StillSmart

In the course of our labours we all come across jobs or chores that we create an improvisation or invention to make the task easier or more efficient, etc.. It might be a Parrot you built/acquired or an improvised wort chiller, a home made mash tun or, as in my case, a new de-gasser for degassing my wash much quicker and more thoroughly than my usual effort.

If you have anything you've created or modified as above why not share it here. You might inspire someone else to create something that might be useful to you.

This is my newly designed Wash Degasser.


It's just an 18" length of 1/2" copper pipe drilled at one end with a series of 3/8" holes. The effect of all the holes in this little device is to create a rapid flow of wash through the holes while you stir almost gently. This literally beats the Co2 out of the wash. The silver/gray bit at the bottom of the first pic is just a handle made from pipe insulation and duct tape to make it easier to hold - Simples!

Works for me - you got anything I can use?

AM

Yes.

Reading at some other places about brewing other stuff (other than wash), it would appear that if you can, it's a smart move to get your hands on a laboratory stir plate (without a heater as those ones are considerably more expensive).

It would appear that with a bucket sat on them and stirring bar inside the bucket, switched on to aid stirring, but only fast enough to produce an eddy at the surface of the liquid, not a vortex, it makes for a faster ferment, while the rotating action also moves the CO2 out of solution quicker as well, allowing for a quicker clearing process (and yes, once the ferment is done then the stir plate is switched off, as the clearing process needs the liquid to be stationary).

regards

P!

I started to look for a suitable needle valve for my Boka and found many varieties, with some costing more than my budget for the entire project.

I remembered that at one stage during my research I had read an article in "The Home Distillers Forum" about the possibility of manufacturing a needle valve based on a "bicycle spoke". At the time I did not give the article much thought. However, after establishing how much needle valves cost, I now realised how this concept was more in keeping with my philosophy rather than simply throwing money at the problem. I found the thread again and gave it some more consideration.

Although I found the discusion about the valve I was unable to find any examples of a working model, They may be there but I could not see them, so I had to make one of my own.

I invested the sum of £1.00 in two stainless steel spokes complete with threaded nipples and dug out the box (that my wife can never understand why I keep) of "really useful bits" and started to see what I could come up with.

The following sketch indicates my first efforts at utilising parts that I already had, as opposed to designing a set-up that was more efficient but required me to spend money on additional items.



Using a hacksaw, hand drill and a rat-tailed file, the various bits were roughly cut to size as shown here.



With the final assembly looking like this.



I have been told by people that the amount of fluid retained in the system could introduce smearing / hysteresis into the product. I must confess that the words “smearing” and “hysteresis” in this context are new to me and I am assuming that in my language they mean something very similar to polluting.

I have revisited the design of the valve and come up with a configuration that greatly reduces the amount of liquid stored behind the valve.




This arrangement also does away with the overflow on the lower slant plate and the associated need to poke long screwdrivers down the inside of the column to bend the tab after soldering the plate.


Using the same theory and in the event that I win the lottery, I could always retro-fit a “proper valve” like this.




In all my reading I cannot remember seeing this particular set-up. I may have done, if so I will gladly give credit to the person who sowed the seeds in my mind. If not, why not? – is there something I am missing?

Any advice? / comments please.

Brian
(YHB)