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A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin
 The mission of Storey Communications is to serve our customers
by publishing practical information that encourages personal
independence in harmony with the environment. Building Homebrew
Edited by Blair Dils and Leslie Noyes
Equipment
Cover illustration by Mary Rich
Cover design by Carol J. Jessop (Black Trout Design)
Text illustrations by Randy Mosher e x c e r p t e d f r o m B r e w Wa r e
Text design and production by Leslie Noyes b y K a r l F. L u t z e n & M a r k S t e v e n s
Copyright © 1998 by Storey Communications, Inc. CONTENTS
All rights reserved. No part of this bulletin may be reproduced without written per- Introduction ..................................................................................2
mission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or re-
produce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this Rolling Carboy Carrier ..............................................................3
bulletin be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written
Carboy Stand ................................................................................4
permission from the publisher. Immersion Wort Chillers ..........................................................5
The information in this bulletin is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All Basic Immersion Chiller..............................................................5
recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey
Communications, Inc. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection Double Coil Immersion Chiller ..................................................8
with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey
Communications, Inc., Schoolhouse Road, Pownal, Vermont 05261.
Counterflow Chillers ..................................................................9
PVC Pipe Counterflow Chiller ..................................................9
Storey books and bulletins are available for special premium and promotional uses
and for customized editions. For further information, please call the Custom Hose Counterflow Chiller ........................................................11
Publishing Department at 1-800-793-9396.
Mash Tuns ..................................................................................13
Printed in the United States Mashing in a Picnic Cooler ......................................................13
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mashing in a Water Cooler ......................................................15
Modified Keg with False Bottom ..............................................16
Lutzen, Karl F., 1961–
Building homebrew equipment / excerpted from Brew ware by Kegging ........................................................................................20
Karl F. Lutzen & Mark Stevens. Making a Keg System ................................................................20
p. cm.
ISBN 1-58017-138-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) Refurbishing Used Kegs ............................................................23
1. Brewing—Amateurs’ manuals. I. Stevens, Mark, 1960- II. Title Modifying Refrigerators for Kegs ..............................................24
TP570.L882 1998
641.8'73—dc21 98-37259 Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler ..................................................26
CIP Brewery Design ..........................................................................29
ISBN 1-58017-138-9

9!BMF@M;:PVPRWOoYjZeZ^ZdZ`
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Building a Tower Brewery Stand ..............................................29
EAN

-1-
 Introduction The Rolling Carboy Carrier
Take one step into a homebrew store, or flip through the pages of The best way to move carboys is with rolling carboy carriers. They
any magazine about homebrewing, and it’s easy to see that home- can be made at a minimum cost (we were able to make the rolling
brewing can be an expensive hobby. From the counterflow wort carboy carrier with only scrap wood from our work shed), they can
chiller to a refrigerated keg system to a complete brewery, a serious be assembled quickly, and they provide a much safer and easier
homebrewer can spend thousands of dollars on a homebrewery. way to handle glass carboys. You basically construct a platform
Most of the products offered by the many homebrewing equip- with a lip to keep the carboy in place and then put caster wheels on
ment manufacturers and suppliers have been produced with the the bottom so that it can be rolled from the brewery area to the fer-
needs and wants of the consumer in mind. Companies in the brew- menter area. This doesn’t solve the problem of moving carboys up
ing industry are constantly coming up with products that they hope and down stairs, but if you brew and ferment on the same level, it’s
will make the brewing process easier, yet also allow the home- a real back-saver.
brewer to make a better beer. Many of the best-selling homebrewing
supplies and “accessories” were created by homebrewers like your-
self who developed a product that greatly aided them in their quest
for “professional”-quality ales and lagers.
Despite the dizzying number of gadgets on the market, there is
one thing to take solace in — brewing is a simple science. No matter
if you are a beginner using strictly kits or a professional at a 30,000-
gallon-a-year microbrewery, beer is still made using the same five The best way to move a
basic steps: making wort, boiling, cooling, fermenting, and packag- carboy is with a rolling
ing (carbonating). You can make award-winning beer using a carboy carrier like this.
simple starter kit. Yet there is equipment that doesn’t come with the
beginners’ kit that will help you produce a higher-quality beer. Wort
chillers, mashing and lauter tuns, and kegging systems are not re- MATERIALS FOR A ROLLING CARBOY CARRIER
quired equipment for beginners, but most experienced homebrew-
ers cannot produce their product without them. 1 13" x 13" platform of ¾" plywood
All of the equipment described here can be purchased at your 4 1"-wide x 12"-long strips of ¾" plywood
local brewing supply store or at one of the growing number of na- 4 swivel coasters
16 # 10 ¾"-long wood screws
tional homebrewing supply distributors. But building this equip-
ment yourself offers two attractions: 1) You will save money; and 2)
you can make changes to the equipment as is necessary to work in
conjunction with your work or storage space, or existing equipment. Directions
The projects here are designed for anyone from beginning to ad- 1. Cut out the platform and strips from a ¾" plywood sheet.
vanced brewers, kit brewers to all-grain masters. Most presuppose
brewing experience (i.e., you will have a rough idea about how to 2. Glue and clamp the strips to the platform in the pattern illustrated.
use homemade equipment), and all require a working knowledge of 3. Attach the swivel casters with the wood screws 1" in from the
and access to common tools found in a workshop (drills, saws, edges (be sure to drill pilot holes first).
hardware, etc.). We hope you enjoy making these products and, with
their help, succeed in achieving the ultimate goal — excellent beer. 4. Set the carboy on the platform, fill, attach airlock, and roll into the
fermenter closet or corner.

