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Save 25% On a BrewZilla Home Brewing System

MoreBeer.com Promo Codes and Coupons
Promo Code Description: Save up to 25% on BrewZilla and Bigiboil home beer brewing systems

MoreBeer.com Promo Code

Save 25% On Brew Zilla Home Brewing Systems with this MoreBeer.com Promo Code

Save 25% On Brew Zilla Home Brewing Systems with this MoreBeer.com Promo Code

Promo Code Description: Get a BrewZilla home brewery for just $349 or a DigiBoil for just $159 with this MoreBeer.com promo code
Promo Code Date: 11/15/2022 to 11/17/2022
MoreBeer Coupon Code: ZILLAKIT
MoreBeer.com Promo Code Type: MoreBeer Coupon Codes for November, 2022 Limited Time and Quantity

MoreBeer Promo Code Link:
Save up to 25% on BrewZilla and Bigiboil home beer brewing systems

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Information on the 9 Gallon BrewZilla 120v Homebrew System from MoreBeer.com

We’ve seen a lot of all-in-one systems over the years, but none are as feature-packed and affordable as the Brew Zilla. While other units simply maintain your set temperature, the Brew Zilla home breweryfeatures a sophisticated digital controller which can be programmed with a full mash schedule, executing each step automatically. The built-in pump will continuously recirculate wort during the mash for more even heat distribution and higher efficiency, but thanks to the integrated camlock fitting, it has even more functionality. Add the optional whirlpool arm to make your late hop additions pop and speed up chilling time, or connect a camlock fitting and tubing to transfer wort to your fermenter. These are just a couple of reasons why MoreBeer loves the BrewZilla, but there are so many More!

Best Features:

Sophisticated digital controller capable of programmed mash steps, boil addition timers and delayed start
Built-in pump for constant recirculation during mash or whirlpooling and transferring with optional accessories
Full depth malt pipe for higher mash efficiency and capable of running small batches without a pricey adapter
Multiple power modes to cover each step of the brew day – low power to gently heat your mash up to full power for a rolling boil
Wort chiller included! Perfectly sized for this system and adds even more value to your purchase of the Brew Zilla
High capacity brewhouse – with a volume of over 9 gallons, you can fit more grain and more wort to make
Single wall design doesn’t trap in heat – chill your wort quickly after the boil!
Super convenient bottom handle makes lifting/pouring a breeze
This is the best price for an all-in-one brewing system you’ll find, period.
If you want to jump into all grain brewing right from your first batch, or as an upgrade from malt extract brewing, the Brew Zilla is a complete turn key solution. The Brew Zilla is an all-in-one electric brewery that has built-in elements for heating and boiling, programmable mash schedule and delayed start, a built-in pump for recirculation, an onboard water resistant control panel for setting and monitoring temperatures, a removable grain basket, and a built-in spigot for transferring. It is extremely portable and uses 110V power so it can be used nearly anywhere.

The BrewZilla  version 3.1.1 unit features an upgraded main circuit board that changes how the automatic step mashing functions. Now when moving from step to step, the timer for each step will not begin counting down until the programmed temperature is reached. This means more accurate mash schedules than ever before! The new board also introduces boil addition timers so you’ll never miss the mark for hop additions.

To get the Wort Chiller Connection Kit for free, add the item to your cart along with the Brew Zilla and use code ZILLAKIT at checkout.

New accessory! Check out the BrewZilla Whirlpool Arm, which uses the unit’s internal pump to recirculate and spin the wort, improving hop extraction and chill times. No more stirring!

Automatic Step Mashing & Delayed Start!
One of the coolest features of the BrewZilla is the ability to program the unit with up to 6 individual temperatures and durations so you can step mash precisely how you desire. Simply press the “S1-S6” button to select the stage you want to adjust, and use the temp, time and +/- buttons to program the stage. If you have less than 6 stages in your mash schedule, program the stages you want to skip with 00:00 as the time and the controller will automatically move on to the next step. When all the stages are complete, the unit will sound an alarm and hold the last set temperature.

