Thinking about switching to e-BIAB with Brew-Boss

[SansPants]

Mine should be here tomorrow.

I will be pulling the 220 line this weekend and hopefully wet testing after that. I am a bit curious as to what it will take to get Beersmith dialed in.

Has anyone tried running the Brew Boss app on an emulator on a Windows PC? I have a 10" touchpanel PC that needs a new job.

 

[SansPants]

I brewed my first batch with this system today. I really like the system. Programming was easy. Temps stayed rock solid and heated much more quickly than I thought is would.

The app runs fine on an emulator. My only gripe is that the whirlpool arm is too short for 5 gallon batches.

 

[GoldDiggingBrewer]

I'm going from Ebiab to a cooler mash tun. I don't have the time now but start a thread maybe after my first brew. I have reasons including beer quality and efficiency but this is all my personal experience. I will still heat water and then boil with my electric setup. I just don't get good results on biab but like I said, it's my problem not everybody's.

I mothballed my cooler tun after going BIAB. The BIAB method is my #1 choice, and ironically I've hit my OG every time doing it that way. It is funny tho, last brew I was aiming for 4gals ~ OG1.077 and got 3.5gals ~ OG1.077. Worked for me. My only challenge is moving/sparging the grain bag without making a mess.

I usually Mash in the bag at 149-153F for 60, then 10mins at 168F. I lift the grain bag into a large strainer, and run 170F sparge water through it.

Less equipment, less cleaning,...My BIAB recipes take 3-5 hours from lights on to lights off.

BIAB BIAB

 

[jpb2716]

My only gripe is that the whirlpool arm is too short for 5 gallon batches.

I am ordering a 15 gallon Brew-Boss system soon and was wondering about the whirlpool arm being too short for 5 gallon batches. Could it be extended? Is it made from copper pipe like it looks like in pictures? Couldn't it be cut and an extension soldered in?

Thanks in advance.

 

[h22lude]

I just made one. Very cheap and easy to make. This was my second time soldering so it isn't as pretty but it works.

 

[wilserbrewer]

My only challenge is moving/sparging the grain bag without making a mess.

I have found the easiest and neatest BIAB sparge method is to use a ratchet pulley and let the bag hang and drain over the kettle. Then using a small 1-2 quart pitcher slowly pour your sparge water over and through the bag. It doesn't seem like it would work very well, but a BIAB bag is so porous that water seems to go right through it and through the grain effectively. The added bonus is that you can simply sparge until your proper preboil volume is in the kettle below. This method also removes any volume issues as you are simply measuring, not calculating in advance...jmo try it, it works surprisingly well, much easier and neater than dunk sparging in a separate container.

 

[jpb2716]

I just made one. Very cheap and easy to make. This was my second time soldering so it isn't as pretty but it works.

Did you make it out of copper? I'd like to see a pic if that's possible.

Thanks!

 

[Peruvian802]

I have found the easiest and neatest BIAB sparge method is to use a ratchet pulley and let the bag hang and drain over the kettle.

The ratchet pulley is a key component to easy BIAB.

 

[h22lude]

Did you make it out of copper? I'd like to see a pic if that's possible.

Thanks!

I did. It basically looks exactly like the one from Brew Boss but I drilled holes instead of cutting them like he did. I'll take a pic and post it

 

[jpb2716]

I did. It basically looks exactly like the one from Brew Boss but I drilled holes instead of cutting them like he did. I'll take a pic and post it

That would be great. Thanks!

 

[h22lude]

Sorry I completely forgot. Here it is. Very simple. I bought one copper pipe, one elbow, one cap and one male end. I already had the lead free solder and flux. The small arm is a piece cut off the longer pipe. I measured it so it almost hits the bottom so I can use it with a 5 gallon batch.

 

[jpb2716]

Sorry I completely forgot. Here it is. Very simple. I bought one copper pipe, one elbow, one cap and one male end. I already had the lead free solder and flux. The small arm is a piece cut off the longer pipe. I measured it so it almost hits the bottom so I can use it with a 5 gallon batch.

Thanks for posting the picture for me. Looks great and seems simple to make. How do you mount it during use?

 

[h22lude]

Thanks for posting the picture for me. Looks great and seems simple to make. How do you mount it during use?

For now I will just use a spring clamp I have but I will find a more permanent way. Probably something similar to what Darin has.

I do have a quick disconnect that I will use to make it easier going from this and the sparge arm.

 

[SansPants]

I am ordering a 15 gallon Brew-Boss system soon and was wondering about the whirlpool arm being too short for 5 gallon batches. Could it be extended? Is it made from copper pipe like it looks like in pictures? Couldn't it be cut and an extension soldered in?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry for the late reply. I cut and extended mine about 5" with female to female pipe fittings. It was a 5 minute job.