-2- -3-
 The Carboy Stand Immersion Wort Chillers
Milk crates provide an easy way to build an inverted carboy stand One of the longest steps of the extract brewer’s brewing process
for the BrewCap system. A carboy stand is a necessity if you want to (other than the wort boil) can be the cooling of the wort. Especially
effectively drain your carboys after sanitizing them, or if you are in- if you still are using the ice bath and diffusion method of cooling
terested in using the BrewCap (made by BrewCo in Boone, North your wort, you know how long it takes to get the 200° wort down to
Carolina). The BrewCap was developed to allow brewers a more ef- a temperature appropriate for pitching the yeast. The immersion
fective way to remove the expended yeast and trub that settle at the chiller can reduce your cooling time to 15 minutes.
bottom of the carboy. With your carboy in an inverted position, the Immersion chillers are usually built from a coil of copper tubing
BrewCap holds two tubes in place: The short one extends into the with connectors on each end to which hoses are attached (garden
neck and removes the expended yeast and trub, and the long one hoses are often used). One connector is run to a source of cold
extends to the top of the inverted carboy and is a pressure-relief water; the other is run to a drain for expelling the hot water. The im-
mechanism. Using a BrewCap, you will no longer need to siphon mersion chiller offers a simple, effective way to quickly cool hot
the wort into a secondary fermenter, and it is a completely closed wort. Cooling wort quickly is important for two reasons. One: You
system. can achieve a more effective cold break, which is the point when
suspended proteins drop out of suspension as the wort is cooled.
MATERIALS FOR A CARBOY STAND
And two: You reduce the amount of time the wort is exposed to pos-
2 (identical) milk crates sible airborne pathogens.
4 bolts, washers, and nuts (size will depend on
the size and design of your milk crates)
Basic Immersion Chiller
Directions Chillers are readily available from many homebrewing supply
1. Saw a hole in the bottom of one of the stores for $30 to $35; however, they can also be built at
milk crates (the “top” crate) large home for a bit less than that. One advantage to
enough that the neck of the inverted building the chiller yourself is that you can
carboy extends through the hole. adapt the plans to suit your own
needs. We’ll describe a few ways
2. Set the second crate (the “bottom” that chillers can be adapted to
crate) on its side and face the open side work more effectively.
toward you; cut a large square hole in When you build a wort chiller,
the top of the crate to accommodate the the most critical aspect is the
neck of the carboy and the hoses. tubing you choose. Copper works
3. Fasten the two crates together using well because it efficiently transmits
bolts, washers, and nuts. heat energy and is readily available
at fairly low cost. Stainless-steel
tubing would work, but it costs
more. Aluminum also works fine, You can buy an immer-
Milk crates provide an easy way to build
but some brewers feel that it tends to sion chiller like this one
an inverted carboy stand for the BrewCap
give the beer a metallic taste. There for about $30, or you can
system.
is, however, no real evidence of such make one yourself.

-4- -5-
flavor problems. Your tubing should be ⅜" in diameter. If you use a 2. Bend the short end of the tube at the top of the
thinner tube, you will achieve potentially greater efficiency because coil 90 degrees out from the coil.
the thinner tube will give you more surface area per volume.
3. Bend the longer end 90 degrees so that the
However, chillers made from ¼"-diameter tubing tend to take much
length of the tube goes back up toward the top
longer to cool wort and are prone to clogging. Using a ⅜"-diameter
of the coil.
tubing gives you good efficiency and acceptable cooling times, and
it avoids clogging. 4. Bend the top part of the long length out from
the coil.
MATERIALS FOR IMMERSION WORT CHILLER
5. Cut the garden hose so that each length is at
25' of ⅜"-diameter copper tubing least 5' or 6' long. Use a soda keg to
2 hose clamps bend your tubing.
1 inexpensive garden hose (25'is all you need) 6. Slide a clamp over each cut end of the hose.
7. Slip one hose length over one end of the coil. Repeat with the other
hose at the other end of the coil.
Note: Lengths of copper tubing greater than 20' usually come in a
large coil. Most hardware stores will want to sell you a full box containing 8. Tighten the clamps to hold the hose lengths firmly to the coil.
50' to 60' of tubing. Shop with a friend and build two wort chillers if your That’s it! Your immersion chiller is ready to use, and it should
hardware store will not sell you a cut length (or maybe find a new hard- have cost you less than $25.
ware store!). You could also build two chillers and use the double-coil
chiller method that we describe on page 8. We recommend testing the chiller before brewing a batch of
Note: Before you begin, you should know that you can easily crimp beer, just to convince yourself that everything works and to satisfy
your copper tubing and ruin that section of it. Once it’s crimped, cut out yourself that there will be no surprises when the time comes to use
the crimped section and attach a coupler by soldering (lead-free, please). If the chiller. We tested our chiller by boiling a brewpot full of water,
you don’t have a spring tubing bender, buy one when you buy your copper to which we had added 1/2 gallon of white vinegar, and seeing how
tubing. It will help make the 90-degree bends without crimping the tubing. long it would take to cool it. The vinegar is important because it will
One other point: You should plan to leave enough copper tubing clean the outside of the chiller and prepare it for use in the wort.
on the ends so that they stick out over the sides of the pot (see illustra- In addition to the chiller, you will need a hose that’s long
tion on page 7). Once in a while you may get leaks from loose hose enough to run from your faucet to the chiller. If you’re using the
clamps; if the tubing–hose connection is outside the pot and it does chiller in your kitchen, as most people do, you may need to twist off
leak, the water will not drip into the wort. the end of your faucet to reveal the threads. These threads should
accept a standard hose fitting, but many kitchen faucets need a
Directions
1. Turn the copper tubing into a coil. If the copper tubing came in a
coil, you can wind it into a tighter coil by hand. This is done by hold- When you are ready to use
ing one end and turning the coils into ever-smaller coils.You can coil your immersion chiller,
the copper tubing for your immersion chiller by wrapping it care- sanitize it by putting it
fully around a soda keg if you have a soda keg handy. The final di- into the boil for 15 to 20
ameter must be small enough that there is at least 2" between the minutes. When the boil is
interior sides of the brewpot and the coil. Leave about 18" to 24" on done, attach the hoses —
one end. and chill out.

