Winger22
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I use a carabiner and clip the handle on the lid to one of the handles on the 3-in-1 when I'm not using it.
3-in-1 "Boil Kettle, Jacketed Chiller, Conical Fermenter" by Brewha
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Hello Xico and thanks for the rely. I know you have WAY more experience brewing with the BIAC and I welcome your input. However, the brews I have been doing almost exclusively are high gravity 11 gallon batches with about 35 pounds of grain and 2-3 pounds rice hulls. I do stir about 4 times at about 13 minute intervals checking the temperatures frequently and the results are consistent. Channeling is not the issue I think, but just the large mass of grain and hulls that cannot hold the temperature that the recirculating wort is asking for ie. 152F. Maybe a smaller gravity brew is easier to control temperature wise so it is not an issue. All the same, the beers come out tasting great so maybe it is a non-issue.
I look forward to the images because I know you have made an incredible amount of beer in your system.
xico
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hgearle, I had a feeling my results were skewed with the light grain load. Though I don't make high gravity beers all too often, most of my grain bills are about the same weight but for a larger volume. I won't brew for another 2 weeks but I will be sure to continue to explore this with you and we will see if we can find a solution. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the images from my lady's phone before I left for a work trip.
Sharing the images of what we have added to the system is high on my to do list upon return. Sunday/Monday I'll have them up.
Sharing the images of what we have added to the system is high on my to do list upon return. Sunday/Monday I'll have them up.
Solstice-Brewing
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Sorry for the delayed response, but I see you already may have had this answered. I do have the unit that can be tuned to low percentages and although I haven't verified the accuracy of the power output at these low levels, it does the job for me. I'm able to keep the temps from getting too low with this with no overshoot. I also use this to ramp up my lagers for a dactyl rest (slowly going from 50F to mid-60's over a few days.
Solstice-Brewing
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Does anyone else have issues with the lid gasket sealing? Seems like about every 3rd or 4th batch, I don't get a good seal. I don't think this is a big problem, but with CO2 leaking around the gasket, I don't get that warm fuzzy of a blooping system the next morning - having to sweat it out until the first gravity check.
Anyway, any advice or insights on how to better seal the gasket would be appreciated. I've got the medium system circa 2015.
thanks
Anyway, any advice or insights on how to better seal the gasket would be appreciated. I've got the medium system circa 2015.
thanks
JB_Brewing2
Well-Known Member
I had a couple brews that didn't start fermenting like usual. First time it happened I thought it may have been the yeast so I pitched more yeast. Still nothing. Finally popped the lid to have a look. Really nice krausen which confirmed a leak. I applied a small amount of keg lube to the seal in order to get the seal to adhere better to the lid and, secondarily, to provide a better seal. The second time it happened I discovered the clamp for the lid was ever so slightly askew. Redid the clamp and CO2 started flowing into the blow off jar filled with starsan. The lid and seal are the only issues I've had and they seem pretty minor. Although...I did purchase a Brewers Hardware 15 gallon fermenter because it uses tri-clamps on all orifices. Still using the BIAC to ferment; just nice to be able to brew more frequently with an additional fermentation vessel.
I haven't had any issues with sealing in the 2 years of brewing with the BIAC. I do have my clamp set up very tight.
One time I looked at the BIAC in the morning after pitching yeast and nothing was happening which was odd. I was pissed...and embarrassed to find that I left the wort measuring gauge hooked around the top in my haste to close the lid and it wasn't making a good seal. Besides that...no issues.
Originally Posted by ron8 View Post:
Are you using the analog power controller or the digital one? I bought my medium BIAC when the analog controller was standard. Are you able to fine tune the analog controller to 1 or 2% power input to the element? I have thought of using the element for heating during fermentation so that I could use my pump/jacket loop for cooling during the first few days of rapid fermentation. But I am hesitant to spend %500+ to get the digital one.
I bought my BIAC in 2015 with the digital controller and I can control the temperature at any time from mash, boil, whirlpool/hopstand, fermentation, and crash cooling ( to 37F with Nathan's water only chiller) within 1 degree. Truely a great system as far a temperature control is concerned (besides my recent mash temp post...which isn't really a problem).
