Recent content by Dave Parry

I started like @chthon in 2019 in the kitchen. Then one thing led to another, I moved to the garage (which needed a lot of cleaning out and repainting) and then started buying SS stuff, right up to a new 14G SS FV last month. My HERMS (now bulkhead mounted): and a donated granite kitchen...

Quick update for you all. I tried the ‘liquid PTFE’ first, but for some reason it didn’t seal fully so I still had drips. I thought the better solution was to get the right thread connectors anyway. So a handful of BSP parallel thread male to males later and it’s all drip free. Thanks everyone.

Thanks everyone. Lots of learning in all this. Much appreciated. Will try and report back.

I’ve built this manifold so I can use my pump to move wort from the mash tun to HERMS, Kettle or Chiller. I love it, if only because it looks cool. It’s all in stainless 1/2” BSP, with male to male connectors to join the T pieces to the ball valves. I have used lashings of PTFE tape trying to...

I’ve just got myself a 14G Brewbuilder Conical FV off EBay - unused for £380 including a cooling coil and thermowell. Even new this would be sub £500. I know SS are the market leaders in this field, but I couldn’t justify the premium and I’m very happy with it. Whilst I agree the yeast can’t...

Just about to have one of these to ease in to my Saturday evening. Brewed start of October so should be conditioned enough by now hopefully.

@Hudson1984 you don’t say but I’m presuming you are in the UK. If so, have you considered setting up a members club? The licensing laws are much simpler. See here Club licensing guidance

I think the point is that my club is of neighbours/friends who weren’t home brewers beforehand. They are only brewers now by sharing the communal kit. I don’t think it works so well with other brewers - they have their own kit and want to use it

I have two relevant perspectives on this: I run a brew club and I own an office where I rent out desks at £200 + VAT per month. The desk rental business is great. Office cost me £150k, 6 years ago. Just paid off the mortgage this month. Demand has increased since COVID so we are nearly full...

I’ve posted a photo on Instagram of my Brewery as part of the competition being run by darkfarmhops. Please pop over to Instagram and give it a like. If you post a photo of your brewery then let me know and I will return the favour.

Thanks foxy. If I can't get there with the wort recirc through the sparging arm then I might go for the ice cream maker motor idea. Need to find a suitably large paddle for it though!

Great post Peebee. FWIW my HERMS system controls the pump going to the HLT. I have always had the thermocouple stuck in one place, but am aware that this isn't giving me the same mash properties throughout the tun - I'll be getting alpha and beta amylase action in different proportions depending...

Good points - I can imagine there being 'channelling' as you describe. I did think about fitting the recirc line to the sparging arm, but was worried that would be get gunked up with sticky wort. I suppose it would be flushed out when I come to sparge with hot liquor at the end of the mash...

Apologies if this has been answered before (I have searched), or is a nonsensical question... Does anyone use an automatic mash tun stirrer? I stir when I mash in to break up any dough balls and I have a HERMS system to recirculate wort through a copper coil in my HLT. Even so, I get quite a...

Just another thought for anybody looking for a different type of solution, but I’ve managed to get my gas cylinder from the company that services our fire extinguishers.