Kit upgrade, but which one?

Spapro · Aug 24, 2015

I've got the ÃÂ£81 - forum discount kit from HBC, really good value IMHO.

It did take them about 3 working days to dispatch and another 2 to arrive on the courier (I chose free delivery).

Not whinging about delivery speed, I think the kit is great value and would order from them again. Just a heads up that if you want a reasonable chance of having it for the weekend would be worth ordering up asap - or paying extra for faster delivery I guess.

Badseed1974 · Aug 24, 2015

Thanks for te heads up, I'm in no rush though :)

Duffman · Aug 24, 2015

Badseed1974 said:
Thanks for te heads up, I'm in no rush though :)

Please do post an update on how you get on with your kit, do's, don'ts and what you'd do differently etc as i'm seriously thinking about going down this route myself in the next few weeks or so.

Badseed1974 · Aug 24, 2015

Will do :)

ManseMasher · Aug 24, 2015

Badseed1974 said:
Will do :)

Nice one! You going for the .ie option? Cheap as chips!

Badseed1974 · Aug 24, 2015

Just doing it now but it comes out at ÃÂ£89.76. Am I doing something wrong?

ManseMasher · Aug 24, 2015

Badseed1974 said:
Just doing it now but it comes out at ÃÂ£89.76. Am I doing something wrong?

Post the link of what you are thinking of ordering mate,

Badseed1974 · Aug 24, 2015

https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/b...iler-chiller-mashing-bag-mash-kit-p-2559.html

Badseed1974 · Aug 24, 2015

Got there in the end, ÃÂ£76 delivered with 10 muslin bags.

Can't wait, cheers guys

nobbyhigo · Aug 24, 2015

i got the peco kit two weeks ago first brew observations reached 72 deg in 40 mins i tied the bag high enough up that even with the grain in it didnt touch the element so was ok to pop the element on for a min. i brew in the garage so used a beam and string to hoist the bag out is a tad heavy
the boiler came to a boil in 40 mins but i left the lid off could reduce that with it on
after the boil the tap was useless as the hops soon clogged it up i used a measuring jug and sieve which was no problem as it airates the wort and cleans out the hops from the boiler as you go
overall very happy with the kit will have too see in time if alterations are required but at the moment happy to be brewing all grain with a boiler a bag and a cooler

Duffman · Aug 24, 2015

nobbyhigo said:
i got the peco kit two weeks ago first brew observations reached 72 deg in 40 mins i tied the bag high enough up that even with the grain in it didnt touch the element so was ok to pop the element on for a min. i brew in the garage so used a beam and string to hoist the bag out is a tad heavy
the boiler came to a boil in 40 mins but i left the lid off could reduce that with it on
after the boil the tap was useless as the hops soon clogged it up i used a measuring jug and sieve which was no problem as it airates the wort and cleans out the hops from the boiler as you go
overall very happy with the kit will have too see in time if alterations are required but at the moment happy to be brewing all grain with a boiler a bag and a cooler

Could you make a teabag with the hops and thus avoid clogging the tap ? or invest in a false bottom for the boiler, which would prevent the clogging up !

nobbyhigo · Aug 24, 2015

yes have thought about it was only my first grain brew but to be honest not too bothered like i say jug and sieve puts good air in the wort but over time will prob look into it . with the kit i bought enough hops and grain for 4/5 brews so when i eventually need some more might look into buying a false bottom to my order only time will tell
the free kit i went for was the ipa citra tried the sample today and must admit for warm flat beer was bloody lovely already better than the razorback ipa i am drinking now

Covrich · Aug 25, 2015

You can just jug and seive for now and it work fine!! then at a later date change the tap for ball valve with hop strainer..

If it was me I would, I used to cook with the hops in the bags but from personal experience I found putting hops in loose was much better.. Might just be me but I found hops in bags reduced their effectivness quite a bit.

Duffman · Aug 25, 2015

Covrich said:
You can just jug and seive for now and it work fine!! then at a later date change the tap for ball valve with hop strainer..

If it was me I would, I used to cook with the hops in the bags but from personal experience I found putting hops in loose was much better.. Might just be me but I found hops in bags reduced their effectivness quite a bit.

I like your thinking here Covribch, i'm on the verge of upgrading to a boiler and i think for the hassle i'll invest the little bit extra in the stainless steel false bottom and be done with it !