Mostly, I use the chiller to keep the wort cool at a temperature below 67F. If I feel I need to raise it above that (because my basement is about 67F), I hook up the heating element to the hot side of the controller, set the temperature I want to hold, and set the power control to 3% power. Usually, I disconnect the cold chiller before doing this. The controller will hold any temperature that you set (69, 72, 85F)
Originally Posted by ron8 View Post:
Are you using the analog power controller or the digital one? I bought my medium BIAC when the analog controller was standard. Are you able to fine tune the analog controller to 1 or 2% power input to the element? I have thought of using the element for heating during fermentation so that I could use my pump/jacket loop for cooling during the first few days of rapid fermentation. But I am hesitant to spend %500+ to get the digital one.
I bought my BIAC in 2015 with the digital controller and I can control the temperature at any time from mash, boil, whirlpool/hopstand, fermentation, and crash cooling ( to 37F with Nathan's water only chiller) within 1 degree. Truely a great system as far a temperature control is concerned (besides my recent mash temp post...which isn't really a problem).
Mostly, I use the chiller to keep the wort cool at a temperature below 67F. If I feel I need to raise it above that (because my basement is about 67F), I hook up the heating element to the hot side of the controller, set the temperature I want to hold, and set the power control to 3% power. Usually, I disconnect the cold chiller before doing this. The controller will hold any temperature that you set (69, 72, 85F)
Solstice-Brewing
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BIAC sealing:
Thanks for the replies, folks. Glad to hear it's not just me. I'll try the keg lube solution. I've cranked the clamp about as far as it will go, but will check to make sure it's true. I think the issue is that the gasket's round side that engages the lid can rotate, making the flat side a bit uneven.
As mentioned, only a small issue on an otherwise perfect system!! I've got ~30 batches run through this and tuned a lot of my processes based on this thread - might have to bind this in a hard copy volume and have Nathan include this with his kits
Thanks for the replies, folks. Glad to hear it's not just me. I'll try the keg lube solution. I've cranked the clamp about as far as it will go, but will check to make sure it's true. I think the issue is that the gasket's round side that engages the lid can rotate, making the flat side a bit uneven.
As mentioned, only a small issue on an otherwise perfect system!! I've got ~30 batches run through this and tuned a lot of my processes based on this thread - might have to bind this in a hard copy volume and have Nathan include this with his kits
Has anyone scaled up their home brewery with a second or multiple BIAC's? Curious how you manage temperature control between the units, ie all run off one glycol loop with automatic valves and multiple digital ETC's+power box for heat? Or completely independent setups?
I'd like to increase my pipeline, and a single medium BIAC somewhat tends to hold production capacity down a bit, especially depending on what you're brewing and how long primary will take. Now that I'm starting to enter competitions and giving much more away, it's hard to build up the pipeline and get multiple things on tap (5-tap keezer). However, I don't want to give up the temperature control of the jacketed conical along with the ease (or lack of) cleaning required when you get to boil in your fermentor. It would also be nice to try out a few more recipes quicker.
I'd also like to start a Brett aging program more or less and curious if any other BIAC'ers have done that and how they manage it with the BIAC as their primary system.
I'd like to increase my pipeline, and a single medium BIAC somewhat tends to hold production capacity down a bit, especially depending on what you're brewing and how long primary will take. Now that I'm starting to enter competitions and giving much more away, it's hard to build up the pipeline and get multiple things on tap (5-tap keezer). However, I don't want to give up the temperature control of the jacketed conical along with the ease (or lack of) cleaning required when you get to boil in your fermentor. It would also be nice to try out a few more recipes quicker.
I'd also like to start a Brett aging program more or less and curious if any other BIAC'ers have done that and how they manage it with the BIAC as their primary system.
JB_Brewing2
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I increased my pipeline through the purchase of a Brewers Hardware 15 gallon non-jacketed fermenter. It's used for transferring post-pitched wort from the BIAC and is stored in a heated and cooled ferm chamber made of plywood and foam insulation. Ferm temp control is through an ITC 1000. Doubled my pipeline output.
