Brewday - In pictures!

[Shanna]

Love when folks post their brewdays
I'm such a lazy bastard I just mill straight into MT now
One essential piece of kit there I need to get, croissant, group buy anyone?

I am so fighting the will to automate my herms brewing like Nigel and you with a box, I still like the steam engine fiddling approach which does give me 100% temp control accuracy, just feel like I'm more in control of the process(clearly control freak).
Maybe when brewpi get their shit together. Edit end of this year which means middle of next 
Interesting discussion on Jims recently where a significant number of braumeisters were bought by old hands but they miss the fettling and some have sold them to start again .

@shanna see where that arrow is pointing on that chugger thats where you put your oil.

Keep posting!

Thanks CH

[Shanna]

Colm trying to understand why you have some many 1/2" taps. If you got a spare moment would really love if you could take a photo of all three vessels completely hooked and explain what each is doing along with pictures of inside so I can see what the returns looks like

Shanna

[Leann ull]

tap envy?
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,10108.120.html

Molc does herms in his HLT rather than the extra pot like the rest of us 

[Shanna]

tap envy?
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,10108.120.html

hehehehe, funny thing is I have loads of stainless steel taps in my shed, just nothing to attached them to

Shanna

[molc]

Colm trying to understand why you have some many 1/2" taps. If you got a spare moment would really love if you could take a photo of all three vessels completely hooked and explain what each is doing along with pictures of inside so I can see what the returns looks like

Shanna

Each of the pics in this thread is "trying" to explain what each is doing. I'm going to do up diagrams of each stage now that I have it written down, so I have my own little manual during a brewday and don't forget. It was part of the reason for this post in fact!

As for why there are so many taps, mostly it's liquid flow control. When the vessel is full, it stops them leaking everywhere. Also, I never empty my herms coil, since bugs love to have damp surfaces to grow. To keep it wet, there are taps on the IN and OUT.

Every vessel has an IN connection at the top and an OUT connection at the bottom. All OUT's are connected to center diptubes for convenience.

Summary of taps:
BK
- BK-OUT, BK-WHIRLPOOL-IN
MT
- MT-OUT (MT-IN at the top should have one as well, but I'm short a tap and camlock)
HLT
- HLT-OUT, HLT-HERMS-IN, HLT-HERMS-OUT. HLT-IN could technically have one as well, but I never overfill the HLT.

Pics Incoming in the next few posts.

[molc]

HLT. Excuse the upside down tap - I need to put more PTFE tape on it but too lazy to empty the herms coil The top IN has a small 90 degree fitting and some 1/2 silicon tubing to direct the flow into the vessel.

The temp sensor on the HERMS-OUT is what I use to control the mash.

[molc]

MT, complete with my custom false bottom. Usually this has a bag in there to make cleaning easier, so the big hole isn't an issue. There's a temp sensor on the OUT, but I don't usually use it.

[molc]

BK - Complete with hop spider - I've done upto 300g of hops in that and it's worked perfectly. It usually sits over the second element on the left, so the turbelent wort is pushed through it. At least, that's the theory in my head!

There's also a temp sensor that I just drape inside during the boil - I should fit a thermowell for this, but again, being lazy. Nigel has even given me a well to install, so I'll get it done someday.

[Ashbless]

Hi - Could you tell me what the mobile extractor fan thing is? I def need something like that!

[molc]

All the info should he linked from here; http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php?topic=10108.msg138693.msg#138693

[Ashbless]

Much obliged! I like your setup - I think I'll have to get a hop spider and mash bag as well - be nice to be able to CIP rather than lugging heavy vessels outside at the end of brewing for cleaning...

[Motorbikeman]

Molc, do you find your bittering hops are getting properly boiled with that hop spider?   

I find my hop spider gets gunged up and blocked a bit.     Beer less bitter than I expected.. 

[molc]

Haven't noticed a drop in bitterness and I've done about 350g with it for a double ipa. I stir the hops in the spider a few times on the boil just to clear the funk buildup as well.
One other thing is I first wort hop all my beers. Can't say if that makes a difference, but just stating for completeness.

[Pheeel]

Haven't noticed a drop in bitterness and I've done about 350g with it for a double ipa. I stir the hops in the spider a few times on the boil just to clear the funk buildup as well.
One other thing is I first wort hop all my beers. Can't say if that makes a difference, but just stating for completeness.

I use a hop spider and no problems with bitterness

[Will_D]

I use a hop spider and no problems with bitterness

Well James used a few dead spiders and ended up with:

"Spider Beer, Spider Beer, Noone else makes Spider Beer"