-6- -7-
threaded adapter to accept a hose connection. These are available at
most hardware stores for $1 to $2. Some homebrew supply shops
Counterflow Chillers
also sell the adapters. If you can’t get the end of your faucet off, or if If you want to run wort through your chiller, instead of running the
you just don’t want to mess with it, you can buy a rubber adapter chiller through your wort, a counterflow chiller is the best way to
that will fit over the end of the faucet, avoiding the need to unscrew go. We’ll describe several you can build yourself.
the faucet sprayer.
When you’re ready to use the chiller, sanitize it by setting it
down into your brewpot 15 to 20 minutes before the end of the boil. PVC Pipe Counterflow Chiller
The heat will destroy any bacteria and other microorganisms on its
surfaces. Then when the boil is done, simply attach the hose to your The PVC pipe counterflow chiller is one of the more popular
faucet, set the other end of the hose in the sink, and turn on the counterflow chiller designs to emerge over the last several years. It
faucet. Five gallons of wort should cool from boiling to below 80˚F is fairly simple to build and use, and it works faster than most im-
in about 15 to 20 minutes. The time will depend on the flow rate and mersion setups. However, as with all counterflow chillers, the
temperature of the water. inside of the copper tubing needs to be cleaned carefully before and
after use because any trace of beer left behind can lead to infection.
The PVC pipe chiller involves taking a 2' length of a large-diam-
Double-Coil Immersion Chiller eter PVC pipe; inserting a copper coil inside; drilling two holes, one
for bringing in cold water and another for expelling hot water; at-
If you had no choice but to buy a 50' or 60' length of copper taching fittings for water hoses; and then sealing the ends. To use:
tubing, or if you are worried about wasting water, want faster cool- Pump hot wort through the coil while simultaneously pumping
ing times, or have a cold-water supply that just isn’t cold enough, cold water through the pipe.
you can build a chiller with two coils that are connected by a length
of hose (see illustration below). Set one coil in a bath of ice water, the
other coil in the hot wort, and then run water through the chiller.
This is more efficient both because you are cooling the water before
it gets to the brewpot and because you are using a single coil with a
greater difference in temperature between the cooling fluid and the
wort. Thus the heat-exchange process works more efficiently.

The PVC counterflow chiller (cutaway view) allows cold water to flow
through a section of large-diameter plastic pipe, while hot wort circulates
through the small-diameter copper coil installed inside the plastic pipe.

Double-coil chiller. This one calls

for two coils: the first to lower the
temperature of the cold water, the
second to chill the wort.

-8- -9-
 MATERIALS FOR A PVC PIPE COUNTERFLOW CHILLER You may want to build a small stand for the chiller using strips
of wood. Otherwise the pipe has a tendency to move around. You
1 2' length of 6" PVC pipe can either cut a rounded curve in two end pieces, or you can build a
2 PVC pipe caps (also called end-caps) four-sided rack — whatever works for you.
4 ⅜" compression x ⅜" MPT adapters Another method for “controlling” your chiller is to wrap a
4 ½" hose barb x ⅜" FPT connectors length of 16-gauge wire around the pipe just below one end-cap and
10" of ⅜" copper tubing twist the ends into a double wire. Bend the end lengths 90 degrees
½" heat-resistant hose up past the end-cap, make a hook, and hang it from the brewpot
½" PVC hose handle. Remember: the simpler, the better.
25' inexpensive garden hose, ½" diameter
PVC cement
Epoxy cement Hose Counterflow Chiller
Teflon tape
In the hose counterflow chiller, a copper tube is inserted inside
a standard garden hose and the wort is pumped, or siphoned, so
that it runs in a direction opposite to the water flow.
Before we delve into a description of making a chiller from
Directions scratch, we need to mention that the tube fittings can be bought al-
ready made. These fittings are produced by Listermann Manufac-
1. Drill a ½"-diameter hole in each end-cap.
turing and are sold under the name Phil’s Phittings. This fitting kit
2. Insert the compression end of a ⅜" compression x ⅜" MPT adapter sells for about $15 and really makes building a chiller easy work.
into each end-cap and seal with epoxy.
3. Drill a ½"-diameter hole 2" from both ends of the PVC pipe. A hose counterflow chiller
coiled up and ready for
4. Coil the copper tubing and insert it into the PVC pipe. action
5. Place a compression nut and ferrule on each end of the coil.
6. Insert the compression end of a ⅜" compression x ⅜" MPT adapter
into each hole in the PVC pipe.
7. Thread the compression nuts onto the adapters and tighten. Seal
the adapters with epoxy cement.
8. Coat the inside rim of an end-cap and the outside of one end of the MATERIALS FOR A HOSE COUNTERFLOW CHILLER
PVC pipe with PVC cement. Place end-cap on pipe and repeat for
50' of ⅝" I.O. (inside diameter) garden hose
other end. Be sure all sealing surfaces are evenly coated with the
50' of ⅜" O.D. (outside diameter) soft copper tubing
PVC cement to avoid leaks.
6 1½"-long pieces of ½" copper pipe
9. Wrap a couple of turns of Teflon tape around each ⅜" MPT, thread 2 ½" copper tees
on the hose barbs, and lightly tighten. Do not overtighten. 2 ½" copper end-caps
6 hose clamps
10. Add the hoses and you’re done! The key to success, however, is
Plastic zip ties or wire
making sure you sanitize the inside of the copper tubing.

- 10 - - 11 -
Directions Mash Tuns
1. Cut off 8" from each end of the hose and save for Step 9.
Making a mash tun means you are now going to make all-grain
2. Insert a ½"-long copper pipe into each end of the copper tees and beers. Making all-grain beers does take more time, but we think it is
solder them in place. well worth the control you gain when you produce your own malt
sugars (instead of purchasing them in the form of liquid or powder
3. Drill a ⅜"-diameter hole in the end of each copper end-cap. (Hint:
extract). Three different mash tuns are presented here, and all three
Start with a ⅛" drill and work up to a ⅜" drill.)
can be adapted for lautering and sparging as well.
4. Place an end-cap on one end of the long leg of the tees and solder The most important consideration when designing and build-
into place. ing a mash and lauter tun is the ability of the vessel to hold hot (up
to 180˚F) liquid. A mash tun must be large enough and sturdy
5. Uncoil the copper tubing and feed it through the garden hose.
enough to hold at least 6 gallons of liquid. It should also be insu-
6. Place a hose clamp on both ends of the hose. lated; if it is not insulated, it should be made of an appropriate ma-
terial that will allow you to apply direct heat to maintain the right
7. Feed the end of the copper tubing through the tee assembly and
mash temperature. The mash tuns described here can also be used
onto the hose, then tighten clamp. Repeat for other end.
as lauter tuns with the addition of a sparge water sprayer and a
8. Solder the ⅜" tubing to the end-caps to seal. false bottom. See page 16 for false bottom tips, see page 19 for sprayer
tips.
9. Attach the hose ends to the short legs of the tees with hose clamps.
10. Wind the hose and tubing assembly into a coil around a large
cylinder, such as your brewpot. Mashing in a Picnic Cooler
11. Secure the coils together with wire or zip ties.
Large, chest-style picnic coolers make ideal mash tuns because
12. To sanitize the chiller before using it for the first time, run a very they are well insulated and inexpensive. For a 5-gallon setup, look
hot solution of 75 percent water and 25 percent vinegar through the for a 34-quart cooler (about $10 to $15). The next size up is usually
copper tubing. the 48-quart cooler, which will handle 10- or 15-gallon batches with-
out a problem. Although 48-quart coolers are larger than you’d
really want when doing 5-gallon batches (they may give you a shal-
low grain bed), quite a few homebrewers use that size without a
problem. For very large batches, 60- or 80-quart coolers are reason-
Plumbing Setup able. One consideration when choosing a cooler is its resistance to
heat. If you can find a brand that
In a hose counterflow chiller, claims to withstand 170˚F tem-
a copper tube is inserted in a peratures, you’re ahead of the
garden hose. Water flows game. If not, you’re still okay.
through the hose (and over manifold
Most of them don’t warp too
the tube) in one direction, badly, and even if they do, they’ll
while hot wort is pumped still hold heat well enough to
through the tube in the oppo- mash — and besides, they’re
site direction. cheap. Building a new one every
picnic cooler
year or so is no big deal.