I have something similar except I have three SS Brewtech Brew Buckets and a Speidel fermenter. I had those and the cooled/heated fermentation cabinet before the BIAC.
JB_Brewing2
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I only "need" to brew every couple weeks, has lower installed and operating cost, and the ITC 1000 can be set to vary by only one degree from the set temp thereby holding a more consistent temp than the Auberin ETC that came with my BIAC.
Looking around at prices it looks like the SS Brewtech Chronicle is the way to go. Upgrade with butterfly valves and casters and it's $600 for a 14gal stainless conical. I'd really like another BIAC but by the time you spec it out with heating element and temp controller it's $2100+shipping. Hard to justify when I could get 2-14gal fermentors spec'd out reasonably for almost half the price of one medium. Granted, these aren't jacketed and I can't brew IN them. But for some long term aged Brett's I think it's a good option. Planning on turning a 5x8 room in the basement into a temp-controlled bottle storage area at 55* so I think these would do fine rolled into there for a few months of secondary with Brett. Could always do a cheap copper tube wrapped around the body for a glycol setup in the future as well.
Hi all,
I am brewing a Belgian Golden Ale 7.3% copied from Pappers who invented "Cherub Nectar", recipe available here. Just wanted to share what my system looks like during fermentation.
I have a cold or warm water bath, coleman cooler, which circulates via chugger pump into jacket and back to cooler. I am not too interested in buying a custom jacket or a glycol cooler, although they would be awesome to have. So, I use foam rubber and bubble wrap to insulate. They work very well. I'm currently in day 10 of fermentation. This is batch #14 since April 2015. I never brewed before I got this. I am a latecomer to brewing, closer to retirement than college. And so I decided not to wait to get a stainless steel set-up. Lots of fun messing with this. Hope you like the photo.
Ron8
I am brewing a Belgian Golden Ale 7.3% copied from Pappers who invented "Cherub Nectar", recipe available here. Just wanted to share what my system looks like during fermentation.
I have a cold or warm water bath, coleman cooler, which circulates via chugger pump into jacket and back to cooler. I am not too interested in buying a custom jacket or a glycol cooler, although they would be awesome to have. So, I use foam rubber and bubble wrap to insulate. They work very well. I'm currently in day 10 of fermentation. This is batch #14 since April 2015. I never brewed before I got this. I am a latecomer to brewing, closer to retirement than college. And so I decided not to wait to get a stainless steel set-up. Lots of fun messing with this. Hope you like the photo.
Ron8
JB_Brewing2
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Looks like a nice economical set up Ron! I think we've been brewing on the BIAC about the same length of time and I too am nearing retirement. Brew on!
Thanks JB! I am giving more thought to adding Nathan's (BREWHA man) electronic power supply unit, but $500 + keeps me just thinking. I would like to have control of heating and cooling automatically. Right now I have to be present and change out from cold to warm water in the cooler. I have a couple aquarium heaters that sit on the cooler floor which I plug in when it is clear I need to add heat instead of hold down the fermentation temp via cooling.
It requires a lot of attention the first couple of weeks of fermentation. I have been brewing only Belgian beers: golden ale, saison and dubbel. And so if I added the dual temp controller from BREWHA and the electronic power controller I could use the heating element to add heat during fermentation. Nathan has advised to run the element at 2% heat input in order to avoid scorching the yeast.
I am on a photo on Nathan's website, pouring grain in the colander. And was "featured" on Nathan's website for having a problem with scorching during mash/boil. I pointed out to Nathan the issue, and another person sent a photo of his scorched element.
It's fun brewing with the BIAC. Although I have nothing to compare it to. Never used buckets, etc.
- Ron8
It requires a lot of attention the first couple of weeks of fermentation. I have been brewing only Belgian beers: golden ale, saison and dubbel. And so if I added the dual temp controller from BREWHA and the electronic power controller I could use the heating element to add heat during fermentation. Nathan has advised to run the element at 2% heat input in order to avoid scorching the yeast.
