Opening a new brewery can be a ginormous expense, but it doesn't have to be. In this video, Ed of Lake Martin Brewing in Alabama discusses how he controlled costs and minimized expenses when opening his nano brewery/brewpub.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Serving great beer while controlling costs
02:00 Fresh beer, frequent brew cycles, and served right from the fermenter
02:22 The simplified brewing approach
03:23 Why choose the BREHWA BIAC
04:19 The best thing about owning a brewery
BIAC how to brew beer video
Benefits of the BIAC complete microbrewery system
BIAC complete microbrewery system product page
Video transcript:
Being a bed and breakfast owner, my wife and I had discovered the needs of our community; a restaurant being one, a community gathering place being another, and the craft brewery just kind of fit that need of bringing community together, whether it be kids, pets, families and friends, and just a place to go relax and have a good time.
And so we bought an old post office in the heart of historic downtown Alexander City, and that's the home of Lake Martin Brewing.
There's so much more to bear than what we grew up around and what was there. Being a business traveler, I seek breweries. And after visiting hundreds and hundreds of breweries, I am just fascinated by the artisanship, the craftsmanship that goes into this and what is capable.
When you're trying to build a nano brewery, you really have to be in tune to your cost across the board. And so for us, it was building a model that was sustainable, that was cost effective.
Could we bring great beer, minimizing the impact of our cost to be able to do that? And as we evaluated it to different options, the BIAC system just stood out above everyone else, the simplified brewing approach.
Well, we knew our constraints within our size and our footprint, but the bigger part to me was how do we get into small scale brewing? How can we brew and act like a bigger brewery than what we really are?
And how can we do that with minimum manpower? The clear obvious choice was the BREWHA BIAC system.
So we chose the, the BIAC Large—our beer starts in that vessel and is served out of that vessel. That is a unique approach. The byproduct is much less cleaning for us. We've almost completely eliminated that, right? We're able to roll our fermenters in out of the cooler, clean it, have it turned over in 20, 30 minutes and brewing again.
So our idea is to bring small batch and to bring fresh beer, in a more frequent brewing cycle, but reduce our manpower.
And so when you think about opening up a brewery, you think it has to be this ginormous, expensive proposition, and it can be if, if you're not in tune to what's occurring.
So we knew that we could do a lot with less. The cool thing when you standardize on a system is things are interchangeable. We can reuse the heating elements and use the grain baskets.
So the BREWHA BIAC gave us ability to simplify our operations. It gave us the ability to start at a certain footprint, grow our operations with minimum additions to our equipment.
There is no kegging operation. We don't have kegs to hookup. It's really designing that cold room around the size of your fermenters to accommodate the number of beers that you want.
We converted the original safe to be our beer cooler. This is an old 1936 post office. Eisenhower had a government program designed to build these, and they did a great job. These things are built like a fortress. It's 12 inch concrete all the way around this thing. The floors are 12 inches. So we knew we had a decent footprint. We knew we had a structure that could support weight. We just had to get it insulated.
Coming from the brewing room to the cooler was only just a few feet. So it's just a matter of rolling something to the cooler and connect it to our tap system.
So designing the cooling room to connect the fermenters really allows us to simplify our systems.
So why did I choose the BREWHA BIAC system? Well, we talked about its simplicity, but it, it is so much more than that.
The byproduct is the support that you get after the sale. BREWHA as a company has been absolutely spectacular at answering questions that we need. Guiding us through this journey, the efforts, the research and development BREWHA put in place for us as consumers or as business owners to be able to brew commercially, to be able to make people happy.
Uh, it's just a testament to BREWHA as a company and really gives us as individual business owners the confidence to know that we can do this beyond the equipment and after the sale and guiding us through, you know, when we have questions, we wouldn't have gotten that anywhere else.
The best thing about owning a brewery is seeing people's smiles. Whether they're just sitting at the bar, whether they're engaging with their family, you see the smile on their face and the appreciation that it's something they don't get every day here.
It didn't exist here. And now they get exposed to this whole new world of beer and they get to try different things and they get to learn things about themselves.
I generally enjoy just seeing satisfaction on people's face.
So we are really trying to bring this old school craftmanship to the heart of a historical downtown in the South. We're very fortunate enough to be able to do that.
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Sugar Hill Distillery (Apparition Brewing) has opened as the nation's first dual-permitted distillery and brewery, utilizing the same bonded space, as well as the same equipment to do both the distilling and brewing processes. In this video the owners describe how they opened their beer brewing and distilling business, the equipment they chose to brew beer and distill, how they use the equipment, and why they do it.
For more details about Sugar Hill Distillery and Apparition Brewing, visit https://www.sugarhillstills.com/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:10 Distillery and brewery in same bonded space
00:37 Liquors produced
01:00 Apparition Brewing
01:18 Beer served at proper temperature
01:34 Alice the apparition
02:06 Equipment selection
03:22 Community engagement
Benefits of the BIAC complete brewing system
BIAC complete pilot and microbrewery system product page
Expand your brewery capacity with these BIAC conical fermenters
BREWHA brewing workshops and consultants to teach you how to brew better beer and open your own brewery
Skint Chestnut Brewing Company in Powder Springs, Georgia is an amazing collaboration by brother-in-laws Doug and Mark. Their award-winning beer is incredibly delicious and they have created a fun and inviting space just outside of Atlanta. In this video they describe how they opened their brewery, and the steps they took to making it the success it is.
For more details about Skint Chestnut, visit skintchestnutbrewco.com
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:03 Why they started the brewery
01:12 The process of starting the brewery
01:29 Brewery equipment selection
02:50 Designing beer recipes
03:27 Building community
04:31 How Skint Chestnut got its name
I decided to do this when Doug suggested that we might be able to do this. I've always wanted to do it but I'm not a great organizer and if it weren't for my partner I would still be brewing in my driveway talking about opening a brewery one day.
Well, I am organized, and I am the co-owner and the operational manager for Skint Chestnut Brewing Company. It's kind of funny, Mark is a, you know he's a French teacher by trade and I'm a physical therapist by trade and so what business do we have trying to open up a brewery. Could we possibly do this thing you? It'll be a fun exercise at the very least, and a few years later here we are and actually have a brewery. Can you take it from the home-brew level to a professional level? I think Mark proved that you could–the product is exceptional.
The process of getting us to this point, it was challenging. I had to write a business plan identifying all of the different components of the business, you know for example, location, ownership which obviously was going to be Mark and myself. We had to add in what the equipment was.
I knew a lot about home brewing. I came across the BREWHA beer brewing system on the internet. I immediately liked the simplicity of it and I suggested it to Doug and he immediately liked the price of it. I really liked the idea of not having to move my beer from vessel to vessel. I like the idea of keeping my beer in one vessel from mash in to carbonation. When you're moving beer from one vessel to another, you're creating an opportunity for microorganisms to infect your beer or oxygen to oxidize your beer, so keeping the beer in one vessel the whole time from mash in, boil, fermentation, carbonation, it made perfect sense to me. It brews great beer in my opinion. It's a little more complicated than the equipment I was using as a home Brewer but what BREWHA did for me is they sent a pilot system that I could practice on before the big equipment came. So I had a eight or nine months to brew on a 25 gallon system and it was much better making mistakes on that than making mistakes on the big ones. When the big ones came they were a lot less intimidating to me because I've been working on the little system up until that time.
I love brewing, everything about it, I like designing the recipes, I like thinking about ingredients, I like imagining what the final beer is going to taste like and it's always so satisfying when I finish a beer and it tastes exactly like I thought it would. And then there's times when it's even satisfying because I had an accident but it turned out to be a great beer still and it was a happy accident and I just hope I can reproduce that accident some of those times. I like the culture, I like that brewers really like to share stuff they do, and really like to help each other. In the brewing industry you definitely have a lot of friendly people that are willing to help, always.
It's been fantastic! I've lived in this community for 20 years and in the last year I've met and become friends with more people than in the previous 19, and it's been it's been so much fun. It's been a lot of work, but we we think we're doing well! We wanted to be the place to be for for our friends and neighbors to come and enjoy a high quality craft beverage. They really enjoy the vibe, they come in here and they're like, 'I love this place it's so cool it's comfortable it's got this rustic industrial kind of style' but in their next breath they're like 'this Sabravaspa is fantastic, it's one of the best beers I've ever had!', that's really nice to hear. We hope that we've created their neighborhood hangout, you know, someplace that people that are in this community can come and just spend some time with friends and family. It's just a bonus that we've got some really good beer that they can enjoy while they're here.
There was a Cherokee and Creek tradition, where they would actually carve the bark off of trees to use that tree as a landmark for certain things such as a market area, a place to gather, separation between different territories. We feel this is a place to gather, using good old southern vernacular so that's where the 'skint' comes from and we want to be the place to gather and we want the Skint Chestnut tree to be the landmark for people to know that this is the place.
Benefits of the BIAC complete microbrewery system
BIAC complete pilot and microbrewery system product page
Expand your brewery capacity with these BIAC microbrewery fermentors
BREWHA beer brewing workshops and consultants
In this video Steve Hollins describes how and why he built his dream home brewery.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:35 Why he started brewing
01:06 Equipment selection
01:48 Community participation
02:31 Building the brewery
03:18 Why he went to all the effort
BIAC how to brew beer video
Benefits of the BIAC complete microbrewery system
BIAC complete microbrewery system product page
Video transcript:
My name is Steve Hollins I've been brewing for over 25 years. My wife and I live in Eldorado, Wisconsin, in the country and we decided to build the brew house to look like an old milk barn. On the outside it looks like an old shed, on the inside it's a very functional brew house and I love it!
You don't get into this hobby to make cheap beer. You get into this hobby because you love the taste of beer and you can make it the way you like it. I love the process as much as I love drinking the beer. I just started with plastic containers and glass Carboy fermenters and then as I started to realize that I was doing a lot more, I started to upgrade my equipment and I had time to get into all-grain brewing.
We decided on the BREWHA equipment because we got one vessel, one conical vessel that does the mashing and the fermenting and it's save space, as well as it it's easy to clean, easy to sanitize, and you don't have so many hoses and pumping and opportunities for contamination. So we start out with two large fermenters, they worked really well so that after that, I think within a year, I ordered two more fermenters so we had four fermenters and I like to do a one week of 'primary' and 2 weeks of 'secondary' fermentation. So it gives me a week to turn it around and get it back and make another batch so I can make one batch of beer every week.
I like drinking great craft beer so I wanted to make sure that the beer I was going to be making was going to be up to my standard and everybody else was going to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it. Once people start drinking good beer they like good beer and and this equipment, the BREWHA equipment has helped me make better beer. Probably about a dozen people come over on Thirsty Thursdays after work and we make beer together. Well I make beer, and they sit around and sample the beer that I've made before. It's a great event that people love to come to. Different people love different parts of the brew-making you know and and everybody likes the end product!
It's very satisfying for me that people love this room because we did put a lot of details in it. We had a lot of help doing it. One of our neighbors down the road, his grandfather used to have a wood silo made out of redwood, so one wall is built out of this old silo. The ceiling, the roof, the old barn boards are from a neighbor's farm. Stainless steel milk pipe that we took out of a dairy barn to run the water to the fermenters. We got this still that we found and brought home. We've got these milk can lights that we put into here, we've got a speakeasy door in our entry door. We got a corn crib out there that was donated from another neighbor and hops grow around the outside and a fire pit in the middle.
WelI, I did all those extra things because I just think brewing for me is a hobby, and I want really good equipment, I want a really nice place to brew in. And it's important, it's the same thing with the beer I make, it's about details, at the end of the day it's the details that add up and so I think the environment that you're working in and the equipment you're working with all adds to your final product. Brewing is something that I love to do and I knew that this equipment was going to be able to help me make a better beer, and I want to be proud of what I do.
In this video we demonstrate why the BREWHA BIAC is the simplest way to make the best beer. We show in 12 steps how to make fantastic beer using the BREWHA BIAC beer brewing system. We will be making 118L/31USG/1BBL of beer, however, the recipe can be easily scaled up or down to any of the seven sizes that we sell using a program such as BrewFather. The BREWHA BIAC is the simplest way to brew the best beer. It is simplest to set up, it is simplest to operate, and it is simplest to clean, all the while taking up the smallest footprint of any commercial system, and using the least amount of water, while still providing full control over the brewing process so that you can make the best tasting beer, exactly how you want it.
Chapters:
00:29 BREWHA BIAC Introduction
01:24 Brewing an Amber Ale
02:20 Step 1 Heating Water
05:25 Step 2 Mashing
10:32 Step 3 Vorlauf
11:04 Step 4 Lautering and Heatup
13:06 Step 5 Boiling
15:58 Step 6 Cooling
19:27 Step 7 Filtering and Resting Wort, Pitching Yeast
20:56 Step 8 Rinsing out the Mash Colander and Pump Assembly
21:15 Step 9 Fermentation
22:48 Step 10 Conditioning and Carbonation
24:44 Step 11 Racking/Transferring to Bottles or Kegs
25:10 Step 12 Cleaning the Fermenter for the Next Brew
Note: This video follows the brewing section (starting pg 45) in the BREWHA beer brewing system manual
Assembly video for the BREWHA BIAC complete brewing system
Benefits of the BIAC complete microbrewery system
BIAC complete brewery system product page
Transcript:
Hi, and welcome to another BREWHA video.
In this video we are going to be demonstrating how to make fantastic beer using the BREWHA BIAC brewing system. We will be making 118L/31USG/1BBL of beer, however, the recipe can be easily scaled up or down to any of the sizes that we sell using a program such as BrewFather.
The BREWHA BIAC is the simplest way to brew the best beer. It is simplest to set up, it is simplest to operate, and it is simplest to clean, all the while taking up the smallest footprint of any commercial system, and using the least amount of water, while still providing full control over the brewing process so that you can make the best tasting beer, exactly how you want it. Oh, and it is the only brewing system in the world that uses heat to sanitize, rather than toxic cleaning chemicals.
All of this has been achieved by reducing the brewhouse (what in a traditional brewery is a large platform with multiple fixed vessels and lots of piping and pumps) to just one vessel (the Mash Colander). One Mash Colander can be used in as many different BREWHA fermenters as a customer wants to meet the production needs of their brewery, be it 1, 2, 4, 6 or 10…. You name it.
Well let’s get into the brew! Additional questions you might have about the system will likely come clear as we work through the brew.
Today we will be brewing an Amber Ale -- the recipe and brew sheet showing key numbers we will be following can be found, along with several other recipes on the BREWHA website (we are using metric units today but in Brewfather units can be changed however one prefers) and for easy reference, we will be following the general structure for brewing that is laid out in the brewing section of the BREWHA manual. To search for either, just enter the search word ‘amber ale recipe’ or ‘BREWHA manual’ on the BREWHA website.
After brewing a few times, making your own recipes is not that difficult. Brewing software programs such as programs such as Brewfather and Beersmith can help you calculate exactly what is needed, as well as help build recipes for given styles of beer. BREWHA BIAC equipment and mash profiles for use can be downloaded, find them by searching for ‘profile’ on the BREWHA website.
