Category Archives: Videos

Installing Triclover Ferrules – No Welding

Bobby from Brew Hardware has put together a video explaining different types of connections available for homebrewers.

Brew Hardware offers an extensive selection of fittings and lots more.  A lot of unique offerings and some very well thought out custom items of Bobby’s design.

About, from Brew Hardware: “This tool creates a flared opening in kettle walls, bottoms, lids, etc for install of 1.5″ TC weld ferrules. Once the ferrule is installed, it is well prepped to receive a bead of silver solder for strong permanent (or not) install.”

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Understanding Brewery Connections

Bobby from Brew Hardware has put together a video explaining different types of connections available for homebrewers.

Brew Hardware offers an extensive selection of fittings and lots more.  A lot of unique offerings and some very well thought out custom items of Bobby’s design.

Bobby spends over a half hour going into detail on most of the plumbing and accessory connection options you have to choose from. If this video doesn’t help you figure out the best parts for your brewery, nothing will. The pros and cons are discussed including utility, scalability, cost and value of each choice.

  1. NPT and NPS Threaded connections
  2. Flare
  3. Compression
  4. Camlock (Cam and Groove)
  5. NPT swivel barbs
  6. Ball Lock Quick Disconnects (BLQD)
  7. TC, Triclover, Triclamp, Tri-Clamp, Sanitary Fittings

Third Party Resource: This resource is part of our selection of top Third Party homebrewing resources.  Check out the entire list of resources Third Party Homebrew Resources

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How to serve Homebrew on Commercial Kegerators

Female Flare Adapter to Beer Thread from Brew Hardware allow you to easily serve homebrew on kegerators setup for commercial taps.

About, From Brew Hardware:

Woah, what’s that? A game changer? Yes!

Picture this. You use homebrew corny kegs for you beer but you want to bring a keg over to your buddy’s house for a party. The problem is that he has a commercial kegerator and no, he won’t let you cut the hoses to attach your ball lock QDs. How about trying to serve from a corny keg at a commercial facility, such as for a wedding? There’s no way you’re going to get them to modify the lines.

Thread these fittings on your MFL equipped ball lock beer and gas quick disconnects and now you can thread on any hoses that are part of a Sanke keg dispensing system.

The picture shows the adapter threaded on to a black QD and there are other pieces shown as well. This item and price is for ONE fitting with 1/4″ FFL threads on one side and 7/8″ Male Beer thread. It does not include anything else in the picture. Beer thread is what is typically found on the back of a faucet shank. Therefore it is compatible with all of our tailpieces and beer nuts.

FEMALE FLARE (FFL) TO MALE BEER THREAD ADAPTER

Third Party Resource: This resource is part of our selection of top Third Party homebrewing resources.  Check out the entire list of resources Third Party Homebrew Resources

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New from Brew Hardware: Video – Topsflo Stainless Brewing Pump

Topsflow DC Brewing Pump via Brew Hardware.  Food grade stainless steel.  High temp (230 deg F) rated.

More about the TD5

from Brew Hardware…

The new Topsflo TD5 DC brewing pump comes with all the power you’ve come to expect for your liquid transfer needs with safe low voltage DC power and whisper quiet operation. It’s small enough and light enough to be direct mounted to kettle drains but it also comes with a molded rubber mounting bracket if you want to attach it to your brew stand. It also includes the 120vAC to 24vDC adapter so it’s ready to go out of the box after you add your favorite hose connections.