The programmable stages can also be used to set a delayed start of up to 23 hours in advance so that you can have your water hot and ready to go when you get home from work or wake up in the morning. In order to do this, fill the unit with strike water and program the controller with two steps. Step 1 should be programmed at a temperature lower than the unheated strike water (so the elements will remain off), and the duration should be programmed for however long you want the delay. Then program Step 2 with your desired strike water temperature and a duration of 1-2 hours, giving the BrewZilla ample time to heat up and giving you a margin of error in case you hit the snooze button the morning of brew day.

Recirculating Mash with Full Depth Malt Pipe
The built-in magnetic drive pump easily recirculates wort during the mash. We recommend getting some silicone tubing to go with the recirculation arm. This allows you more control over the recirculation and you can then use the pump to transfer your wort to your fermenter. As with any mash, be sure to stir your grain very thoroughly after mashing-in so you start out with an even temperature throughout the grain bed.

Some competing models advertise their perforated malt pipes as “high flow”, but what they don’t mention is how this affects efficiency. When recirculating the mash, wort will escape through the side perforations rather than passing through the grain at the bottom-most end of the malt pipe which can lead to lower efficiency. The BrewZilla’s malt pipe is designed so that recirculating wort must pass through the entire grain bed before escaping through the false bottom and being pumped over the top of the grain bed again. If you’re worried about the flow rate, simply add a pound or two of rice hulls to your grain bill. This is especially recommended when brewing with a high level of wheat, oat, or flaked grains.

Power & Heating Control
Dual heating elements run off of a single 110 volt plug and have individual switches allowing for more control over the heating process. One element is 1000 watts and the other is 500 for a combined 1500 watts! Use both when you need to ramp up the temperature quickly either at the start to get to your mash temp or to go from your mash temp to boiling. Use only one of the elements when you want to hold a temperature.

We highly recommend adding the optional BrewZilla Neoprene Jacket to help reduce heating times and maintain a more vigorous boil. The extra thick neoprene jacket is custom designed to insulate the entire kettle portion of the BrewZilla while staying out of the way of the ball valve and handles. The jacket can help you acheive up to 10% faster heat up times and cut heat loss from the boiler in half. And when it comes time to cool your wort after the boil, simply remove the jacket! While other units boast a double wall design for better heat retention, this actually becomes a disadvantage when it comes to chilling.

The digital control panel makes it easy to see the current temperature and set the temperature you want. The digital controller is also water resistant so don’t worry about spills or some water dripping down the side. This controller is built for brewing!

The brewery also includes a stainless steel malt pipe with false bottom allowing you to easily shift from mash tun to boil kettle during your brew day. The malt pipe includes a handle to lift it out and tabs at the base so you can set the malt pipe over the kettle to let the wort drain out. It also has feet at its base to raise the malt pipe slightly off the base and help prevent clogging.

The included stainless steel wort chiller is shipped with bare ends so you can set it up for your situation. We list below the most common tubing and fittings to connect to a hose, hose bib, or faucet.

What MoreBeer! loves about this product: Homebrewing is trending in the direction of all-in-one, all-grain brewing systems and the BrewZilla is the ultimate value. The cost is half of the next comparable system with programmable mash steps and nearly the same as buying converted coolers and a kettle. We’ve brewed on all the systems and we can truly say the BrewZilla is the easiest to use. We feel confident that a lot of first time brewers could buy this and use it with ease. At the same time quite a few of our experienced, all-grain brewing staff are buying it to brew at home. The unit is extremely compact because the pump is built-in to the bottom of the unit. You can move it around with ease which makes it perfect for guys and gals that have space constraints. Someone on the team also mentioned how they like that you can drain it via gravity without having to use the pump. All in all a great buy and highly recommended. Please note you will need a few extra pieces of hardware to connect the wort chiller and at least 2′ of silicone tubing for the sparge.

