dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
you're right! sorry my eyes somehow bounced over that part of the sentence! i got 80% ME on my last batch with 71% total for 22 liters of 1.065 wort. thanks
Speidel Braumeister (brewmaster)
- Thread starter FiveKaiBrewing
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you're right! sorry my eyes somehow bounced over that part of the sentence! i got 80% ME on my last batch with 71% total for 22 liters of 1.065 wort. thanks
Has anyone experienced extensive damage upon openeing their BM package? I opened my BM at the FedEx office and didn't notice anything. When I brought it home and took it out of the package, it was beyond ****ed up!
goodgodilovebeer
Well-Known Member
Mine had a few scuffs on the inside of the unit from the bolts of the malt pipe hitting it. Other than that, nada.
Sorry to hear about damage. Elaborate on "beyond f'd up"
Meaning that the top was bent enough to make it look oblong while looking down at it. And one of the front legs were pushed in so far that it started pushing the back panel of the computer box open.
John_Tomaszewski
New Member
I finally had my inaugural brewday on my new 20L over the weekend. I went with a simple Amarillo APA recipe I found in the "sample" recipe folder on BeerSmith with an equipment profile I found earlier in this thread. I must admit - for this first batch - I didn't record any numbers or use my refractometer. I just wanted to familiarize myself with this new system which is my first delve into all-grain.
I was able to find a nice stainless steel cart on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GWED7I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 which worked out great for a Braumeister brewstand. I brew in my garage, so I needed something which had wheels on it so I could move it towards the garden hose when it came time for cooling. Also, I liked I was able to level the cart easily to compensate for the slight slope of my garage floor.
The power cord I purchased - thanks to another post earlier in this thread - made it very simple to just "plug and play" without having to cut the existing cord to modify it. This was also purchased on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093WFT66/ref=oh_details_o09_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
I was quite happy with the operation of the unit and am grateful for all the tips people have put on this thread. I had a bit of trouble with the stock valve clogging on the break/hop material, but it was my fault for not using any trub control methods (whirlpool/hopsock). If it continues to be an issue I may follow yet another suggestion to upgrade the valve to a more standard, robust ball valve. Using PBW made clean up a breeze (especially the heating coils) using the pump on manual mode for a beautiful "no scrub" experience.
I was able to find a nice stainless steel cart on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GWED7I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 which worked out great for a Braumeister brewstand. I brew in my garage, so I needed something which had wheels on it so I could move it towards the garden hose when it came time for cooling. Also, I liked I was able to level the cart easily to compensate for the slight slope of my garage floor.
The power cord I purchased - thanks to another post earlier in this thread - made it very simple to just "plug and play" without having to cut the existing cord to modify it. This was also purchased on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093WFT66/ref=oh_details_o09_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
I was quite happy with the operation of the unit and am grateful for all the tips people have put on this thread. I had a bit of trouble with the stock valve clogging on the break/hop material, but it was my fault for not using any trub control methods (whirlpool/hopsock). If it continues to be an issue I may follow yet another suggestion to upgrade the valve to a more standard, robust ball valve. Using PBW made clean up a breeze (especially the heating coils) using the pump on manual mode for a beautiful "no scrub" experience.
Last edited by a moderator:
pjk49202 said:
If they're sending a replacement unit, they should send or setup return shipping. You should be able to use the same box the new one is coming in if you need to. Call Thorsten back and ask him about this option. You should absolutely not be asked to pay for return shipping and wait for reimbursement.
And I'm an idiot, I now have the return labels in my email. Open mouth, insert foot......
How did your wiring go with your setup? I have an old school 10-30 three prong outlet as well. However, I have a 50 l set up.
William625
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Looks like you can't sparge with
My first 2 brews I did not sparge. I did hit the OG and got a lot less than 20 litres of beer. Now I sparge, hit the OG, and get 23-24 litres of beer.
You do the math
Hey guys first of all I just want to say that this is an awesome thread and LONG at that. I got to page 89 before i started skipping around....but I will head back when i have time.
I am here in Europe helping my friend invest in a small brew pub. What we have imagined is a small brewery attached to it, well it would be like a small show room (that we use to supply the few taps of beer we would have.
What sparked our interest was the possibility of having 3-4 50L systems because of space savings. it would certanly meet our needs for beer, since its a small pub. Running 4 different batches we would be able to do very nice designer beers, and seasonal offerings monthly if we wanted. (while supplies last..lol). My question is as overall impression from everyone. Is a setup like i just described do these systems offer enough versatility for us to be able to crank out any style of beer, and experiment.