How to Brew Beer in the BREWHA BIAC
Water for soaking the grain (called ‘strike water’ or ‘mash water’) is added to the fermenter. Tap water can be used if it is good quality; as a general rule if tap water tastes good, it can be used for brewing, however, if it contains a lot of minerals, metals or chlorine (anything that might contribute off-flavor), Reverse Osmosis (RO) water should be used. (Softened water should not be used, as it often contributes too much sodium. Some minerals, especially calcium, are necessary, so RO water needs to have brewing minerals/salts added (CaCl2, Epsom/MgSO4, Chalk/CaCO3, and Gypsum/CaSO4 are the main ones, baking soda/NaHCO3 and non-iodinized table salt/NaCl are also sometimes used). Brewing software such as Brewfather can calculate these additions. Do not heat RO or distilled water without first adding minerals as the water might attack the stainless steel heaters. Technical note on water chemistry: For beginner brewers, as a general rule, if tap water tastes good, it can be used for brewing. More advanced brewers will want to learn more about water chemistry, as it can have a significant impact on the beer. Local municipalities normally make their water analysis reports available. Data from these can be entered into brewing software such as Brewfather and a local water profile created. From this, the program can make suggestions for brewing salt additions based on a style of beer and/or target water profile.
Water volume (‘strike volume’) can be calculated based on the full boil volume. While each recipe will differ, this volume is approximately 1.25–1.75 times the final amount of beer you are making, so for a 118L/1BBL batch of beer, the initial volume will be approx 148–200L/40–54USG (grain absorbs approximately it’s own weight in water, about 10% of final volume is boiled off, and 5–10% is absorbed by hops and yeast so if you want 118L/31USG of beer and start with 20kg/44lbs of grain, you need to start with approx 160L/43USG of water).
If one wants to rinse (called ‘sparging’) the grain as the sugar water (‘wort’) drains from the Mash Colander at the end of the mash period, a portion of the total water can be withheld and added as rinse or ‘sparge’ water as the Colander is being lifted out of the fermenter. While this step is not absolutely necessary, it can increase the recovery of sugar from the grain by a small amount. As a general guideline, the sparge volume is about 10–20% of the full boil volume (e.g., for a 118L/31USG batch, 15-20L/4-5USG could be withheld to sparge with).
The water is heated to approximately 5–8°C/10–15°F above the mashing temperature. This is called the ‘strike temperature’ (normally around 73°C/163°F for ales) and is higher than the mash temperature because as grain is added, it will cool the water to a typical mash temperature of around 65°C/150°F (a few degrees cooler will make a ‘drier’ beer and a few degrees warmer will make a ‘sweeter’ beer).
Once the water is at your strike temperature, the Mash Colander is lowered (if not already in place) into the water in the fermenter. The temperature on the controller is then adjusted to your mash temperature and crushed grain is added, using the following steps:
Confirm pH (and adjust to 5.1–5.3 if necessary—there are several ways to adjust pH, but one is to add a small amount of sodium bicarbonate/baking soda to raise the pH if it is too low, or a small amount of calcium sulfate/gypsum or acid such as lactic or phosphoric if the pH is too high; give the water time to adjust before remeasuring), and let the mashing begin! (‘Mashing’ is the process whereby proteins/enzymes in the grain are activated to process complex sugars/starches and make them accessible for yeast to digest.) For more information, search for ‘Mash’ on the website.
During the mash, recirculating the sugar water/ ‘wort’—with the pump can yield a higher ‘mash efficiency’ (recovering more sugar from the grain), and circulation can also help regulate the temperature of the wort as it cycles out of the Mash Colander and passes the temperature sensor. If the pump is running during the mash, care needs to be taken not to circulate the water/wort too fast. If the wort level in the Mash Colander rises, the flow of wort from the pump should be slowed (see next step). If the wort level rises but does not drop when the pump flow is slowed, there might be a ‘stuck mash’ (the grain is preventing water from passing down through the grain bed), which might require stopping the pump and stirring to reduce grain compaction. (Increasing the size of the grain crush and using rice hulls are two of the best ways to avoid a stuck mash. A crush size of 1–1.2mm /0.040–0.048” is recommended.) Additional tips for preventing a stuck mash can be found by searching for ‘stuck mash’ on the BREWHA website.
Wort recirculation will need to be throttled (by partially closing a valve downstream from the pump, either attached to the pump exit, or the Mash Colander) in order to ensure that the grain bed does not compact and that the element does not become exposed. The flow rate will depend on the ‘fluidity’ of your grain bed which is primarily a factor of your crush size—a small crush produces more ‘fines’ that plug up the bed and slow the flow rate. A general guideline for recirculation/flow rate (per minute) is shown in Table D.
When recirculating, measure the temperature of the grain bed and the wort entering the Colander to confirm that it is at the target temperature (a simple pen thermometer works great). If it isn’t, the temperature of the wort around the heating elements may need to be raised a few degrees above the target mash temperature. This is particularly true with the Small BIAC, as the low recirculation rate allows time for the wort to cool down while in the hose.
Technical note on ‘step mashing’ (raising the mash temperature in stages): in order to raise the temperature of the mash more than a degree or two, as is required for procedures such as step mashing or if your grain bed is several degrees below your target temparture, it is necessary to raise the temperature of the recirculating water/wort significantly above the target temperature. The reason for this is that the temperature of a large amount of low-temperature water (i.e., the mash in the Colander) cannot be changed quickly by a small volume of water (the recirculating water) at only a slightly higher temperature. It is a relatively simple relationship between the volume and temperature needing to be heated, and the volume and temperature being added; the heat will average out. So, for example, to raise a 100L/25USG mash 10°C/19°F by recirculating 25L/6USG, the 25L/6USG needs to be 40°C/76°F in order to raise the total 10°C/19°F. Calculations need to be made to determine the temperature of the recirculating water and the time to raise the temperature. (Grain is a fairly efficient insulator, so heat under the Colander will not heat the grain bed up—there needs to be circulation.)
To raise the temperature of the mash quickly, a technique similar to decoction mashing (where a portion of the mash is removed, heated, and then added back in) should be used, in which the pump should be turned off and the water in the cone below the Colander raised to the calculated temperature (to a maximum of 95°C/200°F). Then the pump is started again and the heated wort is circulated up into the Colander where it will raise the temperature of the mash. If the calculations for a given temperature rise require a volume greater than the cone volume (see Table E for cone volumes), two steps are needed: first, the temperature below the cone is kept at the target temperature until the volume recirculated AND the volume in the cone equals the calculated volume; then the temperature is set to the new step temperature while recirculation (to empty out the hotter wort in the cone) continues. (A maximum temperature of 95°C/200°F is recommended, as heating any higher will likely cause foaming up the sides of the Colander—if this starts to occur, lower your maximum temperature.)
Fortunately (unless you love math) programs like Brewfather and Beersmith have a decoction calculator that gives the amount of water needing to be recirculated. In the Beersmith example shown in Table F, with a temperature rise from 55C to 65C, a strike volume of 575L (100L in the cone and 475L in the Colander) and 300lb of grain, the calculator indicates that 175L are required. To achieve this, with the pump off, heat the area below the Colander to 95°C/200°F. Then start the pump and circulate for 7.5 minutes at 10L/min, keeping the wort in the cone at 95°C. At this point, one will have put 75L of 95°C water/wort into the Colander, and there will still be 100L of 95°C water below the Colander for a total of 175L of water. Then set the ETC back to a target temperature of 65°C/150°F and continue recirculating. The temperature in the cone will gradually drop as the wort from above cools it, and the temperature in the Colander will rise. After 20–30 minutes the mash should be very close to the target temperature. (As with decoction mashing, it is important to keep the mash pH at the low end of normal—close to 5.2—in order to minimize any tannin extraction.)
If water/wort wasn’t recirculated during the mash, it should be at the end of the mash period. The grain inside the Mash Colander forms a filter that captures small grain particles as wort passes down through the grain bed in a process called ‘vorlauf.’ Minimizing the amount of grain in your boil improves the beer’s flavor. Flow rates should be close to that listed in Table D of this section to help avoid the risk of a stuck mash and damage to the element. Wort should be recirculated until it clears up.
When mashing is complete, the Mash Colander is lifted out (using an overhead hoist is desirable, as it is possible to raise the Colander slowly to allow for more gradual separation of grain and wort). The wort drains from the grain (out through the false bottom of the Mash Colander) in a process called ‘lautering.’ Sparge water can be added to rinse the grain and increase boil volume. Fresh water for sparging can be added as the wort level drops, maintaining a ~2cm/1” layer of water on top of the grain bed. It is generally recommended that sparge water be 75°C/167°F to increase the ‘fluidity’ of the grain and wash out the sugar more readily, however, cooler water can be used. Sparge water can be pre-heated in a separate hot liquor tank, or, sparge water can be heated by passing it through the fermenter jacket. The Flow Meter (Figure 57) can be attached to the jacket and used to measure the sparge water (for more information search for ‘sparge’ on the BREHWA website). Once grain is removed from the wort, the Heating Element is gradually turned up to 100% to heat the wort up to boiling. (For brewers using a Tabletop Power Controller, during the boil the contactor whip can be unplugged from the ETC and plugged directly into a live receptacle such as a wall socket and the power to the element controlled completely by the power output knob on the Tabletop Controller. For brewers using 120V power, to protect the ETC from overheating, plug the element directly into a wall socket during the boil.) Emptying your jacket before boiling is recommended to reduce heat loss to the air.
Once a rolling boil is achieved, the element power output (0–100%) can be adjusted to influence the rate of evaporation and control the final volume for fermentation. Ensure steam can escape as the steam carries away some compounds that would otherwise produce off-flavors in the beer. It is a good idea to closely monitor the start of boil and turn the power down/off if necessary to prevent a boil over (especially important in the first few minutes of the boil until the foam or ‘hot break’ subsides). If using the steam condensor, an anti-foam agent such as the vegetable oil–based Patco 376 should be added to prevent foaming. Boiling improves the flavor and kills microbes. Hops can be added into the Hop Basket or Hop Spider once the foam subsides. Early addition or ‘boil’ hops provide bitterness to balance beer sweetness, and late addition or ‘aroma’ hops provide flavor/aroma. An additive such as Irish Moss (carrageenan) or a commercial flocculant such as Whirlfloc (added for the last 5–10 minutes of the boil) can help remove proteins and yield clearer beer; used alongside proper mashing technique, a highly ‘flocculant’ yeast (one that easily clumps and settles to the bottom of the fermenter where it can be removed) and healthy fermentation will result in clearer beer.
For the last 10 minutes of the boil, the lid (with all valves removed and lid ports left open) can be set in place to let steam sanitize the lid (don’t clamp the lid as steam needs to escape; the pressure relief valve should be tested regularly and always installed on the lid). During this period the element power should be turned down (e.g., 40–70%) to reduce the risk of boiling over. The process should be monitored during this entire period to ensure boiling over does not occur, as the wort will foam more readily when the lid is in place. If not heat sanitized either with steam or in boiling water, the lid fittings should be sanitized with chemicals.
If completing a 30-45 minute ‘hop stand’ (to add hop aroma and flavor into the beer with minimal bitterness), once the heaters are turned off, the empty jacket should be filled with cold tap water to cool the wort to ~75°C/170°F and the wort given a quick stir with a sterile mixer to equilibriate the temperature throughout the fermenter before adding hops.
Once boiling is complete, a chilling liquid (e.g., cold tap water) is sent through the fermenter jacket. It is important to keep the pressure of the chilling media in the jacket below 5psi (7psi in the 4-in-1) or the vessel could be damaged (keep main vessel body below 3psi in the 3-in-1 and 14.9psi in the 4-in-1). No restrictions should be placed on the outflow of the jacket and the exit/drain hose should be larger than the inlet hose otherwise pressure could build up in the jacket. Care should be taken that no restriction can impede flow and damage the fermenter (e.g., a hose kinking or valve accidentally closing). When using tap water in the jacket for chilling, a water pressure regulator should be installed before the jacket to help ensure pressure does not build up in the jacket. The lid should be installed to keep out airborne contaminants, but a port should be kept open to air during the cooling period, as a vacuum could form as the water cools, damaging the fermenter (or a few psi of CO2 can be added and maintained into the fermenter to counteract any loss of pressure as the wort cools and contracts). A pressure and vacuum relief valve should be installed on the lid to help protect the inside of the vessel (inspect the valve frequently to ensure it is operating correctly). Don’t slow the flow rate of the chilling media too much, as a good flow rate is necessary for faster chilling (the greater the temperature difference between the water leaving the jacket and the wort, the faster the chilling rate). To protect the fermenter, alway use the Water Pressure Regulator when cooling with tap water. If tap water is not at least 10°C/20°F below your yeast pitching temperature, it should be used for the majority of cooling (e.g., down to 30°C/90°F) and for Small, Medium, and Large systems the Water Chiller can be used for the rest (never use the Chiller for cooling wort that is over 30°C/90°F). For the 1.5BBL-7BBL systems however, due to their much greater volume, our Cold Water/Liquor Tank should be used. For example, if you want to pitch yeast at 20°C/70°F and your tap water is 20°C/70°F (which is too warm to bring the wort down to 20°C/70°F in a reasonable time), first run tap water through the fermenter jacket to bring the wort down from boiling temperatures to around 30°C/90°F and then connect the Cold Water Tank (which was chilled overnight) to your fermenter jacket to bring the wort the rest of the way down to 20°C/70°F. Finally connect the Water Chiller for any final small adjustments and to maintain fermentation temperature. When the wort is ready to have yeast pitched, a sample/gravity reading is taken (to measure the amount of sugar at the start of fermentation). Though not necessary, for the larger systems (e.g., 5 and 7BBL), in addition to using the jacket for chilling, to reduce chill times, some customers will use a separate plate chiller to increase surface area and will run a closed loop of hot wort out from the fermenter, through the plate chiller, and back into the fermenter. (Passing boiling wort through the lines, pump and plate chiller for the last several minutes of boil will sanitize them; for best results, always thoroughly clean the chiller immediately after use.)
When the wort reaches yeast-pitching temperature, the protein that has settled to the bottom is removed out of the bottom port (generally this is 2–5% of the total volume). To facilitate healthy yeast at the start of fermentation, oxygen (or filtered air) is normally added to the wort through the bottom port with the Wort Aeration Stone. The addition of oxygen in the bottom also helps equilibriate the temperature inside, as the rising bubbles stir up the wort. The addition of oxygen can be precisely measured by gas flow meters (and the amount of dissolved oxygen tested by dissolved oxygen meters), but as a general rule, pure oxygen should be added for 1–5 minutes, and air (20% oxygen) for 8–10 minutes (longer for the largest tanks). The temperature is checked again to ensure it is correct for adding yeast, and if no further chilling is necessary, the yeast is pitched, the gas blow-off hose connected to a lid port (with the distil end of the hose in a bucket of water) and the lid sealed. Fermentation should start within 12–36 hours as evidenced by bubbles appearing in the air lock/bucket.
