Skip to main content

Brewery

So, the title might be a little misleading, but the point remains.  I bought a system in which to brew beer - or as a normal person would call it: a brewery.

I have sung Craigslist's praises in the past and I will do so again here.  That place - if you're lucky - can be a treasure trove of cool stuff.  I was lucky enough to find this system on there several months ago but the price was out of my range.  So, I held off from calling.  Over the months, I did research on building a system from scratch found out that what this guy was offering was actually a pretty good deal. So, I called.  I talked him down a little bit on price and when I went to pick up the system, I was more than pleasantly surprised.  Overjoyed?  Ecstatic?  Happy?  This was more than a frame and some kegs; this guy built the brewery to be an efficient, compact, easy to use piece of beer brewing wonder.  He had a horrible ad on Craigslist, which turned out to be awesome for me.  Let's break it down a little bit, shall we?

 The brew stand is heavy, durable, and strong.  The wheels are large and easy to roll.  There is a pump, a counter-flow chiller, and three burners and kegs.  But the kegs (hot tank, mash tun, boil kettle) aren't just kegs.  They are customized for their purpose with multiple ball valves, Blichmann thermometers, and top of the line false bottoms.  Plus, two of the kegs are old Yuengling kegs - a nice homage to PA beer.

But it isn't just the quality of the basic equipment that makes the brewery great.  What really makes this a nice system is the little touches that are added.  For example, filling up the HLT would be a pain way up on the top tier.  But, there is a copper pipe installed to make it easy.  A faucet is installed up above the HLT to turn water on or off to fill as needed.  That same pipe also runs down to the chiller area so water can be used there, too.  No disconnecting or moving of hoses.  Water is right where you need it.

This thing was well thought out.

The burners are like jet engines.  I am sure there won't be any problems getting kegs up to temperature with these.  The burners are easy to light and the kegs fit snugly and securely in place.  I did have to play with the propane a little bit to get nice, blue flames.  You can really pump up the gas and get a little bonfire going if you want to.

There is an installed switch for the pump.  The height of the brew stand perfectly fits a carboy.  There is no need to turn kettles or lift heavy things.  Everything is there.  Ready to go.

So, I am pretty excited about brewing.  I hope to get many brews under my belt this summer.  I'm starting off this Memorial Day with a pale ale.  As always, I'll be sure to keep you posted.

There are a few more pictures over at my Google+ album.  Be sure to check it out.

Cheers.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Ladies who BrunchMay 26, 2012 at 10:49 AM

    Awesome find! I look forward to trying some of these new brews of yours. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 3, 2012 at 12:12 AM

    I am not really familiar with that keg . Thanks to your blog.

    Keg hire Perth

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Research: Part 3

The final post I want to make in the research category is one about the traditional, brick & mortar, local homebrew store.  If you are lucky enough to have a store nearby, this is a great place to visit.  (You can find a nearby store by visiting the Homebrewers Association directory .) In this modern world, full of instant information, huge selection, and Amazon.com pricing, why visit an actual store ?  Several reasons. First, the people.  These people are passionate about brewing and passionate about helping you brew.  They are a great resource for practical questions on ingredients and, in this specific case, equipment.  They probably have used most of what is in their store and can speak to it first hand.  You get much better service than online retailers (which usually provide no customer service  unless something doesn't work the way it should) because there are actual people with whom to talk and ask questions. Hops/Yeast Fridge When Eric and I first made our fo
2 comments
Read more

Fall Beers

So, what is up with all the fall/autumn/pumpkin/fest beers being out already?  It's the middle of August.  It is hot still.  I, personally, don't really want to see those in the shelf til after Labor Day.  Autumn doesn't even start until September 21.  Maybe you've had similar thoughts. I liken it to being able to buy a 2013 car now.  It is like we are living in the future!  But facetiousness aside, if you are releasing a pumpkin beer or a harvest ale on August 1, that means you were brewing it in June.  Where do you buy pumpkin in June?  Surely you aren't getting the freshest pumpkins around...  Expired canned pumpkin anyone?  If you are releasing a fest beer, at least there aren't any special, seasonal ingredients.  But it takes longer to make.  When were you brewing that one?  May?  April?  Earlier? I understand trying to get your product out first so people see it, remember it, and buy it.  But give us a little bit of a break and at least wait until
2 comments
Read more

Equipment Progression

I am an all-grain, fermentation-controlled, kegging homebrewer (with other bells and whistles thrown in there, too).  But I didn't start out that way.  I was thinking about my progression as a homebrewer and wondering if I would change anything about my journey (hindsight is 20/20).  So, I made a list of my progression.  The list below doesn't contain every gadget or step, and some steps include multiple purchases/equipment, but it hits key milestones.  Here is a brief overview of how I have progressed so far as a homebrewer: Extract on the stove top Wort chiller Turkey fryer/Burner for outdoor use Kegerator Pump Fermentation control Yeast starters All-grain (all the equipment at once) Plate Chiller Oxygenation system So, what would I change?  How would I choose to progress now that I am more advanced?  Or, I guess a pertinent question also is, where did I get the most bang for my buck?  What was most worth the money?  Below is my list answering those questions.
4 comments
Read more