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Home Photo Galleries Equipment Galleries Ron Weaver • Gulf Breeze, Florida

At the 1997 AHA convention, I studied the Sabco BrewMagic system and was convinced I could build a cheaper one  for my needs. I’ve spent almost $2,000 and achieved most of my design goals, but I sometimes think it would have been  better to just buy the BrewMagic.

I wanted a stainless steel setup with three kegs at the same height (so I could see into them), space between the mash and boil kettles for future gadgets, a RIMS-style mash system and plumbing with only a few valves. I also wanted my system to drain directly from the boil kettle into carboys and to be somewhat transportable. My final goal was to always work on the system while enjoying a homebrew.

System
I bought two Sabco kettles for the boil and mash. The sparge keg is a converted keg with 1/2-inch stainless nipples welded through the wall. Although I used copper for the drain, I will probably replace it with stainless because the tubing is corroding. For the RIMS return, I connected a male quick disconnect to a 1/2-inch top nipple on the inside of the keg so I can easily remove the manifold I made. I luckily found a homebrewing welder who did my sparge keg, counterflow chiller bracket, and mash keg nipple — all for $80.

RIMS Return
<p>The system’s burners are replacement burners for my Bayou Cooker, which are rated at 135,000 BTU and cost only $9.50 each. My pumps are rated for 275 ºF (135 ºC), so I can use them to circulate boiling water for sanitation and cleaning. The pump clamps are electrical conduit clamps coated in red plastic “dip-it” (the kind on tool handles). I also added a couple of spare neon lights to the switch box. They’re not really necessary, but I also like chrome bumpers.&nbsp;I had already exceeded my earlier cost estimates&nbsp; so I chose high-temperature silicon food-grade tubing rated for 275 ºF (135 ºC) instead of stainless quick disconnects. They work great, and I couldn’t survive without them.</p>

Burner
When brewing I connect the mash pump output to the RIMS return and drape the sparge pump output hose over the sight glass. During the sparge, I move the mash pump output hose to the inlet of the boil keg and connect the sparge pump output to the RIMS return. Then when I have enough in the boil keg, I connect the boil keg output to the chiller.

Male Disconnect


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