Use the Pump for More Than Just Recirculation!
One of the surprisingly handy features of the BrewZilla is that the recirculation pipe features a female camlock. This allows you to hook up other accessories and use the unit’s pump for more than just recirculating wort. With a male camlock and silicone tubing, for example, you can use the internal pump to push wort through a plate chiller or counterflow chiller. Check out our selection of camlock fittings here.

Brew Zilla Features:

Stainless steel construction
9 gallon total capacity with a finished beer output of 5-6 gallons
Digital temperature controller
Automatic step mashing with 6 programmable stages
110V power and plug
Dual heating elements for total control (1000 watts and 500 watts)
Stainless steel 1/2 inch ball valve for draining (dont have to use the pump)
Immersion wort chiller included
Stainless steel malt pipe/basket
Stamped in volume markers
Glass lid
Magnetic drive pump for recirculation
Recirculation arm
Bottom handle for easy lifting and pouring
Upgraded rocker switches
Temperature reads in °F or °C (press and hold temp button for several seconds to adjust)

A Great Last Minute Gift for Home Brewers! A Brew Your Own Magazine Subscription for 50% Off with this More Beer Promo Code

Brew Your Own Magazine Promo Code

If you are looking for a last minute homebrew gift for the home brewer in your life look no further.  Brew Your Own Magazine is the best home brewing publication out there.  It features, home beer brewing recipes and focuses on the latest home brewing trends while not forgetting about the long legacy of traditional beer brewing.

Brew Your Own Magazine Promo Code

Brew Your Own Magazine Promo Code

Brew Your Own Magazine Promo Code Description: Use this MoreBeer.com Coupon Code and SAVE 50% on Brew Your Own Magazine Subscription for Home Beer Brewers.
Promo Code Date: 12/17/2019 to 12/19/2019
MoreBeer Coupon Code: BYO50
MoreBeer.com Promo Code Type: MoreBeer Coupon Codes for December, 2019 Limited Time and Quantity
MoreBeer Promo Code Link: Save 50% on Brew Your Own Homebrewing Magazine at MoreBeer.com with Promo Code

This Brew Your Own Magazine promo code is only good until 12-19-2019, so act fast if your want to save 50% off a Brew Your Own magazine subscription.

New Stainless Steel Manifold for my More Beer Ultimate Sparge Arm and Stainless Steel Braid for My Home Brewing Tubes

Stainless Steel Ultimate Sparge Arm

I purchased my MoreBeer.com  Ultimate Stainless Steel Sparge Arm about 4 years ago. I still consider it to be one of my very best home brewing purchases. It has been durable, functional, reliable and most importantly clog free for me over the years.

One home brewing modification that I recently did, made something great even better!  In my home brewery, I use a electric heating bar that allows me to lock in the temperature of my mash with no fuss.  I just recirculate my mash, set the desired temperature and I am done.  The mash recirculates back into the mash tun via my stainless steel sparge arm. Previously, I would then disconnect the sparge arm from the mash tun and connect it to my hot liquor tank when it was time to mash out.  Now with the new stainless steel manifold that I made for the sparge arm, it is much safer and as easy as turning a nob.

More Beer Stainless Steel Sparge Arm

More Beer Stainless Steel Sparge Arm

The above photo illustrates how it works. I swapped out the existing ball valve and added in 3 mini stainless steel ball valves as well as a stainless steel 1/2″ tee fitting and 2 90 degree stainless steel elbows. The whole process only took about 30 minutes to complete. I then covered the high temp silicone tubing with stainless steel braiding to make them easier to handle, reduce kinking and make it look a little sharper. Here is a list of all of the parts that I purchase for the project:

 

Stainless Steel Sparge Arm for Home Beer Brewing

Stainless Steel Sparge Arm for Home Beer Brewing

1  – MoreBeer Ultimate Stainless Steel Sparge Arm

Home Brewing Stainless Steel Mini Ball Valves

Home Brewing Stainless Steel Mini Ball Valves

3  – Stainless Steel Mini Ball Valves for Home Brewing

 