We would also like to keep is small because we figured we would offer people a chance to brew themselves as workshops..
thanks for the info really looking for your help, especially people, who are brewing frequently on a bigger scale with these systems..
I am here in Europe helping my friend invest in a small brew pub. What we have imagined is a small brewery attached to it, well it would be like a small show room (that we use to supply the few taps of beer we would have.
What sparked our interest was the possibility of having 3-4 50L systems because of space savings. it would certanly meet our needs for beer, since its a small pub. Running 4 different batches we would be able to do very nice designer beers, and seasonal offerings monthly if we wanted. (while supplies last..lol). My question is as overall impression from everyone. Is a setup like i just described do these systems offer enough versatility for us to be able to crank out any style of beer, and experiment.
We would also like to keep is small because we figured we would offer people a chance to brew themselves as workshops..
thanks for the info really looking for your help, especially people, who are brewing frequently on a bigger scale with these systems..
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
hi where are you hunmojo? i think that a new small brewery in the netherlands called oersoep started out on a couple of 50L speidels but i'm not sure. might be worth contacting them for advice. met the guys once and they are friendly!
on an unrelated note, when does a thread reach 'sticky' status? we're almost 2100 posts in
on an unrelated note, when does a thread reach 'sticky' status? we're almost 2100 posts in
haha yea I agree its long past sticky....
Im in Hungary. right now. But originally from Seattle. i work in a bar with a tittle of "creative manager" whatever that means... Im prety much in charge of food stuff experimentation,, anything alcohol related, working with brew pubs and other bars..
Thanks for the insight... I will contact them right away..
I also emailed speidel about their 200l system. but the reply I got back from them made it seem that the 200L system is even more "limited" than the smaller ones. Reading this forum I was excited to hear people crank out pretty much anything that they would like to make. Where as I got a reply that the 200L can only handle 1.050 Gravity....ouch...now thats not a good system for a brew pub...as far as versatility..
Im in Hungary. right now. But originally from Seattle. i work in a bar with a tittle of "creative manager" whatever that means... Im prety much in charge of food stuff experimentation,, anything alcohol related, working with brew pubs and other bars..
Thanks for the insight... I will contact them right away..
I also emailed speidel about their 200l system. but the reply I got back from them made it seem that the 200L system is even more "limited" than the smaller ones. Reading this forum I was excited to hear people crank out pretty much anything that they would like to make. Where as I got a reply that the 200L can only handle 1.050 Gravity....ouch...now thats not a good system for a brew pub...as far as versatility..
Brewing the second 20G batch on the 50L Braumeister. Tried to max out the malt pipe with 30lb of grain. The pumps did push through with no spouts but I found that draining the malt pipe was super, super slow. Previous had no issues with 25 lbs. Perhaps try 28lbs next or some rice hulls. 30 lbs of grain and 6 lbs of DME for a ~82L of 1.05 boiling away.
miwibeer
New Member
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sj_engr said:
In my experience 13kg is close to the maximum load of the 50L malt pibe, but I think one should be carefull not to go to the absolute limit. I have measured the flow during my mashings, and filling the pibe too much reduces the flow considerably, although the pumps are able to push through. I think it's adviceable not to go above 12.5kg (27.5lbs).
ok i have gotten through to page 130 roughly... and iv decided to get an BM. now the question is 20 or 50L.,.... ????
im happy to say that money is not an issue for once in my life. when deciding which system to get. so on to the other pros and cons.....
1. I am planing on using this system for a pilot setup to test batches for up cumming brews.
2. all my beers usually fall between 5-6% , but i do like to experiment. and if im spending this kind of cash i dont want to be held back.
3. i am brewing in doors, and with my current cooling fridges set up i can only accommodate 20L-30l batches for fermentation.
the only reason I am considering the 50L with the 20l malt pipe is because it seems to be better equipped with the pumps and heating element. wich would allow me to better stuff the pipe with malt.
another thing im worried about is the lack of rice hulls available here in hungary....it does not exist......will this pose a problem with channeling. or am i thinking correctly assuming that the 50l w 20l malt will solve this problem for me.
i also dont mind buying the hood if it helps, but i didnt really get a good idea weather its helpfull or not, people either say without it boil is lacking with it its splashing all over...9at least when it comes to the 20L)
please honest answers are appreciated regardless of which size yOU use (try not to be biased towards your system) will really help me out. Im ready to push the buy button, i just need to figure out if the 50/20 setup is better than the regular 20, if we are not looking at money here..... thanks guys...
im happy to say that money is not an issue for once in my life. when deciding which system to get. so on to the other pros and cons.....
