I don't recall any brewers like this being posted before, so I figured I'd post this one...
We've made larger vortex brewers in the past out of induction tanks, but this one's cool because you only need a (fairly) standard 5 gallon bucket as your tank. A couple of the parts may have to be ordered online (uniseals and 5-way pvc fitting), but most of this shit is either at your local hydro or hardware shops.
The parts list...
1x 5 Gallon bucket (or alternative bucket-like container)
5x 3/4" uniseal bulkhead fittings
1x 5-way 1/2" pvc fitting
4x 45° 1/2" elbow fittings
7x 90° 1/2" elbow fittings
1x 1/2" tee fitting
1x 1/2" ball valve fitting
5'-10' 1/2" pvc pipe
BLACK 1/4" air tubing... it HAS to be BLACK
... then some type of decent air pump (the stronger the better)
The tools list...
pvc shears
cordless drill (or press)
1/4" brad point drill bit
1.25" hole saw
tape measure
The first thing I did was drill and cut the hole at the bottom of the bucket. I used a brad tip bit to start a pilot hole because this particular bucket had a strange nipple on the bottom that I was worried the hole saw bit would slip from. This bucket also had a preformed circle on the bottom that, luckily, the hole saw fit perfectly inside. When choosing your container for this project, make sure you pay attention to both the center of the bottom, and the top side areas. Both of these spots will need to be drilled with the hole saw to accommodate the uniseals, so you want them smooth enough to be drilled, and large enough to accept the hole...
Use your tape measure to find the circumference of the top of your bucket, and divide by 4. Measure and mark the spots for the 4 holes to be cut in the top area of your bucket... Once the holes are cut, put the uniseals in place; the upper holes will have the large side of the uniseal on the inside of the bucket, and the bottom hole will have the large side on the outside of the bucket.
We've made larger vortex brewers in the past out of induction tanks, but this one's cool because you only need a (fairly) standard 5 gallon bucket as your tank. A couple of the parts may have to be ordered online (uniseals and 5-way pvc fitting), but most of this shit is either at your local hydro or hardware shops.
The parts list...
1x 5 Gallon bucket (or alternative bucket-like container)
5x 3/4" uniseal bulkhead fittings
1x 5-way 1/2" pvc fitting
4x 45° 1/2" elbow fittings
7x 90° 1/2" elbow fittings
1x 1/2" tee fitting
1x 1/2" ball valve fitting
5'-10' 1/2" pvc pipe
BLACK 1/4" air tubing... it HAS to be BLACK
... then some type of decent air pump (the stronger the better)
The tools list...
pvc shears
cordless drill (or press)
1/4" brad point drill bit
1.25" hole saw
tape measure
The first thing I did was drill and cut the hole at the bottom of the bucket. I used a brad tip bit to start a pilot hole because this particular bucket had a strange nipple on the bottom that I was worried the hole saw bit would slip from. This bucket also had a preformed circle on the bottom that, luckily, the hole saw fit perfectly inside. When choosing your container for this project, make sure you pay attention to both the center of the bottom, and the top side areas. Both of these spots will need to be drilled with the hole saw to accommodate the uniseals, so you want them smooth enough to be drilled, and large enough to accept the hole...
Use your tape measure to find the circumference of the top of your bucket, and divide by 4. Measure and mark the spots for the 4 holes to be cut in the top area of your bucket... Once the holes are cut, put the uniseals in place; the upper holes will have the large side of the uniseal on the inside of the bucket, and the bottom hole will have the large side on the outside of the bucket.