Half Inch Stainless Steel Elbows for Home Brewing

Half Inch Stainless Steel Elbows for Home Brewing

2 – Stainless Steel .5″ Elbows for Homebrew

 

Stainless Steel Quick Connects for Home Brewing

Stainless Steel Quick Connects for Home Brewing

1 – 4 Pack of .5″ Stainless Steel Quick Connects and Stainless Steel Quick Disconnects for Homebrewing

 

Stainless Steel Half Inch Braid for Home Brewing Tube

Stainless Steel Half Inch Braid for Home Brewing Tube

1 –  Home Brewing Stainless Steel Half Inch Braid for Homebrew Tube

Everything worked out great on the project.  I tested for leaks and cleaned all of the parts well with a hot mixture of PBW home brewing cleaner and water. Just a couple of tips. I ran three loops of teflon tape for all of the connections.  I tightened all of the fittings as tightly as I could. For the stainless steel 1/2″ braiding for the home brewing hoses, I ran a small .5″ pipe through it first to stretch it out, then inserted the silicone tubing and that made getting on the tube much easier. I can’t wait to put it all to good use on my next batch of homebrew, which will either be a Coconut Porter or a Hazy IPA.  If you have any questions on anything, just hit me up with a comment or on Facebook.

Stainless Steel Mini Keg Dispenser & Portable Kegerator Kit

Mini Keg Stainless Steel Homebrew Dispenser

It has been a little while since I got any cool new home brewing gear, so I was pretty excited when the Amazon guy dropped this package off! One of my good friends is going to be getting married later this month. I figured that I would bring some home brewed beer to help celebrate. I have a Milkshake Hazy IPA in the fermentation chamber that should finish up just in time. The wedding is about 8 hours away and I am unfortunately limited on how much I can bring. Unfortunately a full sized keg is out of the question. So I began my search and finally ended up selecting this 128 oz stainless steel mini keg draft beer dispenser.

After cleaning all of the items well and assembling the parts (took about 5 minutes), I put some beer in the mini keg to try it out and it worked perfectly.  It has a mini regulator that features a gauge so that you can carefully control the PSI of your CO2.  I set the PSI to 5 and it poured beer perfectly with out excess foam or spitting beer halfway across the room. They say that the CO2 cartridge should last for at least one mini kegs worth of beer but I have yet to deplete one. The mini keg beer dispenser holds right about 8 pints of beer and you can purchase additional 128 oz mini kegs separately for about $35 each. I have a 64 oz stainless steel mini keg that I am also planning on bringing with my latest Viking Double IPA so that I have a little variety. They also offer a insulator sleeve, but I am going to try an keep it in a bucket filled with ice, so hopefully that will do the trick.

Here are some of the features of this mini keg draft beer system:

  • Keeps beer vacuum pressured and fresh for up to 2 months
  • Perfect for any homebrew or craft beer
  • Each CO2 cartridge will pump around 128 oz of beer before depleting CO2 cartridge
  • Monitor the mini keg growler’s current PSI from the regulator gauge and fine tune pressure by rotating the adjustment knob
  • Add the optional insulator sleeve to help keep beer cold
  • The accessories and mini keg are all constructed with 304 food grade stainless steel
  • Includes a pressure release valve
  • Laser marked at the fill level
  • Includes metal screw on lid for easy portable transportation and storage
  • The perfect size to fits in your home fridge

Perhaps the best feature of this stainless steel mini keg was the price! Amazon has it on sale with free next day shipping for just $114! If you are in the market for a great little draft beer system to help you transport your homebrew for the holidays, you can use the following link.

Stainless Steel Mini Keg Draft Beer System for $114

Stainless Steel Mini Keg Kegerator

Stainless Steel Mini Keg Kegerator

David Hazelhop Hazy IPA

Home Beer Brewing Brewery

Home Beer Brewing Brewery

Recently I took about 8 months off from brewing beer. I have had a lot going on in my life and homebrew had to take a back burner for a little while. But there is something about October. It just feels like beer brewing season for me.  The air started getting a little cooler and I began to remember all of those little things that I enjoy so much about home beer brewing.  So I crafted a recipe, got some friends together and we brewed up a batch of Hazy IPA that we are calling David Hazelhop.  If it turns out to be good, I will post the recipe.  I have a few ideas for some tweaks that I would like to make on it for the next time, so we will see.  This was my first time using malted oats and I think I will add more of them to the next batch if this one turns out well.  Here are some photos from this brewing session.

