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T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:23 pm
by fuf
I have purchased an 8' x 6' shed (arriving soon) and need to make it self contained dedicated to the T500 still. STMBO orders. My problem is the shed is 50' from my house with no water supply or drainage! I have the power sorted, but the water is the problem. I have purchased an 18 litre header tank (thank you Vino viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2736&p=16580&hilit=header+tank#p16580) but I need to recirculate the water as I am metered. My idea was to send the water from the T500 to the header tank,(I have a water pump and voltage regulator for flow control) but then the water temperature would rise in the header tank and I would have to constantly adjust the flow to regulate the temperature. Any advice would be most welcome.

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:54 am
by Icefever
I've seen a youtube vid were the guy had half a doz 2 lts plastic bottles, half filled them, band them in the freezer then they get dropped in the header tank. 8)

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:25 am
by fuf
Icefever wrote:I've seen a youtube vid were the guy had half a doz 2 lts plastic bottles, half filled them, band them in the freezer then they get dropped in the header tank. 8)


Thanks for that BJ. As the header tank is only 18 litres, 12 litres of iced water may be a problem. I may end up fitting a Torbeck valve and run off the main water supply. I have 12 days before the shed arrives so there is some thinking time. ???

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:31 am
by John51
According to the manufacturer, a T500 run uses about a bathtub of water. How much will say 150L of metered water cost you?

Best to find out as it might end up with you having lots of hassle each run just to save 20 pence or less. (I did a quick google and someone in the Severn Trent area pays 0.108 pence per litre.)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sho ... p?t=297008

Even if you run from a garden tap, imo the header tank is great for a shed as it keeps the water flow steady.

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 2:34 pm
by fuf
John51 wrote:According to the manufacturer, a T500 run uses about a bathtub of water. How much will say 150L of metered water cost you?

Best to find out as it might end up with you having lots of hassle each run just to save 20 pence or less. (I did a quick google and someone in the Severn Trent area pays 0.108 pence per litre.)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sho ... p?t=297008

Even if you run from a garden tap, imo the header tank is great for a shed as it keeps the water flow steady.


Hi John, I was thinking the same so I rang Severn Trent this morning. A no brainer as it turns out £1:54 per 1000 litres, that works out at about 28p per run. ;D

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:23 pm
by Icefever
There you go sorted.... ;)

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:53 pm
by vino-tinto
My misses does a washing machine run when I do a distilling run.
I collect some of the water in a 25 litre container with a tap, take it to the kitchen and stand it on the worktop. SHMBO puts some in the washing machine and keeps the other on tap for washing up etc.
Result: water usage saved, energy usage saved to offset against distilling cost.

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:33 pm
by fuf
vino-tinto wrote:My misses does a washing machine run when I do a distilling run.
I collect some of the water in a 25 litre container with a tap, take it to the kitchen and stand it on the worktop. STMBO puts some in the washing machine and keeps the other on tap for washing up etc.
Result: water usage saved, energy usage saved to offset against distilling cost.


Nice one Vino, thank you for your input. I have been thinking of pumping the water from the still into a water butt I am placing next to the shed. Then STMBO can use it for watering the plants in the greenhouses. At 28p a spirit run the cost is minimal and the water is not wasted.

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 5:21 am
by Easydrinker
Yourself and vino-tinto beat me to the obvious statement of watering the garden with the cooling water,win,win.
I also hate the idea of wasting water,despite this winters rain,hosepipe bans will return,for sure.
Best of luck with the brewing and stilling in the new shed!
Robert.

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:09 am
by Voddy
For what it's worth, I also 'recycle'/'up-cycle'/whatever the current word is nowadays the water from the T500 even though I am not on metered water. It's just a shameful waste to me.

So I will do all sorts of jobs with the hot water such as cleaning floors thoroughly and, lately, using the hot water to help break down paper to pulp for compressed paper fire logs - which works a treat. The waste water from the pulp then goes into my garden.

So the moral of the story is (I s'pose) is if you have to pay (extra) for your water, make it work more than the once. ;D

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:17 pm
by fuf
Brassed off beyond belief! No Brewhouse yet as they fcuked with the order! Image Custom build 8'x6' but 1' taller than the standard shed and they have to rebuild. So, next week before it arrives. Image
Image SWMBO is on the warpath...... I give up Image...
But, next week the brewhouse will be built Image

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:22 pm
by Icefever
Know how you feel Fuf...I ordered a new shed for the allotment, I asked for a Friday delivery..."oh yes no problem" they said.

so I placed the order on that, they delivered on the Tue..Image What's wrong with them???? why can't they just do what they say.

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:54 pm
by fuf
Brew house has arrived! Image Custom made...12" taller than a standard shed. ;D
Now it's time to configure the layout, water supply, electrics etc.

Spent the afternoon spraying the inside with water repellent just in case of spillage as I'm clumsy at times. (bloody arthritis) Image

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:17 am
by Icefever
Who's a happy bunny now..... :D :D

Re: T500 brew house?

PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:04 am
by John51
Just in case you didn't already know:

When fitting a garden tap, there must be an anti syphon device fitted so that there is no chance of anything from the garden getting into the water supply.

Good luck with your build.