Self-adjusting flow Fly Sparge Valentine Arm brewery Homebrew All Grain

[bighairybloke]

I have automated many brewing operations now. Now all i do is set the time i want to mash in and it heats up the liquor for me pumps the set amount of liquor into the mash tun and turns on the RIMs ready for me to mash in! I then get an email and text msg to prompt me to mash in. Once i have mashed in, i set the brewery to do the rest. It mashes, sparges, boils, hops, cools and transfers the hopped wort to the fermentation vessel where the yeast is already waiting!

[AdamCanFly]

I like your brewery! I cant wait to get something of my own set up.

[schnurmann]

Way too much splashing. You are introducing a great amount of O2 to the wort.

[Judodog23]

I like your setup. Would you consider doing an instructional video on building this setup? I haven't had success finding an instructional that simply and clearly illustrates how to construct this type of system. This would include plans, parts list, and places to obtain materials. For example, I can't seem to locate here in the US heating elements like you are using and a simple explanation for installing safely. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for sharing your video!!!!

[bighairybloke]

@Judodog23 If was going to rebuild from scratch I'd defo do a step by step guide, but i recon all the info is out there and as part of the process of learning designinf your own will help you fault find in the future. But i acept some are not as practical as others so i am willing to help with advice! My elements are from UK 230v kettles, there must be something very similar over your side of the pond.. a quick google

[bighairybloke]

Any oxygen absorbed will be rapidly boiled out of solution when the wort is boiled, so oxygenation is not a problem. Mash is at 66c, followed by sparged water at 85c. Soon as the copper is full, on goes the boil! ;-)

[bigdav3124]

Not really. There is such a thing as "hot side aeration." The oxygen can be chemically attached to the proteins in the wort. If so, it won't boil off and, in theory, could stale the beer over time. I don't think it's anything to lose sleep over, but a simple tube (as roborpipes suggests) would be an easy way to eliminate even the possibility.

[bighairybloke]

Not heard of HSA before you mentioned it, but have done some research and it seems to be a bit of a myth. I have a brew 6 months old still in its cornie, cant be much left of it by now but it still tastes great...so until i see or experience hard evidence i will continue letting it drop from the VA with gay abandon! I'd rather let it drop than have it running down a tube so i can listen to it from the other room, when the sound stops, the sparge is done and i can put the boil on!

[bigdav3124]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it too much either - particularly since you seem to have a pretty practical reason to do it the way you are. I'm pretty sure the science behind HSA is sound, but in practice I don't think it causes very many beers to go stale. I've always looked at it as something to be aware of but not to lose any sleep over.

[roborpipes]

Nice setup but a bit risky dropping the wort from that height isnt it? What temp is it coming out of mash? I'd be worried about oxidation. Maybe safer to run it down a tube.