OnTap Magazine

HOMEBRU FIND A SUITABLE HOUSING S T E P 01 BUILD THE FILTER CARTRIDGE S T E P 02 The ideal housing for a DIY Randall is a water filter housing. These come in various sizes and configurations which will affect the rest of the build. The housing has two parts: the base, which has the inlet and outlet, and the head, which attaches from the base by a threaded fitting (with seals). The head of the housing doesn’t need to be clear, but it helps to check that the beer is infusing correctly and the spectacle is a big part of the attraction of this device – you want people to see what you’re Randalizing. The thread size on the inlet/outlet ports varies across manufacturers so be aware of what you are getting since you will need to get fittings to match. Filter housings are available from various water filter suppliers online. The filter cartridge is just a pipe with some holes through which beer can flow, covered by some kind of filtering material so no solids can pass through. Stainless steel is ideal as with all brewing equipment, but PVC pipe will do the job perfectly. The diameter pipe you use can vary depending on the size and shape of the inlet on the filter housing. You need the pipe to seal against the top and bottom of the housing in a way that separates the inlet from the outlet of the filter housing. Getting the correct length of the pipe will require a little trial and error. Try to get the cuts as straight as possible and remember each end will get a seal. You then need to drill holes in the pipe. Drill four 3mm holes near one end of the pipe, evenly spaced around the circumference of the pipe so that there is an even flow around the filter. To filter out any solid matter you need some kind of mesh. Muslin or cheesecloth will do the trick if you are able to stitch it into a tube to fit around the pipe. I use the filter bags from a pool gobbler which have a nice fine mesh and are easy to use in this application. YOU WILL NEED: 1 x water filter housing 1 x PVC pipe (approximately 300mm) 2 x John Guest / DMfit push fittings 2 x cistern seals or similar 1 x filter bag 1 x beer hose 1 x sealing tape 56 | Winter 2018 | ontapmag.co.za