I am on a photo on Nathan's website, pouring grain in the colander. And was "featured" on Nathan's website for having a problem with scorching during mash/boil. I pointed out to Nathan the issue, and another person sent a photo of his scorched element.
It's fun brewing with the BIAC. Although I have nothing to compare it to. Never used buckets, etc.
- Ron8
JB_Brewing2
Well-Known Member
I did the bucket thing...20 years ago, then went to three vessels before dropping out of brewing for over a decade. The BIAC enticed me to return to brewing and haven't regretted it.
I have the ETC from Nathan and am considering an upgrade to a PID controlled system. I get too much variation (plus/minus 3F) in temperature (hysteresis) with the ETC. I do use the heating element through the power controller and have had no scorching at 3%. Seem to recall some gentlemen on this thread using a better temperature control system. Maybe one of them will chime in to advise. Were I to do it all over again, I wouldn't buy the ETC and seek another alternative to the power controller.
-jb
I built my own control panel which features a BCS-460 for temp control. It handles pretty much everything I need... mash, boil, chill, fermentation... even did a kettle sour via PID control that turned out awesome. Here's the link to the post with some details on how I've got it set up: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=7900245&postcount=991
I bet if I ever wanted to, I could add up to three more BIACs or fermenters to the system and use the same controller. Could only power one heating element at a time, though.
cheers
Re your comments about the ETC and the power controller, I would like to have the dual temp control the new ETC Nathan is selling, but don't want to spend what it takes to get the digital power controller.
I have given some thought to experimenting with my analog power controller, which Nathan was packaging with the medium BIAC in November 2014 when I placed my order. Want to be able to use the element to add heat when needed during fermentation.
I would have to learn a lot more about electronic devices in order to find an alternative to the power control box. I noticed the post by Jubalon, read his post explaining the system, but I don't have the fundamental electronics knowledge to get it.
Thanks for your post. I'll try to stay in touch to see how your experiences with the BIAC are going.
Ron8
I have given some thought to experimenting with my analog power controller, which Nathan was packaging with the medium BIAC in November 2014 when I placed my order. Want to be able to use the element to add heat when needed during fermentation.
I would have to learn a lot more about electronic devices in order to find an alternative to the power control box. I noticed the post by Jubalon, read his post explaining the system, but I don't have the fundamental electronics knowledge to get it.
Thanks for your post. I'll try to stay in touch to see how your experiences with the BIAC are going.
Ron8
Nathan sells a great system that incorporates a power controller and a non-glycol chiller. I purchased the entire system and I have to say that it works great. If you decide to only purchase the partial system like Ron8 has decided to do, then it is almost impossible to replicate what Nathan had envisioned the way the system is supposed to operate. Lets face it, Nathans system is expensive and is not accessible to the the average home-brewer. I have ...almost...complete control over the temperature throughout the brewing process with as little as pushing a few buttons on my temperature controller. You will be amazed at how great the system is once you actually have the power controller and chiller to do all the work for you.
Hello, a general question for Brewha users;
How is the experience of brewing smaller batches than than the system is designed for? I'm thinking about starting with a 5BBL for a small brewery and brewing smaller batches for the beginning or off season / quiet times.
I guess the question is how small a batch have you been able to make comfortably in relation to the size of your system and what are the things to be aware of (I guess that taking care that the water level doesnt drop below the elements during sparge is a big one)
Thanks for any feedback about this..
How is the experience of brewing smaller batches than than the system is designed for? I'm thinking about starting with a 5BBL for a small brewery and brewing smaller batches for the beginning or off season / quiet times.
I guess the question is how small a batch have you been able to make comfortably in relation to the size of your system and what are the things to be aware of (I guess that taking care that the water level doesnt drop below the elements during sparge is a big one)
Thanks for any feedback about this..
As you mention, keeping the level above the element is a major concern, but I would say that the limiting factor for batch size is the dead space under the mash colander. The large volume under the colander means that you start to run into mash thickness issues with small batches.
I've got the medium BIAC (1/2BBL) and find that 5.3-6 gallons (about 1/3 capacity) is about the smallest I can go when using the colander depending on the wort gravity I'm after. Compounding this is that at higher gravities the efficiency drops, requiring more grain and an even thicker mash. I'm not sure if that translates to the larger systems. You'd need to ask Nathan @ BREWHA for that info.
