Monday 15 April 2013

Stop me if you think you've heard this one before...

I know we say it every week, but we really are VERY close to being able to brew some beer now!  In the past week we've accomplished a mammoth amount of work, namely;
  • We hosted our first "open day" (the R.A.T.S),
  • The Stainless Steel pipework is now complete and looking fantastic thanks to AJP Process Pipework / AB Stainless of Hereford - highly recommended,
  • The copper now has it's gas burners fitted and is ready for testing,
  • The HLT has been fitted with sockets ready for the immersion heaters,
  • We've tidied up! (see photos below...),
  • The Temperature control panels have been fitted to the FVs,
  • FVs 1, 2 and 3 are now ready for use with new pipework and have been cleaned, FV4 is an ongoing project as it needs a thorough scrub and some "floor rejigging"...
  • The pipework and pumps have been tested with only one problem - the heat exchanger needs new gaskets so these are in process of being ordered.  The Lowara vertical pumps are amazing, totally over-specified for what we want but we love 'em!,
  • The conditioning room is almost complete,
  • The reception / tour area has been built with a window looking into the conditioning room (we really must clean those tanks now...),
  • We have a CIP sprayball, cask filler and various adapters/reducers/hoses ready to go.
Plus loads of other stuff I've already forgotten!

Basically, we're now waiting on spares for the heat exchanger and for the electrics to be fitted... and that's it, we can start the antiformin washing (can't wait for that...!) and then, finally, it'll be time to brew some beer!

Keep the faith, people, we're nearly there and we promise you some special stuff once we're up and running...

Here are the customary photos of us doing stuff.

Gazza takes the RATS around the brewery.

Mrs Mop cleaning the Heat Exchanger!

The finished pipework during a water test

From this.... 
... to this!!!

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