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?? Electric HLT ??

Pirate Point Brewer

Grandmaster Brewer
Master Brewer
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
190
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Location
Luna Pier, Michigan AKA - Pirate Point
We are interested in building electric brewing equipment for next season. We wish to be economical. We are most interested in an electric HLT using a PID controller as it seams we spend too much of our brew day trying to get strike, step, and sparge water to the right temp. Eventually we may expand the concept into a RIMS system of sorts, but right now we really don't want/need the plumbing for pumps etc. so a simple but effective HLT will do.

Any experience, advice or examples?

Thanks

Preston
 
Pirate Point,
It's time to think about (Brew In a Bag - BIAB). You don't have to go through all that ( strike, step, and sparge water to the right temp) crap. I have been brewing this way for the last couple of years and it is fantastic. You just heat all your water (8 gal.?) at once. Dump all your crushed grain into the bag and go. If you need to rest it at lets say at 122 Deg. Rest it there for 20 minuets and then fire up the burner to 153? turn it off again and wait 60 min. Turn on the burners to raise it to 170 deg. and pull out the bag while the propane takes it to boil. Everything else is the same. No mash tun needed. No stuck sparge because you don't sparge. Here is a few pictures of me at work. http://www.stempski.com/biab.php  National Homebrew Day
Here is the Official BIAB website http://www.biabrewer.info

If you could rig a electric pot (without melting the bag) Your brew day would be cut in half!

 
Yes, I am savage! I may have "over oak-ed it" I need to let this stuff sit awhile. I am a BIAB advocate so I apologise if I get on a soapbox. Your efficiency is very high with this method because you can regrind your grain to pulverise it. If you have questions let me know but the website has good descriptions.
Today is May 8th and we had 3 inches of snow last night. I am going to have a brew!
 
Bob,

Sorry about the Whiskey  .......... but it sounds like something good to wait for. We have never tried mixing distilled spirits into beer, you know the old boiler maker bombs. But we both like Margaritas and enjoy an occasional Landshark in the summer. We've talked about using some Margaritas in the bottling bucket but just haven't done it.

Its a shame about the weather. We hate it when we just have to brew ... but somebody has to do it! ;D

We thought we detected a note of enthusiasm for BIAB in all your posts! We haven't had time to go through the info you sent us but we certainly will. Our girls did Mom's Day for the Princess last evening! It was typical, The five girls say at one end and went Yak Yak Yak!  The three Son in laws and I sat at the other having civilized and much more important and intelligent conversation about fishing, boats, cars, snowmobiles and etc.  ;)

We are interested in learning more about BIAB and No Chill brewing. That would really simplify a all electric brewing system.  We brew small batches inside in the kitchen so the simpler the gooder! Where do you get the big bags?? ???

Preston
 
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