Blichmann Top Tier Setup

[Brandon]

Brandon’s Brew System

Brewhouse

I brew on an all-propane Blichmann Top Tier system with three burners. Hot Liquor Tank (57L), Mash Lauter Tun (76L) and Boil kettle (76L). I use two March pumps. One for chilling pre-boil water and recirculating the mash, the other for chilling post-boil. The mash tun is direct fired and controlled with a Blichmann Tower of Power. I opted for off the shelf pre-built components here due to personal time constraints and ease of deployment and support.

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The HLT is an Update International 15 gallon kettle, which I added a ball valve, thermometer and sight glass. I might add an additional manifold as a return for recirculating chilling pre-boiled water. That said, I have been do no sparge lately so pre-boil in that, then recirculate and chill to strike temps.

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The Mash tun is a Blichmann 20 gallon Boilmaker (first generation) with false bottom, ball valve, thermometer and sight glass. Recirculation and sparging is done via a manifold I added to the top of the kettle, plumbed inside with Loc-Line Circle Flow Nozzle Kit to provide the return for the wort (idea courtesy of Bryan). This is adjustable to keep the wort return below the level of the wort in the kettle.

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The Boil Kettle is also a Blichmann 20 gallon Boilmaker (first generation) with ball valve, thermometer and sight glass. Recirculation goes through a stainless steel counterflow chiller. Cooling water is connected to a copper pre-chiller (an old immersion chiller) in a cooler packed with ice, with water fed from the municipal water line. Wort returns to the kettle via a stainless steel whirlpool arm.

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My approach was originally to use the Top Tier as a gravity-fed system, using an immersion chiller. But as I scaled to larger 36-56L batches, I needed to add pumps, and have since moved away from gravity fed.

The entire system is stainless steel. Water is plumbed in via hose connection that provides water to the HLT and MLT, as well as connections for the chiller and a utility hose. Propane is fed via a direct connection for the MLT (via Tower of Power controller) and a plumbed in gas line for the HLT and boil kettle. This reduces demand on a single (or doubled-up) propane tank and allows me to heat water for the HLT and MLT simultaneously or clean the MLT while the boil is heating.

Oxygenation
I oxygenate using pure O2, connected to a diffusion stone. Measuring dissolved O2 via an Extech DO600 oxygen meter.

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Fermentation
Old: My fermentation chamber was a 7 cu ft. chest freezer, controlled with a BrewPi temperature controller. The BrewPi gives me fine control over fermentation temps as well as great data via graphs showing the history and current temperatures of the freezer and fermentation/beer against target fermentation temp.

I ferment in glass carboys or 30L Spiedel fermenters. Or in the winter when I can use my garage as a fermentation chamber, I have several 60L Spiedel fermenters.

New: I have moved away from Spiedels and carboys to a 6.5 gallon corny keg with a fermwrap, insulation jacket and BrewPi connected to it. This setup is then put into my lagering freezer (which is kept at -1C) and set to proper fermentation temps. I then follow the process for spunden and natural carbonation. After transfer from the 6.5 gallon keg to a 5 gallon corny, I serve from there after conditioning and lagering.

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Lagering
I lager in a 12 cu. Ft. chest freezer, temp controlled to a steady -1C.

Next Steps
I am in the process of replacing Quick Disconnects with Tri clovers
Mash cap - currently using saran wrap and aluminum foil over the mash - both are less than ideal.
center inlet pump heads
Build another BrewPi for supporting multiple simultaneous fermentations.

[bensonledbetter]

Thanks for sharing the details of your build. How do you handle recirculating with Saran wrap and aluminum foil over the mash?

Funny side note, my phone tried to autocorrect Saran to say Satan instead. Satan wrap.

[Brandon]