If not rinsed out during sparge, the Colander, pump and hoses should be thoroughly rinsed out now.
To maintain fermentation temperature, the Temperature Control Valve/TCV (if using cold tap water) or Water Chiller are used. When programmed to the desired fermentation temperature, the ETC will power the TCV or Water Chiller (or chiller pump depending on one’s preferred setup; see the Chiller setup section of the manual for more details on setup) which will put chilling water into the jacket whenever the fermenter rises above the set temperature. When the fermenter is cooled back down to the set temperature the TCV or Chiller will stop the circulation of cooling water. Technical note: most beer styles are fermented at or below room temperature so only cooling is needed during fermentation, but if needing a warm ferment (e.g., for kettle sours or saisons) the fermenter can be connected to the controller (additional small controllers can be purchased if heating multiple fermenters) for warming. Power output should only be 2–3% so that the heaters do not scorch the yeast. After fermentation has slowed down (4–6 days for ales and 1–2 weeks for lagers), yeast can be removed out of the bottom of the fermenter (first remove the blow-off hose from water or add 1–2psi of CO2 to the top of the fermenter so that water from your blow-off tank is not sucked into the fermenter). This will help ensure yeast cake does not harden and make removal/cleaning difficult.
The time it takes for ‘conditioning’ (maturing of the flavor) to occur depends on the style of beer: light, simple ales take 1-2 weeks, lagers or dark, complex beers can take up to 4 weeks or longer. Fermentation mostly completes (that is, it reaches final gravity) normally within a week or two, but it is the final ‘cleanup’ work yeast does that will take beer from tasting ‘good’ to tasting ‘great’. By sampling the beer during fermentation one can learn to tell when it is finished.
Prior to transfer, to help clear the beer (and make transfer easier if the beer if carbonated), it is often ‘crashed’ to near freezing temperatures for several days. A product like Biofine can also be added at this point to assist with sedimentation. Our removable neoprene insulating jackets can be installed on our regular fermenters to help the Chiller get the beer several degrees colder than would be possible without the jacket. If cold crashing, be sure to add CO2 pressure to offset any vacuum that forms as the beer cools and shrinks. For more information on carbonating in bottles or naturally carbonating in the 4-in-1 fermenter, search for ‘carbonate’ on the BREWHA website. If carbonating in kegs, kegs can be stored in a cold room with 10-14psi of gas pressure depending on the style of beer (carbonation occurs much faster and at lower pressure if the beer is cold).
While beer can be served directly from the 4-in-1 fermenters, most customers will transfer to kegs to free up the fermenter for the next batch of beer. For detailed instructions search for ‘clean kegs’ and ‘fill kegs’ on the BREWHA website or watch the video here.
Once the beer is removed, all that is left is cleaning the fermenter out and readying it for the next batch. Any yeast remaining at the bottom can be disposed and the fermenter rinsed out. A stainless safe scrubby such as the Euro Scrubber can be used to clean off the krausen that has dried on the side. The valves should be removed, ball valves disassembled and rinsed out and the ports/ferrules should be cleaned out, the heaters removed and heating rods thoroughly cleaned off. And that’s basically it! The fermenter can be reassembled and readied for the next brew.
]]>In this video we will be setting up the BREWHA BIAC beer brewing system in 12 easy steps. The BIAC includes one fermenter so for customers with multiple BREWHA fermenters, the steps would be exactly the same but you would be repeating just the fermenter assembly steps for each additional fermenter that you purchase. In this video we are assembling the 1.5BBL BIAC, however the installation steps are almost identical for all of the different sizes and note is made where they are different.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction and Building and Utility Overview
03:52 Section 1 Packaging
04:23 Section 2 The Hoist and Gantry
06:14 Section 3 Casters
07:10 Section 4 Ports on the Tank Cone and Cylinder
10:00 Section 5 Water Jacket
13:14 Section 6 Heaters
13:36 Section 7 Water Chillers
15:10 Section 8 Lid and Lid Ports
19:03 Section 9 ETC
20:12 Section 10 Water Level Ruler
20:27 Section 11 Pump
23:15 Section 12 Mash Colander
Kevin Greenaae of Oak Street Brewery in New Orleans, Louisiana discusses why he started his brewery in retirement, what brewing equipment he found was best for his small space, and how he builds community at his microbrewery taproom.
Benefits of the BIAC complete brewery brewing equipment system]]>
This brochure summarizes the brewing process and equipment in four simple steps. Further details on brewing beer with this system can be seen at this link.
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This is a simple and concise overview of the beer brewing process. The BREWHA BIAC all in one complete beer brewing system is comprised of just two vessels (the jacketed conical fermenter and Mash Colander) and is the simplest way to brew the best beer.
This brochure summarizes the brewing process and equipment in four simple steps. Further details on brewing beer with this system can be seen at this link.
Click here to see a list of some of the benefits of the BREWHA BIAC
]]>In this video, Barn Owl Brewing discusses how they started their craft microbrewery using the unique beer brewing sytem from BREWHA Equipment Co. With BREWHA, they were able to open their small brewery in a historic barn in a desert, with a very small brew space footprint, and conserve water (as the brewery is located in a semi-arid location). They have created a very remarkable and inviting community brewery.
Link to the brewery architectural drawings / floor plans
Chapters
00:00 Barn Owl Microbrewery Taproom (Kelowna, BC)
00:25 Keys to brewery success
01:40 Brewday
02:45 Brewing equipment choice
05:00 Brewery site selection, construction and interior design
06:50 Creating community
Hi, my name is Tim Kramer and I'm a partner in Barn Owl Brewing Company here in Kelowna BC. Two of the other partners I work with are Gary Brooker and Steve Van Damme. We are all long-term Kelowna residents that are having a great time making craft beer. Between the three partners in our group we have over 100 years of beer drinking experience so we put a lot of time into this.
So when we started this process basically we needed three things; we wanted a good location, we wanted to have a great atmosphere inside, and finally we needed great beer.
We are after all a small batch brewery; we make all of our beer on site and people can see it being made and they can enjoy it within days of it being kegged. We've created different types of growlers that we sell and we have a crowler machine so we can beer as people wait... if you want fresh beer this is kind of the place to come because the shelf life is seconds until it's in your hand. We have a huge variety of beer and we make small batches and sell them all locally and our brewer is keen on making great beer that people like to drink no matter what kind of beer they like.
You don't need to love every single beer but every person that walks in this barn I want them to love one of my beers. I like to make a big variety of beer for a lot of people to choose from and try to make every single variety of beer as best as i possibly can. The biggest thing is having something for everybody. You can see for yourself that one of the big differences about our brewery is that you can see everything being done tucked in that little corner so we have it out for the world to see every part of the process.
Little things like making sure all the grain is equally being used making sure all the temperatures of your mash are right on point.
Since we're in a heritage building we have a limited footprint. We also needed the ability to brew beer in a small area so we looked at a number of different types of brewing and realized that the standard four vessel system would not work for us. And in fact, if we had gone to that I don't see how we would be successful today, so we settled on the BREWHA system which is a four in one brewing system where we can do everything in one kettle. The BREWHA system is quite different than the traditional four vessel system being that it is all done in one tank. We have a tiny little brewing space back there and to be able to have four tanks filled with beer versus having an empty kettle and empty mash saves a lot of space and opens up worlds of opportunity for being able to make a ton of different styles of beer and being able to have some filled tanks in a little cramped spot. Kelowna is at the north end of a desert so water restrictions become a real deal for us. In the brew house system we use two liters of water to make one liter of beer; the standard four vessel system uses four to six liters per liter of beer so a lot more water gets used and saving it is important to us. We use water to cool the beer while we're cooling it and we reuse that water or pump it into the next fermentation tank to make our next batch of beer because it's filtered water and perfectly clean. Keeping things clean is really important.
The BREWHA system is really good for this because you'll be boiling in the tank and there's nothing more sterile than a full tank of boiling wort. Once you have that you can use the boiling water to sterilize lines and heat exchangers as well. Because we use only one vessel we don't need as much cleaning so there's a lot less chemicals that go into our water drainage system. It's ecologically friendly, easier on cleaning and water, and also makes great beer so we think we've hit on a process that really fits our needs. I think beer is beautiful in every way. It looks and tastes amazing, people love to drink it i love to drink it. Making a beer beautiful in looks and taste is super important to me. When you get that first time that you make that recipe and it turns out to be amazing, you are head over heels... just oh yeah that's one of the best feelings ever!
So when we decided to lease this area we were given a shell of a barn with the original roof, a gravel floor and three quarters of a loft, but we realized that we had a really good opportunity to create a special environment. We wanted a nice atmosphere that people would enjoy coming back to. The three of us that are involved primarily are a little bit less creative than some and so we realized we needed help, but we've asked for help in the right places. Our designer has added so many interesting features here that people will miss a number of things the first time and see something new each time they come in. She's hit a home run as far as we can tell from the comments we get. We have a lot of wooden accent shelving that we've built and we use wood that was sitting in this very loft that had been left over from years of inactivity in the barn before they renovated it so we think we kept it quite authentic. We had a chandelier sitting in a basement and it's been rewired and used to create a lighting feature in the top of the loft. We created a school chalkboard that we refinished and then put our brewing process on which people like to come and look at. We rescued some lights that were being thrown out from the community theater in Kelowna. For better or worse i had a collection of stubby beer bottles from my misspent youth. We have a pay it forward board that we use where people will maybe be here before a friend's birthday and buy them a beer ahead of time. We have lots of friends through our community that have helped us with little decorations and all sorts of things like that -- the list goes on and on we feel like we've created a unique and welcoming atmosphere.
Our idea was to have a great location and we are in an area that is residential. We're a little bit away from the brewing district in Kelowna but because of that we have a lot of people that consider our bar their local we are away from the tourist area if they find their way out here they're certainly welcome but we have a strong local following and we're quite happy with that.
Two of us have lived in this city for more than 25 years I only live about six blocks away from this site and so i'm part of the community and will be for a long time going forward and i think people appreciate that. People come here with a sense of belonging, people from my neighborhood, people that i've worked with over the years. We have had tremendous support from the local community and we feel obligated because of that to provide support back to the people that are supporting us. We donate to various charities and events that are going on and feel like that is part of our purpose of being here to help out the community which is supporting us so well. Even though we're only into this a year, so far it's created a fun place to hang out where you're bound to run into friends and enjoy great beer. I can't say that i grew up wanting to run a craft brewery but I've always loved drinking good beer and now I own a brewery and I get to serve it to people that like it every day -- life doesn't get much better than that.
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Learn how to install and operate your own successful BREWHA craft brewery by spending a fun and informative day brewing beer on the BREWHA BIAC.
The price is US$150 for the workshop at BREWHA and 100% of the workshop fee will be refunded on any brewing system purchase.
]]>If you are just starting to learn how to brew beer, or thinking of opening your own microbrewery, brewpub or tap room, you can draw on us and our customers to help you learn the basics and answer your questions. There are two avenues for learning that you can follow; the first is to attend a one day workshop with one of our commercial customers or at our warehouse, and the second is to hire one of our commercial customers as a consultant for an hour and ask them all the questions you have—see this link for more details on hiring a BREWHA brewery owner/consultant to have all your brewing and starting a brewery questions answered.
In the workshop, you will learn how to install and operate your own successful BREWHA craft brewery by spending a fun and informative day brewing beer on a BREWHA BIAC.
Spending a day with one of our successful brewpub customers is an invaluable means of market research. They are a wealth of information and have graciously opened up their brewery/brewpubs to give you confidence in setting up your own brewery by providing experienced and informative insights on everything from choosing a site, fixing up a space, getting permitting, to decorating, brewing and serving fantastic beer. (To get the most out of your time, have at least a basic understanding of the brewing process before you go by reading the articles and watching the brewing and brewery videos on this page, and prepare a list of your questions in advance.)
The brew session is limited to 2 people. A second part day (1-2 hours) for planning the brew or discussing it after is also included if desired.
The price is $1000 payable directly to the brewery when you arrive. BREWHA will refund you 50% of the brewery fee on the purchase of a commercial system (1.5BBL or larger).
Kevin Greenaae, Oak St Brewery, New Orleans, LA Contact: oakstbrewery@att.net Video: Oak St Brewery |
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Josh Lockman, Axe and Arrow Brewing, Glassboro, NJ Contact: josh@axeandarrowbrewing.com Video (& drawings): Axe and Arrow Brewing |
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Mark Henson & Doug Farrell, Skint Chestnut Brewing Co, Powder Springs, GA Contact: doug@skintchestnutbrewco.com Video: Skint Chestnut Brewing Co |
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Tim Kramer and Colin Pistawka, Barn Owl Brewing, Kelowna, BC Contact: tim@barnowlbrewing.ca Video (& drawings): Barn Owl Brewing |
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Scott and Pam, 3 Dogs Brewing, White Rock, BC Contact: swkeddy@hotmail.com Video (budget and drawings): 3 Dogs Brewing |
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Or you can brew with Nathan on a 1.5BBL BREWHA BIAC brew system at our warehouse in Victoria, BC (3154 Delta St). For upcoming dates and information click here.
Contact: BREWHA Equipment Co |
But what might not be as clear in the planning stage, is that the BREWHA system (and BREWHA 4-in-1 stainless conical fermentors in particular) continues to provide economic benefits year after year through its reduced operational expense. Because of its reduced equipment, less space is required, there are less transfer steps in the brewing process, and less cleaning is required. And because the boiling occurs directly in each fermenter providing perfect, chemical-free sanitation, there is considerably less time, chemical and water use for cleaning. In the chart below, we demonstrate that with a typical BREWHA microbrewery/brewpub with one complete 5BBL 6HL BIAC Brewing System and five additional 5BBL 6HL 4-in-1 conical fermentors (six fermentors total), one would see an annual savings of about US$25,000.
The chart below (click to enlarge) itemizes some of the more major operational expenses on the brewing side (these don't look at the front-end expenses as it is assumed those would be relatively similar between systems). It compares the lease space (only of the brewing equipment), the labor cost (only for brewing and cleaning brewing equipment), water cost, and cleaning chemical cost.
Click here to enlarge
Benefits of the BIAC complete microbrewery brewing system
BIAC complete pilot and microbrewery system product page
Expand your brewery capacity with these BIAC microbrewery conical fermentors
BREWHA brewing workshops and consultants
Part 1 video: 3 Dogs Brewing on how to open a brewery and brew the best beer
The BREWHA Keg Washer is an economical manual cleaner that is an effective way of cleaning kegs. While chemicals can be used to remove any long term build up, the heat of the water is generally all that is needed to sanitize the kegs sufficient to safely store beer for several months. While the approach we discuss here requires the removal of the keg spears which is a more labor intensive process than required with a coupler mounted keg washer, a few benefits are the lower capital outlay, and with the opening up of the keg, the insides can be visually inspected to they are clean before reassembly, ensuring the best quality of beer for your customers.