 

Home Brewing Beer

Home Brewing Beer – Photo of me and the gang after the brew session, enjoying a can of Monkish Hazy

Homebrew, Homebrewing, Home Beer Brewing, German Mandarina Hops

Homebrew, Homebrewing, Home Beer Brewing, German Mandarina Hops

Transferring the Hazy IPA wort to the conical fermenter

Transferring the Hazy IPA wort to the conical fermenter

Homebrew, Homebrewing, Home Beer Brewing

My buddy not to excited about having to scrub up the mash tun

Homebrew, Homebrewing, Home Beer Brewing, Prost!

Homebrew, Homebrewing, Home Beer Brewing, Prost

 

Once this batch finished up I will either try to brew a slightly different version or try an idea that I have for a Viking IPA that uses the Kveik yeast!

MoreBeer Flash Sale for 15% Off

MoreBeer.com Flash Sale Promo Code - Save 15%

MoreBeer.com Flash Sale Promo Code – Save 15%

 

Promo Code Description: More Beer just launched a Flash Sale that will save you 15% on nearly everything that they offer!  Click the link for all of the details.
Promo Code Date: 6/17/2019 to 6/20/2019
MoreBeer Promo Code: FLASH15 MOREBEER PROMO CODE
MoreBeer.com Promo Code Type: More Beer Coupon Codes for June, 2019

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New Hazy Session IPA Recipe

West Coast Brewer Hazy Session IPA All Grain Recipe

West Coast Brewer Hazy Session IPA All Grain Recipe

I recently transferred my Hazy Session IPA to the keg and let it carbonate. I was really pleased with the results and figured I would post the recipe in case anyone was looking to brew one. I did my best to keep the ABV right at or slightly under 5%. Since session beers tend to be a little thin on body, I tried to round mine out by adjusting the mineral profile of the water. I also loaded my Hazy Session IPA up with Citra hops to give it that lush and juicy taste that you come to expect with a Hazy IPA.

Hazy Session IPA All Grain Recipe

Beer Name: Murky Depths Hazy Session IPA
Beer Style: New England Style Hazy Session IPA
Recipe Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5 Gallons
Mash Type:
Infusion
(60 Min) 152F
(10 Min) 169F Mash Out
1 tsp Calcium Chloride
.5 tsp Gypsum / Calcium Sulfate
Grain Bill:
9 LBS Pale 2 Row US
1 LBS Flaked Oats
1 LBS Caramel / Crystal Malt 40L
Hops:
.5 oz Centennial – 60 minutes
1 oz Cascade – 20 minutes
1 oz Cascade – 10 minutes
2 oz Citra – 0 Minutes & Whirlpool
Yeast:
London Ale III Wyeast #1318
Fermentation:
2 Week Primary @ 70F
– I ferment this at a slightly higher that usual temperature to increased ester production
and to create a more active fermentation)
On day 3 of active fermentation make the following hop additions
2 oz Citra
On day 7 of fermentation make the following hop additions
1 oz Cascade
2 oz Citra
Once fermentation has completed cold crash and transfer to keg or bottle.

I hope you like it and happy brewing!

Home Brewing! Legal Since 2013! What?

West Coast Brewer - Homebrewing

West Coast Brewer – Homebrewing #homebrew #homebrewing

Most people don’t realize this, but it was not Federally legal to brew your own beer in the United States until 1978! Well that is not completely true. Homebrewing was actually legal prior prohibition. In fact, George Washington was even a home brewer. Home beer brewing was federally legalized in 1978 for the first time since Prohibition made homebrew illegal in 1919. It was Jimmy Carter who legalized home beer brewing in 1978.

