Club Brew System
I wanted to get a thread started so that we can discuss the design of the club brew system. Before we get into specifc design ideas, a good place to start would be assessing the needs of the system.
So far we have:
An all grain system
Capable of brewing 10 gallons of beer
Must be portable- could be broken down and packed into a Subaru station wagon or a small truck. This is
so anyone in the club could check the system out and transport it themselves.
Should be straight forward enough so as to encourage someone who has never brewed all grain to want to try
What else?
Another thing to consider is that this system could evolve over time and offer options for different brewing techniques using interchangeable components. For now lets just get something going but use some forethought so that desired additions will be compatable with the original design.
Our current inventory of materials includes: 3 - 15gallon kegs. (One already has a ball valve and a false bottom. The other two only have the tops cut off.) A propane tank. An imersion chiller in need of some repair. A few carboys. A few kegs. An oxygenation kit. A fire extinguisher. Anything else? Any donations?
Budget: this has yet to be determined. We should have at lest $500 to get things started. Possibly more if funds are avilable and it's approved by the club. Any design that is presented will need to include a realistic estimate for the materials needed.
Time frame: it would be great to have this ready for Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day which is the first weekend in November.
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Club brew system
Evan:
Yes, let’s first define our goals & objectives for the club system.
I agree with yours and add the following:
- One person should be able to transport, assemble, brew, clean, and disassemble the system.
- No single component should weigh more than a 15 gallon barrel.
- Given that the system is intended for a 10 gallon brewing experience (amateur or advanced), it should provide gravity feed sufficient to accommodate either copper coil type chillers and/or counter flow chillers.
Gary
May want to change that to.
May want to change that to. No single component should weigh more than a 15 keggel or the gas bottle.
Tom
Chilling out
For planning purposes, the reason I suggest that our system design accomodate a counter-flow chiller is that, having one, I find it to be a significant time saver.
I don't necessarily expect that a counter-flow chiller would be an included system component (due to cost). Rather, one could be used with our system as an option if available.
If one is planning to cool ten gallons with a single copper coil type chiller, it is going to take a while .
Unless we plan to use a pump, all counterflow chillers that I know of require gravity feed.
Chillin
I think a chilling system should be part of the brew system.
I'm using an emersion chiller now and it works well on 10 gallons. It takes longer than other devices but it gets the job done. It will be an expensive piece of equipment no matter what we go with but it will be well worth it. Thom at the Brew Shop just got a new chiller from Blichmann.
http://www.blichmannengineering.com/Therminator/Therminator.htm
He's ran one batch of beer through it and was very pleased. It would cost maybe twice as much as an emersion chiller but it is way faster and uses a lot less water. Could be money well spent? What ever we go with or upgrade to the design should consider such devices as the beer travels from the kettle to the carboy.
chiller
Hey Guy's
Great discussion, At the end of the day a more sophisticated chiller would be a wonderful addition to the system. My only concern is that a beginner can wrap their head around an immersion chiller, but a counter flow or plate chiller might be intimidating. That said I love the idea, and depending on the cost of the build might be totally doable.
I look forward to seeing the designs you guys come up with
Brian