Whelp here's the 55 gallon system!
The MLT and Boil kegs are 55 gallon stainless steel drums, while the HLT
remains a converted keg from the old system.
(Those plastic buckets in the background are 33 gallon fermentors)
A couple years ago I had been "downsized" along with half of
America, at my programming job. While I was sitting around twirling my thumbs, I
decided to build what is sometimes stared at, sometimes laughed at, but now affectionately called the "Lama Brewery"
I first started by taking in huge amounts of information about other systems
people had built on the net, and finally decided on a HERMS based system.
I then decided on cloning something along the lines of the system @ www.RedBarnBrewing.com.
I had learned to weld years before, so I had to re-teach myself this
wonderful skill. After some practice, I went out and picked up about 75 feet of
1 inch square pipe and started welding and came up with the basic frame. I then
lowered the HLT and boil keg level(lower level) by 6 inches so I could gravity
into the boil keg from the MLT. I then welded in 1 burner under the HLT and 2
burners under the 55 gallon boil kettle.
I then built "tipping" arms for the MLT so that after the mash, I
could tip the MLT backwards and scoop out the grains. At 300 pounds, I
sure wasnt going to be able to pick it up!
I then proceeded to hook up the propane
gas lines with copper tubing, incorporating two valves, one for each cooker. I
then hooked in 2 of the "clicker" starter thingies from a grill into
each burner.
The Vessels...
The MLT and Boil Keg are 55 gallon Stainless steel drums, and are Monsters!
Help Ive fallen and I cant get up!!
I welded in all 1/2 inch stainless steel couplings.
MLT: 1 drain, 1 temp probe, 1 site tube, and 2 on each side, welded onto the
OUTside of the kettle for the tipping device.
Boil Keg: 1 drain, and 1 site tube.
(yup, that's me drinking! On my first version of the Lama, I had a 10 gallon
Gott cooler for a MLT)
This design changed quickly and I converted a keg
to replace the cooler, making all three vessels converted kegs. I then swapped
out the MLT and Boil Keg with 55 gallon stainless steel drums.
Boil Kettle
Looking down inside after a batch.. did'nt leave too much behind!
(a couple aspen leaves fell in just as I was taking the pic.. heh)
HLT
Lookin inside at the 50 foot of
copper..
Close up of the solenoid valves..
When ones closed, the other is open..Wort is flowing from the bottom up.
The lower one lets the wort in to heat up, the upper one is for bypass.
HLT UPDATE:
While I take my temp readings during mash from about half way up the MLT, I now
have a temp probe right at the exit of the HLT I can flip over to if I want to
see what's going on over there... I can measure what temp the worts going in at,
and what it comes out at...
MLT
The MLT has a temp prob, drain, site tube and here you can see the left
tipping device.
WAAAaaay up there, looking down into the MLT after mash was
completed.. does'nt leave much behind either!
Hoses:
I then decided to make all the connections between the kegs
high temp flexible hoses and hooked up quick disconnects to all the valves and
hose ends.
Temperature Controller:
I then took the whole thing to the next level, being the
"dinker" I am, and decided to automate the controlling of the
temperature. To me, this really "made" the lama an awesome toy :)
(Here I am telling the controller to
bring the temp up to 153)
I started by hunting on ebay for a temp controller and 2 solenoid valves. After finding them
I hooked the valves onto the HLT manifold
and put the temp probe into the MLT and the valves click back n forth in order
to maintain the temp in the MLT. Worked like a charm right off the bat!
Conclusion:
The 55 gallon drums allows me to fill 8 cornies in one 40
gallon session, and I only have to brew a few times a year to keep the couple
styles I like on tap all year round, thus giving me more time to brew some
smaller 10-20 gallon batches of experimental beer. Plus now I can
actually age my 12% Belgium's for many months...
I have actually built 2 more frames for some friends and I lowered the
whole stand by about 6 inches, and I think I like it that way better, as it's
easier to look down into the MLT.
The only complaints I have are with the quick disconnects.
Mine are from Homed3po and really made for a hose. They tend to leak abit till
they come up to temp, then seal nicely. But this finally bugged me enough to
replace em all with new, plastic ones from US
Plastics
Brewing Process for 40 gallons of
brew...
I first start off the brew day by filling up my HLT to the top. Then I fill up my boil kettle with the
amount strike water determined by the recipe. I then fire up both
burners and shoot for strike temp in the boil kettle and about 180 in the HLT.
Once i reach temps, I pump the strike water from the boil kettle up into the MLT.
Once its all up there, I start recirculating. At this point I check all my connections
for leaks and basically let the system get settled. I then dough into the
MLT and the fun begins. I
then set the controller to the temp I'm shooting for in the MLT, walk over to the fridge, pour me a
brew, then sit there and watch the Lama make beer :)
Once I reach the mash temp I want, I stop recirculating and
just let it steep...I only turn on the recirculating again if a temp change is
needed... I used to recirc all the time, but I've since decided that just
letting it steep seems to work better...
(wort is flowing outta the MLT, down into the pump, up to the bottom of the HLT,
and then according to the temp in the MLT, it will go through the HLT n heat up,
or bypass the HLT. Either way, the wort then comes outta the top of the HLT and
up into the top of the MLT to be returned to the grain bed)
(old kegs used for illustration purposes.)
I run a 90 min mash. As long as the HLT is always
hotter then what I'm shooting for in the MLT, all is good, and I can step up the
temp if needed during the 90 min mash, giving ample time to suck
down a few cold ones with friends :)
Once the 90 mins are up, I start recirculating again and tell the controller to bring me up
to 165 for 15 mins and prepare to sparge out. I stop recirculating
and change around the hoses and begin to gravity all the sweet liquid into the
boil kettle. Once its all in there, I then hook up the hose to the HLT and
use the 170 degree water I've been using to control the MLT with, to sparge out
with and fill the MLT back up with 170 water. I then let it sit for 15 mins, and
then gravity out again into the boil kettle. When I end up with about 46 gallons in the boil kettle, I stop the flow and move onto the boil..
(old kegs used for illustration purposes.)
I boil up n add hops into the boil kettle according to recipe
over a 60 min boil. I then throw in my IM chiller and bring it down to 70 degrees,
which only takes about 20-30 mins out here in Colorado..
I then gravity the wort into plastic fermenters or if I'm gonna
brew 10 gallons or less, I use my 12.2 gallon conical, I pump the beer from the boil kettle into the
conical.
I then pitch in the yeast, hit it with 30 seconds or so of O2,
seal it up n call it a success!
Buzz me? Flyer@usa.net