Hello Hgearle,
Thanks for your insightful comment. I agree, not having a chiller is certainly a disadvantage for quickly cooling post boil.
If you have the dial type power controller, have you ever thought about attempting to use it at a very low input in order to add heat when needed during fermentation?
I have given that much thought recently. Haven't tried it yet, however.
I was thinking of purchasing Nathan's dual temp controller and using it to power the analog controller and the pump for circulating cold water in the jacket.
Concerning digital control vs. analog power control on the unit shipped with my BIAC in Nov. 2014, I have been trying to learn if there is some way of just replacing the analog dial device with a digital controller. It is hard to find an answer to that. Do you, or any one else out there, know how that would be done, if it is even possible. I have seen a lot of videos and comments here about digital control, PIDs, solid state relays, pulse width modulation, and on. But haven't run across anything specific to my question. The BIAC power controller is too custom I guess for there to be much written about it.
By the way, a little off topic: My home made chiller is city water running through a coiled garden hose in an ice water bath then into the jacket. In April 2017 in Charlotte, NC, this cools wort to 80F in about 45 minutes. I switch to circulating cold water bath, around 38 F for final cooling to 68 F in ~20 minutes. After that cooling continues down a few more degrees in the half hour to hour it takes to do final steps before closing up the fermenter (dump trub, taking OG reading, pitch yeast starter, add yeast nutrient, sanitizing lid, connecting air lock).
Thanks again for your helpful comments.
- Ron8
Hello Mdime,
Likewise, I have the medium BIAC, optimized for 10 gallon batches. I brewed two 5 gallon batches of a high gravity Belgian golden strong ale. I recall having lengthy back and forth emails about your question with Nathan before I decided on the medium instead of the small. The small is very limiting. I wanted to be able to brew 10 gallon batches and that was not going to be possible with the small. You can brew as high as 12 gallons in the medium BIAC if you are brewing so called session styles. I hope this is relevant to your question.
- Ron8
Hello Solstice Brewing,
Thanks very much for your comments. If I could just ask for clarification, what reading do you set the dial controller at during fermentation, and in the case of when ramping up for diacetyl rest with lagers?
I almost missed reading this, and my apologies for not replying back sooner. Thanks very much for sharing that.
- Ron8
From what I've seen of the analog power controller in Nathan's videos it looks interchangeable with the digital one. Both have sockets to plug the heating element into with dials to adjust the output power, and a signal power cord that either plugs into an outlet (for manual control) or plugs into the temperature controller (for automated control). The main difference is how the power is regulated internally.
While the boxes themselves are custom to the BIAC, there's nothing special about what they do or how they provide power to the element. Any power controller designed to supply power to a 220V element would work. In fact, I have a controller from Brew-Boss which is app-controlled and provides some automation and it works great with the BIAC.
That said, I did notice an older power controller in one of his videos that looked to be mounted directly to the heating element at the tri-clamp. That doesn't look interchangeable but without seeing it it's hard to tell for sure.
Yes, however I have the Electronic Temp Controller. I have set the power controller to 3% to hold the temperature just above the temperature in my basement (ie. 67F in the basement and I want to hold a fermentation temp of 70F). The Electronic Temperature Controller is a great piece of equipment.
The chiller is an expensive piece of equipment, but to me it is a necessity to hold fermentation temps with little thought or attention. I, too, use city water to cool all the way to pitching temps (cold water from Lake Michigan year round), then hook the BIAC to the chiller.
- Ron8[/QUOTE]
Looking at the picture you posted of your system, I see that you have 2 ball valves on the top of your lid. Why would you need any valves there? I have never seen the need, but would like to know if I'm missing something.
Also, I noticed that you are using a small cup for the blow off tube. The way my DIPA is bubbling away right now it would blow the water right out of that cup!
I have the original analog controller and use it during fermentation all the time when brewing my Berliner Weisse.
Turn the dial back to about 1/3 power, plug the element control into the Ranco, and use the Ranco to control the on/off of the element.
