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| New 15.5 Gallon Kettles on DIY Stand |
The new brewery is well under way! After nearly a month of research I decided not to spend time modifying the 8.5 gallon kettles only to have to do it all over again when I move to 10 gallon batches. The process to drill holes and get the fittings installed is very time consuming and NOT easy. Purchasing new also left me the option of selling the old one to recover some of my cost. (which I have already done)
I found a great deal on Bayou Classic 62 Quart Kettles through Amazon.com. Knowing that these kettles would never be put on a propane burner I saw no reason to splurge on the fancy ones with the aluminum clad bottoms. I also bought the wire shelving units from Amazon.com. These shelves are all chromed steel and each shelf is rated at 250 lbs. With the different sizes available I was able to design an arrangement where I can easily reach everything from my wheelchair and also minimize the length of the quick connect hoses preventing heat loss. I set up the center portion to have a top shelf allowing me to eventually suspend a plastic hopper which will allow me to add grain to the mash without requiring an additional set of hands.
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| Cam-Lock Quick Connect Fittings and Kettle Hardware |
When choosing quick connect fittings there are only two choices for home brewing as far as I am concerned. Camlocks from BrewHardware.com and Sleeve style from morebeer.com. For the price and recommendations from on line sources I decided to go with the Camlocks. Tri-Clover is also used but is even more expensive and the consensus seems to be that they are not so great for the hot side of the brewery. Brewhardware also has great priced and high quality specialty items like the Hot Pod which is used to mount a screw type heating element in your kettle. These things are really cool and a way better (in my opinion) and cheaper alternative to the method described on theelectricbrewery.com.
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| All BrewHardware Fittings and Hot Pods Installed - Leak Test |
I installed all the kettle hardware except for the high mount whirlpool returns which I have not received yet. Not one leak! One thing I would do differently if I had to do over is to order my water heater elements from Brewhardware. After leaving water in the kettles for 48 hours the faces of both elements were showing signs of rust. After doing some research I found this to be normal due to the fact that there is no sacrificial anode like there is in a regular water heater. Most brewers that have this problem make sure to clean and dry the face immediately after brewing. Others buy and anode and install it. The element from Brewhardware is double the price but has a stainless face. I am going to try the keep it dry method first and see how it goes.
My next post I will go over the electrical side and my panel build.
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