Two Tier Rig design help please, pretty please....

[Karl Hayes]

Hi all.

I'd like some help in setting up a 2 tier rig with:

55L HLT (HDPE Mini-Brew vessel from INI Breweries via Paul Wickstead) and a 3KW dishwasher element.

Converted beer keg Mash / Lauter Tun with perforated false bottom and rotating sparge arm from Chris Banks (Awesome quality btw)

70L budget kettle with ball valve and pick-up tube.

2 ring burner (yes, I'm going to have to upgrade this I suspect)

Resun MD30 Magnetic Drive Pump.

 

I'd like the HLT to gravity feed into the mash tun for sparging as this would allow the greatest control over the flow rate to the rotating sparging arm. (I need minimum 500mm of head and about 1L per minute according to Chris' instructions) Or is there a better way to control this?

I'm worried that the use of a pump between mash tun and kettle will draw the liquid out of the mash tun too quickly, causing poor efficiency. Would I be best to have an intermediate vessel to collect the runnings and pump from that vessel? In that case, how would I prime the vessel?

 

Any design tips and tricks would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Sam Nelson]

Im also wanting to setup something similar.

im basing my build on this setup

http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/forum/topics/40l-2-tier-full-mash-a...

[Chris Banks]

Hi Karl

Hey have you broken in the MLT yet?

A simple 2 tier construction like Mikes old brewery that Sam posted is ideal for what you are talking about.

An unthrottled pump would def draw the runnings to fast - since your pump is magnetic drive you could throttle the output with a valve. 

You could run of into a intermediate vessel (normally called a grant) and pump from there but you will still need to match the pump flow to your run off flow - either manually (on/off) automatically (on/off) via a level switch - (or by throttling the pump output)  to prevent overflows or the pump running dry.

Not quite sure what you mean about priming the intermediate vessel?

Chris

 

[Karl Hayes]

Hi Chris - no haven't christened the new MLT yet, maybe next weekend if I get the rig sorted.

"Not quite sure what you mean about priming the intermediate vessel?" Sorry, I meant that I would have to prime the pump if it was drawing from the intermediate vessel, but based on your advice, I'll probably just go with a ball valve to throttle the pump and something similar on the HLT side.

Cheers

[Steve Manning]

Hi - you might like to listen to this off National Radio - http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/brewing i found it very interesting and there are some pictures of the setup belonging to Stu McKinlay

 

[Liam Callaghan]

This is what I built, I'd recommend googling RIMS and HIRMS breweries though and find one that is exactly what you are looking for.  Mine is on option 7 currently and looks different to this, will try and find a photo or take some.  You can throttle your pump back on the outlet so control your flow.

I don't use a pump any longer, my last one popped and its pleasant enough lifting up the wort and being a little more hands on, feels like I am making it instead of running a machine.  I find I monitor the liquid constantly too and often stir up the mash to improve extraction, only takes a minute for the filter bed to form again and continue.

 

[Karl Hayes]

An update...

Thanks for all your help guys. As you can see in the pics, it's a bit agricultural but the guts of the system is up and running and I've done 40 L batches of both Oatmeal Stout and Pilsner Urquell clone so far.

So I went with a single tier system, one (smaller Resun 20) pump handles the hot liquor and the other (larger Resun 30) moves the wort. I've invested in 1/2" SS Camlock fittings for the wort side, and they are awesome. I got them from Berniece at http://www.proflowdynamics.com - cheap and an awesome company to deal with. The tubing was sourced in Auckland for me by a mate / plumber - it's 1/2" ID, food safe up to 120'C, and $35 per Metre. The base is ordinary H3 lumber left over from a deck and casters from Bunnings.

Still to do...

• Upgrade the electrics in the garage to take the 3KW element in the HLT (It works at the moment but the plugs heat up alarmingly)
• Upgrade the kettle to a Sanke based Keggle with 2 x 2KW elements (budget dependant)
• Set up a basic heat exchanger for a HERMES upgrade
• Persuade my wife that these upgrades are 100% necessary.

I've a few bits and bobs left over that will be for sale on Trade Me shortly, spare refractometer, spare pump, SS fittings, etc. I'll keep you posted.

Slainte.

[Liam Callaghan]

Nice work Karl!

 

I'd recommend you have a good 3 months playing with it before you consider any more upgrades as you never know what you might come up with regards improvements or design changes.

 

PM me with your stuff your selling on, just gearing up for the new brewery here so on the hunt for stuff :p

I have to convince the wife thats its necessary too

[mattd2]

Yeah there is always buyers for excess equipment from builds. Just had 15 minute coffe break and sketched up what I hope will be ther first of many iterations of my brewery. Going for a single tier, 2 vessle (possibly 3), 1 pump, RIMS setup at the mo. Let us know whats up for grabs, ofcoarse Liam you get first dibs since you are the quickest round here :)

Also how are the resun pumps going? just about to pull the trigger on one!

[Karl Hayes]

Hi Matt.

I bought 2 MD20 pumps from a Trade Me supplier for $220 each. They  work fine and are adjustable to 1.5L/minute with a ball valve for sparging.

I also bought an MD30 from AliExpress in China - about $150 including post. This is quiet a bit gruntier and I use it for wort.

So far - no problems with either model.

Cheers.

[mattd2]

Yeah I was looking at the MD30 from an "Australia" website (shipped direct from a factory somewhere in Asia)

Since it is flat rate shipping I was going to buy some stuff to make a corny/fermeter cleaner as well... maybe!

Cheers for the info!

[Karl Hayes]

What's the 'Australian' site Matt?

[mattd2]

http://www.boyu-australia.com - seems it is a HK based company. That also reminded me of another question, what threads are on the md20 / md30?

For the MD30 I have seen it be spec'd with both 3/4" or 1" threads, confusing!