Turn the dial back to about 1/3 power, plug the element control into the Ranco, and use the Ranco to control the on/off of the element.
Solstice-Brewing
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Howdy and no worries, my original reply was MONTHS later than your original question
For my medium system, I set my controller to 1% and that seems to do the job of holding the temps steady with no signs of scorching on the heating element post kegging. I might bump this up to 2% when ramping up, but that's not always necessary unless I want to have the temps rise quickly. I've got the entire fermenter within a 2" foam box to stabilize the air temps around it, so the heating element doesn't come on that often - even in the dead of winter (fermenter and box are in an unheated, but insulated garage).
As for wort chilling, I have a similar set up with hose water run through the jacket for part one of my chiller. In the winter, water temps are about 56F, so I just run it straight in. In the summer, water is more like 75-80F, so I run the hose to an immersion chiller in a 10 gal jug full of ice water. Part two of the chiller is to recirculate from the bottom of the conical back to the racking port with a 90 degree racking arm attached. This allows a number of things: a) it keeps the hot wort moving against the cool water jacket GREATLY reducing chilling time - very important. It also allows you to add gadgets between the pump and the racking port like a plate chiller. I've got a therminator inline with this system and run the same water from either the hose or the pre-chiller (via a wye connector) through the plates. Just cooled a Russian Imperial Stout this weekend from boiling to 66F in 14 minutes (granted, boiling at my elevation is about 198F). When I have a large hop load, I'll put a Hop Rocket in front of the plate chiller with either some rice hulls or some leaf hops to act as a filter to keep the break and veggies out of my therminator.
Hope this helps
Looking at the picture you posted of your system, I see that you have 2 ball valves on the top of your lid. Why would you need any valves there? I have never seen the need, but would like to know if I'm missing something.
Also, I noticed that you are using a small cup for the blow off tube. The way my DIPA is bubbling away right now it would blow the water right out of that cup![/QUOTE]
Hi Hgearle,
Thank you very much for your comments about the power controller.
So it seems possible to replace the analog dial type power controller (potentiometer) with one that gives a % readout (digital?). I understand the pot will not control precisely enough to assure a 3% setting will really be 3%. True?
I have read on BREWHA site where it is VERY IMPORTANT to avoid going too high in power input (voltage input) during fermentation so yeast is not scorched.
Blowoff tube/cup. Works well, even during rapid fermentation, even with uncontrolled ferm temp, even above 75 F, poor technique, but I have done it, and it does not blow out the air lock. 50 starsan / 50 water.
Valves on lid. Valve on air lock so that when racking I can close it without having to remove the air lock. I use CO2 to push beer out the cone mounted racking port.
Valve on the other lid port is there to close while removing the pressure vacuum relief valve (PVRV), then attach a CO2 keg post for delivering CO2 to push beer out the racking port. Both ball valves are open during fermentation. The PVRV is a valuable safety feature to protect the medium BIAC from deformation in case of a major unplanned cooling event sucking in the inner wall of the vessel. Somebody on this thread had bad luck one time and sucked his vessel in. Expensive situation.
Hi Ron8...I have never used an analog controller so I cannot answer the 3% question. I used 3% power on the electronic controller and it worked well, but the next time I need to do this I will try 1 or 2 % as a previous post said they use 1%. (This is in reference to holding a fermentation temperature with the electric heating probe in the BIAC using the electronic power controller).
******Update**** Just increased the temp in my medium BIAC by using 1% power and it took 1 hour to raise the temp almost 2 degrees F. So, in the future I will use 1% power to increase and hold a higher temp.********
Valves on the lid....Once my pressure relief valve is on the lid it stays there until I take the top off to clean it. I would not pressurize the vessel unless that valve was on the opposite inlet port on the lid top. When I am ready to rack the beer to kegs, I remove the blow-off tube momentarily and connect the co2 keg post. I use less than 3 psi to push the beer out.
The picture shows how my system sits during fermentation and is currently sitting at 36F to cold crash for a few days before adding gelatin. I have since elevated the chiller as I was having flow-back water issues into the overflow bucket. Elevating the chiller resolved the issue.
