Final Few Purchases

[D_Rabbit]

So I have recently invested quite a bit of money in to my brew rig. Here are a few of the items:
- Fast Ferment V-Vessel, or whatever its called. Will hopefully have this by late september.
- Chugger pump with quick disconnects for the pump and keggles
- False bottom for the boil keg
- Stainless Steel Hop Spider

I probably could have made the last one but it put me over the top for free shipping on the false bottom so I went with it. Anyways, I am finally planning my first brew day but with all the new equipment I am a little worried about it working smoothly since i've never used it all together. Another piece of equipment that i have that I haven't used yet is my 40 plate chiller. So I worked it out with my wife that since we took thursday and friday off and have monday off for the holiday I will spend those 4 days doing work around the house and maybe doing to DC for a day in exchange for a day to dry run the new system.

So the plan is this week I will get it all set up and get everything running and make sure I have a system down, with water, so that when I actually brew up the beer it doesn't turn in to a disaster. I think I am going to brew my porter recipe since it is tried and true and than the following weekend I will brew up the pumpkin recipe so that is ready for my trip back home to CT. I promised my buddy a keg of my pumpkin beer, so that will be a 10 gallon batch. I'll keep this thread posted with the dry run and the real run so I can show off the whole set up.

Really excited about jumping back in to this but I feel like a kid going to his first day at a new school. Its a nervous anxiousness and i'm hoping I don't get bullied around. If I punch the keg back it will hurt me more than him!

Dan

[FrozenInTime]

Calm, patience bro! It will be just like riding a bicycle, once you do it, it's always in you. Glad to hear you are going to start up again. You gonna have to pm me your e-mail and address, I still owe you a couple beers! I'm hoping to get back into a regular sched. this coming winter, my brewing has been far and few between the past year or so.

[DaYooper]

Sounds like a plan! Brewed a Centennial Blonde this weekend while the missus was at a bridal shower. I FINALLY hit all my numbers dead nutz with the new equipment after taking careful notes the past several brew days. Next step is trying to get my efficiencies up, but at least I now have a starting point.

[D_Rabbit]

Posted the chugger pump attached to the No Post Thread. Here is the link:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=235&start=1095

[ScrewyBrewer]

I recently bought my first Chugger pump too, had it shipped from California to my house only to find out the Chugger pumps are made a few miles away. Go figure.

[D_Rabbit]

How do you like yours? is it the center inlet or other one? i think my orientation is good. Everything ive read states as long as the out let is above the inlet your good to go.

[ScrewyBrewer]

How do you like yours? is it the center inlet or other one? i think my orientation is good. Everything ive read states as long as the out let is above the inlet your good to go.

I'm still in the process of laying out and installing equipment the brewroom, this weekend I'll cut the hole in the side of the garage for the exhaust hood vent. I've oriented my pump head so the outlet is facing up and the inlet is pointing down, it's not the center outlet model. According to the directions from HighGravity the pump will prime as long as the inlet is lower than the bottom of the kettle, which mine is.

[losman26]

I'm very interested in this fast ferment but I would have difficulties controlling temps. My chest freezer isn't big enough, as when as the cool brewing bag I have. I think I'll probably get the chronical fermenter as soon as their temp controller becomes available.

[mtsoxfan]

Dan, looking forward to pictures when it's all done. Looks like you've come a long way from the days of moving the brewstand outside to brew when you were in CT...

[D_Rabbit]

Here are a few more pictures I took today when I thought of it. I was doing a Wet run today to make sure everything worked well and it passed with flying colors.

Beer Stand 1.jpg (231.47 KiB) Viewed 4953 times

Mash Tun Aeration.jpg (107.27 KiB) Viewed 4953 times

A few notes. Everything was mainly hand tightened which was fine except the parts to the chugger pump. I was getting some minor leaking there so I removed the disconnects and put some water tape on them and put them back on and no leaking anymore.

The pump was fantastic. I really didn't need to use it much. I primed it and used it to start but didn't even need to do that. I had everything flowing down hill so gravity did the trick. I think with some of the sludge and crap in the kettle might slow it up so I will definitely run it even if I don't need to.

I had to switch around my lower and top burners. The lower burner was just running way to strong and hot and I couldn't really dial it in well enough so I moved it up top so I was only bringing the strike water to temp instead of boiling the wort. Note to self.... I need a long grill lighter. We lost the few we had in the move and I had to use small candle matches. Burnt some hair off the arm due to the lower burner just being way to strong. Could have been worse but definitely learned the lesson.

Other concern is the slope of my driveway. Need to get some wood to level out the stand since it slopes down hill a little. Think a few pieces of plywood with a small board attached under it to raise it up should level it out enough. Will do that this week prior to brewing and post a photo of that too. It is said I told my wife I want the driveway repaved soon so the first level is flat and than after about 15 feet it can slope down hill. She was ok with that

So a small question I have about the second photo. That is a picture of the out port from the mash tun to the boil keg. It has been a while since brewing but i'm fairly positive it is a non concern. I am getting a lot of air and aeration from this port. Mainly because my manifold is made from 3/8 ID copper tubing and the out port is 1/2". Obviously due to the size differences I can't fill the 1/2" tubing due to the flow being restricted from the manifold. I was worried about aeration with this but don't think it is a concern as the liquid won't be warm enough for the aeration to made a difference, especially since I will be boiling it afterwards. I'm pretty sure that just answered my quesitons. I will be boiling it after transfer which will aerate the hell out of it which means the aeration from the mash tun to the boil keg doesn't matter.

Next week is the official kick off of back to the brewing world! Can't wait!

Ok, question answered, nothing to see here anymore. Move along

[BlackDuck]

Holy brew set up man...that looks awesome. As for the aeration in that tube...I don't think it will matter much. But all you have to do is give the tube a squeeze right where that bubble is every now and again and it will force that air bubble right down the tube and out the end.

[FrozenInTime]

Darn nice set-up! I remember when you were building your stand, I'm glad to see your finally going to use it.

[ScrewyBrewer]

That is a really nice setup! Glad to see you're nearly up and running and ready to brew 10 gallon batches too. I'm planning on giving my system with a Chugger pump a wet run later today, hoping there aren't any leaks. I agree on using Teflon tape for all of the connections and giving them a twist with a wrench to make sure they're tight without stripping the threads. Have you picked out a recipe for your first full run yet?

[D_Rabbit]

That is a really nice setup! Glad to see you're nearly up and running and ready to brew 10 gallon batches too. I'm planning on giving my system with a Chugger pump a wet run later today, hoping there aren't any leaks. I agree on using Teflon tape for all of the connections and giving them a twist with a wrench to make sure they're tight without stripping the threads. Have you picked out a recipe for your first full run yet?

Yea, I am going to run with my tried and true receipe for Kings Porter. Since the colder weather is coming up it will be a good time to get this going. Than the following weekend I will be doing my pumpkin recipe to give it time settle. I am hoping my fast fermenter is here by that time, they are projecting mid september. If it is than it will be easy to ferment and switch to secondary since I wil only need to remove the ball than add the spice tea and let sit for another week. Thinking with the fast fermenter I can have my pumpkin ready and on tap in 5 weeks, which will put it on tap just before halloween. That will make my neighbors happy

[Brewbirds]

NOW I get what you said on the No Post thread!

Yes I can see why you are being S.W.A.T.ed by your neighbors on brew day.

Just have a sign made to put in the yard whenever you pull that rig out and steam is rolling off the liquid; "It's Okay Officers, I'm a Home Brewer" then they will show up with pint glasses instead of AK-47s.