 

[flyingpole]

I brewed my first batch with this system today. I really like the system. Programming was easy. Temps stayed rock solid and heated much more quickly than I thought is would.

The app runs fine on an emulator. My only gripe is that the whirlpool arm is too short for 5 gallon batches.

As the creator of the Swirl-Boss I feel compelled to respond. Please see the video in this link.

The video shows how to install and position the Swirl-Boss properly to optimize the speed of whirlpool rotation and get the aeration benefits the device offers. The device is not designed to be positioned below the wort level and the operation manual clearly mentions that fact. Doing so, lowers the exit velocity of the jet considerably as the jet must overcome hydraulic forces due to being below the surface of the wort vs just competing with atmospheric forces. Same reason your ears hurt when you dive deep in the water, pressure increases dramatically compared to atmospheric pressure. The lower the wand is lowered into the wort the less efficient it becomes. Maximum exit velocity from the special E-Shaped nozzle occurs above the surface and also allows you to take advantage of surface tension. The video clearly shows how much faster the whirlpool is when used this way. Note that round holes create a very inefficient nozzle pattern with little frontal area, so surface tension effects with round holes will be inefficient. That is why the nozzle opening is shaped the way it is.

The aeration feature is also negated when used below the surface as the wort has no opportunity to contact air during the process. Notice in the actual brew video the bubbles created. As we all know, aeration of the wort is important for healthy yeast growth.

I don't recommend lengthening your Swirl-Boss, doing so will make it very difficult to use with full batches. The hose clamp is designed to allow you to position the nozzle above the surface, and with a real long wand the clamp will not be stable enough to support the wight of the extra hose you will need to reach the extended opening above the kettle.

I've also heard concerns from people regarding Hot Side Aeration (HSA) issues. I've been using this technique for a long time and have never experienced any issues relative to HSA, at least perceivable ones. Check out this real world study done on the subject.

I'm always available for discussions!

https://youtu.be/fI5cp9-uuG8

 

[SansPants]

As the creator of the Swirl-Boss I feel compelled to respond. Please see the video in this link.

Outstanding

Thanks for educating me, this was a misunderstanding on my part of the proper function of the whirlpool arm. I have returned it to the factory configuration and will give it a shot tomorrow!

 

[Swifty]

I brew E-BIAB and I switched from 3 Vessel AG.. like you said I did it because I needed to shorten my brew day but not so much that I could only brew with extracts (i havent used them in years).

I made a cream ale the other day and I started around 10am in my Garage. I finished up with cleanup by 1:30ish. Typically with my AG setups.. even my Brutus10 build an all grain day would take approx5-6 hours start to finish.

How did you get to 3.5 hours? I'm using no chill and am still 4 plus.

Do you mind throwing out a schedule?

Thanks man!

Swifty

 

[Mirilis]

Since my stuff is kept in the basement and my wife only lets me brew in the garage I get a lot of stuff set up the night before. That includes weighing and crushing my grain.

In the morning I get up turn the hose on (through my water filter), Once the water gets above my elements I turn them on. From that point until I am ready to dough in is roughly 35 minutes. Using 8:00am as an arbitrary start time I dough in at 8:35.

Mash runs 8:35-9:35 (if im falling behind I may cut 10 minutes out of the mash.. assuming conversion is done and my pH is correct). I let the bag drip while the wort heats to a boil

Next it takes about 20 minutes to heat to boil, and then 5 minutes into the boil i start my timer and dump in some hops. so this will be ~10:00am

Boil finishes at 11:00am and I turn on the chiller for roughly 10-15 minutes. Typically my chiller sucks and I only get down to the 80's, but it doesnt matter I put it in the fridge until the next morning anyway.

At this point its 11:15am, I next take 5 minutes to rinse out my kettle and then put the chiller exhaust water in there with some oxyclean and run the system for an additional 10 minutes and drain.. by then its ~11:30 and im done.

Sometimes I leave the gear upstairs and dont carry it down but thats a typical day .. about 3.5 hours.

Usually its only longer if I brew something with a lot of pilsner malt in it where i have to do an extended boil, or im doing a second BIAB batch on propane at roughly the same time as my electric batch. (those days I get 2 beers in 4-4.5 hours)

 

[SweetStout]

For those that have a 15 gallon brew boss setup, how much grain can you use in a 5 gallon batch (with BIAB)? Or asked a different way, what's the max OG you can achieve?

