Brewing greener

[Rossa]

Using a water butt, submersible pump from lidl, a chugger, 2 copper coil chillers in relay and another butt I chilled in 12 mins to 18c today and collected the water. If I split the water to each coil separately it could chill even quicker.


The spent grain then went to the DSPCA for the animals to munch on.




Let me know if you can't see the vid.

[Shanna]

Rossa,

Any chance you could give a more detailed breakdown of how the different bits fit together. I want to start doing something similar myself and I am not sure how the chugger would fit in to my setup?

Shanna

[Rossa]

Chugger keeps the wort moving over the copper chiller.  The two chillers have hose attachments linking them up to the pump in the water butt. That's it really. If you are passing some day pop in and I'll show you. Really simple but very effective.

[LordEoin]

That's weird, we were only talking about this last night..

[Shanna]

Chugger keeps the wort moving over the copper chiller.  The two chillers have hose attachments linking them up to the pump in the water butt. That's it really. If you are passing some day pop in and I'll show you. Really simple but very effective.

Ok I see now (after watching the video three more times , the wort is recirculated through the chugger by draining it out through the tap and then back in through the top of the keg. Is there any chance of introducing air born nasties or nasties from the tubing? I also notice that you have your boiler moved outside. Do you brew outside or do you move it outside after the boil? As I have a chugger on order, will have to get one of those submersible pumps myself.

One other question re the tri clamp fittings on the chugger. What size are these and are you using male, female or barbed fittings with the piping?

Shanna

[Rossa]

I have tri clover clamps on the chugger and on the pot. Fairly quick and not to expensive. 1/2 inch npt with barb. Got them in the USA. The wort goes through the pump from 100c so would kill most nasties. I just hold the tube until all the air is out and liquid flows.
I plan another port at the top of the pot but haven't got there yet.

I boil outside all the time unless it rains hence its proximity to the shed.

[Rossa]

Outside generally has less nasties than inside anyway. Though the water in the butt is essentially stagnant and will need to be taken care of.

You mean I can't brew with it

[Rossa]

It's a nice solution for the thrifty brewer come water rate time... plus it's handy for watering the plants!

[Shanna]

Currently I use the cooling water to clean everything as generally speaking its around 50-60C from cooling the wort down. Might have to look at some kind of filter before using water from my water but as it has all manner of stuff in it.

Shanna

[Rossa]

Or washing the car. Hard to justify paying for tap water to do it once the water meters kick in.

My pressure washer will pull from the butt once it's primed. Very handy for doing the deck. ( There is a joke in there somewhere. )

[Shanna]

Hi Rossa

As lidl are doing the submersible pumps this Thursday I thought it would a good idea to review this thread. I have a few more questions that I was hoping you would answer please.

1. You reference two chillers in your setup. How does the 2nd one fit in? I assume you push the water from the water butt in through a chiller that sits in the wort.

2. Is your submersible pump fed from a tap on the water butt or you pumping directly from water butt?

3. How far is the water butt from your boiler?

4. Is the cabling on the pump water proof?

Thanks

Shanna

[Rossa]

Hi Rossa

As lidl are doing the submersible pumps this Thursday I thought it would a good idea to review this thread. I have a few more questions that I was hoping you would answer please.

1. You reference two chillers in your setup. How does the 2nd one fit in? I assume you push the water from the water butt in through a chiller that sits in the wort.

2. Is your submersible pump fed from a tap on the water butt or you pumping directly from water butt?

3. How far is the water butt from your boiler?

4. Is the cabling on the pump water proof?

Thanks

Shanna

1, the immersion chillers are two different sizes so fit in the pot. They are connected to a hozelock 4 way splitter so each gets its own water feed and are in parallel. // [url="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655"]http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655 /URL]

2. The pump is submersed.

3. I've two butts. I often pump from one through the chillers and into the second? That would easily be  15m of hose.

4. The cable goes into the butt too so I'd hope so! Its heavy duty and is moulded to the plug.

[Shanna]

Hi Rossa

As lidl are doing the submersible pumps this Thursday I thought it would a good idea to review this thread. I have a few more questions that I was hoping you would answer please.

1. You reference two chillers in your setup. How does the 2nd one fit in? I assume you push the water from the water butt in through a chiller that sits in the wort.

2. Is your submersible pump fed from a tap on the water butt or you pumping directly from water butt?

3. How far is the water butt from your boiler?

4. Is the cabling on the pump water proof?

Thanks

Shanna

1, the immersion chillers are two different sizes so fit in the pot. They are connected to a hozelock 4 way splitter so each gets its own water feed and are in parallel. // [url="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655"]http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655 /URL]

2. The pump is submersed.

3. I've two butts. I often pump from one through the chillers and into the second? That would easily be  15m of hose.

4. The cable goes into the butt too so I'd hope so! Its heavy duty and is moulded to the plug.

Thanks Rossa appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Shanna

[Rossa]

Hi Rossa

As lidl are doing the submersible pumps this Thursday I thought it would a good idea to review this thread. I have a few more questions that I was hoping you would answer please.

1. You reference two chillers in your setup. How does the 2nd one fit in? I assume you push the water from the water butt in through a chiller that sits in the wort.

2. Is your submersible pump fed from a tap on the water butt or you pumping directly from water butt?

3. How far is the water butt from your boiler?

4. Is the cabling on the pump water proof?

Thanks

Shanna

1, the immersion chillers are two different sizes so fit in the pot. They are connected to a hozelock 4 way splitter so each gets its own water feed and are in parallel. // [url="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655"]http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655 /URL]

2. The pump is submersed.

3. I've two butts. I often pump from one through the chillers and into the second? That would easily be  15m of hose.

4. The cable goes into the butt too so I'd hope so! Its heavy duty and is moulded to the plug.

Thanks Rossa appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Shanna

No worries. Pop over and I'll show you if you like.

Insert joke here.

[Shanna]

Hi Rossa

As lidl are doing the submersible pumps this Thursday I thought it would a good idea to review this thread. I have a few more questions that I was hoping you would answer please.

1. You reference two chillers in your setup. How does the 2nd one fit in? I assume you push the water from the water butt in through a chiller that sits in the wort.

2. Is your submersible pump fed from a tap on the water butt or you pumping directly from water butt?

3. How far is the water butt from your boiler?

4. Is the cabling on the pump water proof?

Thanks

Shanna

1, the immersion chillers are two different sizes so fit in the pot. They are connected to a hozelock 4 way splitter so each gets its own water feed and are in parallel. // [url="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655"]http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0298/9049/products/hozelock-2150_large.jpg?v=1386511655 /URL]

2. The pump is submersed.

3. I've two butts. I often pump from one through the chillers and into the second? That would easily be  15m of hose.

4. The cable goes into the butt too so I'd hope so! Its heavy duty and is moulded to the plug.

Thanks Rossa appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Shanna

No worries. Pop over and I'll show you if you like.

Insert joke here.

I liked the garden hose splitter that you are using. Once I get my chugger pump up hopefully I won't need an extra chiller. I will be adding a 2nd ball valve to my boil kettle to allow me start to whirlpool. Will take you up on that demonstration someday, might be a while though with the different things going on over the next few weekends.

Shanna