This video is in two sections, in the first we discuss the washing of Sanke D kegs and readying them for filling, and in the second section we show how to fill them. We are using Sanke D kegs (which are the most common commercial kegs throughout North America) but the principles are the same for other commercial and homebrew kegs.
Chapters:
Washing kegs
01:22 Assemble Manual Keg Washer for rinsing
01:45 Rinse Kegs
02:24 Release gas from kegs
02:54 Remove retaining ring and rotate spear
04:04 Withdraw spear
04:23 Rinse kegs
04:51 Connect pump to BREWHA fermenter
05:23 Fill fermenter with water
05:48 Submerge spear and wash keg
06:24 Replace spear in keg and install ring
07:26 Purge and fill with CO2
Filling kegs
10:12 Sanitize Keg Racking Hose and fermenter port
10:30 Flush out racking arm
10:55 Connect coupler to keg
10:59 Connect gas to fermenter
11:47 Place keg on scale and fill (keep some gas space at the top)
12:40 Remove coupler
13:00 Rinse and sanitize keg spear
13:11 Cap keg for storage
The BREWHA BIAC complete brewing system provides brewers with a more enjoyable brewing experience by giving maximum control and superior results while simplifying the brewing process and reducing equipment requirements, space, and expense. All of the brewing (heating, mashing, boiling, chilling, fermenting) occurs in just one vessel, the fermenter (the Mash Colander is inserted inside the fermenter for mashing), and the entire brewing process with full mashing and cleaning can occur in under 5 hours. The following instructions provides a simple overview of the BIAC process (for more complete instructions on how to brew see page 46-54 of the manual; or watch this video on how to brew) and instruct you on how to make your own world-class beer. While the images show the Large BIAC, the instructions apply to all sizes of BIAC brewing system.
1. Heating: Water for removing sugars from the grain (in a process called 'mashing') is added to the fermenter (3-in-1 conical fermentor or 4-in-1 conical fermentor) and heated with the stainless electric immersion heating elements to approximately 7°C/14°F above the mashing temperature. The water is called the 'strike water' and this initial temperature is called the 'strike temperature' (normally around 72°C/162°F) and is higher than the mash temperature because when grain is added, it will cool the water to a typical mash temperature of around 65°C/150°F ). The strike water volume is based on the desired final batch size, plus losses to grain absorption during mash (1lb of grain absorbs approximately 1lb of water), plus water lost to evaporation during the boil (generally 5-8% of the total volume). While each recipe will differ, the strike volume is approximately 1.25-1.75 times the final amount of beer you are making, so for a 10gal/38L batch of beer, the initial volume will be approx 12-17gal/45-64L). A portion of the total water can be withheld and added later as rinsing or 'sparge' water at the end of the mash period as the Mash Colander is being lifted out of the fermenter. While this sparge step is not absolutely necessary, it can improve the recovery of sugar from the grain. As a general guideline, the sparge volume is about 10-20% of the full boil volume.
Heatup to strike temperature: 30-60 minutes (can be completed overnight by setting the ETC temperature sensor and controller or Brewery Touchscreen Power Controller to the correct temperature; in the morning the water temperature will be ready to go—and if your water is chlorinated it will have time to gas off)
2. Mashing: The Mash Colander is inserted in the fermenter and grain is added. Using the following steps helps ensure the smoothest mash period possible.
First, have a proper crush — the Crankandstein 328G 8” fully geared roller mill on factory setting for gap (1.2mm) is the best we have seen for producing a consistent crush that gives great grain bed fluidity and great mash efficiency.
Second, add the base malts in first (they don’t tend to pulverize as many specialty malts are roasted/toasted longer which leads to further crystallization and when crushed, turns to powder)
Third, sprinkle the malts, don’t dump them in. Add them in such a way that they settle into the water without clumping. This reduces the need for mixing with the Mash Mixer.
Fourth, near the end of adding malt, if there is some floating or clumping, use the mixer only in the top half of the Colander; after this, it is best to not stir or mix again (I have mentioned before mixing during the mash but with a good crush this is not necessary and only risks pushing more grain down through the Colander, onto the element)
Fifth, let the grain sit for 10-15 minutes before starting the pump (let the grain fully absorb water and expand)
Sixth, remove grain settled to bottom of Colander manual (e.g. with a bucket out of the bottom port) and then connect the pump hose
Seventh, open the brewery b pump discharge valve slowly and follow the flow recirculation rate given in the manual.
Eight, for added safety, turn the element(s) off any time you are adding or mixing malt
Ninth, during the mash, keep the heating element output low (e.g. 20% is generally more than enough to maintain temperature)
If the wort level in the Mash Colander rises the flow of wort from the pump should be slowed (see next step). If the wort level rises but does not drop, there might be a 'stuck mash' (the grain is preventing water from passing through), which might require slowing the flow of wort from the pump (see next step) and stirring to reduce compaction. (This blog discusses more tips on preventing a stuck mash.)
Depending on the power of the pump, wort flow generally needs to be throttled (by partially closing a downstream valve) in order to ensure that the grain bed does not compact and that the element does not become exposed. This is particularly true when using the powerful commercial brewing pump. The flow rate will depend on the 'fluidity' of your grain bed which is primarily a factor of your crush size—a small crush produces more 'fines' that plug up the bed and slow the flow rate. Water should cover the element at all times.
Mashing: 60-90 minutes
3. Vorlauf (circulating the wort out of the bottom of the fermenter and back in the top of the Mash Colander)—or out of the the side racking port if grain at the bottom is plugging the pump, or grain can be removed and transported manually back up before connecting the pump hose) typically occurs at the end of the mash period to help clarify the beer. The grain inside the Mash Colander forms a filter that captures small grain particles as wort passes down through the grain bed. Minimizing the amount of grain in your boil, will help your beer taste better. If the pump plugs with grain, after mashing in, before turning the pump on first remove the grain at the bottom of the fermenter before attaching the pump hose. The Hose Float over the end of the return hose inside the Mash Colander will help the end of the hose from sinking to the bottom of the fermenter.
Vorlauf: Last 15-45 minutes of the mash
4. When mashing is complete, the Mash Colander is lifted out by hand or with a Kito chain hoist (with a good quality hoist it is possible to raise it slowly) using the Lifting Cables or Beam and the lower handles folded out to rest on the top of the fermenter (the larger Mash Colanders will be suspended throughout this process by the hoist). The wort drains from the Mash Colander and runs into the fermenter in a process called 'lautering'. 'Sparge' water can be added to rinse the grain and increase boil volume. Fresh water for sparging can be added as the wort level drops, maintaining a ~1" layer of water on top of the grain bed. It is generally recommended that sparge water be 75°C/167°F to increase the 'fluidity' of the grain and wash out the sugar more readily, however, cooler water can be used. Sparge water can be measured using the Water Flow Meter. At this point the Stainless Electric Immersion Heating Element is turned on to heat the wort up to boiling. (See this blog for instructions on lautering and this blog for suggestions on how to sparge with the BIAC.)
Lautering and Heatup: 30-60 minutes
5. Boiling: Boiling improves the flavor and kills microbes. Hops can be introduced after hot break using the Hop Basket or the Heavy Duty Hop Spider. Early addition or 'boil' hops provide bitterness to balance beer sweetness, and late addition or 'aroma' hops provide flavor/aroma. Once boil is achieved, to prevent boil over and reduce evaporation, the element power output can be turned down to approx 50% on the Tabletop Brewing Power Controller or Wall-mounted Touchscreen Electric Power Controller.
Boil time: 60 minutes
6. Chilling: Once boiling is complete, a chilling liquid (e.g., cold tap water) is ran through the fermenter jacket. It is important to keep pressure of chilling media in the jacket below 5psi (7psi in the 4-in-1) or the vessel could damage (keep main vessel body below 3psi in the 3-in-1 and 14.9psi in the 4-in-1). No restrictions should be placed on the outflow of the jacket or pressure could build up and care should be taken that no restriction can impede flow (e.g. a hose kinking or valve accidentally closing). A Water Pressure Regulator can be purchased to help ensure pressure does not build up in the jacket. The lid should be installed to keep out airborne contaminants, but a port should be kept open to air during the cooling period, as a vacuum could form as the water cools, damaging the fermenter. A Pressure and Vacuum Relief Valve should always be installed as backup protection to help protect the inside of the vessel. (If for some reason the fermenter needs to be sealed, add a few psi of CO2 to offset a vacuum that will form as water cools and contracts.) Don't throttle the flow rate too much as a good flow rate is necessary for faster chilling (the greater the temperature difference between the water leaving the jacket, the faster the chilling rate). If municipal water is warm, it could be used for the majority of cooling (e.g. down to 30C/90F), and a Lindr Brewery Water Chiller used for the rest.
Chilling time: About 30-60 minutes for the Small-Large BIAC (depending on chilling water temperature and flow rate).
7. The Temperature Control Valve 120V solenoid is used (in conjunction with an ETC temperature sensor controller) to regulate water into the fermenter jacket. When the target temperature is attained, the controller valve closes and the flow of fluid into the jacket is stopped. This is useful during the initial chill, so one can program the desired pitching temperature and not have to supervise it, and during fermentation to precisely maintain temperatures inside the fermenter. The ETC can also be used to power the Brewery Water Chiller pump instead of opening the TCV (watch this brewery chiller video for details starting at 6:30)
8. Fermenting: When the wort reaches yeast-pitching temperature (Note: do NOT put any closure on fermenter port during fermentation as a vacuum or pressure build up may occur and deform the vessel) the protein that has settled to the bottom is removed out the bottom port (generally this is 1-2% of the total volume). To facilitate healthy yeast growth at the start of fermentation, oxygen (or clean air) is added through the bottom port with an Brewery Aeration Stone. The addition of oxygen in the bottom also helps equilibriate the temperature inside. The temperature is checked again to ensure it is correct for adding yeast; if so, yeast is pitched, the gas blow-off hose connected to a lid port (with the other end in a bucket of water on the floor is better than placing it on the lid) and the lid is sealed.
Rest to equilibriate temperature and remove excess protein, and aeration before pitching yeast: 10 minutes
Fermentation: 5-14 days (longer for lagers or high gravity beers)
Transfer to kegs (or bottles) with the Fermenter to Keg Racking Hose for further conditioning and/or carbonation: 15 minutes
Cleanup of equipment: 15 minutes
And that's it. Full control, brilliant tasting beer, and all in less space and with less equipment than ever before.
If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you!
Read the full BIAC beer brewing system manual hereOn this page you can find links to several basic beer recipes that we have developed over the years here at BREWHA for our BIAC brewing systems (the simplest way to brew the best beer!). While these are some of our favourites, you are welcome to adapt them to meet your own needs or desired flavor profile (in fact, likely you will need to tweak for specific situation but these should provide a very good starting point). Each recipe is sized for a 1BBL/31USG/117L batch, but can be scaled up or down to meet your needs (Brewfather has a built in 'scale' button). They are listed alphabetically below and each recipe has a link to three files types: beer xml, .pdf and .json for use in Brewfather.app (the program where we created them). The .pdf recipes are in metric, to change to your preferred units, load the .json file into Brewfather, and under settings change it how you like. Not all ingredients will be available in your area, so feel free to substitute something similar.
Note: these recipes match the new brewing programs available for download to the 'rec' folder of your SD card (see the back side of the LCD — this is where recipes are stored). To update the programs on your controller, remove the SD card from the LCD and connect it to your computer (some computers have an SD card slot, or a USB/SD adapter can be purchased from local electronics store). Download the .txt files below (if they open in a browser, save them to your desktop) and then drop them into the 'rec' folder on the SD card. If the name is changed, edit it back to the original e.g. 'AMBER_A0.TXT'. Insert the SD card back into your LCD. (If you are having issues, ensure you are using the latest firmware update available from this page.)
Amber Ale — originally designed for the birthday party of a friend from Nashville, TN ('Music City USA'), this beer has moderate/low bitterness with a forward caramel/malt flavor profile that presents harmoniously in this easy-drinking beer: .xml, .pdf, .json, AMBER_A0.TXT
Coffee Stout — designed with shortbread and Christmas in mind but delicious all year long: .xml, .pdf, .json, COFFEE_0.TXT
Lager — one of my personal favorites: .xml, .pdf, .jason, LAGER.TXT
Pale Ale — a delicious pale ale that features Mosaic hops (no surprise there): .xml, .pdf, .json, PALE_ALE.TXT
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Starting a business is not easy, and statistics indicate that four out of ten business startups fail by year five. With the market for new microbrewery and tap rooms going strong, the probability of success might be higher than other businesses, but it is not a given that your business will succeed.
So what are the keys to success? We asked several of our customers what their thoughts were on this and relay them here to help you with with making your brewpub a success...
]]>So what are the keys to success? We have picked up quite a bit over the years through listening to our customers, and while there is no magical 'formula' (the nature of human desire keeps this elusive), there are three main ideas that keep popping up. The three key criteria we repeatedly hear (and see) are:
1. Brew great beer. This almost seems to go without saying, but needs to be said. Keeping passionate about your brewing (or finding a passionate brewer), using good methods and record keeping, sourcing fresh ingredients, and maintaining good sanitation are all keys to brewing great beer. Be open to what customers want (not what you think they need) and adapt. If it's peanut butter stout that brings them in (even if that sounds anathema to you) be open to trying it. A pilot system is a great way to try a new recipe and get feedback. Offering $1 pints for the first twenty pours of a new recipe might be a great way to bring people in AND get feedback (if they purchase a second pint you know they like it!).
2. Find a good location. If you are the first in your area, great beer alone might be all you need. But if there are others when you open, or if others come, having an easy to access location is important. A location that has other attractions nearby (arts, entertainment, restaurants etc.) might also draw more people, and ideally provide lots of foot traffic.
3. Create a remarkable atmosphere. Like number 2, if you are the only craft brewery in your area, the good beer alone MIGHT be enough. But people want a 'remarkable' experience — which means that they go away and 'remark' to someone else about how great your place is. A key aspect of remarkable is the atmosphere you create, and decoration is in most situations very central to that. Make it a unique and interesting space. If unique and interesting aren't your thing (most people are passionate about something that could be translated into a unique space), find someone to help you who has a great aesthetic sense and creative imagination. There are MANY ways to make a space interesting; having flourescent lights, white drywall with a few posters and boring tables and chairs is not going to be interesting for most people, and in fact, if it is depressing in there, even if your beer is fantastic, they might not want to come.
In additional to these three criteria, there are a few other things that our customers thought are important.
A. Have a clear vision
Several owners responded with this high on the list. Scott Keddy (3 Dogs, BC; watch his video on how he started his brewery here) said:
A clear vision as to what kind of brewery you want and a plan to get there. In our case for example we wanted a community/neighborhood brewery that was easily accessible for local patrons. We wanted to offer a variety of styles that would appeal to a wide audience. Other options might be a destination brewery where you want to draw people in to the brewery from a wider area or a distribution brewery where the focus is on production and moving product out to stores, bars and restaurants.