Slid · Aug 27, 2015

My HBC BIAB kit just arrived today.

My question is around the Wort Chiller. What size tubing do I need and how best to attach the tubing to the chiller and to the mixer tap in the kitchen?

Any assistance greatly appreciated :thumb:

Badseed1974 · Aug 27, 2015

Standard garden hose and a jubilee clip I would imagine?

And this for your tap :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal...URPOSE-/161200776691?var=&hash=item258850a5f3

Spapro · Aug 27, 2015

Jubilee clips at the wort chiller end will work well - I went with hozelock disconnects for easy cleaning etc without dragging hose through the kitchen.

B&Q do their own cheap blue range of hozelock connectors at ÃÂ£1 each which I would use instead of the blingy hozelock connected I bought before getting to B&Q.

My wort chiller from HBC used 9.5mm copper pipe - 10mm to 15mm couplers from B&Q worked well but I did use some plumbers PTFE tape on the tube to bulk it out so the 10mm olive fit snugly.

This is the 10mm x 15mm coupler - you ditch the olive and nut off the 15mm side and your hozelock connector screws onto that:
http://www.diy.com/departments/plum...26_BQ&ef_id=Vd7ajgAAADqZ0Dqz:20150827115745:s

You can do this for about ÃÂ£12 if you use B&Q blue hozelock bits (I already had some old hose to use):

Slid · Aug 27, 2015

Badseed1974 said:
Standard garden hose and a jubilee clip I would imagine?

And this for your tap :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal...URPOSE-/161200776691?var=&hash=item258850a5f3

Thanks for this. I duly went down to B&Q to get myself 2 lengths of hose, hoselock attachments, and 2 Jubilee Clips. I took the copper Chiller with me. I found 2x 13mm J clips easily enough, but just could not find any tubing that seemed to fit snugly over the 9.5mm Copper tubing.

Is 12.5mm hose too big, or does the Jubilee clip sort it?

(I am a bit hopeless on things like this, BTW, but watched the video below before I went, and still came back empty handed!)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vipL11vq_g8[/ame]

Slid · Aug 27, 2015

Spapro said:
Jubilee clips at the wort chiller end will work well - I went with hozelock disconnects for easy cleaning etc without dragging hose through the kitchen.

B&Q do their own cheap blue range of hozelock connectors at ÃÂ£1 each which I would use instead of the blingy hozelock connected I bought before getting to B&Q.

My wort chiller from HBC used 9.5mm copper pipe - 10mm to 15mm couplers from B&Q worked well but I did use some plumbers PTFE tape on the tube to bulk it out so the 10mm olive fit snugly.

This is the 10mm x 15mm coupler - you ditch the olive and nut off the 15mm side and your hozelock connector screws onto that:
http://www.diy.com/departments/plum...26_BQ&ef_id=Vd7ajgAAADqZ0Dqz:20150827115745:s

You can do this for about ÃÂ£12 if you use B&Q blue hozelock bits (I already had some old hose to use):

Ah right, maybe I should have read this post first.

It looks like I want 2 Plumbsure Brass Compression Reducing Coupler (Dia)15 mm, some plumbers PTFE tape and 2 Blue Hozelock connectors, plus some tubing for th outlet side.

There is an outside tap which we use to feed into the hose, using quick release attechments and I can pass this hose through the kitchen window and attach to the inlet side of the chiller. I think!

Spapro · Aug 27, 2015

Slid said:
It looks like I want 2 Plumbsure Brass Compression Reducing Coupler (Dia)15 mm, some plumbers PTFE tape and 2 Blue Hozelock connectors, plus some tubing for th outlet side.

There is an outside tap which we use to feed into the hose, using quick release attechments and I can pass this hose through the kitchen window and attach to the inlet side of the chiller. I think!

You can just use your jubilee clips to hold the hoses on the inlet/outlet of the wort chiller but if you want quick conect/disconnect:

At the wort chiller end of things you will need 2 x male hozelock connectors (B&Q blue are fine) attached to the couplers plus 2 x female hozelock connectors on your hoses (again B&Q blue are fine).

Then you need whatever you need for the water supply tap end, either in your kitchen or for the outside tap.

Kit upgrade, but which one?

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