Home brewery

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Decided to build myself a two tier homebrewing stand for brewing beer like the big boys.  I also made a grain mill station out if an old military ammo crate.  Ive been brewing for over 11-12 years and ive brewed on a microbrewery level overseas for 3 years.  Ive owned a $7000 sabco brew magic mini microbrewery for the house, but sold it because of the simplicity of brewing out of coolers and kettles turned out the same product as the expensive unit, so here it is. Attached Images
Reply:Details on the mill? Was it a store bought mill that you added to, or 100% from scratch?A friend of mine just finished her second batch(100x better than her first)She is giving me a carboy, and I plan on making a batch of cider(aiming for a 10% ABV)A coworker wants me to build him a brew sculpture, but on a budget, neither of us have the metal laying around.
Reply:Don't you need a third tier and another burner?Are you gonna add a pump?TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Don't you need a third tier and another burner?Are you gonna add a pump?
Reply:Originally Posted by Fnord5Details on the mill? Was it a store bought mill that you added to, or 100% from scratch?A friend of mine just finished her second batch(100x better than her first)She is giving me a carboy, and I plan on making a batch of cider(aiming for a 10% ABV)A coworker wants me to build him a brew sculpture, but on a budget, neither of us have the metal laying around.
Reply:What do you use for a cooler? Coiled copper tubing?This project is one I have been wanting to do. I have mostly made wine but have done a few batches of beer. You get to drink much sooner than wine......Bonus. I use 6-1/2 gallon buckets for the primary fermentation and then go to the 5-gal carboys for the secondary fermentation and racking.Post photos of the finished product in use. I would love to see the setup in operation for some ideas.
Reply:Originally Posted by chuckholeWhat do you use for a cooler? Coiled copper tubing?This project is one I have been wanting to do. I have mostly made wine but have done a few batches of beer. You get to drink much sooner than wine......Bonus. I use 6-1/2 gallon buckets for the primary fermentation and then go to the 5-gal carboys for the secondary fermentation and racking.Post photos of the finished product in use. I would love to see the setup in operation for some ideas.
Reply:Yeah can't wait to see the brewery in action, a must better setup than what I currently am using.
Reply:I'm a was a one pot brewer too.  Gotta get back to it..  A 25 gallon megapot and a 10 gallon Coleman cooler was all I needed to get 160 gravity points and make 15 gallon batches of 1055 beer.  A second pot is a time saver though.  Being able to start heating up your runnings before all of your sparge water is used.It just looks like lifting your cooler mash tun up to the high level when its full of mash ain't gonna be too fun, especially in a few more years.I'd want some cross braces on the lower part of those legs also.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:You new set up looks great I would add some supports at the bottom of the legs though!!I love brewing beer I prefer the tripple burner set up HLT MASH and BOIL and stainless no paint to burn off. Attached ImagesDonnelly Small Engine & WeldingFoley AlabamaLincoln 225 TigLinoln 215 migHypertherm Powermax 65Ellis 1600 sawEllis 6000 belt grinderJD2 Model 4 tubing benderAtlas  12"X54" metal latheLots of large hammers
Reply:Originally Posted by worm122You new set up looks great I would add some supports at the bottom of the legs though!!I love brewing beer I prefer the tripple burner set up HLT MASH and BOIL and stainless no paint to burn off.
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255I'm a was a one pot brewer too.  Gotta get back to it..  A 25 gallon megapot and a 10 gallon Coleman cooler was all I needed to get 160 gravity points and make 15 gallon batches of 1055 beer.  A second pot is a time saver though.  Being able to start heating up your runnings before all of your sparge water is used.
Reply:Heres my simple but very effective brewery in action!
Reply:This is a blonde i brewed sunday.
Reply:Bohemian pilsner i brewed yesterday.
Reply:Mashing out the bohemian pilsner.
Reply:Im brewing a dry stout today, an ipa tomorrow, pale ale thursday, and finish off strong on friday with a strong personal beer called the porkchop express in memory of my dad.  In the next two weeks ill make somewhere in the ball oark of 85 gallons of beer, and around 15 to 16 different styles.  If any of you are close to me, stop on in for some beer.
Reply:Looks like your mash pH is off on that blonde.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Looks like your mash pH is off on that blonde.