- 12 - - 13 -
 Once you have the cooler, you may need to drill out a drainage a hose clamp, and a pinch-cock-type (siphon) clamp. Push a length
plug if it doesn’t already have one. Because we’re using ½" diameter of hose over the outlet tube and secure it with the hose clamp. Feed
CPVC pipe for this project, drill a ⅝"-diameter hole (the outer diam- the hose through the siphon clamp. This will be your valve. By clos-
eter of a ½"-diameter CPVC pipe). Although the drainage hole in a ing and opening this clamp, you can adjust the flow of your runoff.
cooler is usually on the side, having the hole in the bottom is actu- If you wish to use a valve, CPVC ball valves are available for about
ally a bit more workable in many situations. Next, you’ll have to $3 to $5. Compression fittings with gaskets are also available for
build a drainage manifold to lay in the bottom of the cooler. CPVC tubes, and if your cooler does not already have a drain plug
in the wall, consider using one of these. Before drilling through the
MATERIALS FOR MASH-TUN CONSTRUCTION wall, remember that you could also go through the bottom rather
than the side.
6' of ½"-diameter CPVC pipe
4 90-degree elbows for ½"-diameter CPVC pipe
5 tee connectors for ½"-diameter CPVC pipe Mashing in a Water Cooler
Food-grade silicone or epoxy sealant
½"-diameter I.D. (inside diameter) poly tube The large, cylindrical water coolers that you often see on the
Picnic cooler back of construction trucks or on the sidelines of pro football games
Tools make ideal mashing vessels. They are available in sizes that are
Hacksaw large enough for home mashing, and they are well insulated. The
⅝"-diameter drill bit and drill (if the cooler does not brand most often used by homebrewers is the Gott cooler, which is
have a drain) made by Rubbermaid.
This cooler is known to withstand
the heat of a mash without warping, as
Directions often happens with cheaper coolers. The
1. Measure the length of the cooler bed. Subtract 4" and cut four 10-gallon size is the one you’ll want; it
lengths of CPVC tubing to that length. usually runs about $50 at outdoor or con-
struction supply stores, although it can
2. Measure the width. Subtract 4" and divide by three. Cut six lengths be found at discount warehouses for as
of CPVC tubing to that length. Cut one of these lengths in half. Now little as $30.
use a hacksaw and cut thin slots in all the pipes, about one-third of An easy way to use the cooler is to
the way through. Assemble the manifold as shown in the illustration put a vegetable steamer in the bottom of
on page 13. the cooler and then set the grains on that.
3. You can glue the manifold together, but it will be easier to clean if We’ve found this works acceptably well,
you make it easy to disassemble. One idea that works well is to per- but it does tend to let a lot of grains
manently glue the two end units together, and then just piece to- through. Another idea is to get a colan-
Round water coolers make
gether the four long rods when it’s time to brew. der that’s smaller than the circumference
great mash tuns. You can
of the cooler and set it upside down in
use a vegetable steamer as
One other idea that seems to work well is to replace the CPVC the bottom of the cooler. You may want
a false bottom or, better
with copper pipe, which is readily available at most plumbing to rig some kind of drainage device, such
yet, a colander.
supply stores and is fairly inexpensive and easy to work with. as the JSP EasyMasher (available from
You could add a valve to the manifold outlet if you wish, but a
simple and less expensive approach is to use a length of vinyl hose,

- 14 - - 15 -
Jack Schmidling Productions), to go inside the colander. Phil’s
Phalse Bottom (available from Listermann Manufacturing) is an excel- MATERIALS FOR
lent choice for use as a drainage system with the Gott coolers, and MODIFYING A KEG Tools
this is the method that we recommend. The Phil’s Phalse Bottom is Hearing and eye protection.
⅜" copper tubing
simply a heavy plastic cone with perforations. It’s available at many You are about to embark on
8" -diameter perforated
homebrew supply shops. the noisiest job you’ve ever
stainless steel for false
You can also build a manifold, much like that described in the started.
bottom
picnic cooler mash tun directions.
1 ⅜" compression nut and Variable-speed saber saw or
With the Gott cooler masher, you will need to install a valve of
ferrule reciprocating saw. A two-
some kind. The push-button spigot is inadequate (unless you want
2 ⅜" male pipe thread speed unit is not good
to hold in the button for the hour or so that a sparge might take).
(MPT) x ⅜" compression enough; the slowest setting
adapters is still too fast.
1 ½" I.D. (inside diameter) Five bimetal saw blades (32
Modified Keg with False Bottom stainless-steel washer teeth per inch or better). You
2 ½" I.D. (inside diameter) may need more. A small
Modified kegs, if not the most commonly used mash tun, are
nylon washers angle grinder would work
probably the most talked about and respected. Kegs are sturdy and
1 ⅜" ball valve with ⅜" fabulously for cutting a keg.
inexpensive, and they work well. You can apply heat directly to
female pipe thread (FPT) Center punch (or nail and
them, and you can modify them with false bottoms and valves to
12" square perforated stain- hammer)
make sparging simple. They are also easy to clean.
less steel
The first thing you will need is a legally obtained keg. Do not ⅜" electric drill, variable
Permanent marking pen
think that paying the deposit for a full half-barrel, consuming the speed preferred
Lightweight oil
contents, and then keeping the keg is a legal means of acquiring Assortment of drill bits
Teflon tape
one. It is not. Instead, you will need to Grinding wheel
talk to the distributors in your area.
Sometimes they are willing to help, and
sometimes they’ll barely give you the
time of day. Other sources are salvage Directions
yards and scrap-metal dealers. Before
1. Without a blade in the saw, set the saber saw against the inside top
you begin to modify your own keg, you
of the keg. You are finding out how close you can cut to the handles,
will need an assortment of gear.
as the saw body will be the limiting factor.
Note: You are working with stainless steel,
which is tough stuff. The basic rule when 2. Mark a point where the blade will be cutting. Draw a circle around
working with it is, the slower, the better. the top inside of this mark. In our case, we were able to make an
Take your time! opening 12" in diameter in our keg.
3. With a center punch (or nail and hammer), mark a point ⅛" from
the line inside this circle.
A modified keg with false
bottom makes a long-lasting 4. Drill a ¼" hole at that point. (It is easier if you drill a smaller hole
mash tun. first and then enlarge it.)