What is even harder to believe, is that on the state level, home brewing was illegal in both Alabama and Mississippi until 2013! Thankfully we can all rest a little easier now. Homebrewing is currently legal in all 50 states!

Home Brewing A Hazy Session IPA Tomorrow!

It feels like it has been way too long but, I’m brewing up a new batch of homebrew tomorrow! For this batch I’m converting one of my old session IPAs into a hazy. I’m excited to see how it turns out.

One of the modifications is using Wyeast London Ale III for the yeast. I’m also adding a pound of flaked oats, and making modifications to the hop additions, especially during fermentation.

I will be sure to post the recipe if it comes out well!

For the yeast starter I also used Fast Pitch canned wort.  It certainly speeds up the yeast starter process since I do not need to spend the time boiling and chilling the wort. I open the can, place the wort in a sanitized flask, add the same quantity of water, pitch the yeast, placed the sanitized stir rod, place it on the stir plate and that is all she wrote!

The New RoboBrew v3 Electric Brewery Is Now In Stock And SHIPS FREE!

robobrew home brewery promo code coupon

robobrew home brewery promo code coupon

RoboBrew v3 Promo Code Link: ROBOBREW PROMO CODE LINK
Right now, while supplied last at More Beer, you can get FREE Shipping and A FREE Wort Chiller when you purchase the all new Robo Brew 3 electric home brewing system.  The RoboBrew home brewery is an all in one electric and digital home brewery. It features built in electric heating elements for heating and boiling water and wort. It also has a built in home brewing pump for recirculation! The onboard water resistant control panel allows for setting and monitoring brewing temperatures, making for a simplified homebrew day!  The removable grain basket makes cleaning the RoboBrew a snap and a built in spigot makes transferring your wort easy. The RoboBrew v3 Electric Home Brewery is loaded with high end home brewing features.  Here are some of the specs on the New RoboBrew 3 home brewery:
Robo Brew Home Brewery

Robo Brew Home Brewery

ROBOBREW 3 HOME BREWERY

  • Stainless steel construction
  • Large 9 gallon total capacity with a finished beer output of 5-6 gallons
  • Digital temperature controller
  • Standard 110 v power
  • Dual heating elements for total control (1000 watts and 500 watts)
  • Stainless steel 1/2 inch ball valve
  • FREE Immersion wort chiller included
  • Stainless steel malt basket
  • Volume markers
  • Glass lid
  • Magnetic drive pump for recirculation
  • Recirculation arm
  • Temperature reads in °F or °C
The Robo Brew 3 All Electric Home Beer Brewing System is the ultimate portable all grain home brewery! The RoboBrew uses standard 110 v power so you can brew beer anywhere. The built in magnetic drive pump easily recirculates the wort during the mash. Dual heating elements run off of a single 110 volt plug and have individual switches allowing for more control over the heating process. One element is 1000 watts and the other is 500 for a combined 1500 watts! Use both when you need to ramp up the temperature quickly either at the start to get to your mash temp or to go from your mash temp to boiling.

Click the following link to take advantage of this More Beer Coupon Code:

ROBO BREW FREE SHIPPING PROMO CODE LINK

RoboBrew 3 Electric Home Brewing System

RoboBrew 3 Electric Home Brewing System

Installed New Blichmann RipTide Home Brewing Pump Upgrades

 

I initially purchased my March home brewing pumps about 7 years ago, well before stainless steel homebrew pumps were really a thing. Once stainless pumps became more popular, I considered upgrading, but my existing pumps worked fine and I could not justify the cost.  Then Blichmann released their RipTide home brewing pumps which feature a tri-clamp attached head!!! In my opinion that is a big deal because it allows you to easily gain access to the pump cavity for easy cleaning.  As it stood, I had to rely on hot water and PBW to do all of the cleaning unless I wanted to spend an extra 30 minutes breaking down, clean and then reassembling each of my March pumps; which is really not something I wanted to do after a long day of beer brewing.  The one down side was that a new Blichmann Rip Tide home brewing pump will run you $199+. So I waited…..

