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Equipment and Software / Finally finished my brew cart
« on: June 27, 2011, 07:11:11 PM »
I finally finished my brew cart build, and broke it in with a 10-gallon batch of cream ale this past weekend. It's a converted factory cart I got at a surplus yard. I had a friend weld a couple custom drop-in burner frames and add some channel strut for mounting gas pipe, conduit and copper water lines.
The cart holds the hot liquor tank and brew kettle, as well as my March pump. I use a 60-qt Igloo Ice Cube as my mash tun -it sits on a small table next to the cart on brew day. All of the vessels, the pump and the high-temperature hoses (not pictured) are fitted with brass quick-disconnects. It is set up so that I can just connect an extension cord, RV water hose, and propane tank and all the switches and valves I need are on the cart - including two water valves on the mast for filling kettles, and supply to the immersion chiller. There's a third water valve at the bottom for a short garden hose used for clean-up.
All the electrical boxes are "wet-location" type with compression-fitted EMT conduit. There are two switches that switch two outlets in a single-gang box (one for the March pump, a second for a fountain pump used to recirculate ice water for chilling). There's a second single-gang box with two non-switched outlets for other electrical stuff like the drill I use for aerating with a Mix-Stir.
The cart is fitted with 1/2" black pipe, an adjustable regulator, and needle valves to supply the two 70,000 BTU burners. Eventually, I'd like to concert to natural gas - but that will be a while in the future.
What an improvement over the Rube Goldberg setup I used to set up and take down every brew day!
The cart holds the hot liquor tank and brew kettle, as well as my March pump. I use a 60-qt Igloo Ice Cube as my mash tun -it sits on a small table next to the cart on brew day. All of the vessels, the pump and the high-temperature hoses (not pictured) are fitted with brass quick-disconnects. It is set up so that I can just connect an extension cord, RV water hose, and propane tank and all the switches and valves I need are on the cart - including two water valves on the mast for filling kettles, and supply to the immersion chiller. There's a third water valve at the bottom for a short garden hose used for clean-up.
All the electrical boxes are "wet-location" type with compression-fitted EMT conduit. There are two switches that switch two outlets in a single-gang box (one for the March pump, a second for a fountain pump used to recirculate ice water for chilling). There's a second single-gang box with two non-switched outlets for other electrical stuff like the drill I use for aerating with a Mix-Stir.
The cart is fitted with 1/2" black pipe, an adjustable regulator, and needle valves to supply the two 70,000 BTU burners. Eventually, I'd like to concert to natural gas - but that will be a while in the future.
What an improvement over the Rube Goldberg setup I used to set up and take down every brew day!
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Equipment and Software / Help with brew cart propane lines & fittings
« on: March 10, 2011, 03:18:03 PM »
I posted this over at the NB Forum, but thought I'd try here, too. I'm working on getting my brew cart fitted-out. It will have two burners like this http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=40282&sid=&eid= What I need help with is the connection between the burners and 1/4" needle valves like these http://www.bayouclassicdepot.com/nv108p_propane_burner_part.htm. I'd prefer to use something flexible like pneumatic hose. So, I think it will be something like a MFL x barb fitting at the burner end and 1/4" FPT x barb at the valve end.
The propane pressure will already be knocked-down by the regulator at the tank before it goes to the needle valves. So, is it okay to use 3/8" pneumatic hose secured to the barbs with hose clamps or oetiker clamps? Do I need to use something else? What have others used?
The propane pressure will already be knocked-down by the regulator at the tank before it goes to the needle valves. So, is it okay to use 3/8" pneumatic hose secured to the barbs with hose clamps or oetiker clamps? Do I need to use something else? What have others used?
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Equipment and Software / Valves for Propane Trim on Brew Cart?
« on: July 22, 2010, 11:18:20 AM »
I'm finally starting the build on my brew cart. It will have one propane tank attached to a manifold feeding two of these burners. http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=40282&sid=&eid= I'll mostly have just one burner running at a time, but I need to be able to trim both burners independently - mainly for convenience. I'm not automating anything, so I don't need solenoid-type gas valves - just something hand-operated.
My first thought is to use the 1/4-turn valves used as shut-offs for gas stoves and other gas appliances - but I'd like fairly good control, and I'm not sure whether a 1/4-turn valve would provide that. What kind of valves have others used? Needle valves? 1/4-turn ball valves? Other suggestions? Any suggestion on pipe and valve size for the manifold? I'm thinking 3/8" or 1/2" brass or black pipe should be fine.
My first thought is to use the 1/4-turn valves used as shut-offs for gas stoves and other gas appliances - but I'd like fairly good control, and I'm not sure whether a 1/4-turn valve would provide that. What kind of valves have others used? Needle valves? 1/4-turn ball valves? Other suggestions? Any suggestion on pipe and valve size for the manifold? I'm thinking 3/8" or 1/2" brass or black pipe should be fine.
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Kegging and Bottling / Convert / Reuse MIller Home Draft System?
« on: May 18, 2010, 01:03:23 PM »
Has anyone tried converting or reusing one of the Miller/Coors "Home Draft beer" systems for homebrew? I'm tempted to buy one and see if it would work for taking homebrew to a party that doesn't need a whole keg, or to use for smaller batches of cask-style ales. My mom's guy friend (70 yrs old) likes Miller lite, so I think he'd be happy to spare me having to "empty" the thing before experimenting with it.
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General Homebrew Discussion / Traveling from OH to OK with kegged beer...
« on: November 18, 2009, 11:21:25 AM »
I'm going to visit family in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, and they've asked whether I'll be bringing some beer. When they visited me this summer, we (16 of us) wiped out a corny keg of cream ale in one afternoon - so I don't think taking a couple sixers of bottles is going to get it done, and I'm thinking about taking a keg. We'll be driving through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Is anyone aware of specific legal issues with transporting this quantity of 5.5% ABV beer packaged in this way across State lines? I'm not selling it or distributing it - just taking it to my uncle's house for Thanksgiving. I know it's likely that I'd "fly under the radar" anyway, but I'd like to know whether it's worth the bother. I suppose I could bottle some beer off of my kegs, but I can move more beer in less space if it's in a keg.
Is anyone aware of specific legal issues with transporting this quantity of 5.5% ABV beer packaged in this way across State lines? I'm not selling it or distributing it - just taking it to my uncle's house for Thanksgiving. I know it's likely that I'd "fly under the radar" anyway, but I'd like to know whether it's worth the bother. I suppose I could bottle some beer off of my kegs, but I can move more beer in less space if it's in a keg.
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