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Home Photo Galleries Equipment Galleries John Fraser • Columbus, Ohio

The three biggest things that have helped me brew better beer have been my lagering chest freezer, my malt mill and all-grain brewing. The chest freezer and its controller just make brewing lagers more predictable. Maintaining a constant fermentation temperature and a controlled lagering temperature is a sure way to produce great beer. The malt mill has allowed me to take full control over the freshness of ingredients and the coarseness of the grist. All-grain brewing offers me a greater diversity of ingredients   than extract brewing.

My biggest challenge in building a RIMS system was my software and the use of digital thermometeres. I am a programmer by trade, but not on the PC platform. Working with a language I had never used was difficult, but not impossible. I am now on V2 (version 2) software and it works well for me. It allows changes in temperatures and times to be entered during the mash cycle. If a starch test shows me that conversion is not quite finished, I can increase the mash duration at that step to allow for a complete conversion.

John and Robin
Fraser’s conical fermenter the day he got it back from the fabricator.

Conical Fermenter
Fraser utilizes his own software to control the variables of his mash cycle.

Computer
The hot liquor tun with electric temperature probe at the right.

Hot Liquor Tun
Fraser’s equipment is producing consistent brews from every mash.

Mash


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