Product Features:
● With food grade stainless steel, very safe and reliable
● Advanced magnetic driving technology for staticseal,without any leakage forever
● High temperature resistant,can continuous circulate 110ºC(230F) hot water Material is high temperature 150ºC resistant,Material is flame resistant
● High efficiency ECM brushless DC motor with long lifetime 20,000hours
● Durable permanent magnetic rotor with one-off injection incorporated impeller in smooth balance
● Heavy duty work,can sustain continuous 24hours work special designed high efficiency closed-type impeller
● Over-voltage protection, over-current protection
● Specialized structure design , Easy to cleaning
● Sustain 110℃ hot water circulation
● High effeciency, max flow rate up to 27LPM / 7GPM & head 5M /19FT
● Good heat releasing, less temperature rise
● Advanced magnetic driven technology, no leak forever
● Blocked-Protection protection,Polarity Protection, Over-voltage protection
● Low or no maintenance

 

As of this posting, this this is marked down to $139.99.  Check Brew Hardware for up to the minute price and availability.

TOPSFLO DC BREWING PUMP WITH STAINLESS STEEL HEAD

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TRUE Weldless Bulkheads from Brew Hardware


Here’s a video from Bobby at Brew Hardware talking about their newer line of TRUE Bulkheads.

True Weldless bulkheads are available in a number of configurations.  The 5/8″ Barb version is included in their Cooler Conversion Kit.  I’ve used that extensively See: Hands on Review Brew Hardware’s Mash Tun Conversion Kit and I can tell you that it’s awesome.

If you’ve dealt with other weldless kits and bulkheads you’ll know that typically a certain finesse is required when installing.  They can be a pain, leaky and temperamental to get working correctly.  True Weldless bulkheads – at least the style I have – are well thought out, well built and you can actually tighten them down.

Check it out: Bulkheads | Cooler Conversion Kit

Reader Feedback from ‘jwin’… “Bobby_M has the best products. I only use his hardware including his awesome heatstick. Bulkheads, Shanks, Thermowells, Sight Glasses. All great all innovative. Just got his Variable Length Weldless Bulkhead for my Coleman extreme xl mast tun. 10g barleywine anyone?”

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How to Build a Mash Tun from the AHA

A how-to video from the AHA – Join.  Director Gary Glass walks through putting together a Cooler Mash Tun Build based on this 48 Quart Coleman Cooler.

This setup is based on Denny Conn’s great design.  Denny is the co-author of Experimental Homebrewing and the keeper of Wyeast 1450 Denny’s Favorite 50.  Check out some of Denny’s recipes now available from Brewcraft.

See the AHA’s Article on this: Building a Mash Tun has Never Been So Easy

Related:

Not a member of the American Homebrewer’s Association?… I think you should consider joining.  Here’s Why

Third Party Resource: This resource is part of our selection of top Third Party homebrewing resources.  Check out the entire list of resources Third Party Homebrew Resources

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Hands On Review: Spiegelau IPA Glasses

Review Spiegelau IPA Glasses

Here’s a Hands on Look at Spiegelau’s IPA glasses.  These glasses have a 19 ounce capacity, they are dishwasher safe and they are designed specifically for the enjoyment of IPA style beers.

Front of the boxSide of the box: “In collaboration with two of the leading IPA brewers in the United States, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada, Spiegelau has created the new standard for IPA beer glassware. Achieved through a series of design and tasting workshops in which hundreds of possible designs were considered, the brewers ultimately and unanimously chose, by secret vote, one glass – ‘number 6’ – from a final lineup of eight custom-made prototypes. Designed to showcase the complex and alluring aromatic profiles of American “hop-forward” IPA beers, preserve a frothy head, enhance taste and mouthfeel, and present a comfortably wide opening for the drinker to savor each beer, Spiegelau’s latest design is the go-to vessel for enjoying IPA. Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada champion US hop farming. The breweries and donating their portion of the proceeds from this collaboration to benefit advances in hop research.”

Other side of the box: Durable, Lightweight, Brilliant with Max. Dishwasher Safety.

Unboxed

Spiegelau logo on the bottom of the glass.  When these first came out there was some discussion about where they laser etched nucleation point was at in these glasses.  I spoke with Spiegelau reps at NHC in 2014 and was told…. it’s the dot in the center of each glass.  This feature aid in slowly releases CO2 bubbles to enhance flavor and aroma.Looking great filled with More Beer’s Pliny the Elder

I’m really happy with these glasses.  They feel really well made and I like the way they look.  These have been my go to IPA glasses since receiving them.