- 16 - - 17 -
5. Install a blade in the saw, oil it, and at a slow speed carefully cut Note: Instead of using the adapters, washers, and all, you could just take
out the top of the keg. Plan on spending at least 45 minutes on this the keg and have two ⅜" female nipples welded to the hole. A welded nipple
phase. will also be easier to clean and sanitize. You would need a 3/8” male nipple
to attach the ball valve and a ⅜" MPT to ⅜" compression adapter to attach
6. With the grinding wheel in the drill, grind off all sharp edges.
the copper tube. Wrap the male threads with Teflon tape before installing.
7. Mark a point ⅜" above the bottom weld line.
8. Drill a ½"-diameter hole. (Again, start small, then enlarge the hole.) Before you start brewing for the first time, fill the keg with 12
gallons of water and add 1 gallon of white vinegar. Bring the mix-
Note: You are done cutting and about to start assembling your mashing ture to a full boil and boil it for about 15 minutes. Drain. Now every-
vessel. This is a good time to scrub the interior of the keg. It will save time thing should be ready for your first batch in your new mash tun.
later. Also, clean all parts before final assembly. That, too, will help.
9. Place the stainless-steel washer and then a nylon washer on the Sparging Tips
pipe-thread end (the large end) of a ⅜" MPT x ⅜" compression
adapter. To introduce sparge water to the grain bed in your picnic cooler,
water cooler, or modified keg mash tun, you can construct a
10. Insert this into the ½"-diameter hole. It will fit tightly, and you simple sparge sprayer out of CPVC pipe. Simply obtain two
will have to use a wrench to finish the job. You may have to enlarge lengths of thin CPVC supply line (⅜" will be fine) and cut one to
the hole slightly beyond ½". the length of your cooler or to the diameter of your modified keg
11. Place the other nylon washer over the pipe threads. (the other length will be slighter longer than the width of your
cooler or the diameter of your keg). Next, cap one end of this pipe
12. Wrap Teflon tape around the threads. and drill very small holes in the pipe (see illustration below).
13. Thread on a ⅜" ball valve and tighten. Be sure to use a wrench on To do this, we acquired a couple of 1/32" drill bits from a hobby
the inside to hold the adapter in place. shop (they break easily!) and drilled holes about ½" apart on one
side only along the entire length of the pipe. Glue the second
14. Drill a ⅜"-diameter hole in the center of the perforated metal length of CPVC, which is cut a bit longer than the cooler’s width or
(false bottom). keg’s diameter, to the long tube and at a right angle to it. The
15. Bend the end of the ⅜"-diameter copper tubing to 90 degrees. second pipe simply supports the sprayer and provides stability
This bent end goes through the false bottom. when it’s positioned over the top of
the cooler.
16. Set the false bottom and tube assembly in the bottom of the keg. Now push the vinyl tube over
17. Measure and cut the copper tubing so that it fits into the inside the end of the CPVC tube.
3/8"compression fitting. Depending on the size of your hose,
you may have to add a hose barb
18. Attach the tubing to the ⅜" compression fitting with a compres- adapter to hook the CPVC to the
sion nut and ferrule. vinyl hose. If you use ½"-diameter
19. Add a ⅜" MPT x ⅜" compression fitting to the ball valve output. CPVC pipe, a ⅝"-diameter I.D.
By using a ⅜" compression nut, you can either connect this to your (inside diameter) poly hose will fit This is a bottom view of the
counterflow chiller or add a small piece of ⅜" copper tubing for a tightly over the end. Then siphon sprayer: The holes need to
spigot and attach a vinyl hose. the sparge water into the sprayer. point down to spray onto the
grain bed.