Scott DeLap (Next Chapter Brewpub, NY) added:
You need to find a niche that fits in within the community you locate. Besides the beer styles, the setting/atmosphere, the food you offer, the attraction you provide in your place is so important.
B. Find a location that matches your atmosphere
We mentioned above that location and atmosphere were important, but there is synergy between the two. Scott Keddy said:
The location needs to work with the vision. If you want a community focused brewery it has to be in the community and easily accessible for locals. It doesn’t do much good to put a community brewery a 10 minute drive into an industrial area where there is no foot traffic. An industrial area might be more suited to a destination brewery or one that is more focused on a distribution model.
C. Surround yourself with the right people and engage with your community
Josh Lockman (Axe and Arrow Brewery, NJ; watch their video on how they opened their brewery here) had this to say:
Craft beer drinkers have a lot of options. You want to make sure your servers are knowledgeable about your product. Craft beer drinkers are becoming more and more interested in how the beer is made. What specific ingredients go into it. I try to interact with everyone that walks through the door. Even if it’s just giving them a sticker and thanking them for coming in. I think that goes a long way.
Matt Tilley added:
Surrounding yourself with the right people, especially customers. You can't run a successful brewery, or business, without the support of customers. We host a lot of community based events, through the university, lending agencies, local business, local artists, and our customers really respect us for it and continue to come out because of it. Beyond customers, hiring the right people who will push your brand forward and trust that they will do things to your standard. And even other breweries. Sharing equipment, ingredients, knowledge, etc will only benefit everyone involved.
Scott Delap said:
You need to have great customer service to get them to stay and come back.
D. Be passionate and work hard
It's been said that 'the best things in life don't come easy'; several owners attested to the truth of this with successful brewpubs. Matt Tilley (Bootleg Brew Co, NL) advised:
Understand the amount of work that goes into everything compared to the payout is not what most people are expecting. We consider what we do, along with many other breweries, to be a labor of love. Being in the service industry as long as we have, we've seen every level, and the most successful business's are those who are super passionate about what they're doing. And it shows in the final product, passing along that passion to the customer...Running a brewery is a really interesting case study on 'hurry up and wait.' The brewing process/fermentation is definitely not a quick process and patience for waiting until the yeast is completely finished is very important (cutting corners or rushing will show in your final product), but at the same time, there never seems to be enough time in the day to accomplish everything you need to get done.
And Scott Keddy wraps it up nicely:
Realize that it’s going to be more than you think. Starting your brewery is way way more than you think….It’s more work than you think it will be, even if you think it’s going to be a lot of work it’s going to be more. It’s going to take longer than you think it is to open the doors, it’s going to take more money than you think to open the doors, it’s going to take more hours per week than you think to keep the doors open and most importantly once you get the doors open and people into your brewery its going to be more fun and rewarding than you think.
]]>In this article, accomplished brewers Rick and Paul from Victoria, BC discuss their method for maximizing hop flavor and aroma.
When we began brewing in 1998, the craft beer industry seemed to be just entering an arms race of a sort: who could brew an IPA with the most bittering units. Brewers were producing truly bitter beers and printing staggering IBU claims on their cans and bottles; however, much of this related more to marketing than actual taste.
In recent years, this love of hops hasn’t gone away, but rather evolved. IPAs remain remarkably popular, but the focus seems to have shifted away from bitterness. NEIPAs (New England IPA), juice bombs, hazy IPAs, SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) beers – call them what you want, these “styles” have all evolved to feature hop flavour and aroma over bitterness. Now, maybe it’s because we’re a couple of grumpy old men who are resistant to change, but we’re still big fans of clear beer; so, our goal is to get as much of that juicy flavour and aroma into a product that is still relatively clear. Here are some of the techniques we’ve experimented with that have worked well for us. (Disclaimer – The adage, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread” seems somewhat appropriate here, as neither of us are chemists. The following information and suggestions have been gleaned from reading and experience.[i])
First, it seems prudent to relate some of our thoughts on yeasts and malts which, though not directly related to hops, often serve to accentuate or highlight hop perception. Typically, when we brew to feature hop flavour and aroma, we mash at around 65-66°C (149-151°F) for high fermentability; we choose a neutral yeast that’s quite attenuative; we pitch a big starter; and we ferment on the cool end of the yeast’s range. Our goal is to keep yeast flavours from competing with the hops and to brew a beer that finishes around 1.008 to accentuate the hops through dryness. We’ve found that it’s really easy for stewed malts (crystal/caramel malts) to overwhelm the palate and dominate bright hop flavours.
At the same time however, if a juicy NEIPA is what’s in sight, then some sweetness, through higher finishing gravities and malt selection, can compliment the fruity profile that brewers want in a hazy IPA. Yeast can also help here. The high temperatures at which some Kveik yeasts are used develop some wonderful fruit flavours. Be aware, however, that with a Kveik yeast and lots of hops, the goal should be a hazy IPA, because it likely won’t clear even with finings.
In turning to the hop end of the equation, the first, and probably most obvious, suggestion is to use more hops! If the goal is big hop flavour and aroma, it takes big hop additions – and hops are expensive, so prepare for a beer that costs more to produce. However, just dumping more hops in without thinking about how they’re being used isn’t particularly effective.
BITTERING ADDITIONS:
As we mentioned earlier, big bittering additions aren’t going to get us to our flavour and aroma goal. The essential oils in hops are extremely volatile, and a 60 to 90-minute boil will drive off just about everything that we want. Depending on what we’re brewing, for our bittering addition we usually select a hop with a high alpha acid content so that it doesn’t take much to achieve the bitterness we desire. Recently our preference for general bittering duties has been Apollo or Summit. Both varieties feature alpha acid levels in the mid-teens, pleasant flavour profiles, and excellent storage properties. We usually aim for about 35-40 IBUs to prevent bitterness from being overwhelming. It’s important to recognize that large late additions do still contribute bitterness. Studies have demonstrated that isomerization still occurs at temperatures well below boiling; however, it is much less efficient. In a recent 10-gallon Falconer’s Flight (10.9% A.A) SMaSH, we had a pound of hops we intended to use, and we bittered with 2 ounces which gave us about 35-40 IBUs.
INTERMEDIATE ADDITIONS:
This addition, added with anywhere from 30-10 minutes remaining in the boil, is frequently referred to as a “flavour” addition in recipes; fortunately, many brewers are coming to realize that if they really want flavour, it’s best to skip this addition altogether. It’s counterproductive to add hops for flavour only to have half of the flavour compounds boil off. Studies have shown that an alcohol like linalool, which contributes fruity and floral elements, can be reduced by as much as 50% in as little as 5 minutes of boil time. We’ve taken this information pretty seriously, and seldom waste our hops on the so-called “flavour addition.”
POST-BOIL ADDITIONS:
Since flavour compounds are so volatile, it makes sense to find temperatures that will extract those compounds and make them soluble, while not driving them off. Whirlpool and steep additions have become the standard means of achieving that. Flavour tests have confirmed that steep additions account for far and away the most flavour; they also contribute a significant amount of aroma. Dry hopping, on the other hand, contributes almost exclusively to aroma, at least positively; vegetal and grassy flavours can result from lengthy dry hopping.
Two main concerns remain then for whirlpool or steep additions: temperature and time. Sit down and talk about this with ten brewers, and you’re likely to get ten different opinions. We’ve read brewers advocating everything from 96°C down to 60°C (205°F to 140°F). To date, researchers have identified aroma compounds numbering in the mid-400s. Some of these are incredibly delicate and disappear very quickly, while others need heat and time to become soluble in wort. Add to this equation the growing variety of hops, and it becomes clear that a lot of experimentation is required – lucky for us!
In our experience, we’ve had the best results by reducing our temperature to 80°C - 77°C (175°F - 170°F). Typically, we fill the BIAC chilling jacket once and then shut the water off. Depending on ground water temperature, one jacket full gets us pretty close to our steep temperature. This will obviously require some individual experimentation, just be aware that the high-end temperatures come off really quickly, and it’s easy to overshoot and drop too low. It’s also worth mentioning that at this stage, oxygen pick-up can lead to off flavours. Thiols from the hops combined with oxygen can lead to a perceptible green onion profile, so be careful trying to stir temperature out. Once we hit our target temperature, we add our steep hops. This is by far our largest addition and we let these soak for 50-60 minutes with occasional gentle stirring. The length of the steep is just as debated a topic as temperature. Longer steeps may result in more flavour, but additions at different temperatures may result in more complex flavour. When the time elapses, we continue to chill as usual. Most of the hop material settles out and gets dumped with the trub before aerating. In that same Falconer’s Flight SMaSH mentioned earlier, we steeped 8 ounces starting at 175°F for 50 minutes.
DRY HOP ADDITIONS:
At this stage, take any possible steps to mitigate oxygen exposure. Oxygen is definitely the enemy once the bulk of fermentation has taken place. One of the ways we limit exposure is through a single dry hop addition. As well, we try to time our addition to serve several functions. We dry hop at the same time we perform our diacetyl rest. With a few gravity points left, we begin to raise the temperature incrementally. By adding our dry hop at the beginning of this process, we also help to eliminate the risk of “hop creep” caused by enzymes in the hops converting normally unfermentable sugars to fermentable ones. Because fermentation is still happening, the production and presence of CO2 helps prevent oxidation. Some brewers are experimenting with adding hops much earlier in fermentation to benefit from “biotransformation”; however, there are far more essential oils present from the whirlpool or steep hops than from dry hop additions, and biotransformation will be taking place regardless of when dry hops are added.
Again, when it comes to the length of the dry hop, opinions are almost as numerous as brewers. Evidence shows that most aroma compounds are extracted in the first 24 hours, but few brewers opt for a dry hop period that short. We typically allow 3-4 days of contact and have had great success with that. Long dry hop periods can result in unpleasant vegetal and grassy flavours.
When it comes to dry hops, there is a point of diminishing returns; more doesn’t really give you more. An ounce per gallon is a reasonable upper limit. Beyond that, and you’re just spending money where it doesn’t do much good.
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
It pays to do a little work and find a trusted source for fresh, well-packaged hops. Once you’ve found them, treat them carefully. Keep them cold, and if you have the equipment to vacuum seal them after opening, do so.
Buy the pellets! They’ve been proven to impart flavour and aroma more quickly than cones, and they absorb less of your precious beer. Pellets also take up much less storage room in the freezer.
Just as it pays to be picky about the source of your hops, be picky about the variety of hops you choose. Find the varieties with the flavour profiles you want. We’ve been brewing a lot of SMaSH beers in the last two years to get a good sense of what we can expect from hop varieties – that and we just love a good SMaSH! Do some research about the hops you’re choosing and have a look for the spider graphs hop researchers and growers are publishing. They can help point you in useful directions.
Finally, when it comes to highly hopped beers, time is your enemy. As if you needed an excuse, consume your hoppy beers as soon as possible. Flavour stability is still not particularly well understood, but there is currently a lot of money and research being poured into this problem, so stay tuned!
Link to the beer brewing equipment system that Paul and Rick use
[i] Two highly recommended works for understanding the science of hops are, Hieronymus, Stan. For the Love of Hops: The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness and the Culture of Hops. Boulder, Colorado, Brewers Publications, 2012; and Janish, Scott. The New IPA: Scientific Guide to Hop Aroma and Flavor. Scott Janish.com, 2019.
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Once the kegs are cleaned and sanitized (see this link on cleaning/sanitizing kegs with the BREWHA Manual Keg Washer) they can be filled (a process called transferring, kegging or 'racking') following these steps:
1. Clean and sanitize the Keg Racking Hose (this was discussed in the Keg Cleaning article mentioned above) and ensure that the racking port on the fermenter is clean/sanitized. Sticking a pot of boiling water over the fermenter racking valve for two minutes can heat sanitize the valve, and then spray the valve out with Star San or other sanitizer. | |
2. Close both shutoffs (liquid and gas) on the coupler and connect the Fermenter to Keg Racking Hose to the fermenter. Then open the fermenter valve, and temporarily open the liquid shutoff on the coupler to empty about 0.5L/quart into a pot to flush yeast/sediment out of the racking arm. (To send liquid 'backward' through the coupler, the check valve/ball needs to be removed. See the image near the bottom of the page at this link.) | |
3. Connect the coupler to a sanitized keg ready to be filled. | |
4. Ensure that CO2 is connected to the 4-in-1 fermenter to maintain pressure in the fermenter (about 12psi is recommended). Then open the liquid shut off valve on the coupler and start filling the keg. The gas release valve on the coupler will need to be cracked to allow CO2 to escape, otherwise the keg will not fill all the way. Don't open it fully and empty all the gas, or the beer will start to foam inside the keg and make filling more difficult and carbonation will be lost. It is best to control the beer filling speed by partially closing the gas release shutoff on the coupler (beer should be able to enter slightly faster than gas can escape so that the pressure of 12psi is maintained in the keg). | |
5. The keg should be filled on a commercial scale and filled about 98% full, or leaned against something solid while filling, so that there is a pocket of gas at the top of the keg that won't fill with beer (as the keg fills, gas will be trapped in the space above the neck of the spear). This ensures that there is a small amount of space that remains in the keg that can absorb pressure changes. If a keg is filled right to the brim, and the beer warms up, pressure will rise rapidly in the keg, and very likely the keg will leak beer. (Gas compresses much more than liquid, so with the gas space in the keg, pressure won't change very much when the keg experiences some temperature fluctuation.) | |
6. When the keg is full (as shown on the scale, or if tilting the keg, beer starts to spray out the partially closed gas shutoff valve) close the gas shutoff valve on the coupler and wait until beer flow stops (to bring to 12psi in the kegs), close the liquid shutoff valve on the coupler, and disconnect the coupler from the keg and move to the next keg. Once the kegs are filled, they can be topped up with CO2 (same method as discussed for purging the kegs in Step 11 of this article) but if the beer is cold and pressure was maintained in the keg when filling (about 12psi) there shouldn't be any need. | |
7. The keg spear should be rinsed off with water to remove residual beer (that microbes would love to grow in!) and then spray sanitized (with Star San or similar sanitizer). | |
8. The keg can be capped for storage (standard 2" TC caps work pretty well or keg caps can be purchased from keg suppliers). |
And that's it—beer is ready to be served (once conditioning is complete)!
Note on serving: remember when serving from kegs (with either the Lindr Kontakt Beer Chiller Dispensers or any standard draft system) the gas into kegs should be always at the keg pressure, or foaming in the serving lines will occur as gas comes out of suspension.
Learn: How to transfer beer from a fermentor to a Cornelius (soda) kegClick here to view and print the .pdf instrucion manaul
We are delighted that you have chosen a BREWHA BIAC for your home or microbrewing system! We trust that it will bring you many fun-filled hours of brewing, and of course, many times spent enjoying the fruit of your craft with your friends and customers.
