Club Equipment

[Padraic]

So I was thinking today that we might start looking into getting together some joint equipment? What are your feelings?

I was mainly reminded of it because of the corny buy that is happening at the moment and I was thinking it would be great if the capital brewers had our own corny setup, that could be borrowed or just used for our get togethers in Tog etc.

But a brewery might be a better place to start?

Thoughts? Feelings?

[Dr Jacoby]

I haven't been able to make it to TOG yet so I don't really know how things are organised, but if we were to get some equipment I would recommend portability. For example:

- plastic buckets converted to boilers are much easier to lug around than converted kegs and the like (but we'd have to use large thick-walled buckets like the ones Hop & Grape used to sell for durability and flexibility in terms of batch sizes)
- copper chillers should be fitted with hose disconnects to make it easy to plug in and out at different locations etc. 
- a 2kg Co2 tank is much easier to carry around than a 5 or 6 kg monster.
- some form of portable temp control would be great if fermentation was to occur in a shared space (e.g. a heating belt hooked up to an STC 1000 temp controller)
- we could also create a tea cosy style cover for the fermentation vessel (possibly from lagging jackets sewn together)
- cornies would make things much handier, especially if the unfermented wort needed to be re-located to somebody's house or apartment for fermentation. I like the look of the jolly kegs being sourced in the group buy that's going on at the moment.
- if we were ambitious and wanted to ferment in cornies we could also get spunding bleed valves so that the beer could be left to ferment without supervision. Then we could pump it under pressure (and away from oxygen) into serving cornies or beergun it into bottles for distribution.

Can equipment be stored in TOG? Would it be risky to even try? Lots of stuff to think about!

[Rossa]

If we bought a 100l brew magic system what would you think?

[Shane Phelan]

If we bought a 100l brew magic system what would you think?

I would rather give TOG €2000 (Instead of €6000) and get them to build it!

[Rossa]

If we bought a 100l brew magic system what would you think?

I would rather give TOG €2000 (Instead of €6000) and get them to build it!

What if we bought one for €1500?

[Shane Phelan]

Go on...

[Rossa]

It has been offered to me a couple of times now but I need to get a proper price. Could be a great club purchase.

[Shane Phelan]

That would be a pretty impressive asset.

[Dr Jacoby]

We really would be the Capital Brewers then 

We should also buy a rake of wine barrels and start a sour programme 

Surely the next logical step following on from the barrel projects!

[Shane Phelan]

The big storage unit beside TOG (that they are dying to rent but don't have the numbers) would be perfect for this.

[Rossa]

We really would be the Capital Brewers then 

We should also buy a rake of wine barrels and start a sour programme 

Surely the next logical step following on from the barrel projects!

I might have an in for wine barrels too. A friends brother in law owns a wine shop in Dublin and they bottle there own I believe. It is a bit hazy though as I got talking to him late on at a wedding.

[Rossa]

The big storage unit beside TOG (that they are dying to rent but don't have the numbers) would be perfect for this.

Really? Any prices?

[DEMPSEY]

What sort of equipment is offered to you Rossa.

[Rossa]

I haven't seen it but I believe a brewmagic 100l system, stand, pots pumps etc. Would need to clarify though.

[Shane Phelan]

Yeah I was talking to one of the TOG guys about it a few months ago when I was there for a brew day. AFAIK it is empty at the moment and it has a full height shutter thingy so you could nearly reverse a lorry (or large fermenters) in there.

I never asked them about the price but I'm sure Jules would be able to tell us. I reckon some sort of partnership could be arranged as I'm sure they want to use it too for certain applications.