Creating an Electrical Brewery

geaux_brew

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After a lot of research, I have decided that I am going to build an electric brewery. I have a few questions though.

First I currently have a basic brewers beast 16 gallon kettle with a triclad bottom. I use coolers for my mash and hot liquor tanks. Overall I have been impressed with my current kettle. But I realize there are better kettles out there. I am trying to do this cheap as possible. Is it really worth it to get nicer kettles? Or just get two more of the brewers beast kettles?

Also still debating the HERMS vs RIMS. It appears HERMS might be slightly better, but also maybe a little more complex.

Thanks in advance.
 
I would say unless you want the shiny any kettle will do. I have 16 gallon Mash King kettles I got from OBK and they're perfectly fine for the job for a damned sight cheaper than the big boys.

On the electric I stick 2 heat sticks in the kettle and mash in a coleman cooler, so I'm no use there.
 
Or if you want to do it really cheap you can just get a stainless steel basket that fits in your kettle and go the BIAB route. My current electric system is a DIY single vessel approach with recirculation. So just the pump, a basket and some hoses and camlocks.
 
I'm wondering about that, mount 2 heat sticks in a kettle, put a second pot in to protect the bag and downside the whole damned setup.
 
I just use a honking big induction burner. Pricier option but no chance whatsoever of scorching the bag.
 
I use a 10 gal Bayou Classic that came with a basket, false bottom, thermometer and lid, though the holes in the basket are too big to use without a BIAB bag. I bought a slotted pizza pan to slap on top of the kettle so the grains can drain. I'm sure there other easier ways to to do this but I found this to be cheap for me.
 
I just use a honking big induction burner. Pricier option but no chance whatsoever of scorching the bag.

It's a pain in the ass to get 240V equipment here and I don't have it wired in the garage so a couple 1500W sticks are my compromise until I win a lottery.
 
I have a 30 amp 240 HERMS system with 5500 watt element in the10 gallon HLT and a 5500 watt element in the 10 gallon boil pot. The Mash Tun is an igloo plastic round cooler with a false bottom. The set up is controlled with 2 PID's one for the HLT, but when I need to raise the temperature in the Mash Tun I just move the plugin for the temp to the one in the Mash Tun. The Boil Pot is managed by its own PID.


HERMS system.jpg
 
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