- 18 - - 19 -
 Kegging There are two important things to know about any keg you’re
buying: size and lock type. Most homebrewers use 5-gallon kegs,
If there’s one gadget that marks the transition from the casual the most commonly available size. You can also find 3-gallon and
homebrewer to the die-hard hobbyist, it’s the keg system. Bottles 10-gallon kegs. Foxx Equipment sells new kegs in both 3-gallon and
are fine when you’re starting out and not sure how dedicated you 5-gallon sizes. The locks can be either the pin type or the ball type.
are to the hobby; but once you’re hooked, the advantages of kegs You can tell which is which by looking at the hose connectors (fit-
over bottles are just too obvious to be ignored. tings) on your keg. If there are two knobs (pins) sticking out from
When you bottle, you’ve got 50-some bottles to wash and sani- the base of one fitting and three knobs sticking out from the base of
tize for every batch, and it takes a lot of time to fill and cap each one. the other, it’s a pin lock. You slide steel hose connectors over these
Whereas beginning homebrewers worry about the cost of kegging pins and then twist to lock the hoses onto the keg. Ball-lock valves,
setups, experienced homebrewers willingly spend the money. It’s a which are smooth all the way around, use a locking ring to attach
trade-off between time and money. the hoses. Whichever type of lock you prefer, get several kegs, and
make sure they all have the same type of lock (or get two CO2
supply lines).
Making a Keg System The CO2 tanks are large steel cylinders containing pressurized
carbon dioxide. They are available in different sizes — the smallest
There are, of course, benefits to bottles too. They’re easy to carry used by homebrewers is referred to as a 5-pound tank, the largest, a
and hand out to friends. They’re easy to store for long periods of 20-pound tank. A 10-pound tank is also available. The 20-pound
time. They’re easy to send to competitions. As we’ve said, it’s a tank is preferred by many of the more serious homebrewers because
trade-off. You can still fill bottles with a keg system setup, and it means fewer trips to a gas supplier to get it filled. At the top of the
we’ve included the counter-pressure bottle filler project just for you. CO2 tank is a valve handle for turning the flow on and off. The reg-
The kegs used by homebrewers are usually used soda kegs. ulator and gauges attach to a threaded nut on the side of the tank.
These are available at many homebrew The regulator reduces the high pressure of gas coming out of
supply shops. Many homebrewers get the cylinder to the pressure you want going into your keg. This is
their kegs by buying excess kegs from accomplished simply by turning a screw on the regulator. Attached
local soda-bottling companies, from to the regulator is a gauge that shows the pressure of gas leaving the
restaurants, or from junk dealers. When regulator. If you’ve got a second gauge, it shows the pressure of gas
you buy from these sources, you’ll need coming into the regulator (the pressure of
to refurbish the keg (turn to page 23 for the CO2 tank). Many regulators also come
those instructions). Homebrewers often with a check valve, or there is one attached
refer to these kegs as Cornelius kegs, after to the gas-out line.
one of the companies that makes them.
Yours may or may not be a Cornelius keg; it MATERIALS FOR A KEG SYSTEM
could be a Firestone or John Wood.
If you’ve ever thought about getting A complete kegging Stainless-steel keg Typical pin and ball
into kegging and want to use refurbished setup includes: a stain- CO2 tank locks commonly found
soda kegs, now may be your last chance. less-steel keg, a CO2 Regulator with pressure gauge on kegs used by home-
Soda companies are increasingly abandon- tank, a regulator with Connectors brewers. A pin lock has
ing kegs for plastic bags. Now easy to pressure gauge, and var- Tap knobs or pins that fit
come by cheaply, the supply of kegs will ious taps, hoses, and Hoses into each other. A ball
dry up once the soda companies switch. connectors. lock has a locking ring.

- 20 - - 21 -
 You’ll also need a keg connector on each valve: one for the gas Refurbishing Used Kegs
line to the CO2 tank, the other to your tap. The two connectors are
different, and you’ll need one of each. Further, the connectors are Okay, you’ve managed to obtain some old kegs from a soda
not interchangeable, making it impossible (well, in theory it’s sup- bottler . . . what next? Now you’ve got to clean out those kegs and
posed to be impossible) to connect a line to the wrong valve (as- replace the rubber seals.
suming you put the right connector on the right line). You may also Most homebrew supply stores either have these parts or can get
need a barbed connector to attach to your regulator. them. Foxx Equipment also sells all the gaskets as well as replace-
Most homebrewers use a plastic tap faucet attached to a length ment poppets (spring valves inside a fitting) and other parts.
of plastic hose as their tap. The plastic taps, which are inexpensive Gaskets cost anywhere from about 25 cents to about a dollar each,
and can be taken apart for easy cleaning, are often listed in supply and $5 will get you a complete set. Poppets are cheap too, usually
catalogs as “picnic faucets.” If you happen to get your hands on an less than $2 apiece.
extra refrigerator, you can modify the fridge and put a tap in the
door (see directions on page 25). MATERIALS FOR REFURBISHING A USED KEG
Rubber gasket for the lid
Rubber O-rings for the two valve fittings
Rubber O-ring for the gas dip tube
Portable Tanks and CO2 Sources
Rubber O-ring for the liquid dip tube

Very small portable CO2 tanks, which you can fill from your larger
supply tank, are also available to homebrewers who want to take a
keg to a party without bringing along a big pressure tank. You can Directions
find portable tanks in sizes as small as 3½ ounces. West Creek Home 1. Release any pressure left in the keg. Use the pressure relief valve if
Brewing also has some nifty gadgets for handling CO2, such as a cap the keg’s got one; otherwise, press down with a screwdriver on the
for charging a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle to 30 psi as a gas-in line.
portable CO2 source.
Another source of tanks and gas is your local compressed- 2. Remove the lid by lifting up on the bail (the release handle).
gas dealer. This could be a welding shop or a business dealing exclu- 3. Use a wrench to remove the two valve fittings. There will be tubes
sively with compressed gas. Check your phone book for more attached to the fittings inside the keg. Pull these out, too.
information. These places sometimes offer what is called a “lifetime
lease” on a tank. Effectively you buy a tank and every time you need 4. Examine the poppets. If they are damaged or worn, replace them.
a refill you bring in the tank, pay the refill charge (for a 20-pound 5. Clean the keg with TSP, B-Brite, iodophor, or similar cleaner, as de-
tank, it’s usually less than $20), leave the empty tank, and walk out scribed on the next page.
with another filled and certified tank. You never have to worry about
a bad tank — a rare event in any case. The vendor takes the empties 6. If the liquid (long) and gas (short) tubes are plastic, consider re-
and recertifies them (if necessary), then fills and “sells” them to placing them.
someone else. A lifetime lease may cost about $75. 7. Replace O-ring gaskets on the liquid tube and gas dip tube.
Note: Tanks are required to have certificates showing that they
have been pressure-tested. This is done (if needed) when you fill the tank. If 8. Replace O-rings on the outside of the valve fittings.
a tank fails a pressure test, the certifier will drill a hole in it, preventing it 9. Reassemble the tubes and fittings, screwing them back onto the keg.
from being used again.
10. Replace the gasket on the lid.

