Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
My own double fantasy is getting a brewery going again while keeping my dog in the yard. Strangely, the two dreams continue to revolve around each other.
(addendum: The line "Life is what happens..." is from the song "Beautiful Boy" from John Lennon's 1980 album "Double Fantasy", http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Lennon )
Thanks to some great input last week, the brewery site has changed. I had been planning to put it near the BBQ thinking that's where I'd also want the gas line. But that's a long run from the meter, as Kent pointed out last week.
I can put it on the other side of the patio, though, and still run a smaller line to the BBQ. I don't understand why larger diameter pipe is so much more expensive than smaller diameter pipe. But it is.
My initial plan was to wheel out the brewery and connect it to hoses. But now I'm thinking I can brew under the patio cover. It's really not much different than brewing in the garage. It's covered, but outside and relatively open. I don't really think I need to move the sculpture, at least not for every brew. I can buy some cheap ceramic tiles and mount them on plywood behind the burners. That should keep the wall from getting too hot. Even that may not be necessary if I put a few inches between the wall and the burners.
Rich mentioned last week that he brews in the garage on a sculpture that doesn't move. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Why spend 10 minutes rolling out a sculpture and hooking up quick disconnects? Leave it in place, and some of the tubing will connect to things permanently. Leave them connected.
Here is the new brewery site:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Z5cwqsFZGLo/TtFMxyQoitI/AAAAAAAABjU/5...
For you engineering buffs, here is an elaborate technical diagram:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PCIEphuM2FA/TtFSE_Rd4cI/AAAAAAAABjo/X...
Here is a picture the dog who snuck out of the new gate:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cmh1yspqpU8/TtFnR92RLeI/AAAAAAAABjw/X...
Hopefully some minor modifications will confound the pooch. The gate replaced a barrier between the gas meter and brewery, and must be attended to first.
Here is a picture, courtesy of Rich last week, of the front runner for the burner and a sample ball valve I selected to supply it:
http://www.instawares.com/thunder-group-natural-gas.thu-irbr002cn.0.7.htm
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?pq=water+heater+gas+valve&hl=en&c...
I am worried, though, about the burner putting out too much heat for an even boil of 10 gallons of wort. The page above shows an output range of 62,000 to 160,000 BTUs. Last week, Dad calculated we could raise 12 gallons of tap water to boiling in half an hour with about 60,000 BTUs. To hold an even boil of 10 gallons of wort, I might need to adjust the burner lower.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Another thought would be to lower the BTU range by capping some of the 22 tips, which are replaceable. If some could be screwed off and replaced with closed caps, the BTU range could be lowered. Or I could stick non-flammable chewing gum in some of the burner tips. Does anyone have any ideas about this? Maybe Juicy Fruit?
For now, I'm thinking of constructing the sculpture from perforated angle metal, nuts and bolts, from OSH. Here is a picture:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nL0e6hiN42Y/TtFNIei0aFI/AAAAAAAABjc/-...
Using square tubing for part of the sculpture is also under consideration. Rich suggested rivoted shelving. Assuming I don't have to put the sculpture on wheels, what's the cheapest way? What's a good source in the San Fernando Valley?
Even if I don't move the brewery for every brew, wheels might still be nice, for cleaning behind it.
The plan for next week is to ask the plumber to visit to review the plan and give a quote, now that the dog gate is in. Unfortunately, some attention must first be paid to keeping the pooch in the yard. She was able to move some pretty heavy cinder blocks to start digging under the new gate. While it's aggravating to pay for a new gate just to have her start to get out of the yard again, I have to admit I'm a bit proud of her.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vaA3UdRji3s/TtFMP-lxtnI/AAAAAAAABjE/v...
How does a 30 pound dog move a 23 pound cinder block?
Special thanks to Craig Shapland for hosting my dad and I at one of his brew sessions last week. He has designed and built a beautiful, time-efficient brewery, showing it is possible.
Sal Sciortino, the Younger, is a National BJCP Judge, and a card-carrying member of the Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society.
- SalTheYounger's blog
- Log in or register to post comments
Comments
(Deleted double post)
Hi Sal!
Your new location makes a lot more sense, IMHO. Not only will it make for a shorter, smaller diameter and therefor less expensive pipe run, it will also be sheltered from rain and wind. BTW, all steel products are priced by how much material is used, and how many machining operations are required to make them. So in the case of steel pipe, the only real difference is the abount of material. Inch and a quarter pipe pipe uses 35% more steel than one inch pipe, so it costs more.
As to your brew stand framing, on the plus side the slotted angle is fairly easy to work with. But it's also pretty expensive for what you get (again, price per pound of steel), and it really isn't all that strong either. But if you're gonna max out with 10 gallon batches, it'll probably be fine. For a bit more money, you can use Unistrut (generic name, other brands include SuperStrut, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strut_channel
It's readily available (HD, Lowes), easy to work with, and has many times the structural strength of that lightweight perforated angle you're considering. A simple box frame, properly constructed with strut, will support over a ton.
Now for the Burners. One always needs to bear in mind when reading claims of burner "power" that the seller is usually quoting the BTU INPUT of the burner, that's how gas consumption is measured. I use those same burners on my home rig and on the shop system. I've never had any problem throttling down to maintain a nice steady rolling boil. Also the idea of removing and capping some of the tips doesn't work very well. The tips are aimed to have the flames meet, if you follow. This is called impinging. This ensures that all the tips light, and more importantly generates what is called secondary air, which assures complete combustion. They would have to be removed in sets, and if you look closely at the picture of the burner you linked to, you couldn't remove any one tip without affecting at least one other. But don't worry, it'll throttle down just fine.
Hope that helps!
Fletch, aka Brewgyver
Perfect. Thanks, Kent. Maintaining an even boil was one of the biggest variables. Sounds like a $25 gas burner will do great.