Wort Pump in a Toolbox #2 - Parts List

Following up on the initial post for our series on building a toolbox mounted wort pump, the next post focused on the required parts list for the project.  There are a couple of things to keep in mind when reviewing the parts list:

• It does not include the tools needed to complete the build.  It is likely that the reader owns many of these tools already (drill, drill bits, screw drivers, wrenches, wire cutters, wire trimmers, etc.).  
• The parts list also does not include miscellaneous extra build items, such as some scrap lumber, wire staples, and wire nuts.  The specific tool box and layout used in the build will determine the need for these items.
• The prices listed are those I found at the time of the build.  They will vary by location and will likely change over time

The most important thing to do when starting any project, such as this toolbox-mounted wort pump, is to plan it out before starting.  Sketch out what the build will look like and use those conceptual diagrams to help build the parts list.  Hopefully, the information presented in this series, and the BYO article it was based on, will flush out your plans and make your build go smoother.

The other important thing to consider is to customize the wort pump build to your brewing system.  This build included the features that I desired for the wort pump - extra electrical outlet, portability, ease of hose changes, etc.  This build could easily be changed to make it smaller, part of a permanent installation, or include extra features.  Spending a little time thinking of how the pump will be used in your brewery, and what features would be useful, can go a long way towards ensuring the pump will see use for years to come.

Parts List

Description	Merchant	Part #	Quantity	Price/Unit	Total
March 809HS-PL Pump	Austin Homebrew		1	$132.99	$132.99
1/2" NPT Female-Male Yellow Brass Ball Valve	McMaster	4629K43	1	$12.65	$12.65
1/2" Female Yellow Brass 90 degree Elbows	McMaster	5078K38	2	$4.97	$9.94
1/2" NPT Male -> Male Yellow Brass Quick Disconnect	McMaster	6739K59	4	$1.98	$7.92
1/2" Hose Barb -> Female Yellow Brass Quick Disconnect	McMaster	6739K64	5	$6.47	$32.35
Silicone Tubing (by foot)	Austin Homebrew	H985	12	$2.10	$25.20
4' 1/2 Copper Tube - used to make "J" return	Lowes		1	$25.89	$25.89
Solderable 1/2" Pipe -> 1/2" NPT Female Brass Fitting	Lowes		1	$5.04	$5.04
1/2" Hose Worm Clamps	Lowes		4	$0.60	$2.40
1" Hose Worm Clamps - used to hold copper ends together	Lowes		1	$0.80	$0.80
Tool Box	Lowes		1	$9.96	$9.96
Metal Electrical Box (single gang)	Lowes		2	$1.69	$3.38
Heavy-Duty Extension Chord - 6 or 8 feet	Lowes		1	$6.47	$6.47
Standard Plug	Lowes		1	$2.19	$2.19
Low Profile Electrical Switch	Lowes		1	$4.57	$4.57
Plastic Electrical Covers	Lowes		2	$0.99	$1.98
Bags of Bolts and Locking Nuts/Washers for Metal Boxes	Lowes		2	$1.18	$2.36
Plastic Coat Hooks - used to hold wound extension chord	Lowes		2	$2.36	$4.72
4" Metal Worm Clamp	Lowes		1	$1.87	$1.87

Other posts in this series include:

• Wort Pump in a Toolbox #1 - Concept
• Wort Pump in a Toolbox #3 - Build Steps
• Wort Pump in a Toolbox #4 - Connections
• Wort Pump in a Toolbox #5 - Pump in Action

Cheers,

TW

Fun with Art: Meat Sections

One of the non-beer related blogs I've been enjoying for a couple month's now is Alyson Thomas's Meat Sections blog.  The concept for her blog is amusing to say the least.  Each day, Alyson draws/paints an illustration/painting in the style of a butcher's meat section diagram (you know the type - here's the loin, here's the roast, etc).  But the subject matter of each piece can be very different and she really lets her creativity run loose with it.

I'm a big fan of the beers coming out of The Bruery (Placentia, CA), so I was stoked when Alyson chose to do a piece inspired by The Bruery's Melange No. 6, which she tasted during the 2010 San Fransisco Beer Week.  The Melange Series is The Bruery's one-off, experimental beer line, with the sixth installment being a potent ale with all the the ingredients displayed in Alyson's illustration.

The above just scratches the surface - if you have a second, take a look at some of the other deconstructed subjects Alyson has done.  Here are a couple of non-beer related pieces that I personally got a chuckle and a smirk out of:

• Good Parts of a Pig
• Super Pig
• Hot Dogs
• Ghost Meat
• Rain Drops
• Goombas (a.k.a. Mario's nemesis)

Kudos to you Alyson!

If you happen across any other amusing beer (or food) artistic websties in your travels through the internet, please let us know!

Slainte!

-JW

"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food."