- 22 - - 23 -
 Most homebrewers like adding tap handles to the outside of the
Cleaning Soda Kegs fridge so they don’t have to open the door every time they want a
beer. This is a fairly straightforward modification. The tap handles
Although homebrewers often praise stainless steel because it is and shanks that go through the door are available from Foxx
easily sanitized, keep in mind that older beer kegs (and some kegs Equipment and most likely your local homebrew store. The size you
from Europe) are aluminum, and some of the cleaning agents used get will depend on the thickness of your refrigerator door (or side
for stainless steel can damage aluminum. wall). If you’re drilling through the side wall, be aware that some re-
The best sanitizing solutions to use with kegs are iodophor frigerators have gas lines running in the walls. If you puncture one
and trisodium phosphate (TSP). Use a plastic scrubber to loosen de- of these, the refrigerator will be useless. If the side of the refrigerator
posits or settled matter on the insides of kegs. TSP can be left to soak is warm to the touch, it probably contains gas lines.
in the keg; if you get a used keg, soaking it overnight or for a couple
of days will not hurt the surface. You can also store your unused kegs MATERIALS FOR MODIFYING A REFRIGERATOR
with a TSP solution in them.
Sometimes a layer of beer matter can settle and harden onto Beer shank Beer faucet
the bottom of a keg; this is referred to as “beer stone.” If beer stone Wall flange Tap handle
begins to build up in your keg, you can remove it with an acid solu- Flanged jam nut Drip tray
tion. Let the keg soak for 2 to 6 hours. Use food-grade phosphoric Tail piece and hex nut
acid in a solution at a strength of 1.7 to 2.0 pH and a temperature of
120˚ to 130˚F. Then scrub the stone with a plastic abrasive. The acid
dairy rinse is perfect for removing beer stone. Beverage line cleaner Directions
may also be useful. 1. Measure the thickness of the refrigerator wall before ordering your
When you’re cleaning kegs, keep in mind that household shank. You’ll probably want about a 4" or 5" shank, but the length de-
bleach should never be used. Bleach is an effective sanitizer for glass pends on the thickness of the refrigerator wall.
and plastic surfaces, but it will corrode stainless steel. Stick to
iodophor or TSP. 2. Drill a hole through the refrigerator wall to accommodate
the shank.
3. Put the wall flange on the shank.
Modifying Refrigerators for Kegs 4. Insert the shank through the door.
5. Apply a small amount of caulk
The first order of business for accommodating kegs to fit your around the area where the shank
refrigerator is to remove the shelves. A soda keg sits about 2½' high, passes through the door, inside and
a 5-pound CO2 tank about 1½' high. You’ll probably want these to out, and secure with the flanged jam
sit upright, so removing the shelves is a necessity. You may also nut on the inside.
want to look at the bottom shelf to see how it’s supported. Often the
bottom shelves are made of glass and are supported on the sides by
molded plastic, and sometimes in the middle by a brace. You may If you store beer in a keg in a refrigerator,
want to remove this shelf and replace it with something a bit stur- install a tap on the door or side wall. You
dier, such as a piece of ½" plywood braced under the middle and won’t have to open the door each time you
sides by 2" by 4" braces. A keg weighs about 50 pounds when full, so want a beer, and it looks professional.
the shelf and supports need to be pretty strong.

- 24 - - 25 -
6. Attach the tail fitting with the hex nut onto the shank on the inside. MATERIALS FOR A COUNTER-PRESSURE BOTTLE FILLER
7. Screw the faucet onto the outside of the refrigerator. 3 ¼" MPT x ¼" hose barbs
1 ¼" FPT tee
8. Screw the knob onto the faucet.
1 ⅜" FPT tee
9. Screw the drip tray onto the refrigerator about 1' or so below the 1 ¼" MPT x ¼" compression fitting
faucet (allow enough space to accommodate your largest beer glass). 2 ⅜" MPT x ⅜" compression adapters
3 ¼" MPT x ¼" FPT on-off valves
10. Attach your beer line to the barbed tail fitting, then tighten the
1 ¼" compression nut and ferrule
hose clamp.
2 ⅜" compression nuts and ferrule (only one ferrule needed)
11. Connect to your keg and enjoy. 1 ⅜" O.D. (outside diameter) O-ring
1 ⅜" MPT x ¼" FPT adapter
1 No. 2 drilled rubber stopper
Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler 1 5/16" hose tee for gas line
1 18"-long, ¼"-diameter tube (stainless steel, brass, or copper)
1 2"-long piece of ⅜"-diameter tube
With your keg system in full operation, you probably find that Teflon tape
you have a lot of extra time on your hands with no more bottles to
fill. We suggest you use that free time to build a counter-pressure
bottle filler. The counter-pressure bottle filler lets you store and car-
bonate your beer in a Cornelius keg and then apply CO2 pressure to Parts List
fill a bottle, purging air and nearly eliminating the chance of oxi- a – 1/4" MPT x 1/4" hose barb
b – 1/4" MPT x 1/4" FPT on-off valves
dized aromas and flavors. It also fills bottles gently and retains the c – 1/4" FPT tee
carbonation in the beer. d – 1/4" MPT x 1/4" comp adapter
e – 1/4" compression nut and ferrule (not shown)
f – 18" long 1/4" copper or stainless tubing
g – 3/8" compression nut with 3/8" O.D. (outside diameter) O-ring (instead of ferrule)
h – 3/8" comp x 3/8" MPT adapter
i – 3/8" FPT tee
a j – 3/8" compression nut with ferrule (not shown)
k – 3/8" copper or stainless tubing, 2" long
l
k l – #2 stopper with 3/8" hole
b b m – 3/8" MPT x 1/4" FPT adapter
c de g m h
Directions
f 1. Wrap the male connectors with Teflon tape.
a b h i
a i
2. Assemble according to the diagram on page 26. You’ll want the tee
for hooking up the CO2 gas line as shown in the illustration.
To use the counter-pressure bottle filler, first sanitize it with
A counter-pressure filler assembly lets you store iodophor. Do not use chlorine bleach. Connect everything as shown
beer in a keg, then use CO2 pressure to fill bot- in the illustration. Insert the filler into a clean bottle. Make sure the
tles. Note the No. 2 stopper, which you place in stopper seals well, then turn on the gas valve (valve A) to pressur-
the opening of your clean and empty beer bottles. ize. Turn off the gas valve A. Turn on the beer valve (valve B). Open

