[IBU] Building 10 Gallon System - Questions

[Theron Conrey]

I've got a system similar to what you're describing, and have had good luck with the shirron plate chiller.  A couple of things stand out though.

1) the threads are sharp.  I started wearing gloves to attach tubing to the chiller, having cut open my hands a few times on the threading while tightening down a hose. Sounds silly, it's not.
2) It works.  You won't need to recirculate, I'm usually pitching my yeast as soon as I turn off the hose.
3) Baking it and flushing it after has worked well to clean it (Thanks Dave!) the night prior to use and flushing it /w cleaner after.  I've read people using a back flush hose on these, but I'd always find more stuff in it later.
4)  I use a bazooka tube and have had mixed results.  It works well to filter with a pump and a shirron on the backside, however I'm always afraid it's going to clog up.  When all the wort has moved to the fermenters, I'm always left with an almost 95% blocked screen.  I'm sure that there's a better solution, I just haven't gotten upset enough to get one yet.

I'd be curious to see how your setup comes out.

Good luck!

-Theron

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From: ibu-bounces at iowabrewersunion.org [mailto:ibu-bounces at iowabrewersunion.org] On Behalf Of Mike Young
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 1:42 PM
To: Iowa Brewers Union; amesbrewersleague at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBU] Building 10 Gallon System - Questions

After brewing three 5 gallon batches of beer in the last three days, I've decided that I need to build a 10 gallon all-grain brew system.  I've got a couple kegs that are waiting to become my hot liquor tank and boil kettle and I just ordered two Bayou Classic SQ14 burner stands w/ burners today from Amazon that I've read will support a keggle just fine.  I'm planning on putting my hot liquor tank and boil kettle directly on the burners and building a wooden stand to elevate my mash tun cooler above the boil kettle so I can gravity feed my wort into the boil kettle.  I'll mount a march pump on the bottom of the wooden cooler stand and use that to pump my hot water into the mash tun.  I was also planning on using the pump to push my wort through a Shirron chiller (not purchased yet) to cool it down.  That being said, I've got a few questions to ask my fellow brewers:

When using the Shirron chiller, what type of pickup tube do you use so the chiller won't get clogged?  I use pellet hops exclusively, and have seen several different options that I could use (whirlpooling, Hop Stopper (too expensive), and a hop bag).  The idea of a hop bag seems nice, but I don't really want to give up hop utilization.  whirlpooling seems nice as well, but I've read several posts online where people have problems.  I've seen several people that just use a piece of copper tubing directed at the side of the kettle and pinched slightly.  What do you guys use that works well for you?

Also related to the Shirron chiller, do you have to recirculate the wort back to the boil kettle to chill it down, or do you find that just running it through the chiller and straight into the fermenters works well for you?  I'll probably do some initial testing when I get my system built, but it would be nice to know what to expect.

I'd also like to know what everyone's experience with the March pump as been.  From what I've read, you want the pump to be below the liquid you are planning on pumping since it isn't self-priming.  I found the following link which explains add a little valve that makes it easier to prime.  I think that's probably what I'm going to do: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1456549408053500498HeldvV

I think that's about all the questions I've got for now.  If anyone has any helpful hints I'd be glad to hear them as well.
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