 

[ibrewmyown]

My neighbor and I purchased two 20 gallon Deluxe Cofi systems with the hops Boss and Whirlpool arm. They shipped today so we should have them before the weekend. We are both long time (10 years or so) 3 tier system brewers which we both built from scratch so moving to this pre-built, all in one, automatic system is going to be a huge change. The simplicity and automation is what made this system so fascinating and with the price being so much less than similar systems, it was a no brainer. I cant wait to start brewing with the system. Darin has been great to deal with and answer my many questions.

I love brewing big Belgian beers. Seeing that I could brew 10 gallons of a 10 - 12 % beer in a half barrel keg set up, I don't see why you couldn't do the same in the 15 gallon BIAB or COFI set up. If you cant add the full volume of water with the large grain bill, just add more water when you remove the grain. I'll be experimenting with high gravity beers very soon but my first brew will be a Saison and then a Oberon clone. If I can get 16 gallons from a session, that would be great.

By the way the app for the ipad is ready so it saved me $60 not having to get the android that comes with it.

 

[m00ps]

I am looking at getting a 10gal brew boss system for 5 gal batches. I am currently deciding between the regular and the deluxe COFI system. The COFI looks cool, I've been fine with using a mesh bag, but I like the idea that it can kind of squeeze the grain bag.

The only thing that gets me is all the COFI systems seem to have cam-lock fittings at the top kettle accessory port and bottom kettle valve. The regular ones are barbed, which I prefer. I use a transfer hose connected to the kettle valve to get my cooled wort out of the kettle. Does anyone that has the COFI systems have a method of hooking up a transfer hose to the camlock fitting? Like is there some sort of fitting I could buy? Couldnt find anything on their site...

 

[Rock_Toy]

I am looking at getting a 10gal brew boss system for 5 gal batches. I am currently deciding between the regular and the deluxe COFI system. The COFI looks cool, I've been fine with using a mesh bag, but I like the idea that it can kind of squeeze the grain bag.

The only thing that gets me is all the COFI systems seem to have cam-lock fittings at the top kettle accessory port and bottom kettle valve. The regular ones are barbed, which I prefer. I use a transfer hose connected to the kettle valve to get my cooled wort out of the kettle. Does anyone that has the COFI systems have a method of hooking up a transfer hose to the camlock fitting? Like is there some sort of fitting I could buy? Couldn't find anything on their site...

You can either buy the fittings on their site under accessories OR you can just ask Darin to sell you the kit with a barbed fitting instead. And I would recommend the 15 gallon system in case you decide to drew high gravity beers. Need as much space as possible.

 

[m00ps]

Ok, thanks for the tip. I think I'll just get the 10gal because I want to be able to use the swirl boss accessory. It says it wouldnt work too well if you kettle size is more than 5gal than your batch size. Not long enough

I have a 9gal kettle right now and I've managed to brew beers up to 1.090-1.095 alright. Its a tight fit and a thick mash, but most of my high OG beers have sugars added so that helps cut down the amount of grain space needed.

 

[MerlinWerks]

You should double check with Darin, but I'd be really surprised if the swirl-boss wouldn't work properly with a 15 gal kettle/5 gal batch. The 15 gal system really gives some nice headroom with 5 gal batches, no worries with boil over, etc., plenty of capacity for high gravity, less babysitting and stress.

The camlocks are very nice as well, depending on your fermenter you should be able to transfer straight to it from the kettle using the pump. If you have a wide mouth fermenter, i.e. Spiedel, Big Mouth Bubbler or bucket, after recirculating with 10 min left in the boil and chilling, you could simply disconnect the hose from the accessory port and run it straight to the fermenter. If your fermenter has a narrow neck, i.e. glass carboy, Better Bottle you could make a racking arm with some copper pipe and widely available camlock fittings.

In most "normal" setups I cannot think of any compelling reasons to use the barbed fittings, the ones that came with my Value system are in a box unused since I already had a camlock setup with my previous system...

 

[Snicklefritz]

I agree with all of what MerlinWerks said this. I have the 15 gallon kettle and do mostly 5G beers. It allows me to do some really high SG beers that I probably couldn't do in the 10G kettle. If in doubt, always go bigger. You won't regret it.

I can't remember if I had the camlocks on my system when you came and saw it in action, Paul, but they definitely make things a LOT easier. It doesn't seem like you need to move the hoses around all that much in a brew session but its more than you think.

How are you settling into your system, MerlinWerks?