- 26 - - 27 -
 the bleed valve (valve C). As the gas escapes from the bleed valve,
the beer in the keg will be at greater pressure than that of the bottle
Brewery Design
and will slowly fill it. When it gets full, close the beer valve (valve If you have committed to all-grain brewing and use modified kegs
B). Remove the filler, then close the bleed valve (valve C) and cap (see pages 16–18) as your brewing vessels, you will want to arrange
the bottle. If you close the bleed valve too soon, there will be pres- your vessels in such a way as to take advantage of process flow and
sure in the bottle and there will be a spray of foam when you gravity. A tower design, the most common, is time-tested and has
remove the filler. been used for hundreds of years, if not thousands. It starts with
To use a counter-pressure bottle grain on the highest level of the brewery, where it’s milled and sent
filler, turn on gas valve (A) to down a chute into the mash tun. From there, the mash is lautered
pressurize. Then turn off gas (run off and sparged) and the liquid is piped down a level to the
keg of brew kettle. After the boil, the hot wort is chilled and sent down an-
beer A
valve, and turn on beer valve
(B) and open the bleed valve other level to the fermenter.
C
B (C). Gas will escape from the
CO2 tank bleed valve and the beer in the
keg will be at greater pressure Building a Tower Brewery Stand
than that of the bottle and will
catch basin slowly fill it. The stand is best set up in a permanent location. Using modi-
fied kegs as brew vessels, the overall dimension are 7' high by 4½'
wide by 1½' deep. Construct it from 1" angle iron, or use uni-struts
Transferring Liquid under Pressure (steel angles with predrilled holes) if you do not have access to a
welder. The top level should be 5' high, the second level 36" high,
Once you have a kegging system with a CO2 tank and regulator, you and the bottom level about 12" off the ground. The width and length
can use pressurized carbon dioxide to move liquids from one vessel of each level of platform will depend on the size of your brewing
to another without having to rely on siphons and gravity. For exam- equipment. Generally, for modified kegs, about 18" square will work
ple, you can force-rack beer from one carboy to another under CO2 for the shelves. Widen the middle level for the longer dimensions of a
pressure, avoiding the worries of starting the siphon and reducing picnic-cooler mash tun.
oxidation risk by purging vessels with a blanket of CO2 gas. Make sure you have a small stepstool for filling the top pot, as
Transfers can thus take place in a “closed” environment, which means you do not want to lift a full pot to that height. This is a good appli-
that the vessels are never open to airborne contamination risks. cation for a pump. If you
1. Seal up the container holding the liquid. wish, a single, large pro-
2. Attach a tube from the liquid to the empty vessel. pane tank can be strapped
3. Attach a gas-in line to the onto the outside of the
carboy cap, keg, or whatever. frame instead of messing
4. Slowly open the gas line.
If you have a kegging
You can build a three-level
setup, there is no need to
stand out of metal for a clas-
siphon beer from your
sic gravity-flow tower
carboy. Use your CO2
system. Modify this basic
cylinder and a racking
design to fit your own
configuration like this.
needs.

- 28 - - 29 -
about with two or three bottles. Indeed, there may be a substantial 7. Clamp a propane bottle shelf 1" from the bottom of the 60" legs
savings on propane costs in doing this. Many places charge a flat and weld.
rate to fill a 20-pound bottle, regardless of how much is left in the
8. Clamp and weld a second propane shelf 28" from the top of the
tank. If you brew many batches, it may be a better idea to connect to
bottom shelf.
a large outdoor propane tank and really save some money.
9. Clamp and weld the two 36" legs onto another cooker shelf.
MATERIALS FOR A TOWER STAND 10. Clamp the last propane shelf 1" from the bottom of the 36" legs
and weld.
Legs
4 60" x 1" lengths of angle iron 11. Weld the middle shelf assembly to the first shelf assembly.
2 36" x 1" lengths of angle iron 12. Clamp the two 12" legs onto the last cooker shelf and weld
3 12" x 1" lengths of angle iron into place.
Shelf supports
24 18" x 1" lengths of angle iron with ends cut to 45 degrees 13. Weld this short shelf assembly onto the main shelf assembly.
Cooker shelf cross member 14. Bolt one propane cooker onto each of the cooker shelves (top
6 17 3/4" x 1" lengths of angle iron shelves).
Shelves for propane bottles
3 18" square sections of expanded aluminum or steel 15. Using either screws or pop rivets, attach a heat shield to the legs
Heat shields next to the center cooker; then do the same for the bottom cooker.
2 18" x 24" long thin aluminum sheets These prevent the bottles of propane from getting too hot.
3 low-profile 125,000 BTU cookers with bolting brackets 16. Put the expanded metal sections on the propane-
on bottom (Camp Chef — Low Profile) bottle shelf frames. These sections do not need to
be anchored to the frames, but you can do so if
you wish.
Directions 17. Set the assembly in its permanent home.
1. Cut out all materials as indicated above. 18. Add propane bottles, and connect
them to the cookers. Check for gas leaks at
2. Assemble four shelf supports into a square.
all connections! (A mixture of dish
3. Select three shelf frames for the top cooker shelves. soap and water applied to each
connection will bubble if there is
4. Measure the distance between the bolt holes on the cookers. Add 1
a gas leak.) Leaks can be sealed
to this number and subtract from 18. Divide by 2. Measure in this
with Teflon tape.
distance from the ends, and set two cross members at this point and
weld. Do the same for the other two shelves. 19. Add kettles and you are
ready to brew.
5. Set the cookers in the center of one of the shelves, mark the mount-
ing holes onto the frame, and drill holes into the cross members. Do
The completed stand for a gravity-
the same for the other two shelves. (Do not mount the cookers yet.)
flow tower system: As you can see,
6. Clamp the 60" legs onto one of the cooker shelves and weld. it is best set up in an extremely
well-ventilated location.

- 30 - - 31 -
Note: If you take this to a professional welder and he makes some recom-
Discover the Wonderful World of
mendations that are different from those stated here, please listen to him. Country Wisdom Bulletins!
He may suggest improvements that could strengthen the system.

Many homebrewers use other types of mashing vessels, such as

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A-110 10 Steps to Beautiful Roses

To order any of these bulletins, or to obtain a free listing of titles

in the complete bulletin library, call or write:

Storey Books
Schoolhouse Road, Dept. BN
STOREY Pownal, Vermont 05261
1-800-441-5700
www.storeybooks.com
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