1. I am planing on using this system for a pilot setup to test batches for up cumming brews.
2. all my beers usually fall between 5-6% , but i do like to experiment. and if im spending this kind of cash i dont want to be held back.
3. i am brewing in doors, and with my current cooling fridges set up i can only accommodate 20L-30l batches for fermentation.
the only reason I am considering the 50L with the 20l malt pipe is because it seems to be better equipped with the pumps and heating element. wich would allow me to better stuff the pipe with malt.
another thing im worried about is the lack of rice hulls available here in hungary....it does not exist......will this pose a problem with channeling. or am i thinking correctly assuming that the 50l w 20l malt will solve this problem for me.
i also dont mind buying the hood if it helps, but i didnt really get a good idea weather its helpfull or not, people either say without it boil is lacking with it its splashing all over...9at least when it comes to the 20L)
please honest answers are appreciated regardless of which size yOU use (try not to be biased towards your system) will really help me out. Im ready to push the buy button, i just need to figure out if the 50/20 setup is better than the regular 20, if we are not looking at money here..... thanks guys...
sebring96hbg
Well-Known Member
I received my 20L today directly from Speidel through HomeBrewWest. It looks great. Communication and customer service by Brian at HBW have been great. The weekend can't come soon enough to run it!
goodgodilovebeer
Well-Known Member
I wonder how many units Speidel has sold because of this thread alone?
hunmojo, you won't need any rice hulls. As for the 20L vs 50L unit, it's just a question of scale, not about pump or heating power as such. It all boils down to how many litres of beer you want per brew.
Ragtop232
Well-Known Member
If money is not an issue, I think I would go for the 50L just for flexibility. I personally have the 20L and it's just perfect for me. I do 6 gal batches and server is 3 gal corny kegs. However, I couldn't do big, high gravity beers in this setup without modifying my current malt pipe. The way I do that now is just add DME to bring up to gravity. A plus for the 20L is it's ease of lifting the malt pipe full of grain out of the kettle when finished mashing. But, for the flexibility aspect and future growth into 10 gal batches, the 50L would be a better choice. YMMV
Jim
Jim
Thanks. I think I will try max of 26 lbs with 2 lbs of rice hulls next. I prefer to do a 20G batch if possible.
Hunmojo,
I would recommend getting the 50L personally. With the 50L, you'll be able to get the 20L malt pipe should you wish to do 5-6 gallon batches. Something to note though: You'll be limited on the OG on either of these. You wouldn't be able to get the 50L, fit more grain and less water. The way this unit operates wouldn't allow for that unfortunately, so adding DME or corn sugar to your recipe would be necessary. Let me know if you have any specific questions - more than happy to help!
PS - The copper hood does help with the boil. It's somewhat expensive, but that and the insulation can definitely speed up the brew day / provide a more vigorous boil.
Cheers!
thanks for the input guys.
I think i am going to tackle this beast from another angle...
here is my next question. what is the smallest batch you can do on the regular 20 liter. not OG wise, but Liter wise.
(without doing a 3 hour boil ofcourse, lets keep i realistic to maybe 90 or close. ?)
is it possible to do nano brews. 10L batches and what would be the limits to those..?
does the og limit change, get lower? higher? pump problems.
I understand that you need a certain amount of water to make the circulation work, so I assume that is the minimum. But can you still pack the 5kg in the pipe with less water?
i think i read somewhere that the 20L has a 15L mark... if so... wouldnt filling up to that mark when mashing give me something closer to 10L at the end of boil.?
I think i am going to tackle this beast from another angle...
here is my next question. what is the smallest batch you can do on the regular 20 liter. not OG wise, but Liter wise.
(without doing a 3 hour boil ofcourse, lets keep i realistic to maybe 90 or close. ?)
is it possible to do nano brews. 10L batches and what would be the limits to those..?
does the og limit change, get lower? higher? pump problems.
I understand that you need a certain amount of water to make the circulation work, so I assume that is the minimum. But can you still pack the 5kg in the pipe with less water?
i think i read somewhere that the 20L has a 15L mark... if so... wouldnt filling up to that mark when mashing give me something closer to 10L at the end of boil.?