 

[MerlinWerks]

Hey Jason,

I've got about six batches on this system now, still making some process adjustments, but overall I've been very pleased. Main issue is trying to use a Wilser bag with the new false bottom while trying to recirculate. As we discussed before, the Wilser is much finer than the stock bag and while I've never had it get completely stuck to the point of no flow, it can pull a serious vacuum and requires some babysitting. There is definitely less fine trub/flour in the BK post boil with the Wilser bag, but I'm not sure if that is a real issue.

My buddy Ryan brews about 10 gal every week with the stock bag and I haven't heard any complaints from him

Here's some pics:

 

[m00ps]

Hey so how easy is using the Brew Boss interface? I'm guessing it's pretty intuitive like building a recipe on a website and you just hit go?

For anyone that uses it, would you recommend using the MANUAL mode the first time, or does it work pretty well on AUTO without prior experience?

 

[bembel]

Hi MerlinWerks

FANTASTIC use of the wire shelving cart for your system, I want to copy that, can you give me some more details on the fan / vent and the other control box?

Do you have a hoist for the bag too?

 

[FreddyMar3]

As far as the grain capacity of the various sized systems goes, it's discussed pretty thoroughly in the last 40 posts or so of this other brew-boss thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=475360

That was a sticking point for me, personally.

 

[MerlinWerks]

Hi MerlinWerks

FANTASTIC use of the wire shelving cart for your system, I want to copy that, can you give me some more details on the fan / vent and the other control box?

Do you have a hoist for the bag too?

Thanks! I am very pleased with the setup, doubles as my coffee roasting station as well and just rolls out of the way when not in use.

There are some other pics HERE when I had it set up with an induction plate. The Brew-Boss system is significantly more powerful and controllable.

The rack is 18"x 36" by Trinity, it comes with one of the accessory rails and you can order additional rails for about $10 each, delivered. Those are what I have the controller and basket shelf mounted to. I got the original rack through Amazon and the extra rails direct from Trinity.

Ventilator is a Ventech 440 cfm/6" also from Amazon. The elbow w/dovetails and semi-rigid duct I got from Lowes, the other end of the duct has a 6">4" reducer (Lowes) and I just disconnect my dryer vent and connect that when I brew/roast. The vent hood is a Sterlite storage box from Walmart. Some steam still escapes but not enough to worry about, the humidity in my basement actually goes down when the ventilator is running. There is some condensation that seeps from from the ventilator housing during use so I removed the naugahyde cover that comes on the ventilator and wrap a small towel around the base, I also periodically wipe condensation from inside the hood/ducting during the boil, making sure I have a firm grip on the towel when around the duct

I use the ratcheted pulley setup I got from WilserBrewer when I bought my original bags, the pulley setup is available on Amazon as well.

I built the control box for my original induction setup with parts mostly from Auber Instruments and Automation Direct, probably not totally necessary for use with the BB but I already had it and it was easily adaptable. I connect it to a 50A spa panel (Home Depot) for GFCI protection only, main overcurrent is provided by the 30A breaker in my main service panel. Inside the control box are are supplementary breakers, one 30A 2-pole for the controller and two 2A single pole breakers, one for the pump and one for the ventilator. FWIW, the IronBox retailer on Ebay is a good source for reasonably priced and high quality twist-lok connectors.

Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions...

 

[SweetStout]

I agree with all of what MerlinWerks said this. I have the 15 gallon kettle and do mostly 5G beers. It allows me to do some really high SG beers that I probably couldn't do in the 10G kettle.

I'd be interested in hearing more about how high a gravity you push this system to. I do like to brew a few big beers every year and it seems like brewing 5 gallon batches on the 15 gal system is promising.

 

[Snicklefritz]

The highest gravity I've done so far was a 1.103 barley wine. I've also done a ris at like 1.095

My typical double ipas usually end up in the 1.075 - 1.085 range as well.

 

[MerlinWerks]

Hey so how easy is using the Brew Boss interface? I'm guessing it's pretty intuitive like building a recipe on a website and you just hit go?

For anyone that uses it, would you recommend using the MANUAL mode the first time, or does it work pretty well on AUTO without prior experience?

I would say overall it's easy to use, once you have spent the time reading the manual to understand how everything goes together, there is no getting around that requirement. The manual has an excellent walk-through and explanation of the different types of programming steps. You can use the included "wet-run" to test things out and get familiar with it and use the included full brew day steps as templates to modify to fit your specific brew without having to totally reinvent the wheel. Did I mention you should read the manual?

The system works well in "Auto" mode, I have yet to use "Manual" mode, although I have read the "manual"

I also find that a BlueTooth keyboard is very helpful when creating/editing. It prevents the on-screen keyboard from popping up and obscuring what you're trying to edit.