I tried several times to rotate the pic without luck. Can someone tell me how to do it?
Hi Solstice Brewing,Howdy and no worries, my original reply was MONTHS later than your original question
For my medium system, I set my controller to 1% and that seems to do the job of holding the temps steady with no signs of scorching on the heating element post kegging. I might bump this up to 2% when ramping up, but that's not always necessary unless I want to have the temps rise quickly. I've got the entire fermenter within a 2" foam box to stabilize the air temps around it, so the heating element doesn't come on that often - even in the dead of winter (fermenter and box are in an unheated, but insulated garage).
As for wort chilling, I have a similar set up with hose water run through the jacket for part one of my chiller. In the winter, water temps are about 56F, so I just run it straight in. In the summer, water is more like 75-80F, so I run the hose to an immersion chiller in a 10 gal jug full of ice water. Part two of the chiller is to recirculate from the bottom of the conical back to the racking port with a 90 degree racking arm attached. This allows a number of things: a) it keeps the hot wort moving against the cool water jacket GREATLY reducing chilling time - very important. It also allows you to add gadgets between the pump and the racking port like a plate chiller. I've got a therminator inline with this system and run the same water from either the hose or the pre-chiller (via a wye connector) through the plates. Just cooled a Russian Imperial Stout this weekend from boiling to 66F in 14 minutes (granted, boiling at my elevation is about 198F). When I have a large hop load, I'll put a Hop Rocket in front of the plate chiller with either some rice hulls or some leaf hops to act as a filter to keep the break and veggies out of my therminator.
Hope this helps
Yeah, I like your foam box idea. Any photos?
Circulating the wort during cooling is something I haven’t thought of. I don’t circulate wort anytime. The first time I brewed with the BIAC I had major plugging in the pump during mash. So, I do not circulate ever. I know my efficiency would be better if I did, but just don’t bother. Also avoids having to clean out the pump and tubing. I may change mind in the future. 14 minutes to cool wort surely is a great goal to shoot for. Is that for 10 gallons?
Maybe some time you could share photos of your immersion chiller and terminator in action.
Thanks for your comments and help.
Ron8
Solstice-Brewing
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Here are a few pics:
First, the fermentation chamber (BIAC inside). The AC unit is hot-wired so that the fan and AC come on high when power is applied. This was a cheap workaround to make the system work like a cool-bot - but <$300
. Also note that the cool side of the temp controller has cheap light timer that only allows the AC unit to come on for 2 out of every 3 hours to avoid icing up. Again, a cool-bot will do this as well, but costs a bit more.This is the inside of the ferm chamber - Fermentation is about done, just doing a diacetyl rest on the RIS. The vacuum relief valve is on the other port behind the blow-off pot.
Here's the plumbing system for the whirlpool/chilling cycle.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=399591&stc=1&d=1494201512
And last - my water collector. I catch the the water from the jacket and the plate chiller to use for clean up and watering the plants.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=399592&stc=1&d=1494201512
cheers
Thank you for the photos, Solstice.
I like your set up. I have thought more than once of creating an insulated room for the BIAC. I like the AC idea making it fully automatic. Although I have my cold water loop working pretty well now and am pretty happy with it.
Your insulated foam box ferm chamber on the other hand is something I have given a lot of thought to in the past. I’ve thought about just using lights as a heat source, or maybe an electric space heater.
How long have you been using this foam room setup?
I imagine you picked the smallest air conditioner you could find. Did you calculate the heat duty needed? What is the AC rating?
It looks like you bound the walls together with tape inside. Are you using any additional fasteners to hold the walls together?
Ron8
I like your set up. I have thought more than once of creating an insulated room for the BIAC. I like the AC idea making it fully automatic. Although I have my cold water loop working pretty well now and am pretty happy with it.
Your insulated foam box ferm chamber on the other hand is something I have given a lot of thought to in the past. I’ve thought about just using lights as a heat source, or maybe an electric space heater.
How long have you been using this foam room setup?
I imagine you picked the smallest air conditioner you could find. Did you calculate the heat duty needed? What is the AC rating?
