Update on the New System

So here are some pics of the new system with Quick Disconnects installed. These are from bargainfittings
They have the best prices, the best customer service, and really fast flat rate shipping. Check them out. Also, the thermometers, bulkheads, ballvalves and sight tube are from them as well.

I moved the pump down to the bottom and flipped it over. It works much better down there and I don't have problems with cavitation anymore.

I also drilled a hole in the lip above the opening of the boil kettle and installed a quick disconnect there.

I put in an elbow so now when I fill up the boil kettle from the mash I can just connect into the quick disconnect and the elbow drops it straight down into the bottom of the boil kettle. Eventually all the copper will be replaced with stainless, but its expensive so copper will have to do for now. Haven't done any work on the RIMS equipment for a while. Hopefully I can finish that by the end of summer.





 

Hoptastical IPA

Second brew day on my new system. Only doing one 5 gallon batch this time.

Ingredients-

Grain:
17 lbs American 2 Row
2 lbs Crystal 20L
2 lbs ESB Malt

Hops:
2.0 oz Nugget @ 60 (pellet)
8.2 oz Mystery @ 25 (this stuff is wet, therefore the huge weight)
1.5 oz Cascade @ 5
1.3 oz Cascade @ Dry hop
4.1 oz Mt Hood @ Dry hop

Whirfloc @ 10

Yeast: Safale-04 English Ale (slurry)

OG: 1.074

24FEB2012- Everything went pretty well. I was able to get my quick disconnects in this week and set everything up which made things a lot easier. Also, I was able to brew in my enclosed front porch, which made everything easier as well. This was especially true of set-up and clean-up. I'm really excited about how things went and glad to have done only one batch in a day. I moved my pump down and flipped it over as I was having some problems with cavitation last time I brewed. I read that those pumps are designed to have the motor downwards and it worked a lot better this round.

03MAR2012- Down to 1.024, transferred to the keg. 6.7% ABV