur... 208*240.html

 

httpss://www.amazon.com/Countertop-Commercial-Induction-Electric-Magnetic/dp/B016UBZT3U


Edited by JKor, 07 March 2017 - 03:50 PM.


#112 3rd party JKor

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 04:14 PM

My base plan is to use four 1500W electric range burners to build a custom 6000W electric range.  That method is cheap and easy.  I would just have 4 switches to control each of the 4 burners so i could have 100%-75%-50%-25%-OFF.

 

The 3500W induction burner is $180, so not crazy expensive either.  It has adjustable power output, but obviously the max power is lower and would probably take quite a while to boil 13-14gal of pre-boil wort.

 

Also, I kinda like the idea of DIYing a 6000W hot plate.  :D



#113 HVB

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 04:23 PM

Guy I know used a 3500 watt induction cooktop and he could only get 6g to simmer, not a full boil.

#114 neddles

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 04:32 PM

Guy I know used a 3500 watt induction cooktop and he could only get 6g to simmer, not a full boil.

How were his beers? The low oxygen brewing folks have been pushing low intensity boils. I can't relay the logic coherently but they did cite some work done on thermal stress to the wort that sure seemed to make sense when I skimmed it.



#115 HVB

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 05:14 PM

How were his beers? The low oxygen brewing folks have been pushing low intensity boils. I can't relay the logic coherently but they did cite some work done on thermal stress to the wort that sure seemed to make sense when I skimmed it.


They were OK. There may be a boil experiment coming soon I hope to participate in to see if there is any merit to the boil intensity discussion.

#116 Hines

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 05:23 PM

Definitely let us know those results. I've always brought to full rolling boil, then reduced to a more steady boil. No idea if that has impacted any of my brews.

#117 denny

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Posted 08 March 2017 - 09:46 AM

I'm thinking about getting a 3500W induction cooktop for my wort.  Anyone ever tried induction heat for brewing?

 

 

https://www.webstaur... 208*240.html

 

httpss://www.amazon.com/Countertop-Commercial-Induction-Electric-Magnetic/dp/B016UBZT3U

 

Yep, I've been working with it in the small batches I'm doing.  My experience is that an 1800W induction plate can barely boil 3 gal.



#118 3rd party JKor

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Posted 08 March 2017 - 09:51 AM

Well, sounds like induction will be marginal, at best, for a larger system.  Back to good 'ol resistive heating.



#119 3rd party JKor

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Posted 13 March 2017 - 12:38 PM

Ok, got all my parts for the 6kW hot plate. Probably won't be until April when i get a chance to weld it up. Can't wait!


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