It looks like you bound the walls together with tape inside. Are you using any additional fasteners to hold the walls together?
Ron8
Solstice-Brewing
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- Mar 12, 2015
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- 14
- Reaction score
- 11
Hi Ron8,
Using the jacket for cooling sounds great! I haven't worked that into the system yet, but if I ever end up with a glycol chiller, that will certainly be used. Might have to consider that if the AC unit goes out.
As for my chiller: no calculations went into the AC unit. I happened to have an old window AC unit that I no longer used on the house. Certainly don't need much as you're only chilling about 20 cubic feet. I've been using this for over a year now and brew about once every 3 weeks. I just got another fermenter, so I can brew more often. I plan on doubling the size of the fermentation chamber and always keep the AC on the cold side and build another temperature controller (STC1000) to either control a fern-wrap around the secondary fermenter, or to send power to a vented fan between the AC side chamber and the secondary chamber. That ought to allow me to control temps on both sides as long as the primary is cooler than the secondary. We'll see how that works.
As for the "structure" (using that term loosely): I used bamboo skewers and 3M metal tape on all the seams. Hasn't fallen apart yet. When I build the bigger system, I may frame this out to allow some more structure and proper doors. We'll see how much free time I end up with this summer.
On the road right now. I'll try to look up the AC unit rating when I get home in a couple weeks.
cheers,
Using the jacket for cooling sounds great! I haven't worked that into the system yet, but if I ever end up with a glycol chiller, that will certainly be used. Might have to consider that if the AC unit goes out.
As for my chiller: no calculations went into the AC unit. I happened to have an old window AC unit that I no longer used on the house. Certainly don't need much as you're only chilling about 20 cubic feet. I've been using this for over a year now and brew about once every 3 weeks. I just got another fermenter, so I can brew more often. I plan on doubling the size of the fermentation chamber and always keep the AC on the cold side and build another temperature controller (STC1000) to either control a fern-wrap around the secondary fermenter, or to send power to a vented fan between the AC side chamber and the secondary chamber. That ought to allow me to control temps on both sides as long as the primary is cooler than the secondary. We'll see how that works.
As for the "structure" (using that term loosely): I used bamboo skewers and 3M metal tape on all the seams. Hasn't fallen apart yet
. When I build the bigger system, I may frame this out to allow some more structure and proper doors. We'll see how much free time I end up with this summer.On the road right now. I'll try to look up the AC unit rating when I get home in a couple weeks.
cheers,
Solstice-Brewing
Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2015
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 11
Forgot to respond to this. First time I used the system, I doughed in and THEN turned on the pump - clog city. Ever since, I have the water recirculating as I dough in and the grain that makes it through the colander on the first stages of the mash generally get caught up the next go around and the pump doesn't clog any more. I make sure it's running while I stir the mash as well - about every 15 minutes to equilibriate the temperature in the mash colander and move some of the liquid move through the wort - getting more uniform wort for intermediate SG and pH readings.
Then, of course, running the pump while chilling keeps hot wort in contact with the relatively cool jacket. Physics wins again!!
Hi Solstice,Forgot to respond to this. First time I used the system, I doughed in and THEN turned on the pump - clog city. Ever since, I have the water recirculating as I dough in and the grain that makes it through the colander on the first stages of the mash generally get caught up the next go around and the pump doesn't clog any more. I make sure it's running while I stir the mash as well - about every 15 minutes to equilibriate the temperature in the mash colander and move some of the liquid move through the wort - getting more uniform wort for intermediate SG and pH readings.
Then, of course, running the pump while chilling keeps hot wort in contact with the relatively cool jacket. Physics wins again!!
I think I understand: running pump before dough in helps prevent a slug of packed-in malt from plugging the pump. If I get brave I may try it in the future.
And the benefit of moving the wort, circulating bottom to racking port, creates better heat transfer: Q = m(dot) x Cp x delta T. Where m(dot) is mass flow rate (pounds per second, or whatever units you want. So, the greater the flow rate the greater the heat transfer, Q, BTU/hr.
Encouraging, I may even decide to take up that habit.
- Ron8
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