Pezzonovante11
Active Member
Hi fellow brewers.
I think it's way past time to post about this. I've been brewing with this rig for over a year now. I intended to do posts as I was building, but that didn't happen. This took me over a year to build, mostly DIY. Anyway I thought some might be curious as to what my BCS-controlled "BIAB" rig might be like.
First a bit about me. I've been brewing for ten years or so. Started out like most of you--in the kitchen. Then I moved on to a turkey fryer outside and a cooler for mashing. Then I brewed on a traditional single tier 3V system which started out with simple propane burner controls, and then morphed into a natural gas-fired RIMS system with PIDs and a hood so I could brew indoors.
I learned and experienced a lot in brewing. I learned what I liked and what I didn't. I've also made just about every mistake one can make when brewing all-grain. The design for my current brewery came out of that. My goals when creating this system were as follows:
1. To transition from gas to electric for safety and convenience.
2. To eliminate the sparge and the associated time/equipment with doing it.
3. To shorten the brew day.
4. To shorten cleaning time.
4. To have the ability automate (and be able to override that).
5. To make the system as sanitary as feasible.
6. To eliminate stuck recirculation which has absolutely plagued me over the years and has been probably the single greatest source of frustration for me.
7. To give me as much flexibility as possible in brewing.
8. To have a nice-looking brewery worthy of a little beer porn.
In a nutshell my system features:
A hydraulic scissor table base
A 20 gallon boil kettle with electric heating element
A 10 gallon mash tun that nests inside (or outside) of the boil kettle
Reverse-direction RIMS
Motorized valves
Tri-clamps throughout and a semi-sanitary design
Integrated march pump and counterflow chiller
Ability to do semi-automated brewing and CIP
BCS web-based controller with auto and manual controls for brew rig and my two fermenting fridges.
There are a couple of minor things I'd change but overall I really enjoy brewing with this and ultimately that's what my goal was.
As I get time I'll detail each part of the system a little more. If you're curious about anything feel free to ask. I've benefited tremendously from HBT so maybe I can give a little back.
Thanks for reading.
I think it's way past time to post about this. I've been brewing with this rig for over a year now. I intended to do posts as I was building, but that didn't happen. This took me over a year to build, mostly DIY. Anyway I thought some might be curious as to what my BCS-controlled "BIAB" rig might be like.
First a bit about me. I've been brewing for ten years or so. Started out like most of you--in the kitchen. Then I moved on to a turkey fryer outside and a cooler for mashing. Then I brewed on a traditional single tier 3V system which started out with simple propane burner controls, and then morphed into a natural gas-fired RIMS system with PIDs and a hood so I could brew indoors.
I learned and experienced a lot in brewing. I learned what I liked and what I didn't. I've also made just about every mistake one can make when brewing all-grain. The design for my current brewery came out of that. My goals when creating this system were as follows:
1. To transition from gas to electric for safety and convenience.
2. To eliminate the sparge and the associated time/equipment with doing it.
3. To shorten the brew day.
4. To shorten cleaning time.
4. To have the ability automate (and be able to override that).
5. To make the system as sanitary as feasible.
6. To eliminate stuck recirculation which has absolutely plagued me over the years and has been probably the single greatest source of frustration for me.
7. To give me as much flexibility as possible in brewing.
8. To have a nice-looking brewery worthy of a little beer porn.
In a nutshell my system features:
A hydraulic scissor table base
A 20 gallon boil kettle with electric heating element
A 10 gallon mash tun that nests inside (or outside) of the boil kettle
Reverse-direction RIMS
Motorized valves
Tri-clamps throughout and a semi-sanitary design
Integrated march pump and counterflow chiller
Ability to do semi-automated brewing and CIP
BCS web-based controller with auto and manual controls for brew rig and my two fermenting fridges.
There are a couple of minor things I'd change but overall I really enjoy brewing with this and ultimately that's what my goal was.
As I get time I'll detail each part of the system a little more. If you're curious about anything feel free to ask. I've benefited tremendously from HBT so maybe I can give a little back.
Thanks for reading.