Then, Blichmann release the RipTide Upgrade Kit! The Rip Tide Upgrade Kit allows you to upgrade some of the most common existing home brewing pumps to a Blichmann Rip Tide, for just $99. With this RipTide Kit, you can upgrade your March or Chugger pump with the Riptide’s Tri-Clamp housing.  The RipTide’s head is made from stainless steel and can rotate 365 degrees to fit almost any home brewing setup. The kit also comes with Blichmann’s  integral linear flow valve, which provides superior control and eliminates the need for an upper ball valve in must situations.

 

Blichmann Rip Tide Home Brewing Pump Upgrade Kit

Blichmann Rip Tide Home Brewing Pump Upgrade Kit

Here is a list of home brewing pumps that the Blichmann Riptide upgrade kit is compatible with.

More Beer Homebrewing Pumps:

H340, H331, H332, H315HF, H350 and H375

Chugger Homebrew Pumps:

CPSS-CI-1 (115V),CPSS-IN-1 (115V), CPSS-IN-2 (230V), CPSS-CI-2 (230V), CPPS-IN-1 (115V), TCPSS-IN (115/230V) and TCPSS-CI (115/230V)

March Home Brewing Pumps:

809-SS-HS, 809-BR-HS, 809-PL-HS, 809-BR-HS-C, 809-PL-HS-C, 809-SS-HS-C, 809-BR, 809-PL, 809-SS, 809-BR-C, 809-PL-C, 809-SS-C, 815-BR, 815-PL, 815-SS, 815-BR-C, 815-PL-C and 815-SS-C

The Blichmann Riptide Upgrade Kit Can Be Purchased Here for $99

 

After verifying that the Blichmann RipTide Upgrade Kit would work with my current March homebrew pumps, I place my order for two of them.  After placing my order, it took about 8 days for them to arrive. I purchased them from More Beer, but the pumps were shipped directly from Blichmann.

RipTide Homebrew Pump Upgrade Kit

RipTide Homebrew Pump Upgrade Kit

Blichmann RipTide Upgrade Kit Installation Instructions

Next step was to read the instructions (which were relatively simple), make sure I had everything needed (which was just a screwdriver, a couple of wrenches and some PTFE thread seal tape. The instructions from Blichmann came in black and white and unfortunately the contrast made it so that it was difficult to see where the washer was supposed to go, so I included some color photos here to help you out if needed. I began by breaking down my existing march pump per the instructions and removing my existing fittings.  It is important that you just remove the pump head and NOT the magnet collar! The pump head was held on by 4 stainless steel screws in my case.  Here is an image to help:

Blacihmann RipTide Upgrade Instructions

Blacihmann Rip Tide Upgrade Instructions

Next I mounted my home brewing pump on to the included stainless steel pump riser. This was not required in my situation but I like the idea of it because it raised my pump up a couple of inches, bringing it close to my kettles, reducing the amount of tubing that I needed and giving me a little more space to empty the pumps when I had to clear wort from them.  Everyone’s situation is a little different, but it works well on my home brewing rig.  After that you will want to mount the Tri-Clamp adapter bracket on to your pump.  Blichmann includes two sets of screws to use, so make sure that you select the appropriate screws for your pump. Be careful not to over tighten the screws; doing so could crack the bracket or damage the pump. Next, place the impeller housing and the impeller into the pump magnet as shown in the following images:

 

Blichmann Rip Tide Homebrewing Pump Upgrade Instructions

Blichmann Rip Tide Home Brewing Pump Upgrade Instructions

Next is where I nearly had a problem.  Install the pump head o-ring and washer to the stainless steel RipTide pump head.  My first kit was missing the washer and the photo quality on the instructions that came with the kit were so bad, I could not tell if I was suppose to use one of the mounting washers.  Something did not seem right and I would have then been missing a mounting washer, so I checked my second pump kit and could see that there was a smaller washer that was intended for the pump head. It thankfully had two in that box, so all was good.  Here is an image to help you see where to place the o-ring and washer into the Blichmann RipTide pump head:

