{"id":26,"date":"2012-07-17T00:32:57","date_gmt":"2012-07-17T00:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thebottlefarm.com\/blog\/files\/43559e951c3aed23f6d299078b52a380-13.php#unique-entry-id-13"},"modified":"2014-11-01T18:23:16","modified_gmt":"2014-11-01T18:23:16","slug":"projects-in-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/projects-in-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Project update: Keggerator, Hops, Mashtun"},"content":{"rendered":"

By now the new page is up. It is still a work in progress. I want to re-theme the blog, and add some details like a logo and favicon. I also need to fix some posts for style, broken links, and insert the missing photos. However, the content should all be there. It\u2019s just one of the projects I\u2019ve been working on here at the bottle farm.
\nI\u2019ve made a little progress on the keggerator project, Here\u2019s a photo of that progress.
\n<\/span>\"IMG_1228\"
\n<\/span>I converted the single regulator to a dual regulator. This will allow me to carbonate at one pressure, and serve at another. The plan is to keep the co2 tank outside of the freezer, and run the second line into freezer to a distribution block. To convert the regulator it\u2019s very straight forward. Unscrew the high pressure gauge (be careful to do so in the proper direction), attach the second regulator to newly vacant spot, then replace the gauge on the second regulator. The only tricky part is finding the right parts, but thankfully Midwest supply carries the adapter <\/span>http:\/\/www.midwestsupplies.com\/double-regulator-adapter.html<\/a><\/span> and the connection stem. A few tips I picked up for co2 assembly. Make sure to wrap the threads with teflon tape to prevent leaks and gauging from over tightening. Spray down all the connections with starsan after you\u2019ve reconnected the regulators and gauges to the co2 tank. Any leaks will bubble preventing you from finding out the hard way with an empty tank and flat beer. After I retightened the gauge and regulator resolving some of my own bubbling issues, my new dual regulator is all set for keggerator duty.
\nThis is a multiphase project, the next phase is design the collar. The collar in my keggerator serves a dual purpose, to extend the height of the freezer to allow for additional kegs in the freezer, and it\u2019s traditional role to allow taps to be added to the freezer w\/out drilling. Once designed and built, all that will be left will be staining and assembly. I can really see this project taking shape.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_1225\"<\/div>\n

The next project I\u2019ve been working is a mash tun for all grain brewing.
\n<\/span>This has to be the easiest project so far. The basic instructions are to remove the cooler spigot, insert a weld less cooler adapter kit\/bulkhead. Take a stainless supply line for a sink or toilet (new), cut it and use the braid to build a filter tube. Attach the stainless braid and you\u2019ve got a good mash lauter tun setup for single infusion batch sparging. I won\u2019t waste bits, rewriting the instructions I found here: <\/span>http:\/\/www.homebrewtalk.com\/wiki\/index.php\/Converting_a_cooler_to_a_mash_tun<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_1324\"<\/div>\n

The hop plants seem to be doing ok, of the 5 mounds, 8 plants I\u2019ve planted, 4 are growing. The Cascade, and Hallertau are well established, and seem to be climbing well. They haven\u2019t reached the top yet, which I\u2019m surprised. It has me thinking I might want to use some different twine next year, and perhaps a more vertical trellis. The galena have seem to taken hold and are at the training to climb phase. The centennial are off to a very slow start, but have finally started to show some growth. I\u2019m hoping both the later have a chance to grow some solid roots for next season. That\u2019s the good, the bad is that we seem to have some hop pests (the little guy to the right). I think he\u2019s a leaf hopper. I\u2019ve asked my local farmer if she has any recommendations for organic pest control, so I can save my hops. Hopefully it\u2019s something simple.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n


\nI\u2019ve also got a set of components to build a stir plate, but I haven\u2019t made progress on this project yet. It should be <\/span>easy<\/a><\/span> enough, soldier the parts, build out a project box. However I\u2019ve never done these types of projects, so there is a bit of a learning curve to it. The next step is to buy some soldier, a project box and a power supply, and get to assembling.
\nOther than that it\u2019s quiet here on the farm. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By now the new page is up. It is still a work in progress. I want to re-theme the blog, and add some details like a logo and favicon. I also need to fix some posts for style, broken links, and insert the missing photos. However, the content should all be there. It\u2019s just one of the projects I\u2019ve been working on here at the bottle farm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":305,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[69,21,24,25,23,26],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-projects-and-thoughts","tag-diy","tag-hops","tag-keggerator","tag-mash-tun","tag-project-update","tag-stir-plate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebottlefarm.com\/wpbottle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}