This manual is meant to provide information on installation and setup of your beer brewing equipment, and provide instruction on operation of the equipment and provide an overview of the brewing process and how to make delicious craft beer. There are also a few basic recipes to help you get started.
Click here to view a video on how to install and open a brewery
Click here to view a video on how to brew amazing beer
This tank can be used for cooling and storing cold water to help complete post-boil knock down where tap water is not cold enough to do the job. It has two independent, vertical jacket zones to which two of our Brewery Beer and Wort Chillers can be connected for chilling overnight. A removable temperature stratification screen beneath the water return port at the top minimizes movement and mixing of water inside the tank so that you get the most chilling power out of the cold liquor.
950L / 8BBL Cold Liquor Tank product page
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The point of this article is not to debate the superiority of liquid over dry yeast; both forms have their merits. Rather, our purpose is to offer what we hope is a helpful suggestion when it comes to building and harvesting yeast starters.
Harvesting yeast post fermentation always seemed inefficient and potentially problematic. At that point in the process, and depending on the beer that was fermented, the yeast may not be in its best condition. High gravity wort may especially affect yeast health. What’s more, yeast that is being harvested at the end of a fermentation cycle needs to be “washed” or separated from the trub or undesirable remnants of that brew, which are made up of hop particulates and protein solids.
Instead, building and dividing a yeast starter prior to fermentation results in a much healthier and cleaner sample. We have used a yeast to eight generations, and have heard of others going far longer than that with no ill effects or changes in yeast character.
The process we use is outlined below, but first we’ve provided a list of helpful tools and ingredients.
Clean and sanitize your Erlenmeyer flask. We have a 5-litre flask because we are usually making a 3 to 3.5 litre starter. Choose one that meets your particular needs.
Step 2:
Weigh out your dry malt extract (DME). Typically, 100 grams per litre will give you a 1.035-1.040 specific gravity which is perfect for growing yeast.
Step 3:
Pour the DME into the Erlenmeyer flask before you fill it with water. Trust us, you’ll want a dry flask and funnel for adding your DME; it’s very sticky, and any moisture around the neck of the flask will cause it to clump. Now fill your flask to the desired level with warm water which will rinse off any DME in the funnel. Cover the flask opening with clean aluminum foil.
Step 4:
Once you’ve added warm water to the DME, give it a good swirl to mix it up. We plan to put our flask on a stir plate once cooled, so we make sure our stir bar is sanitized and inside the flask but held up out of the way by some magnets so it’s being exposed to the steam of the boil, but not being damaged in the boiling wort (not sure if it would be but we don't take chances).
At this point, do yourself a favour and put a drop or two of Fermcap S Foam Control into your wort. This will keep your boiling wort inside the flask instead of all over your stovetop. We don’t have a gas range in the kitchen, so we use a little propane camp stove and it works great. Don’t make the mistake of putting a glass flask directly onto an electric element! If you don’t have an Erlenmeyer flask, you can boil the wort in a pot and then transfer the wort to a cleaned and sanitized gallon jug. If you’re using a glass jug instead of a borosilicate glass flask, be aware that it may not tolerate extreme temperatures.
Step 5:
Bring the wort to a roiling boil for a few minutes. The foil should be loose enough to let some steam escape.
Step 6:
Remove from the heat and begin to chill the wort as quickly as possible. We usually let our stir bar slip into the wort at this point to let the heat of the wort fully sanitize it. Have the yeast you intend to inoculate the wort with ready for pitching. We often build a 3-litre starter and then divide it into three or four separate jars which are either used individually on brew days or get built into larger starters again. It’s important to mark the jars clearly with the strain and date, because you will forget when it was set aside. We leave the lid slightly loose to let gas escape, but BREWHA has a Yeast Harvester with pressure relief on the Accessories page which would be perfect for this as you could seal it and know it won't explode.
The image to the right shows a good, healthy yeast starter after 24 hours on a stir plate; that milky white appearance means billions of yeast cells ready to ferment your beer!
From this starter, We poured off 500 ml into another sterilized sealer jar and still had a big starter to ferment 15 gallons of an IPA with a starting gravity of 1.064. This Wyeast 1217 is one of their Private Collection yeasts that is a personal favourite of our, but it’s only sporadically available. By overbuilding starters and harvesting yeast before brewing, we’ve kept this yeast going for about two years and used it about 7 or 8 times. For the cost of a little DME and some time, we’ve always got a starter that meets our needs.
Link to the beer brewing equipment system that Paul and Rick use
]]>In this video, Scott, the owner of 3 Dogs Brewing Co in Metro Vancouver explains the steps of how he converted a 1600sf space in a strip mall (a former wine shop) into a really cool and successful microbrewery craft brewery tap room using the BREWHA BIAC brewing system and fermenters. Scott was able to open his 520BBL/year brewput for about $220k and a return on investment (ROI) in under 6 months!! Here's how he did it. (And there are tips along the way for breweries of every size.)
Link to the brewery architectural drawings / floor plans
Link to a sample budget for opening a microbrewery (USD)
Link to a sample budget for opening a microbrewery (CAD)
Benefits of the BIAC complete brewery system
BIAC complete microbrewery system product page
Expand your brewery capacity with these BIAC microbrewery fermentors
Part 2 video: Barn Owl Brewing on how to open a brewery
Part 3 video: Axe and Arrow Microbrewery on how to start a brewery
Chapters
00:00 Reasons to open 3 Dogs Community Brewpub Taproom (White Rock, BC)
01:45 Taproom site selection
02:50 Brewing equipment overview
05:59 Brewery construction and installation
08:19 Beer brewing steps
17:20 Kegging and carbonating beer
19:40 Sales and distribution
My name is Scott Keddy, I'm principal brewer and one of the owners of Three Dogs Brewing here in White Rock BC. We saw a need and an opportunity for a small brewery in White Rock. We weren't looking for anything too massive, we weren't trying to compete with the big boys, we were looking for something that was very community oriented that was inviting for the community, that could come in have a beer, play some games, socialize, have it as a community space.
So we started looking into it about a year ago and that was the looking into the legislation, what it would take to open a brewery here in White Rock. Going through the process we found out it was first of all doable for someone of our means. We didn't want to get into it too deeply, to financially heavily. We both love beer; I've been brewing non professionally for quite a while with a BREWHA system in in my basement that I turned into a small micro brewery.
When we're looking for systems to homebrew with we didn't want to do it with buckets and carboys and just play, we wanted to make some quality beers. I looked at various systems and we settled on the BREWHA system and I reached out to Nathan the owner and he was so helpful in getting us off on the right foot. Or friends were coming by and they're tasting our beer and they were liking it and saying well you should be selling beer. Well selling beer is is a whole different story so we kind of pushed back on that but we just started to go into brew competitions with with our home brew beer and we did quite well. A long story short, jumping ahead a little bit we were looking for a lifestyle business here in White Rock and people say well you're retiring, you make beer, why don't you sell beer.
So in September of last year we started the process and that was the process of incorporating our company, starting the paperwork with the liquor board, and looking for a space. Now when we were looking for a space we were looking for something very specific we didn't want to get into a big industrial area which is difficult for people to get to because we were looking for a local business. It had to be basically a retail location. We looked into a few in the area, settled on this one. It suited our needs, it was a former wine store and we're about 1600 square feet here. We went to an architect who drew up some preliminary plans some floor plans, gave us some occupancy loads we finally got to the point where we secured the space had the wheels in motion with the city and the Liquor Control Board, and we took possession of this space just after Christmas of last year so we started renovations in January. Come July we started brewing, a little bit behind schedule, but in reality probably real, more realistic. We opened our doors in August, we're now here six or seven weeks in and the response has been overwhelming.
This is the five barrel BREWHA system that we went with it was the largest system that BREWHA had at the time. It works for us perfectly because of its flexibility and portability. We have a very small brew space in here, I mean our whole brewery is crammed into 1,600 square feet and that includes the tasting room, the bar serving area, the milling area in the back and our brew area. The brew area here actually is about 500 square feet. Trying to do 30 barrels of beer in the 300 square feet for a typical system would be impossible with a fixed standard mash tun, boil kettle would take up about half the real estate we have available. This system allows us to move the tanks into our brewing area, brew, clean, do whatever when you need to and then move them back into a small area close together where they can ferment, and then we can move them around to to fill kegs, basically it's it's always on the move.
The steps are all the same. You grind the grain, you mash, you lauter, you boil, you ferment. The approaches are different though in the equipment that you can use that's going to give you varying results. The BIAC system allowed us from the get-go in a very small footprint, a very economical size package to control all the aspects of the brew which gives you such consistent results. Everything matters when you're making beer, everything from the size of the the grain/grist that you're milling to the the water temperatures, the type of yeast, the temperatures you're fermenting at, the temperatures your how fast you can cool the wort, everything matters, so the more you can control each aspect of it the better results and more consistent results you're going to get. The BIAC system right from the get-go allowed us to control all those aspects very carefully.
Someone starting with the BIAC system could start on a larger system, but it would benefit them to have a little more experience with the smaller system but not required. Certainly I would recommend someone starting with a larger system to come and visit us, for example do a couple brews with us, and see how we do it, what some of the techniques that we use. How we use the equipment on the big or the small is almost exactly the same, there's a few minor differences that we use to make the brewing with the bigger system a little more economical in terms of time, we use an external wort chiller not required but we do, we use a slightly larger pump then you might use at home but fundamentally the techniques and the process with the BIAC system is the same for the small all the way up to the five hectoliter system.
Our brewery, it's quite open from the seating side will open right into our brew side so we're always working in here when it's open and we get a lot of comments from our guests that they really like being, they feel like they're part of the process. Things are always moving, things are always changing, things are always in motion, they really get to see the process, be part of it and and see where their beer is coming from. It's not hidden away in a room somewhere, it's right in the midst of the whole brewery. When we took the space over it had a false ceiling in here -- a dropped t-bar drop ceiling that we wanted to get rid of; two reasons one we needed the height and we also didn't like the look of the white tile ceiling. So we tore the ceiling out, we painted everything black, we put in track lighting. Building the bars, we built the cooler, we had to build a walk-in cooler behind us here to keep our beer cold. We decided that we were going to serve right from our cooler so we designed it so we don't have long beer lines. As far as ventilation we didn't do any modifications to the ventilation in here and we didn't put in any floor drains. Because the BIAC system is is very portable and manageable, we don't have the same problems that a larger brewery has where they're dumping stuff onto the floor and making a lot of use of floor drains. Any little spills that we do get we just pick it up with a shop vac and carry on.
In terms of other modifications we had to make some plumbing modifications to increase the water supply to the brew side so it's an 1.5" system and it drops down to 3/4" as it gets here. We run three-quarter inch through a backflow device into a filtration system and we use a three cartridge filtration system to remove sediment, chlorines, and and metals. We were fortunate when we came in here we had a lot of power already. We have two 225 amp panels which more than supplied our needs and they are three-phase panels, the nice thing about the BIAC system it's adaptable to single-phase or three-phase, we want the three-phase simply because it's a little more flexible in terms of power requirements, we use a little less power they would with a single-phase but certainly doable with a single-phase panel. As far as any other renovations in here, we put in the bathroom we had to... one of the requirements of the city was that we had to have handicap accessible washrooms so we had to add another. Other than that as far as the bar furnishings and everything else we built a lot of the sinks and the stainless steel you'll see behind me here in our brew area we got used; we picked it up used at restaurant auctions, we just watched the local auctions and saved some money that way.
A typical brew day for us starts with two things first we start filling the vessel. Because our flow is is slow through the filters because we're treating it through three stages, it probably takes us several hours to fill up a tank so we'll get that started the day before. We start bringing up temperature to our strike or initial strike temperature, at the same time while that's filling we're off on in the back milling the grain. We have a small mill, we mill everything right here on site and we just mill it right back into grain bags and we'll bring it out here we'll fill up the mash colander at about half of the the grain we'll pull the lid off of the fermenter here and drop the grain and add the rest of the grain and then start the mashing process. We will mash for whatever the recipe calls for usually somewhere in the neighborhood of an hour or an hour and a half watching our gravities all the time. Once we've hit our time or the gravity we're looking for will start to pull the grain out. We use the overhead gantry here and we just simply raise the Mash Colander right out of the grain while watching our levels, our water level so we're not exposing any elements, and start to sparge. We use a separate hot liquor tank to supply the water for the sparge. We'll sparge to the level or the gravity of what the recipe calls for and then remove the grain entirely. We've made arrangements with a local farmer, all our spent grains go to feed his cows. We just simply put the spent grain into several bins and send him a text message and he comes by picks it up and feeds it to his cows. We're kind of happy that we're not just throwing that into a landfill. Ceiling height for the BIAC system is something to consider only because we need to raise the Mash Colander clear of the vessel.
We have a very low ceiling right in here, I think our ceiling height here is just shy of 11 feet. Now when we were considering the BIAC system for this space we went back and forth with the specs to make sure that we could fit it in. This ceiling height just works we were we were able to source a gantry and a low-profile headroom crane that worked, certainly a higher ceiling makes it a little easier but it certainly can be done in a small/low ceiling height.
After we've removed the grain and emptied the grain we've we get the the Mash Colander out of the brewer area then we start to bring it up to boil with our controller. Boiling obviously creates steam. Steam is not a problem for us because... we didn't actually make any modifications to the ventilation in here. We don't have a big steam collection vent, what we do is we have a 1500 cubic foot per minute blower that we use the actual top of the vessel and we put on an elbow with a flexible hose goes, off to a blower that we reach... we push the air back into the air conditioning system and use the dehumidification properties of the air conditioning system to remove most of the steam. Our ambient humidity level in here is probably running around 45 to 50 percent so on brew day a lot of that steam just goes into the atmosphere and will bring up the ambient humidity in here to about 70 percent and the rest is taken care of by the air conditioner so we didn't have to make any major ventilation modifications for the brewing, which saved just a fabulous amount of time and effort and money not to mention mechanical costs and inspections and everything else.
Hop additions, obviously we make hop additions depending on the recipe at different stages in the brew process. We use a hop spider—hop spider is just a name for a big basket that sits in the side of the brew vessel that we just toss our hops in. At the end of the end of the boil while it's cooling we've got all our hops, (that hop spider is just withdrawn) we let it drain very slowly and then remove it right from the vessel, all the hop debris is is contained in that hop spider and we just dispose of it that way. It's not necessary some breweries will just throw the hops directly into the boil and let it let it settle out and remove it with the trub.
We are a craft brewery, we don't filter our beer, we don't do anything special to it after the boil or before we keg it or serve it, we find that that gives us a little clearer beer. When we were using the very small BIAC system at home we used to make use of the jacket on the outside of the vessel. When we got to the larger system we still used the the external jacket for chilling for cooling after the boil but we also, for the last five minutes of the boil, we run an external wort chiller. We run the boiling wort through the chiller, it's already been cleaned and sanitized, but that just gives us the final sanitation. Recirculating back into the vessel to chill down from from a boil we can bring it down, this five hectoliters down from a boil using the the jacket and the wort chiller in about 45 minutes and that's pretty quick.