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
you can't do 10L brews on the 20. i don't know what the minimum water level would be to circulate a low grain total, say 5kg. but the malt tube is 27d x 36h giving a volume of 21.2 liters (correct? it's early). so that's basically your absolute minimum for zero grain, before you start to displace some of that with grain. you would have to determine the grain absorption/displacement empirically, and i would bet that at the end of the exercise you are going to just wish you had more beer, not less....
sentfromspain
Well-Known Member
New question: I am going to be working with a 200 liter Braumeister, would it be feasible to - when chilling the wort - send the wort through one of those chilled beer taps? If you don't know what I'm referring to, google "chill rite."
My main doubt is that perhaps the flow from the whirlpool pumps would be greater than the amount of wort that could flow out of the tap. Those beer taps though get down to 28 degrees, and if I could include it in the cycle it would do wonders.
My main doubt is that perhaps the flow from the whirlpool pumps would be greater than the amount of wort that could flow out of the tap. Those beer taps though get down to 28 degrees, and if I could include it in the cycle it would do wonders.
Hey sentfromspain,
That's a good question. Can I answer with another though? -Why would you want to chill the wort through a tap tower? I honestly don't think that the 28°F is going to stay 28°F for too long with hot wort running through it. I think your best bet is to use a glycol unit, whirlpool and jacket for cooling. A lot of our customers use the glycol jacket in combination with a dual-counterflow chiller setup (cool in the Braumeister to about 150, then pump through two counterflows to pitching temp).
That would be my recommendation. It's possible that the tap system would work, but I think to get that down to 28°F you'd need a glycol system (correct me if I'm wrong) - so I would just recommend using the glycol system for the jacket instead. Hopefully that helps!
Cheers,
Matt
That's a good question. Can I answer with another though? -Why would you want to chill the wort through a tap tower? I honestly don't think that the 28°F is going to stay 28°F for too long with hot wort running through it. I think your best bet is to use a glycol unit, whirlpool and jacket for cooling. A lot of our customers use the glycol jacket in combination with a dual-counterflow chiller setup (cool in the Braumeister to about 150, then pump through two counterflows to pitching temp).
That would be my recommendation. It's possible that the tap system would work, but I think to get that down to 28°F you'd need a glycol system (correct me if I'm wrong) - so I would just recommend using the glycol system for the jacket instead. Hopefully that helps!
Cheers,
Matt
sentfromspain
Well-Known Member
Well, the people I work with got their BM from a company that tends to sell people really expensive equipment, push them out the door, and turn off their telephones. What they got with the BM was a system that takes, apparently, an hour and a half to cool the wort to 85 degrees. My cohorts have invested as much as they can really to get their new brewery off the ground, and so we are thinking of alternatives.
They already have a tap tower, and while you're right that it won't stay at 28 degrees for very long, perhaps it will help. I have also been kicking around the idea of going the "Australian no chill" route and throwing all 200 liters in a steel, hermetically sealed fermenter. I have no idea how long that would take to chill, but the no chill method has always worked great for me...
They already have a tap tower, and while you're right that it won't stay at 28 degrees for very long, perhaps it will help. I have also been kicking around the idea of going the "Australian no chill" route and throwing all 200 liters in a steel, hermetically sealed fermenter. I have no idea how long that would take to chill, but the no chill method has always worked great for me...
PrivateWiddle
Member
Hello, can you give me a clue which company you referred to, I'm about to get a BM & really want to use a good supplier. I'm in England, thanks
sentfromspain
Well-Known Member
The company is in Barcelona, called Cerveza Artesana. They are a bunch of thieves, but since you are in the UK I wouldn't worry about them.
Reality Check on Grain Absorption Rate for the 50L Braumeister:
I did the NB Surly Furious Clone AG recipe last night. Doubled the recipe for a 10 gallon batch.
Total grain weight: 24.8lbs (11.25kg)
Water collected: 57.2l (scaled up 4% from cold water volume of 55 liters)
Sparge Water: 12l @175F
Pulled the malt pipe off after waiting ~20 minutes after the last sparge pitcher added (4 pitchers total of 3l per) and let it drain over an old igloo cooler lid (former mash tun)
56.2l of 1.048 wort in the kettle
About an hour later, I found another 4 liters of 1.035 wort in the lid.
So...