RipTide Upgrade Kit Installation Photos

RipTide Upgrade Kit Installation Photos

Lastly mount the Blichmann RipTide pump head on to your pump using the include stainless steel 3″ Tri-Clamp and attach any fittings that you may have. The entire process took me approximately 30 minutes per pump to upgrade an re-install onto my home brewing stand. Except for the issue with the washer, it was very painless.  Here are a couple of photos of the Blichmann RipTide homebrewing pumps after they were installed on to my homebrewing rig.

 

Finished Images Of The Blichmann RipTide Pump Upgrade Kit

Blichmann RipTide Home brewing Pumps On My Homebrewing Rig

Blichmann RipTide Home brewing Pumps On My Homebrewing Rig

Close up Image of the Blichmann RipTide Home Brewing Pump

Close up Image of the Blichmann RipTide Home Brewing Pump

After that I tested the RipTide home brewing pumps for leaks and checked to make sure all of the ball valve connections were free from leaks as well.  All was good and I also took a short video in case anyone was curious about the type of pressure or flow rate that you could expect from the RipTide upgrade kit.

Blichmann RipTide Pump Video

 

If you are looking to purchase a Blichmann RipTide Home Brewing Pump Upgrade Kit, they can be purchased here for $99

 

Converting a Home Brewery Banjo Burner To Natural Gas

Converting A Banjo Burner To Natural Gas

Converting A Home Brewery To Natural Gas

 

I do not know about you, but I am not the biggest fan of having to store and maintain propane tanks. They take up space, run out of gas in the middle of a boil, the pressure changes when the tank gets too low and they are expensive to refill; and all the while I have natural gas available 10 feet away from my home brewery.  So I decided that I would try converting my banjo burners from propane to natural gas. Let me start off by saying that I am not a professional plumber, a mechanical engineer, or a scientist that specialized in flammable gasses; so you should consult a professional. PLEASE CONSULT A LICENSED HEATING PROFESSIONAL FOR INFORMATION ON CONNECTING YOUR OUTDOOR BURNER TO YOUR HOUSE NATURAL GAS.

My home brewing setup uses 3 banjo burners and a 120v electric RIMS system to generate heat. So my first step was purchasing the natural gas valve to replace my existing propane valve.  Since natural gas is pushed with a lower pressure than compressed liquid propane, you can not simply use the same valve.  The good news is that the replacement valve is not that expensive.

Converting a banjo burner over to natural gas

Banjo Burner Natural Gas Valve

Williams brewing sells the valve for $9.99 and this Banjo Burner natural gas conversion valve is compatible with the  Bayou Classic KAB4, KAB6, and BG14 Banjo burner.  To use this valve, you will need a gas connection hose with a 3/8″ female flare end to attach to this valve to your natural gas source.  This valve has an orifice diameter of approximately 1/8″, and features 1/4″ male npt threads to attach to your gas burner. These home brewing burner natural gas conversion valves also fit the Blichmann Top Tier Burners and Blichmann Floor standing burners. You can see the difference in the two burner valves in the following photo.

Converting Bayou Home Brewing Burners to Natural Gas

Converting Bayou Home Brewing Burners to Natural Gas

The natural gas replacement valve is on the left.  You can see the gas outlet diameter is much larger than the propane on the right.

The process was pretty painless and I was able to replace all three burner valves and test for leaks in about 60 minutes.  I used natural gas safe teflon sealant on all of the valves. One important factor to keep in mind is that natural gas is lower pressure than propane and you are going to put out less BTUs than you would with a propane tank.  So if you were already struggling to achieve a boil with a propane tank, converting to natural gas is probably going to be a bad idea. I have yet to test how long it takes to reach a boil, but the flame tests all look great so far!

Converting A Home Brewery From Propane to Natural Gas

Converting A Home Brewery From Propane to Natural Gas

Once I have the test in, I will let you know how it work out!

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