BEER, BEER & MORE BEER B3 User manual
BEER, BEER & MORE BEER
Brewing Sculpture User Guide
BEER, BEER & MORE BEER
Brewing Sculpture User Guide
©2004, 2005 Beer, Beer & More Beer
975 Detroit Ave • Unit D
Concord, CA 94518
Phone 1-800-600-0033
Table of Contents
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Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a B3 Brewing Sculpture. We here at Beer, Beer & More Beer
lovingly refer to these brewing systems as “Sculptures” due to the beauty of their design
and their pure ease of use. These sculptures are engineered and designed with Computer
Aided Design to insure reliability through symmetry and strength. Their use is intended to
be a pleasurable experience by the brew master, as well as those who take part in its
rewards, the beer.
Caution
Brewing is hazardous as it involves open flame, boiling liquids, flammable gas,
combustion byproducts, hazardous chemicals, electricity, water, and other possible
unforeseen risks. These systems are sold as out door use only. Attempting to brew
indoors, without sufficient caution, appropriate safety gear, and attention to hazards can
cause permanent injury, including, but not limited to, scrapes, cuts, burns, scalds,
drowning, near drowning, shock, cardiac arrest, suffocation, sprains, broken bones,
amputation, maiming, or death. Once the system is activated, do not leave the system
unattended at any time! If at any time you are not absolutely certain you can exercise the
necessary caution to brew safely and are willing to accept the risks inherent in brewing,
you should cease brewing immediately.
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Brewing System Overview
All of our brewing sculptures have several basic components in common. This section
provides an overview to the basic components and their functionality.
Sculpture Components and Their Use
Let us take a moment to first discuss the Brewing Sculpture itself. While you might
already be familiar with the different components this is a good review of why you bought
a Sculpture and some of the thought that went into its construction.
The liquor tank is a hot water vessel that provides hot water for the brewing system. This
hot water is often used for conversion of the grain to sugars, for controlling the
temperature of the mash, and sometimes for cleanup after the brew session. The liquor
tank on a B3 Sculpture is made of 304 stainless steel that is thirty thousands of an inch
thick. A 90 angle spigot and a lid come standard with all pots. It has been fitted with a
stainless steel temperature gauge that has a 3” glass face and a 2” bi-metal probe to insure
accurate readings. The temperature range is in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, allowing you
to choose whatever scale of temperature measurement you prefer. In addition to the
temperature gauge, a fluid level sight gauge is included for measuring the amount of water
in the kettle. The sight gauge attaches separately from the spigot to allow for a more
accurate reading even while the fluid flows from the kettle.
Mashing is the process of converting grain into sugars. Lautering is the process of rinsing
the sugars from the grain. The mash/lauter tun on the B3 Sculpture is used to convert the
grain to sugars and rinse the sugars out into the brew kettle. It has a temperature gauge
added for monitoring and recording the exact mash temperature. Within it, there is a
raised, perforated false bottom made of 18 gauge, 304 stainless steel. The perforation is
3/32” holes on 5/32” centers for better recirculation to achieve a clear run-off right from
the start. The false bottom, positioned 1 ¾ inches up from the bottom of the tun, has a
handle for easy installation and removal.
The sweet wort is boiled in the brew kettle. This concentrates the sugars, builds
melanoidin flavor compounds, extracts hop flavor and bitterness, and sanitizes the wort.
The B3 Sculptures come with a kettle made of 304 stainless steel.
Once the wort has been boiled, it needs to be rapidly cooled. The B3 Sculptures come
with an immersion chiller as standard. Upgrades include counter-flow and convoluted
counter flow designs. The immersion chillers are designed specifically for the kettle size
and the volumes of wort to be cooled. They have been engineered with fluid dynamics in
mind, so the copper tubing used is ½”, which increases the surface area in contact with
the wort for greater transfer of heat. Coils are spaced infrequently at the bottom and close
together at the top, so as the hot wort cools it drops down, creating a current, which
brings the warmer wort to the top. This results in superior cooling in less time. The chiller
is soldered on the top of the neck, which is out of contact with the wort. The lead free
solder used on the chiller makes it more ridged than standard “slinky” type models, so it
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retains the shape and coil frequency set in the shop. In and out ports are bent to 45
angles to eliminate hose kinking during the chilling process. The chiller comes with
garden hose fittings attached for the cold water in and the hot water out. The lid has been
notched to fit tightly around the chiller, reducing the chance of airborne contamination.
In order to heat the water for mashing and sparging, as well as boiling the wort, the B3
Sculptures come with cast iron burners as standard equipment. These have been selected
for their longevity and superior flame pattern. The accompanying stainless burner shield is
designed to create proper airflow. The 1-inch at the bottom allows air to enter freely, and
the space at the top is greater to allow the hot air to rise straight up to the bottom of the
vessels. The shields are made of stainless steel to prevent rusting and allow for a long life.
The stand has no metal parts in the flame path to insure all the heat gets to the vessels for
the greatest efficiency possible. Options include fully automated burners and natural gas
porting.
The gas delivery system on a B3 Sculpture is constructed from durable steel piping. The
gas ball valves are American Gas Association certified for gas service. The body and stem
of the valves are brass with a chrome plated brass ball, and the seals are Teflon. The
propane regulator has been specifically selected to provide the proper output for the
burners that come with each Sculpture.
DESIGN CUSTOMIZATION
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Sculpture Setup
Prior to your first brew, it is important to properly remove all packaging and clean the
system thoroughly.
Unpacking
The shipping straps are under a great deal of tension and can cause great injury if
mishandled. Use caution, clear all bystanders, and use appropriate protective gear when
cutting the shipping straps. Remove all shrink wrap, cardboard, and paper from the
system and kettles. Inspect all parts for shipping damage.
Initial Cleaning
Before your first brew, you need to clean off any manufacturing oils and dirt. First lightly scrub
all of the brewing components with white, stainless steel safe, scrub pads and an appropriate
detergent. You can use a little bit of liquid dish detergent for this initial scrub down or a warm
solution of Five Star Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW), mixed to a strength of 2 ounces (by
weight or volume) to 5 gallons of hot water (~110°F). If you have a pump driven system,
recirculate hot PBW solution through the pump and hoses.
Clean the outside of the immersion chiller with PBW also or if equipped with a counter-flow
chiller, clean the inside by recirculating hot PBW through the chiller with a pump for a
minimum of 5 minutes.
Once all of the manufacturing and shipping dirt has been removed, empty all kettles, lines,
chillers, and pumps and rinse thoroughly with clean, fresh water.
In between brews, if you store the equipment clean and dry, you will not need to use any soaps
later.
Assembly
Set the stand in the location where you will be brewing. The B3 Sculptures are intended for
outdoor use only. The ideal location is one that includes:
a level area
free of flammable materials
excellent ventilation, to remove combustion gasses and steam, as well as provide
plenty of fresh air
a nearby source of electricity, if system includes a pump
a nearby source of clean water
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a nearby drain for waste liquids
If your system is equipped with stabilizing feet, screw them into the stabilizing feet supports
until they are all the way up and the system is sitting on the main base bars. If the Sculpture is
not 100% stable, because the ground has imperfections, slowly adjust the feet down to provide
stability only. Do not try to support the entire system with the stabilizing feet. They are
provided to keep minor ground imperfections from allowing the stand to wobble, not to
support the entire system. If the ground will not allow the Sculpture to sit flat on its base, select
another location. Do not attempt to use the stabilizing feet as supports.
Make certain all gas valves are closed, and then attach the gas supply to the system regulator.
Turn on the gas supply valve, open the regulator, and check all gas connections (including the
threaded pipe connections along the entire gas distribution system) with a soapy water solution.
If any gas leaks are evident, do not use the system until leaks are resolved. Once you are
certain there are no leaks, carefully turn on gas to uppermost burner (usually the mash tun) by
opening the red or yellow ball valve and ignite the burner using a long handled match or lighter.
Lighting the upper most burner first helps purge the lines of air and only needs to be done
once. If you have troubles igniting the burner, turn off the gas supply and allow the area to clear
of gas for a minimum of 15 minutes until the area is clear. After confirming that a burner works
correctly, shut it down and light the next lowest burner on the system. Test the remaining
burners in the same manner.
If you are using the Digital Hot Liquor tank option you will need to:
connect the hot liquor tank to the control panel
fill the tank with enough water to raise the low water cutoff switch
light the pilot light on the burner
set the controller temperature to activate the burner
Refer to the section on the Digital Hot Liquor option for more information on setup and
operation.
After testing each burner in turn, make sure they’re all shut off by closing the gas valve leading
to each burner and then place the boil kettle, mash tun, and liquor kettle in their respective
places.
Mount the pump (if so equipped) in the pump holder and connect the hoses and sensors as
needed. Refer to the sections covering any options you might have for diagrams on their
proper configuration.
Once all of the system is assembled, you might want to fill the mash tun and hot liquor tank
with water and do a test run of any pump, valves, controllers, chillers, or other options to
familiarize yourself with how they work. This is especially recommended if you are new to all
grain brewing.
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Sample Brewing Session
Before brewing your first batch, make sure you have properly cleaned and set up your
brew sculpture.
Recommended Accessories
In addition to the standard fermenting and sanitizing equipment you will need for brewing, we
suggest you have the following items on hand. They will make the brewing process easier and
more pleasurable.
3M White Stainless Steel Scrub Pads (For proper cleaning of stainless steel without
scratching.)
Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW for cleaning kettles and fermenters.)
Wooden Yardstick (For measuring liquid amounts in the mash tun and boil kettle.)
Long Handled Butane Lighter (For lighting the burners.)
Step Stool (If you do not have the Step option, this will help you see/stir inside the
mash tun.)
Food Grade Hoses (For water in and out.)
Mash Paddle (For doughing in the mash.)
Large 21” Spoon (For whirlpooling the wort at the end of the boil.)
The Recipe
We are going to use the following single infusion mash recipe as the basis for explaining the
operation of the equipment and the associated brewing calculations. You may substitute your
favorite recipe for our sample, however be sure to make adjustments to the temperatures and
other calculations as necessary for your recipe. This recipe is for a ten-gallon batch; cut this
recipe in half or double this recipe if you wish to make a five or twenty gallon batch.
Style: California Common
Size: 10 gallons
Boil Schedule: 60 minute
Mash Temp: 152 °F
Grains: 19 lbs. 2-Row
2 lbs. Crystal 60L
21 lbs. Total
Hops: 1.75 oz Northern Brewer Pellet Hops 7.3 AA for 55 minutes (31 IBU)
1.5 oz Northern Brewer Pellet Hops 7.3 AA for 15 minutes (7.1 IBU)
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1.5 oz Northern Brewer Pellet Hops 7.3 AA for 0 minutes (0 IBU)
O.G.: ~ 1.052
SRM: ~ 10
IBU: ~ 38.1
Yeast: White Labs WLP008, San Francisco Lager
Preparation
Check to make sure all valves are closed on all brewing vessels. Place the SMART heat
exchanger into the hot liquor tank so that it is not touching any of the temperature sensors
inside the tank.
Next your will install the perforated screen in the bottom of the mash/lauter tun. We use this
perforated screen, called a false bottom, to prevent the mash tun spigot from clogging or letting
a bunch of grain through into the boil kettle.
Carefully install the false bottom by holding the handle and inserting it in the mash/lauter tun
parallel to the temperature probe. Then, slide it under the probe and when it is in place, rotate
the screen until the handle is positioned underneath the temperature sensors. This will make it
easier to stir the mash without hitting the handle. Don’t forget – the measurement you take for
the volume of mash water will be from the top of the false bottom.
Slide the sparge ring up to the top of the slide rod, sliding the small rubber o-ring attached to
the rod underneath the sparge ring bracket along with it to hold the sparge ring at its maximum
height. Do the same thing with the float switch, bringing it to maximum height and supporting
it there using the o-ring on the rod underneath the float switch bracket. Tilt the sparge ring up
and out of the way.
If using the SMART system, attach all of the hoses, heat exchanger, and pump as diagramed in
the section for the SMART option.
Water
If your water tastes good, chances are it is fine to brew with. If you have bad tasting water you
may want to consider alternatives including bottled water. You should run the water through an
activated carbon filter to remove chlorine and chloramines before using it for brewing.
Once you have obtained good tasting water you will need to check the pH of the water. The
best way to check water pH is with a good quality pH meter. You can use pH paper but you
will get a far more accurate reading with a meter.
You want the pH of your mash water, prior to the addition of grain, to be in the range of 5.7-
6.0 depending upon the recipe. Dark roasted grains lower the pH farther than light colored
grains. In general, the pH of the mash once the grain has been added should be in the 5.0 to 5.4
pH range. If you have a pH meter or pH paper, you can adjust the pH if needed with lactic or
phosphoric acid additions. If you do not have a way to measure pH, we recommend using Five
Star’s 5.2 product.