 

[m00ps]

I would say overall it's easy to use, once you have spent the time reading the manual to understand how everything goes together, there is no getting around that requirement. The manual has an excellent walk-through and explanation of the different types of programming steps. You can use the included "wet-run" to test things out and get familiar with it and use the included full brew day steps as templates to modify to fit your specific brew without having to totally reinvent the wheel. Did I mention you should read the manual?

The system works well in "Auto" mode, I have yet to use "Manual" mode, although I have read the "manual"

I also find that a BlueTooth keyboard is very helpful when creating/editing. It prevents the on-screen keyboard from popping up and obscuring what you're trying to edit.

blah, I dont know the last time I read a manual. I honestly dont think I have the attention span...I may seriously be illiterate by now...

But I did watch the entire 43min video on youtube of the whole brewing process so hopefully I'll have a good grasp of it by the time I set it up. How easy is the cleaning? I do 5gal BIAB right now and I'm thinking it shouldnt be much more work. Do you just circulate hot water through the pump, chiller, and other hoses to clean it?

 

[Snicklefritz]

blah, I dont know the last time I read a manual. I honestly dont think I have the attention span...I may seriously be illiterate by now...

But I did watch the entire 43min video on youtube of the whole brewing process so hopefully I'll have a good grasp of it by the time I set it up. How easy is the cleaning? I do 5gal BIAB right now and I'm thinking it shouldnt be much more work. Do you just circulate hot water through the pump, chiller, and other hoses to clean it?

Read the manual

 

[SeeMont]

Really, you need to read the Brew Boss manual. You need to understand the program a little.

Cleaning: I first rinse all the trub out, as much as possible. I have saved about 4 to 5 gallons of hot water from my chiller and I add it to the kettle. Add Cleaner. I will know scrub the heating element and the inside. Run pump to circulate, about 5 minutes You can also heat the solution if you want. I circulate through my CF chiller, 5 minutes. Drain Add clean water and repeat. I will then pull heater and clean, Pull valve system apart, clean and rinse. pull temp probe and clean and rinse. Wipe all parts dry. Reassemble.

 

[ibrewmyown]

Read the manual

No getting around reading the manual with this system if you want to edit the parameters to brew the way you want. Once read it's pretty simple to make even a very complex mash profile if needed.



Just did my first brew on the 20 gallon COFI deluxe system and all I can say is I love this system! It worked flawlessly on the auto mode. It was the fastest most relaxed brew day I've ever had in over 10 years. Using my 3 tier tippy dump, I thought It was a fairly quick and relaxed brew day till I tried the Brew Boss. I brewed a 12 gallon batch including clean up in just under 4 1/2 hours.



My two cents: If you're looking at these systems, get the deluxe. The COFI is simple to use and clean and the cam locks make changing connections a breeze. Also if you're thinking about the 15 gallon system, for $75 more you can jump to 20 gallon and give yourself more options if you want to brew some high gravity high volume beers or if you want bump to 15 gallon batches of "normal" gravity beers like I'm doing. It takes very little extra time and you end up with another cornie full of beer from the same brew day.

I'll be selling my tippy dump clone.......

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1433654200.961374.jpg

 

[Rhumbline]

Ok, you guys have just about sold me on this, it looks like the thing for me.

A couple questions, if you don't mind. I like to brew some high gravity beers, so I think the 15 gallon would be the minimum because of grain capacity in the COFI. I'd like to know how small a batch you could brew with it. Although I typically brew 5 gallon batches it would be nice to maybe do some smaller batches as tests.

It looks like the 20 gallon version isn't suitable for brewing a 5 gallon batch, so that wouldn't work for me.

Second question, this looks like it might be great for cheese making, using the BB with a pot inside as a double boiler to give excellent temperature control, something I struggle with. Is there any reason that I couldn't run a program that just ramped up the temp according to a set profile without all the pumping etc. seems like it should be easy.

Thanks again for starting this thread, I had no idea this kind of stuff was out there.

 

[ibrewmyown]

You can program as many or as few steps as you like. I don't believe you'd be able to brew 5 gallon or smaller on the 20 gallon system I have but I can't speak for the 15. Email Darin from Brew Boss and ask him. His responses are quick and will answer any questions you have. He's great to deal with.

 

[Rhumbline]

I have to echo the praise for Darin.

I emailed him the above question re batch size and he responded within three minutes, on a Sunday.

He said the 10 gal would do a 2.53 gal batch depending on grain bill, and he recommended going with the BIAB version if I intended to do smaller batches.

I'm pretty sure I'll go with the 15 gallon setup, I can always split a batch and experiment with different yeasts and fermentation profiles.

Looks like an excellent product.