57.2 mash water + 12 liters sparge = 69.2 liters Total
56.2+4 = 60.2 liters Net
69.2-60.2 = 9 liters absorbed by grain
9l/11.25kg = 0.8 l/kg of grain (~.1 gallon per pound)
Is this extremely atypical?!? I've done the math over and over, and I made it a point NOT to drink on this brew day in order to finalize my BS equipment profile and settings. Almost every BM thread I have read indicates anywhere from 1 - 1.66 liters per kg. My crush is fine, but not utterly pulverizing. Anyone ever get an absorption rate this low with their BM?
I did the NB Surly Furious Clone AG recipe last night. Doubled the recipe for a 10 gallon batch.
Total grain weight: 24.8lbs (11.25kg)
Water collected: 57.2l (scaled up 4% from cold water volume of 55 liters)
Sparge Water: 12l @175F
Pulled the malt pipe off after waiting ~20 minutes after the last sparge pitcher added (4 pitchers total of 3l per) and let it drain over an old igloo cooler lid (former mash tun)
56.2l of 1.048 wort in the kettle
About an hour later, I found another 4 liters of 1.035 wort in the lid.
So...
57.2 mash water + 12 liters sparge = 69.2 liters Total
56.2+4 = 60.2 liters Net
69.2-60.2 = 9 liters absorbed by grain
9l/11.25kg = 0.8 l/kg of grain (~.1 gallon per pound)
Is this extremely atypical?!? I've done the math over and over, and I made it a point NOT to drink on this brew day in order to finalize my BS equipment profile and settings. Almost every BM thread I have read indicates anywhere from 1 - 1.66 liters per kg. My crush is fine, but not utterly pulverizing. Anyone ever get an absorption rate this low with their BM?
goodgodilovebeer
Well-Known Member
On my 20L, I typically get absorption of roughly 1 litre per kilogram of malt. Yet, I only let the mash drain for about 10 minutes. I can see how another hour would get another litre or two, sure.
PrivateWiddle
Member
Thank you
Well, depends of the size of your chill rite.
I was using mine exactly the way you intend to. I disconected the tower tho and used pump to get beer from boiling vesel thru the lines.
When I had cooling water down to 0C I was able to cool 45 litters of worth from 95C down to 18C in one go.
And I used cooler which servers 6 taps, quite sizeable one.
For 200 litres , i would recomend you cool it down to some 50C or 60C with some other method and use this as a last step to get it down to pitching temp.
I was using mine exactly the way you intend to. I disconected the tower tho and used pump to get beer from boiling vesel thru the lines.
When I had cooling water down to 0C I was able to cool 45 litters of worth from 95C down to 18C in one go.
And I used cooler which servers 6 taps, quite sizeable one.
For 200 litres , i would recomend you cool it down to some 50C or 60C with some other method and use this as a last step to get it down to pitching temp.
Today I used 5kg of grist, mostly pilsner and pale ale, started with 26L, added 6L, ended up with 27L before the boil started. So that is exactly 1kg/L with quite a coarse crush, practically no flour at all.
I get around this by doing an extended boil (down to 5 gallons) for my high-gravity beers. This way I can achieve 1.1+ OGs with relative ease (that rhymes kinda). If the style calls for something that's not too melanoiden rich (like an Imperial IPA), I add DME. For some of the new people reading this thread and wondering if they should buy the Braumeister, see my "1 Year Brewing on The Braumeister" post for some insights into the machine's performance.
On that note, I haven't used my shorter mash pipe in over a year—if anybody wants to buy it, I might entertain the idea.
Someone mentioned in the first few pages mentioned running a mash, collecting the runnings and using them for another mash after removing the spent grain. Can anyone elaborate on this process a little bit? How does this change, if at all, the mash ph and does this mean you have to do two 60min mashes?
I'm going to brewing on these systems a lot in the near future and want to find a way to hit 7-8abv without using table sugar, extract, or boiling down to concentrate the wort.
I'm going to brewing on these systems a lot in the near future and want to find a way to hit 7-8abv without using table sugar, extract, or boiling down to concentrate the wort.
A little off topic, but does anyone have an issue with bitterness in their BM beers? My first batch was just a 5 gallon batch Kolsch recipe scaled up to 10 using the same hops and AA ratings. It seems to me like the bitterness just isn't what it used to be when I did 5 gal batches. It may just be me, but something seems a bit lacking in the bitterness department with this one.