After the boil what we do is, and it's chilled, we'll remove a little of the hop and the hop debris from the from the boil, we'll oxygenate it using pure oxygen for -- depending on the volume -- probably about 4 to 5 minutes, and pitch our yeast. It's pretty straightforward, there's no real magic to it, in fact we were trying to get really fancy for a bit and use oxygenating stones and everything but what we found actually works really well is we just hook our oxygen up (after chilling complete) to the intake of the wort chiller and we use that initial oxygen to clear the wort chiller and everything back into the vessel so we're using the the oxygen to do some of the work of cleaning out that chiller. Then we just close our valves in the right order and we pitch our yeast and put our lid on and we're ready to ferment.
For temperature control of our fermentation we've gone and used the Lindr chiller supplied by BREWHA to control our temperatures all the way through. We use it for every step/every stage of the brewing process right from controlling our fermentation temperatures to cold crashing and we can control that temperature within a degree all the way through the ferment process. So whether we want to raise the ferment temperature or drop it or that will control the ferment temp and through primary secondary and right up until we want a cold crash. And when we want to cold crash we just drop the temperature on the controller and that little unit goes to work and we can drop these big vessels with this small wort chiller down into the low 40s high 30s. The main reason we didn't go with the glycol system is it required one very big unit, permanent piping and given the nature of of our system here and our footprint and how we how we use the equipment, a glycol system is very expensive, problematic with permitting, the city would require their services and would have wanted it mechanically engineered and signed off, permanent piping and installation... This little chiller for our size is very economical, there's no waste going down the drain, there's no contamination, there's no glycol spills, there's no glycol chillers that we have to be moving around, there's no glycol lines we have to hook up, it's tap water that controls our temperature and does it as accurately and as efficiently as a glycol system. It serves our needs perfectly.
As far as fermentation time, primary fermentation typically seems to take, depending on the yeast we use and the gravity of the beer and everything, primary usually is over within about four to five days. We'll watch the the gravities and watch our secondary fermentation... we usually, it's usually about 10 to 12 days of primary and secondary before we start to dry hop if the recipe calls for a dry hop, then we'll add our dry hop, through the top of the vessel. We just use cheesecloth bags, we suspend our hops into the beer with cheesecloth bags, for our dry hopping suspended with spiderwire, spiderwire is just very strong nylon filament fishing line and we just tie them off to the side of the vessel they go right up through the gasket, it's such a fine line there's no sealing issues and it just suspends into the beer.
For kegging we use the co2 to push the beer down through a modified keg coupler right into the tank. We don't filter our beer, we cold crush our beer until it's to the clarity, as clear as we can get it. Everything settles out. We'll pull that hop debris out so we've got a nice clear place to draw from and then we'll start to keg. That goes into 50 litre kegs that we take into our into our cooler. We have a CO2 tank with a regulator and a small manifold that distributes to eight keg couplers and we can force carbonate our beer. We can control the volumes of CO2 and the pressure the CO2 to carbonate those kegs. The kegs take about three days to bring up to the right carbonation level depending on the depending on the style of beer, and then it's ready to serve. Typically though we'll have four or five kegs ahead of the one we're serving carbonating so we have just a small little program in the back—you have uncarbonated ones, ones that are being carbonated, ones that are ready to serve and ones that are being served. So we just manage that whole thing through the back. We don't use bright tanks, a brewery our size doesn't need a bright tank, it ties up too much real estate. A bright tank of any size is going to limit our ability to serve a variety of beers. We run six of these five barrel fermenters and we have right now six or seven or more beers that we can produce and have on tap for our guests.
We clean our own kegs right here, I have a little keg cleaning system that we've cobbled together. We pull the spears every time, we inspect the kegs every time. So we disassemble the keg we'll take the spear out and examine inside with a flashlight. We'll rinse it out with cold water then we use our hot liquor tank when we're cleaning kegs to push hot water through it through a CIP ball and then we move onto another CIP ball that sanitizes it and then we rinse it again with hot water and then inspect it make sure it's clean and put it back together.
For serving our beers we force carbonate the kegs and we serve directly from the kegs right through that the cooler wall into our serving area. So our serving area backs onto the cooler, we've just sized the length of our lines to match the style of beer just to balance the keg out and and the pressure that different styles of beers are served at, so an ale that might be served at 11 psi will have make sure that the line for that is probably about 10 to 12 feet long. Because we're a small lifestyle brewery our distribution model is over the counter. We sell beer in White Rock over the counter. We have a 46 seat tasting room that is open five days a week. Most of our beer is sold in pints, flights and growlers. We have two sizes of growlers we have a one liter and a 2-liter growler, twelve ounce glasses, 16 ounce classes and flights. Everything we sell is over the counter.
Our goal when we opened this was not to take on too much. We didn't want to start having to distribute to liquor stores, to other restaurants to sell kegs. Certainly we've had a lot of inquiries, would we be able to sell kegs, but given the size and the response that we've had, we can produce at a comfortable brewing level, and what I mean by that is number of brews that we do a week we end up doing about two brews a week, with that we're able to keep pace with our sales in the tasting room. Were we to go to brewing and trying to sell kegs into restaurants, trying to can, to have outside people come in and do our canning for us to be able to distribute, our brewing investment in terms of time would go through the roof, for not a lot more return. Our sales now in this retail environment are in the 300 to 350 dollars per square foot range, which in a retail environment is pretty good. It just shows to me that there's there's a huge demand for this type of establishment in communities.
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In this video, Josh and Krystle, the owners of Axe and Arrow Microbrewery in Glassboro, NJ discuss the steps to starting their successful microbrewery. They describe how they planned their craft brewery, where they located it and why, the equipment they purchased for their brewhouse and fermentation, their marketing approach, the permitting and licensing hurdles they went through, the build out, as well as going through the steps in a typical brew day with a BREWHA BIAC brewing system
Link to the brewery architectural drawings / floor plansIn this video, Nick, the owner of Pixeled Brewing discusses how he built an arcade brewpub in an historic building in Fargo, ND. He discusses why he wanted to open an arcade brewpub, how he branded it, the equipment he chose, what a typical brew day looks like, some of the ups and downs of owning a brewpub, and along the way he delivers several pieces of sage advice.
BIAC complete pilot and microbrewery system product page
Expand your brewery capacity with these BIAC microbrewery conical fermentors
Part 1 video: Learn how 3 Dogs Brewing opened their brewery and see how they brew award winning beer
Part 2 video: Watch how Axe and Arrow Microbrewery brews in their 7BBL brewing system and learn how they started their brewery
Part 3 video: See how Barn Owl Brewing built their brewery, learn how they brew in their small space, and get tips on how to open a successful craft brewery
Video: In this brewing video see why the BREWHA BIAC brewing system is the simplest way to brew the best beer
The beer can be carbonated in the fermenter through force carbonation with a CO2 tank once fermentation is complete, or, with care, the beer can be naturally or self carbonated by capturing the gas released during fermentation.
Whether you are naturally or force self carbonating, it is VERY IMPORTANT to always have the Pressure and Vacuum Safety Valve attached directly to one of the lid ports and to test the valve regularly to ensure it is relieving pressure at or before the maximum pressure (Note: the adjustable pressure regulator can be adjusted to crack at various pressures from 3-15psi). If capturing the gas during fermentation (this is faster than force carbonating after fermentation is complete), it is recommended to use a blow off hose until late in fermentation (e.g. when the gravity is around 1.020-1.025—a lower starting gravity with a small head space, and a higher starting gravity with a large head space) to reduce the risk of over pressurizing and damaging the tanks. While the pressure relief should let any excess gas off, waiting until your gravity is lower, will help minimize risk in the unlikely event of a relief valve failure (it is advised to regularly inspect the proper functioning of your safety valve). On the second 1.5" lid port, a valve should be attached, then a 1.5" sanitary tee is recommended, with a pressure gauge (or spunding valve apparatus) attached to the vertical side of the tee (1/4" thread stainless steel pressure gauges can be purchased here and can be connected to a 1.5"TCx0.25" coupling), and a Fermenter Gas in Post attached to the horizontal (even if naturally carbonating, the Gas in Post will be used to add CO2 volumes if fermentation does not deliver quite enough and/or to maintain gas pressure when racking to kegs lowers the beer level in the tank; removed from the tank, this tee setup can also be used to test a Pressure and Vacuum Safety Valve to ensure it is functioning properly). If force carbonating, carbonating stones can be used (customers have reported that attaching the BREWHA Aeration Stone to the racking port works well and the tank is fully carbonated in 48-72 hours when held at 5C/41F), however, adding CO2 from above is not much slower, will eliminate the risk of gas stirring up any sediment/yeast that has settled out, and reduces the amount of flavor and aroma compounds that might be scrubbed out of the beer by gas bubbles. Gas pressure charts (see example at bottom of the page from Brewer's Friend) inform the brewer what pressure to set the regulator at, relative to the temperature of the beer and the desired final volume. For most ales when crashing to 4C/40F this will mean the regulator should be set to 12psi although styles like stouts will be lower and a few styles that require higher pressure will need to have some gas added in the keg as the fermenter pressure limit is 14.9psi and the non-adjustable regulators will often crack at lower than the maximum set pressure (the relief valve should be tested regularly to determine its cracking/opening pressure and the regulator should be set below this value to ensure gas is not wasted; regulators should also be tested regularly and higher quality regulators will allow more accurate control). (Note: regulators with adjustable pressure settings can be purchased here.)
Once CO2 is added (either naturally or forced in), the Brewery Water Chiller can circulate cold water through the jacket to reduce the temperature of the beer (a removable neoprene insulating jacket can be installed at this point to help the beer get within a few degrees of freezing under standard room conditions)—this will reduce carbonation time and allow more volumes of CO2 (CO2 dissolves more readily at lower temperature) and help remaining yeast to drop out of suspension (crash cooling). Even if not wanting to carbonate in the fermenter, maintaining a few psi of pressure in the fermenter when cooling will eliminate the risk of a vacuum forming as the pressure offsets the vacuum created by water/beer shrinking as it cools.
Once cooled, yeast can be removed through the bottom/dump valve and the racking arm flushed out to remove any yeast settled in there and the beer can be transferred to kegs for serving (keep the CO2 connected to the fermenter while kegging to maintain pressure in the tank as the beer level drops — this will help maintain carbonation levels and reduce foaming in the fermenter which can stir up residual yeast).
Video: Cleaning and filling Sanke kegs
How to fill Sanke kegs directly from the 4-in-1 conical fermentor
The freshest beer possible
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The BIAC brewing system can be easily scaled up simply by adding additional 4-in-1 fermenters. The Mash Colander, Pump Assembly and Power Box can be used with multiple 4-in-1s to significantly increase total brewing output. For example...
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The BIAC brewing system can be easily scaled up simply by adding additional fermenters. The Mash Colander, Pump Assembly, and Power Box can be used with multiple fermenters to significantly increase total brewing output.
For example, one could own a nano-brewhouse producing 156BBL/4914gal./18564L/39170 pints annually for about $35,000 of brewing equipment—one 1.5BBL BIAC complete brewing system and 3 additional 1.5BBL 4-in-1 conical fermentors on a two week ferment cycle requiring two brews/week.
Or, one could own a micro-brewhouse producing 520BBL/16380gal./61880L/130567 pints annually for about $55,000 of brewing equipment—one 5BBL BIAC complete brewing system and 3 additional 5BBL 4-in-1 conical fermentors on a two week ferment cycle requiring two brews/week.
It depends on scale but a rough estimate for cost of goods is about $1/pint (ingredients, electricity and labor) and with other overhead at $1/pint and a sale price of $5-6/pint, one can achieve a 100% return on investment in just a few months.
Installing an I-beam over the BREWHA fermenters and attaching the overhead hoist to a trolley (like is shown at this link) allows the Mash Colander to be easily moved over to where the grain can be dumped out. Quick, and easy.
Email us at brewing@brewha.com if you have any questions regarding scaleability of the BIAC system.
(For sample budgets with complete equipment, furnishings and renovations see the links below the 3 Dogs Brewpub, and Axe and Arrow Microbrewery videos.)
Click here to go to the BIAC product page to learn more about why the BREWHA system is the simplest way to brew the best beer
Click here to go to the Fermentor page for fermentor pricing
Click here for the 3 Dogs Brewing video, brewery budgets and brewery drawings
Click here for the Axe and Arrow Microbrewery video, brewery budgets and brewery drawings
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This video provides a brief overview on how to produce liquor (whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum etc.) using the BREWHA complete brewing and distilling system. The production of liquor first involves the making of beer or 'wash' as it is called in the distilling world, which is discussed in many other articles on the BREWHA website; it is recommended to use the best beer making methods (don't use short cuts) in order to make the best liquor. Low quality beer/wash makes it much harder to yield great tasting liquor.
Tip: empty yeast from the bottom of the fermenter before distilling and if making a recipe for the first time, check the elements before distilling; if they are coated with yeast, clean them off before distilling or they might scorch when heating up.
Recipe for the rum in this video:
Yield
Entire books have been written on the subject of water chemistry in brewing, so there is a lot that can be learned, but for the beginner brewer, it is generally enough to know that tap water can be used if it is good quality; as a general rule if tap water tastes good, it can be used for brewing. However, if it contains a lot of minerals, metals or chlorine (anything that might contribute off-flavor), Reverse Osmosis (RO) or distilled water should be used (RO uses filter membranes and distilling uses evaporation to separate water from other molecules; neither process completely purify water, but both can remove almost all impurities). Softened water should not be used, as it often contributes too much sodium. (If one is wondering what is in their tap water, municipalities generally make their water reports available, and if using well water, companies can provide a detailed analysis for a fee.)
As mentioned above, some minerals, especially calcium, are necessary, so if using RO or distilled water, brewing minerals/salts need to be added back in. If a brewer enters the data from their local water report into Brewfather as a 'source water profile' and then selects a 'target water profile' for the style of beer they are brewing, Brewfather will automatically calculate how much of each brewing salt to add. Brewers can purchase the brewing salts from their local brew supply store.
We often think of 'salt' as something you have with dinner, but in chemistry, a 'salt' is a compound (two or more atoms) joined together by positive and negative charge; NaCl is just one salt among many—the sodium (symbol 'Na') has a positive charge, and the chloride (symbol 'Cl') has a negative charge; the two opposite charges attract each other and have no charge when joined. The following table outlines common brewers salts used for water adjustment.