Spiegelau 2-Pack Beer Classics IPA Glass, 19-Ounce – via Amazon


Ken Grossman and Sam Calagione talking about the developement of Spiegelau’s IPA Glass

Related: IPA Glasses [Review] · American Wheat Glass · 3 Piece Set · Glassware Tag

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Hands On Review: .5 Micron Oxygenation Stone – Video and Pictures

Carbonating Stone with 1/4" Barb, 0.5 micron

.5 Micron Diffusion/Carbonating Stone w/ 1/4″ Barb via Amazon

From the product description, check product page for current description, price and availability:

  • Stainless steel 0.5 micron diffusion stone with 1/4in barb
  • Oxygenate wort thoroughly to insure a healthy fermentation
  • Carbonate draft beer quickly
  • For use with compressed CO2, O2 or adequately powered air pumps

Possible homebrewing uses include – carbonating, oxygenating and aerating.

This is designed for 1/4″ ID tubing.  It fit easily in the tubing, but firmly enough that no tubing clamp is required.  I think that’s great because I wasn’t too keen on the idea of trying to sanitize a tubing clamp.


I tried this in a glass jug of water.  Here’s the tubing and aeration stone sitting in the jug with no pressure applied.


Up and going


A video of the Carbonation/Oxygenation in action

Since I’ve started Oxygenating using pure Oxygen, I’ve experience a noticeable decrease in lag time and fermentations seem more vigorous.  This stone works well.

Carbonating Stone with 1/4″ Barb, 0.5 micron – via Amazon

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Hands On Review: More Beer’s Inline Thermometer + Whirlpool Chiller Time Trial

Here’s a look at MoreBeer’s inline thermometer setup.  This is an all stainless setup, with stainless quick disconnects that allows you to place a thermometer inline at any point in your system.

The heart of this unit is a Fermentap Dial Thermometer


Top View.  You can see the all stainless construction and the stainless quick disconnects


Thermometer Calibration Screw

I found the inline thermometer to be well built.  It also served it’s purpose well.  It allows you to check the temperature at a specific point in your process.  I think because liquid is moving past this thermometer, you’re getting a great picture of what the temperature actually is at any given point.

I used this to monitor my chill progress.  Video…


My apologies that this video is a bit shaky at points.  You can watch it for 9 minutes and 12 seconds or just realize that it took 9 minutes and 12 seconds to get to pitching temp.

My batch was about 5.25 Gallons.  It took 9 minutes and 12 seconds to get to 68 degrees.  Add a couple more seconds on from turning the hose on to starting the video.  Ground water temp was 57.7 degrees.  I’d say those are dandy results.

Results will vary based on groundwater temp.  In my initial trials, I was able to get 5.25 gallons of boiling water down to pitching temp in 5 minutes.  Of course, water is easier to chill than wort.

My setup is a 50′ copper immersion chiller (similar to this one) with a recirculation arm along with a this high flow March pump.

Inline Thermometer with Stainless Quick Disconnects WC420 – $64.95 + Free Shipping

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Build a Recirculating Draft Line Cleaning Pump

recirculating draft line cleaner

The directions on most line cleaners call for recirculating the cleaner for some period of time.  Most affordable cleaning setups that are out there include a hand pump.  Operating one of those for 15 to 30 minutes, for each faucet, doesn’t sound fun.

To really clean your draft lines, you need to keep solution flowing for a length of time, not just fill and wait.  Initially I tried to clean my system by pushing line cleaner out of a keg.  This was a waste of CO2.  I also found it tough to keep solution running slowly enough to get the required amount of contact time.  It’s easy to quickly push a cleaning or sanitizing solution through your system under CO2 pressure, but I found it to be a pain to try to do so slowly.  This also requires quite a bit of cleaning solution versus a recirculating pump.

I decided to put together a recirculating draft line cleaning pump setup.

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