So, 58L keg wrapped in silver insulation you buy at a hardware store. (helped with heat retention) I heat with a turkey fryer (propane) 72000btu
2\" piece of copper pipe with a tri-clover furrel silver soldered in. Got the furrel and clamps etc from a dairy outlet.
Here\'s the whole thing, cost $20.00
Soldered a copper-to-copper 1/2\" connector on for my worm. I made the top of the 2\" pipe by cutting off a couple inches and flattening it out. Then cutting it circular.
Here\'s the pail with garden hose attachments. Cold water in the bottom with a valve to slow the water to a trickle. Water flows out the top hose and runs outside with gravity.
Note that the hose outlet is not at the very top. This is because water will flow out faster when there is more volume(weight) above it. If the drain is at the very top the water just trickles out and everything runs hotter. Where it is I can turn up the flow and fill the bucket to the top then slow it down and keep it there. Flow is much higher. Also note the silicone around the copper tube, build it up strong because it will get bumped around a bit and will flex.
Looking down inside: I soldered on some uprights to hold the coil in a downward spiral so there is no pooling in the line. I used zap straps to hold the whole thing solid.
The lynne arm: 1/2\" pipe which goes down to the 1/2\" tubing. (pipe is measured inside dia, tube is measured outside dia)
Assembled: Takes about 10 seconds or less to assemble. Has a nitrile gasket so there is no dough goop to clean etc. Disassembly is just as quick. Unscrew the pipe fitting with 5/8 and 1\" wrenches then undo the clamp. Done.
Oh yeah, my fermenter (and the burner put away for winter)
121L HDPD High density (food grade) plastic garbage can. ($19.00 at Canadian tire)
So total it\'s cost $97.00 and some elbow grease. Dirt simple and works excellent. Could be made to take up less room with a leibig condensor instead of the worm bucket.
When you include corn/sugar/etc you get about 100L of wash out.
Oh yeah, recipe. I think I put it on here somewhere else but anyway,;
40lb\'s sugar
40lb\'s cracked corn
100L water
1/2 a small bottle of bakers yeast...just looked it\'s 113G bottle I mix up a gallon of warm water or so and let it sit for 20minutes or so then add a sprinkle of sugar then after about an hour pour it in.
This will come out around 12%abv. I find much more than that gives off flavours. 14% is definately the max I would go as it stresses the yeast and produces more fusel alcohol and cogeners that plain taste bad.
I strip this to about 40-45% then run a spirit run and it comes out 75-80%. Seperated in 500ml jars I do my cuts by smell and taste (teaspoon 1/2 and 1/2) after they have sat out to air for 24hr\'s. I dump the heads and tails in a feigns carboy to be distilled later and keep the heart in a heart carboy. I then cut the heart down to 40% with RO water. I fill 750ml bottles and add 1 cube of hungarian oak per bottle. Let it sit about 2 months and it is a nice golden/light brown and taste good enough to turn your nose up at store bought shit. hehe
Note there is NO CARBON INVOLVED! If you need carbon then you\'ve left crap in there which means your being too greedy with your cuts.
Other things that come to mind..I always watch the temp/humidity/barometer as it does effect when and how hard the wash gets up to temp.
Oh, for smaller batches I think I used;
5lb\'s sugar
5lb\'s cracked corn
30L water
yeast
I forget but I think it\'s about 10-12%
Statistics: Posted by goinbroke2 — Wed Apr 14, 2010 6:12 am
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