Reply:Originally Posted by usmcruzIs that right!    let me guess, i should send you all those beers and try again! Lol
Reply:I Guess it doesn't count as home brewing anymore when you're doing 3.5 barrells in a batch (3.5 barrells = 1000 pints)? lol, no it doesn't cause my buddies are actually opening a micro brewery. but the set up I helped them pick up makes home brewing rigs just pale in comparison. Think the one worm posted on Steroids.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Cool! Nice to see other homebrewers on weldingweb. Im a bigtime homebrewer and built this morebeer tippy dump replica (minus the tippy dump).
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Looks like your mash pH is off on that blonde.
Reply:Originally Posted by usmcruzBohemian pilsner i brewed yesterday.
Reply:Originally Posted by SR20steveThats some nice clear wort there. I've been doing 10 gallon BIAB's as of late, I do a modified BIAB as I use two vessels (one mash/BK, one batch sparge vessell). Im really enjoying brewing this way compared to the 3 vessel ricirc mash, I can pulverize the grain waaay finer that I could on my traditional set-up so I get crazy effeciency (like 80%+) and it probably shortens my brewday by at least a hour or so.Originally Posted by SR20steveCool! Nice to see other homebrewers on weldingweb. Im a bigtime homebrewer and built this morebeer tippy dump replica (minus the tippy dump).
Reply:Originally Posted by ThorsHammerI Guess it doesn't count as home brewing anymore when you're doing 3.5 barrells in a batch (3.5 barrells = 1000 pints)? lol, no it doesn't cause my buddies are actually opening a micro brewery. but the set up I helped them pick up makes home brewing rigs just pale in comparison. Think the one worm posted on Steroids.
Reply:Originally Posted by SR20steveNow how would you know that!?? lol
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Cause it still looks kinda cloudy to me.  Whenever I brewed a great light colored beer, the wort was crystal clear after the cold break.  Too high of a pH and I got haze, too low I got bad efficiency.  I use Jamils whirlpool imersion chiller with a March pump and whirlfloc.  I knew I had the whole Zen thing going on when the wort was crystal clear
Reply:I'm bumping this thread as I'm starting in the sickness of homebrewing. I'm gonna have some questions and hopefully you guys are still around.
Reply:@ worm122 - nice setup!  Your build based on the Brutus 10 HREMS?  A buddy of mine is co-planning a "10" build with me.  We're still @ TDC, deciding when to start the build.  Sizable investment, but the rig would outlast the Earth.Thinking the wave of the future is in craft distillery.  Different rules and regs, but the "opportunity" to capitalize remains.  The home/commercial distillery market is where craft beer brewing was 10-15 yrs ago.  Brewing means stainless steel w/ TIG, while distillery means Cu + SS w/ brazing.  The engineer in me says go brewery, the artist in me says go distillery.  Lots of cool design/build systems to consider.  Time for a beer.  Ha!"Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:The problem with going into the craft beer business isn't making the beer, it's getting the beer to the customer.  Are you going to keg or bottle?  If you keg, then you have to buy, fill, then deliver the kegs.  Tracking and getting your kegs back is a problem.  Bottling requires more equipment, and the ability to distribute your product.  Then you have to get shelf space in stores or wherever you plan to sell.  It's a very competitive market place for craft beer. Getting tap space at a pub or sports bar or where ever is very difficult, there are so many beers out there and a fixed number of taps.  Most of the people that I know that have tried this say that distributing is the toughest part.Lincoln Precision TIG 185.Flex-Loc 150 torch.Super-Flex hose.Lincoln MIG 180.Victor Oxy/Act torch set.DeWalt Bandsaw with SWAG stand
Reply:@ WenValley - post #31 was not directed at home brewing for $ dollars $.  The craft brewing industry is saturated.  My context was intended as a "what if?" towards craft distillery.  The trick is targeting where to inject oneself in the distillery business model.  Step back and view from 10k feet, vice 10ft.  A building block approach a la Alex Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas is one technique.  The image below, from Roots Distillery (http://rootsdistillery.wordpress.com), visualizes the BMC concept for a craft distillery.Remember:  one does not have to output juice to add value to the distillery process.  Think Levis during the Gold Rush. Attached Images"Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi