Ruby Street Brewing Alpha Ruby User manual

Owners Manual
The Alpha Ruby™
Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Fort Collins, Colorado
USA

Table of Contents
Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Introduction 3
Safety Instructions 4
Brewery Overview 5
Kettle Assembly 6
Kettle Placement 8
Operating Instructions 9
Brewing Instructions 0
Care and Storage 4
Parts List 5
Limited Warranty 8
2

Introduction
Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Thank You for purchasing The Alpha Ruby™
Our machines are hand built and shipped almost completely
assembled using high quality components and materials. All
additional assembly can be accomplished by hand tightening
with no tools required. With proper use and care, this
equipment will provide many years of outstanding performance.
NOTICE!
Please review this manual in its entirety prior to any operation of this
equipment
Failure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions could result in serious
personal injury and/or property damage.
Ruby Street Brewing, LLC assumes no responsibility for personal injury or
property damage sustained by or through the use of this product.
If you have any questions or need assistance please contact us at:
Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Fort Collins, CO
Email:
[e-mail]
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
3

Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Safety Instructions
WARNING: To Reduce the risk of serious injury, read the following
important precautions before using The Alpha Ruby Brewery.
•It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that all users of this equipment are
adequately informed of all precautions.
•Use this equipment as described in this manual, do not use for anything other than its
intended purpose.
•DO NOT USE INDOORS! This equipment must only be operated outdoors in adequately
ventilated areas.
•The brewing structure must only be used on a level hard surface such as concrete. Do
not use on a flammable surface or surface that could be damaged by moisture.
•Make sure that all 4 legs contact the ground evenly, and that the frame cannot rock or
sway during use. Shim legs with solid material as needed to correct for uneven surfaces.
•Do not use under covered areas such as patio covers, porches, canopies, or under decks.
•Make sure that there are no flammable materials or substances near the brewery during
operation.
•Inspect and tighten all parts before each use. Replace any parts that are worn or
damaged immediately.
•Keep children and pets away from this equipment during use.
•DANGER! Water and Electricity Do Not Mix… Make sure that the pump motor is
plugged into a GFCI protected circuit. If in doubt consult a licensed electrician before
using.
•Do not touch the frame or place anything on the frame during operation, the frame
areas around the kettles may become extremely hot.
•Use caution when lighting burners and always approach burner from underneath with
long BBQ type lighter to avoid burns.
•Do not leave brewery unattended at any time during operation.
•Do not attempt to tilt or move the brewery unless all kettles have been removed, and
gas regulator is disconnected from propane source.
•Always make sure that all gas valves are turned off before connecting propane regulator
to source.
•Do not use in windy areas, as this will cause the burners to perform incorrectly and
could cause damage to the frame.
•Never store a propane cylinder on the brewery frame.
•Never store a propane cylinder inside of a building or other enclosed area.
4

Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Brewery Overview
Familiarize yourself with all system components prior to assembly
Our breweries are
constructed with high
quality solid stainless steel
tri-clamp fittings. These
fittings are extremely easy
to clean and keep sanitary
and offer a completely
universal connection
system. See illustration at
right for proper assembly
5

Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Kettle Assembly
Hot Liquor Tank
Step : Place ( ) stainless steel flat washer over the longer threaded end of the included compression fitting
Step 2: Place the fitting and washer assembly through the hole from the inside of the kettle. While holding
the fitting from the inside, slide the ¾” silicone O-ring over the threaded fitting end on the outside of the
kettle.
Step 3: Install the valve onto the threaded fitting by screwing the fitting into the ball valve from the inside of
the kettle. Tighten the fitting until the valve is firmly mounted. Caution! Twisting the valve assembly after
the assembly has been tightened may damage the O-ring. Check for leaks prior to use.
Step 4: Slide the compression nut onto the longer end of the dip tube, followed by the ½” O-ring as illustrated
above. Position the O-ring about approx. ¾” from the end of the dip tube.
Step 5: Hand tighten the compression nut onto to compression fitting while holding the valve assembly from
the outside of the kettle.
Step 6: Refer to instructions included with the thermometer for proper thermometer installation.
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Please note that all 3 kettles are not the same. The hot liquor tank has only two holes, one for the valve and one
for the thermometer. The mash tun and boil kettle have three holes, one for the valve, one for the thermometer,
and one near the top for the inlet fitting. Make sure that you thoroughly clean and sanitize all kettles and
components prior to use. We recommend using PBW™or a similar product for this task.

Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Kettle Assembly
Mash Tun / Boil Kettle
Step : Install ball valve assembly and thermometer by following Steps ( ,2,3,6) on page 7
Step 2: Place the triangle shaped false bottom support into the bottom of the kettle with the open end facing
the valve assembly (Figure )
Step 3: Insert the large perforated false bottom disk into the kettle so that it rests on top of the false bottom
support. Make sure that the elongated hole in the false bottom is aligned with the valve assembly (Figure 2)
Step 4: Insert the dip tube assembly by placing the ½” SS washer over the large hole in the perforated false
bottom (figure 4). Refer to steps 4 – 5 on page 7 for final dip tube assembly.
Step 5: Assemble the thru-wall sparge assembly by placing a flat washer onto the threaded end of the barbed
fitting. Insert the fitting through the upper hole in the kettle wall from the inside. While holding the fitting
from the inside, slide the ¾” silicone O-ring over the threaded fitting end on the outside of the kettle. Install
the tri-clamp fitting onto the threaded fitting by screwing the fitting into the tri-clamp from the inside of the
kettle. Tighten the fitting until the assembly is firmly mounted (Figure 3)
7
Figure
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Kettle Placement
•Each burner grate is equipped with a welded heat shield designed to protect the valves and
fittings on the kettles from damage due to heat or flame
•For the heat shield to work properly, it is imperative that each kettle be placed on the frame
so that the valve is directly in front of and above the heat shield as shown above.
•Make sure that each kettle is centered over the burner grate so that all (4) of the support
fins contact the kettles evenly before operation.
•Failure to properly center and align each kettle on the burner grates may result in damage
to the valves, thermometers, and frame.
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Figure 3
Heat Shield

Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Operating Instructions
. Place The Alpha Ruby™ outdoors on a flat and level surface that is non-flammable and cannot be damaged
by moisture. Shim legs with solid materials if necessary to make sure that the brewery frame is level and
cannot rock or sway. Make sure that there is not any type of material or structure above the brewery
(porches, overhangs, canopies, etc.). Also confirm that the brewery is a minimum of 0’ from any
construction. This is a good time to confirm that your location also has good access to water and GFCI
protected electricity for the pump motors.
2. Place a propane cylinder at the end of the brewery near the supply hose and regulator. Make sure that the
cylinder is a minimum of 24” from any part of the frame (Figure 7). Confirm that all gas control valves are
completely closed (Figure 8) prior to connecting the propane regulator to the supply cylinder (including
the needle valve located on the propane regulator). Thread the propane regulator plastic nut onto the
propane cylinder and tighten connection firmly by hand.
3. After the propane regulator is connected ALWAYS CHECK FOR GAS LEAKS prior to lighting burners. Open
the propane cylinder valve approximately ¼ turn allowing gas to flow into the regulator body. Using a
small brush or spray bottle, apply soapy water all around propane cylinder connection and regulator.
Watch closely for any bubbles that appear indicating a gas leak. If you detect a gas leak at the connection,
turn off cylinder valve and further tighten the regulator connection. DO NOT proceed with using this
equipment if the gas leak cannot be stopped. After you are certain that there are no leaks, turn gas valve
off at cylinder and wait 5 minutes before lighting any burners.
4. Test the operation of all burners prior to your brewing session. Make sure that there are no kettles or any
other materials on the frame when testing burner operation (never heat an empty kettle, as this will
damage the kettle). Again confirm that all gas valves are firmly in the off position (Figure 8). Very slowly
open the cylinder valve completely. Next open the needle valve on the regulator to the full-open (counter-
clockwise) position. The three burner control valve are sequenced in the same order as the actual burners
(the left valve operates the left burner, the right valve operates the right burner, etc). Using a long BBQ
style lighter, approach the burner from underneath while opening the appropriate gas valve about half-
way. The burner should ignite immediately. If the burner does not ignite, close all valves, wait 5 minutes
and repeat. Repeat this entire (step 4) process for remaining burners.
Figure 7 Figure 8
9

Copyright © 20 3 Ruby Street Brewing, LLC
Brewing Instructions
Please note that these instructions are only intended to illustrate the basic use of this system and its
components. We highly recommend that you read one of the many available books on all grain brewing
procedure. Contact your brewing equipment supplier for recommendations. The following brewing scenario
is based on a single step infusion mash using highly modified 2-row malt. Note that one of the benefits of our
system having a direct fired mash tun is the ability to do more complex step and or decoction mashes. The
direct fired mash tun also allows the brewer to perform a 70°F mash-out if desired. While the directions
below are based on fly-sparging, batch sparging is also possible with this system and is becoming a popular
alternative for many brewers.
. Add cool clean water (strike water) to the mash tun at a rate of .25 quarts of water per pound of grain.
At this time, add any water treatments as necessary.
2. Heat the strike water in the mash tun to the required infusion temperature. There are many online
programs and even cell phone apps to help you calculate the correct strike water temperature. Generally
the strike water temp range is around 65°– 69°F
3. Once the strike water has reached the target temperature, add the entire grain bill to the kettle all at once.
Immediately stir until all grain is completely submerged and saturated. Using the kettle mounted
thermometer, check the temperature of the mash. The temperature should be around 49°– 54°F. Stir
the mash until the temperature reading stabilizes. Place a lid on the mash tun and leave undisturbed for
60 – 90 minutes.
4. While the mash is resting add cool clean water (sparge water) to the hot liquor tank at a volume of 2
gallons above your target runoff amount. Example: A 30 gallon batch requires an approximate 34 gallon
run-off to account for losses during boiling. Therefore, you would start with about 36 gallons of sparge
water. Generally this will leave you with enough left over hot water to use later for cleaning. Start
heating the sparge water immediately after mashing in. Heat the sparge water to 70°F. You will
occasionally need to reheat the sparge water kettle so the you maintain 70 °water throughout the
brewing process.
5. When the mash conversion rest is complete, remove the lid from the mash tun. Attach the short 2’ length
of 3/8” ID silicone tubing to the barbed inlet fitting inside of the mash tun. Place the remaining tubing on
top of the grain mash with the cork supporting the open end of the tubing.
6. Connect the 3’ length of tubing to the valve on the hot liquor tank and to inlet side of the left hand pump
(refer to the tri-clamp fitting assembly illustration on the overview page of this manual, page 5).
7. Connect one 4’ length of tubing from the outflow valve on the left hand pump .
8. While holding the open end of the 4’ outflow tubing above the level of the Hot Liquor Tank, open the ball
valve on the pump completely followed by opening the ball valve on the Hot Liquor Tank completely. This
should allow the pump head to flood with water and at this point you should see liquid flow through the
pump and into the beginning of the outflow hose. Do not start the pump. Once you have confirmed that
the pump head is filled with liquid, close the outflow valve on the pump. CAUTION! Never operate the
pump dry as this will damage the pump.
9. Once the pump has been primed, connect the open end of the 4’ tubing to the inlet fitting at the top of
the Mash Tun.
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