-Queen Elizabeth I 

Poll: How Long Have You Been Homebrewing

With the conclusion of our most recent blog poll, it was worthwhile to report back and memorialize the results we recieved.  Based on the question: "How long have you been homebrewing?", presented below is the relative experience of the readers who participated...

Total Votes: 13

I have to admit that I was a little surprised by the distribution of the votes towards fewer years of experience.  Thinking about it now, I'm not sure why I had that impression.  But I would also take these results as a very possitive sign for the hobby; recent years have seen an influx of new individuals who are starting to homebrew.  More homebrewers means more resources, more collective intelligence, and a louder voice. 

What also amuses me about the results is the fact that Tom and I represent the bookends of this range.  One of us has been at it for just about a year and the other is pushing into his second decade of brewing.  I'll leave it up to the readers to figure out who is who.

Slainte!

-JW

"A wise son brings joy to his father, but the wiser son brings beer."

-Mad Mordigan

Clipper City Brewing Tour - Baltimore, MD

Given the number of small breweries and brewpubs that span the United States, there are a great number of them that Lug Wrench readers have previously not encountered.  To help explore some of these breweries and draw attention to the myriad of beers they make, Lug Wrench would like to introduce an series of posts on local breweries, ones that Jeff and I have the opportunity to explore and report on.  The posts will focus on the individual brewery, its beers, and any themes that define the brewery and set it apart.  The posts may include follow on interviews with the brewers, where we can get that information.  Clipper City Brewing Company, from Baltimore, MD, will start the series off.

My wife surprised me with a beer-related day of activities for my birthday this year.  The day included lunch at Du Claw Brewing Company and dinner at the Dogfish Head Ale House in Gaithersburg, MD.  Sandwiched in-between these two wonderful culinary experiences, was a tour of Clipper City Brewing Company, which is located on the southern side of Baltimore.  Clipper City beer has been a staple at my household for a couple of years now, since my wife discovered Loose Cannon, which has become her all time favorite beer.  Thus, we had a great deal of excitement upon discovering that Clipper City gave tours, just a few short hours away from home.

Clipper City Brewing Company was founded in 1994 by Hugh J. Sisson.  Hugh is a sixth generation Baltimoriean and has been involved in the city's brewing industry since the mid-1980s.  In 1987, Hugh and others lobbied the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation that made brew pubs legal in the state.  He first worked in Sisson's, located in Federal Hill, which he left in 1994 to found Clipper City Brewing Company.  Clipper City's beers are marketed under the Heavy Seas label, which includes its 4 to 6% ABV ales - the Clipper Fleet, its stronger 7 to 8% ales - the Pyrate Fleet, and its strongest ales (greater than 8%) - the Mutiny Fleet.  Heavy Seas beers are distributed in bottle and draft across the Eastern third of the country.  Besides Hugh, Clipper City employs, Ernesto Ingot, Brewmaster, and Kurt Krol and Chris Mallon as brewers.

The tour began with Hugh providing a theatrical reading of slightly-modified version of the Lord's Prayer, where beer plays a very prominent role (something akin to the text found here).  As it turns out, Hugh has a masters degree in theater from the University of Virginia.  He also outlined the beers produced under the Heavy Seas line and provided a history of the brewery.  The tour itself covered all aspects of brewing operations and lasted for over an hour and a half.  There are pictures at the bottom of the post.

There were a couple of notable things we learned about Clipper City, while there.  First was that they provide a wonderful and informative tour.  Hugh detailed all parts of the brewing process, including ingredient selection by actually handing out hops and grain.  It is amazing what one one can learn by tasting and smelling raw ingredients.  He explained how the actual brew day progresses with understandable analogies that the non-beer geek could understand.  He discussed packaging and why no one should ever drink beer directly from the bottle (basically the bit of oxidized foam on the rim of the bottle, underneath the cap, tastes horrid).  Hugh's persona and what could be best called stage-presence, made it all entertaining and highly informative.

The other take home message was the importance of the Baltimore community to the brewery.  Clipper City is named after the clipper class of ships, which was invented in Baltimore.  The brewery hosts the local homeberwing club and an annual homebrewing competition, called The Letter of Marque.  Hugh hosts a weekly radio program about beer on the local radio station WYPR, and has been active on many brewing and other fronts in his community.  The brewery's community and local brewery focus was extremely apparent throughout the tour.

If you ever find yourself near Baltimore, I highly recommend a trip to Clipper City for an entertaining tour and tasting some quality beer.

Cheers,

TW

Hugh describing different types of malt, and passing out samples

The Clipper City brew deck

A VERY healthy fermentation . . .

The Clipper City bottle filler

The end result, great bottled beer (pictured here is Loose Cannon)

And . . . the medals to show they are good at what they do (including medals from the Governor's Cup, the Great American Beer Festival, and the World Beer Cup)