Scientific Name |
Common Name | Notes |
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) | Chalk | Raises pH. Very limited solubility in water; should be added directly to the mash. Used for dark beers. |
Calcium sulfate (CaSO4) | Gypsum | Lowers pH. Accentuates crispness and bitterness for hop-forward beers |
Calcium chloride (CaCl2) | Lowers pH. Increases calcium as needed for soft water. | |
Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) | Epsom salt | Minimal effect on pH. Accentuates crispness and bitterness for hop-forward beers. |
Sodium bicarbonate | Baking soda | Raises pH through increased alkalinity. Good addition for dark beers |
Sodium chloride | Table salt | No effect on pH. Promotes saltiness |
Magnesium chloride | Minimal effect on pH. Used to increase magnesium in deficient profiles without affecting sulfates |
The following table outlines the constituents in brewing salts, what they do, and their recommended usage in beer:
Constituent | Use (ppm) | Notes |
Calcium (Ca) | 50-150 | Instrumental to many yeast, enzyme, and protein reactions both in the mash and the boil. Promotes clarity, flavor and stability in the finished beer. (Level above 250ppm can inhibit fermentation.) |
Magnesium (Mg) | 5-40 | Important for fermentation. Malt typically has enough so addition only important to add if making a recipe with high adjunct or refined sugar. (Level above 125ppm can have a laxative effect) |
Sodium (Na) | 0-50 | Rounds out beer flavors and accentuates the sweetness of malt. (150-200ppm will taste salty and levels above 250ppm may taste harsh and sour) |
Chloride (Cl) | 0-100 | Helps accentuate malt sweetness and beer fullness. (Levels above 300ppm negatively affect yeast health) |
Sulfate (SO4) | 0-250 | Accentuates hop bitterness, making the bitterness seem drier and more crisp. (Levels above 400 make the beer astringent and unpleasant) |
Carbonate (HCO3) | 0-200 | Bicarbonate is alkaline and raises the pH (makes it less acidic). High levels are problematic for mashing and promote scale when combined with calcium and magnesium |
Note: these two tables are sourced from Mastering Brewing Science by Farber and Barth, and Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers by Palmer and Kaminski
Instruction video on how to make amazing beer
Benefits of the BIAC complete microbrewery system
BIAC complete brewery equipment product page
A day spent with these advocates will be enjoyable and address many of your questions and give you confidence in starting to brew your own delicious craft beer at home.
The cost is US$300 per brew session payable in cash directly to the brewer upon arrival. Maximum of 2 people/session. (BREWHA will provide a US$150 rebate on the purchase of your BREWHA system.)
British Columbia | |
Brew with BREWHA on our 1.5BBL system at the shop in Victoria, BC. (Courses to resume once our brewpub is operational in 2023).
Contact: BREWHA Equipment Co |
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California | |
Keith Dehne, La Mesa, CA | |
"I have brewed over eighty 10 gallon batches in the last 4-years w/my Large HB BIAC. Every one of them has produced an excellent beer. I have the typical brew day down to 5 1/2 hours, brewing by myself, start to finish, maybe 6-hours if it's 90 degrees outside. The BIAC is very predictable and has give me consistent results every time." Contact: (Currently moving) |
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Jim Mooney, Clovis, CA | |
"I have been brewing for about 7 years and have made around 80 beers. In the last year I have had the opportunity to share some of my beers at public events and the response has been very positive. I just love my Brewha system because it makes the brew day so easy compared to my old 3 vessel propane setup. I brew every 4-6 weeks and am happy to share my experience with others. I always have a few beers on tap so stop by and check it out." Contact: jsmoon888@yahoo.com |
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New Mexico | |
Kent Anderson, Sandia Park, NM | |
I’ve been brewing with the BIAC since June 2015 and now have over 50 batches through the system. The learning curve for this system was very short and I’ve been able to nail consistent brews with this well-designed and easy to use equipment. Nathan obviously put a lot of thought into design of the BIAC and the kit comes with everything you need to start brewing immediately. However, as with any new equipment, there are some tips and tricks to get the most out of the system - fermentation control, wort chilling, recirculation techniques, cleaning, etc. I look forward to sharing experiences with other BIAC brewers to pass along what I’ve learn and to see how other users overcome issues and push their systems to obtain their best beers. Contact: kent@solsticebrewingnm.com |
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Oregon | |
Gary Read, Beaverton, OR | |
I've been brewing on my small brewha system for 3 years. I've brewed kolsch lager, marzen, oatmeal milk chocolate stout, and vanilla porter. The chiller unit has proved very valuable in being able to brew all styles in any weather here in Northwest. Contact: holdemstudent@yahoo.com |
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Pennsylvania | |
Matt Sager, Washington, PA | |
My friend, Jeff, and I would be glad to brew with interested brewers from our region. Mondays or Wednesdays are good days to brew and we like to start around 10:00 AM. We have recently brewed an amazing NEIPA and an incredible Black IPA in addition to a very solid Hefe-Weisse. The Great Dane and Swiss Mountain Dog love hanging out with me on brew day. And my wife, who specializes in wines at our restaurant, is thoroughly impressed with the exceptional quality of beers we are producing. In my 10 years of offering import and craft beers from around the world in our tavern, I have tasted a lot of high end beers and the Brewha BIAC has produced some of the better beers I’ve ever tasted. Contact: rusticitalian@palazzo1837.com |
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Bill Whale, Philadelphia, PA | |
I have been brewing beers for 8 years. I began brewing extract recipes and bottling. In 2020, I upgraded to brewing all-grain recipes with two small BIAC systems (8 gallon) and kegging the final product. Over the years, I have brewed everything from lagers to IPAs to stouts. Recently, I have been having fun brewing sour & funky beers. Check out my recent posts and recipes on Instagram: @brewingwithbill. I am a big fan of the BIAC system. Brewha equipment makes the brewing process as efficient as possible, saving the brewer time and space. I would be happy to show you how to brew with the BIAC system if you are in the area. Contact: billwhale6@gmail.com |
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Texas | |
Brandon Bozon, Belton, TX | |
Our brew club is named Carl's Garage. We are located in Belton Texas (an hour north of Austin, two hours south of Dallas). We brew on two Large BREWHA BIAC homebrew systems. We purchased our first system in April of 2016. We have repeatedly brewed ten different recipes that we have developed along with a handful of other recipes we found online when we started out. In total, we have brewed on our BIACs over sixty times. We have become pretty efficient in our brew process, so brew nights are now as much about socializing as brewing. We enjoy hosting new and old friends. We entered the AHA homebrew competition in 2017 and 2018. In total, we were awarded one gold, six silver and one bronze certificate on nine entries. This summer, we brewed our favorite recipe, White IPA, at a local brewpub, Bold Republic in Belton Texas, on their equipment. The taste and aroma were identical to the product we generate using our Brewha BIAC. We received rave reviews and the beer sold out quickly. |
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Washington | |
Ron Swena, Chehalis, WA | |
I built a three vessel Electric All Grain Brew system from the ground up and loved it didn't think there was much that could be improved, then I stumbled across the Brewha system and was very intrigued. Nathan help me to get into contact with someone that had already been using the system, that was very helpful in making my decision I was amazed. I purchased the large microbrewery 4in1 setup, I never would have thought Brewing would be so easy and simple I love the BIAC system. It has cut my brew days almost in half and it is so simple mash, boil, ferment all with precise temperature control, carbonate and cold condition all in one vessel. I would love the opportunity to show someone the ins-and-outs of the BIAC brew system. Contact: rhardwoods5311@gmail.com |
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CAUTION: since kegs are stored under pressure, it is important to fully release all pressure before attempting to open a keg. Observe all safety steps recommended by your keg supplier and never stand directly over the spear.
The BREWHA Manual Keg Washer is an economical manual cleaner that is an effective way to clean kegs. While chemicals can be used to remove any long term build up, the heat of the water is generally all that is needed to sanitize the kegs sufficient to safely store beer for several months. While the approach we discuss here requires the removal of the keg spears which is a more labor intensive process than required with a coupler mounted keg washer, a few benefits are the lower capital outlay, and with the opening up of the keg, the insides can be visually inspected to they are clean before reassembly, ensuring the best quality of beer for your customers.
This article discusses the washing of Sanke D kegs (the most common commercial kegs throughout North America) but the principles are the same for other commercial and homebrew kegs. To clean kegs, follow these steps:
1. Place the BREHWA Manual Keg Washer inside the Large BREWHA conical fermentor or 120L/1BBL Mash Tun, connect the Keg Washer return arm to the Keg Washer stand with the short 3/4" hose, 3/4" gaskets and clamps. | |
2. To first rinse old beer out of the kegs, connect clean tap water to the Keg Washer. A short section of 1/2" silicone hose can be adapted for this. Clamp a 1/2" hose barb x 1.5"TC to one end, and a female garden hose x 1/2" hose barb on the other (most hardware stores carry the GH fitting but an assembled unit can be purchased from BREWHA). The hot tap water will flush the keg and rinse beer and sediment out. | |
3. To remove the spear, release all gas in the keg by turning down on a Sanke spear removal tool (purchase online from keg suppliers) to fully depress the spear. Releasing all pressure before removing the spear is very important for safety reasons. (At all times follow all safety precautions recommended by the keg supplier.) | |
4. Once the pressure is released, and with the spear removal tool still fully depressing the spear, remove the retaining ring/clip that holds the spear in place. There are specific 'spear removal knives' like shown in the picture (can be purchased from keg suppliers online), a hook and pick set (the hook is my preference, ), or a small flat head screwdriver or other implement can also be used. The retaining ring is notched on each end so with the tool, move the ring towards the center until the end of it pops out of the channel that it sits in. This can be challenging the first few times, but with practice, a good method can be developed. Once the ring starts to pop out, it can be easily removed the rest of the way by gently pulling all around the ring with your fingers towards the middle of the keg. | |
5. One the ring is removed, release and remove the spear removal tool and retainer ring. To withdraw the spear, it needs to be rotated about 5 degrees until the spear notch and keg groove line up. | |
6. The keg can then be lowered over the BREWHA Keg Washer spray ball until the keg rests on the supports. Tap water can be ran into the apparatus to rinse the keg out. The bottom dump valve on the fermenter (or other vessel) should be left open so the rinse water can drain. When using tap water, but especially with the near boiling water during the sanitize phase, it is important to wear insulated rubber wash gloves (like the ones resting on the pump in the picture below). | |
7. Once the kegs are rinsed, connect the BREWHA fermenter (or BREWHA 120L Mash Tun) to your recirculation pump. A powerful 1hp pump (like the commercial grade brewery beer pump that we sell) is recommended as it provides a high pressure spray to aid with cleaning, but smaller pumps can be used as well. The larger hose (1"ID) provides water from the vessel to the pump, the smaller (3/4"ID) hose sends water from the pump back to the cleaner apparatus. | |
8. Fill the vessel with water until the level is where the keg support arms meet the vertical pipe. If the water level is too low, the hot water evaporates more as it falls back into the vessel, and the heating element has to work harder. Ensure the heating element is always completely covered with ample water. Heat the water to just shy of boiling. | |
9. The keg spear can be submerged into the near boiling water to heat sanitize it. The spear can be inverted to let water fill the spear and to ensure that the head is fully sanitized. Drop the keg over the spray ball, turn the pump on and let it spray hot, sanitizing water into the keg for about 2 minutes. Then turn the pump off. | |
10. Once the water drains out of the keg, remove the keg and spear (remember to wear insulated wash gloves as they will be hot), lower the spear back into the keg and with the help of the spear removal tool (this should be heat sanitized too so it doesn't infect the top of the spear) put the retaining ring back in place. It is generally easiest to replace the ring if it is started into the groove about 60 degrees clockwise from the locking tab. This ensures that the beginning and end of the ring are not located at either of the two locking tabs. Ensure that the retaining ring has moved fully back into the groove. If the ring is not fully in the groove, it could come loose under pressure and project the spear out forcefully. Never stand over the spear directly. Replace the ring for a new one if damaged in any way or replace with each install. Always follow all keg manufacturer guidelines. | |
11. The final step is to add CO2 to the kegs at this point to purge out the oxygen and pressurize the kegs (optional) so that they are ready to fill with beer (don't add more CO2 pressure than the pressure of the fermenter or CO2 will blow back into the fermenter; e.g. if the fermenter is at 12psi, fill the kegs to not more than 12psi). CO2 can be added with the same hose with which you fill the kegs with beer. By simply connecting a Gas in Post to the Fermentor to Keg Racking Hose CO2 can be easily added to your kegs. (To permit CO2 or beer to flow 'backwards' through the Sanke coupler, the liquid and gas check valves need to be first removed. It is recommended to keep a dedicated coupler just for racking beer. See more details on removing the checks at the bottom of this page). |
Once the kegs are purged they are ready for filling with beer. If you won't be filling right away, cap the top of the keg to keep it clean; 2" TC plastic covers (like the plastic caps that come with the BREWHA 2" butterfly valves) work great for this or tin foil or caps can be purchased online from keg suppliers.
Learn: Transferring beer from a fermentor to a keg
BREWHA Manual Keg Washer product page
1. As for the first cause (a short), check all your wires and connection points to ensure they are snug. If a connection point is heating up when the power is on (e.g. extension cord connectors) it indicates a poor connection and the power should be disconnected and the connectors inspected.
2. Demand is too high if the power requirement exceeds the rating of the fuse (and typically there is a buffer as electricians install a circuit with the fuse rating being 20% over the maximum anticipated demand). For BREWHA customers, it is important to ensure that the power supply is understood correctly, and that the correct heaters chosen for the supply. BREWHA offers 208V and 240V heaters and each are designed to provide 5500W of heating at that voltage. Since resistance heaters are designed for output based on the anticipated volts, if a 208V heater is purchased, but is supplied with 240V, the power output will exceed 5500W and the amps will also be higher. Voltage coming to your brewery varies by location and even time of day since local demand on the electrical grid causes it to change. So if the supply is higher than the rating, fuses might only occasionally blow.
3. Solid state relays (SSR) inside the control box enable the brewer to interrupt the amount of power going to the heaters, to permit less than 100% output. Being able to control heater output is useful during mash and fermentation, when reduced power to the heaters can reduce the risk of scorching, and during the boil, to enable control over how much water is being boiled off. Without the SSRs, the power would either be only fully on, or fully off. Power flowing through the SSRs however, does generate heat, and as the temperature of the SSRs increase, they become less effective, drawing more current. So to keep them operating well, it is important to ensure that the box is ventilated and the cooling fan (on larger controllers) is working optimally. During heatup on the fan cooled controllers (this is especially true when the cooling fan was installed in an orientation to draw air out of the box) it is recommended to keep the lid closed so that the fan moves fresh air throughout the box, rather than just past the front plate and out the side. For the single heater controllers without a fan, it is recommended to keep the lid open, and always installed on a wall (never lying flat on a table). Also, the air filters (on some controllers) can severely restrict air flow (especially if dirty) so should not be used unless the controller is in a very dusty environment. For optimal performance, the air temperature inside the control box should remain below 45C/113F.
Volts and amps are relatively easy and inexpensive to confirm and there are lots of videos online about how qualified personnel would go about that. To check heater functionality the resistance can be measured with an ohm/multimeter. The two formulas you need (there is math in brewing!) are: Ohms=Volts/Amps and Amps=Watts/Volts (for the 9500W three phase heaters the Watts for each rod are 1/3 of total).