Hunter's Basement E-Brewery Build

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Thanks for the headsup, definitely planning on putting down some insulating medium before I fire them for the first time. I just got the Blichs out of the box this evening to determine what the height of the hood was going to look like :)


A suggestion for insulation is to go to Home Depot and they have precut round lazy Susan pieces that just happen to be 17.5in in diameter, which are the same as your blichmann kettles. I used it on my build. Check my brewery build link for detail. Your build out looks really good so far. Nice job !
 
Envious of your ceiling height. Looks like considerable room. Are you doing HERMS?

The ceiling height isn't bad unfinished, so I can't really complain there.

I'll be doing the same HERMS design as the other 3-kettle breweries, with the 50ft stainless coil in the HLT to heat the mash. I ordered my HERMS coil from:

http://stainlessbrewing.3dcartstore...s-request-035-304304L-Coiled-Tubing_p_30.html

I got the 12.5" width with the standard bends to put on compression nipples and unfortunately, it's a bit large for my 15gal Blichs. I would recommend the next step down (even though it's taller) if you're trying to squeeze it in a 15g kettle. That being said, I do believe it will still work ok, I just needed to change to a lower profile compression fitting. The reason I was really trying to fit the larger diameter was so that during 6.5 gallon batch production, the coil would still be mostly submerged.

We'll see if it pays off!
 
A suggestion for insulation is to go to Home Depot and they have precut round lazy Susan pieces that just happen to be 17.5in in diameter, which are the same as your blichmann kettles. I used it on my build. Check my brewery build link for detail. Your build out looks really good so far. Nice job !

Thanks for the Kudos Kchrome, I checked out your build before I started mine and I was impressed with the transformation your space made. One thing I really liked was your custom vent hood solution, it seemed like it was easy to assemble (Relatively) and it looks like it works perfectly for the space.

I'll probably go looking for some of these lazy-susan pieces and stain them a dark black/brown color to throw under the pots. Great idea :D
 
Excellent build! I'm getting ready to build an E-Herms brewery using Kal's concepts and ebrewsupply.com's parts. I have been looking for an example panel using their kit for a long time now and your build just became my inspiration for the project. One thing I was wondering is what kind of VOLT/AMP meter you were using and how did you wire it up? I didn't see (our maybe I just overlooked it) a shunt in your box and thought about adding one like yours as a quick stop to Amazon revealed the cheaper price tag.
Thanks,
Jeff

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Home Brew mobile app
 
@Heffe53:

Thank you for the kind words, I noticed there weren't a ton of examples using the Ebrewsupply kit either, so I'm glad you have some inspiration. I ended up ordering the 220v/100a meter from Amazon for 18.95. If you shop around on ebay, you can find them for about 10, but then you have to wait for delivery from China-- and if it's defective returning can be a hassle.

Here's the Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EC849VM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Regarding wiring it up, it actually uses a small circular inductive current probe which I have wrapped around the red leg of the 220v input from the plug... If you look really closely, you can see the black probe and two wire ties holding it in place on the wire on the right side.

The power for the unit, and the method by which it reads the voltage is the same, a small wire that runs to each side of the 220v input. I used some fine wire to run this to the terminal blocks for the two buses.

The biggest downside to the meter was that it uses really fine wiring and the leads included in the package are only about 3" long. To remedy that, I simply attached some similar gauge wire and heatshrinked the soldered extension. Works great, I haven't tested it with the elements on, but I'm seeing amp draw which appears quite accurate with my pumps.
 
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Dang wish I would have waited a day or two longer to see this post. I ordered the same ammeter off ebay from china for only $2 less. Not that I'm pressed for time but that's free 2 day shipping as a prime member from Amazon. Well worth the extra $2 in my book.
 
Thanks for the info Hunter. I made the plunge and ordered everything today for the panel (to include the meter you linked), HERMS coil, false bottom, all valves and fittings, temperature probes, all three PIDs, and all tubing and Camlocks. The only thing I need to get now is an enclosure (EBrewSupply was out of stock). I am going to check out some of the local electrical wholesalers tomorrow then as soon as it all gets here my epic build will be underway.
 
A quick update on the state of things!

I'm working on getting quotes from a few places on Vent Hoods right now. The objective is to get something about 60" long (the length of the table with the kettles), 20" deep, and about 10-12" tall. I referred to the build that Kal used and it seems like it should fit the space. I've talked to a few fab shops, but haven't found the right numbers yet on this.

In the interim, I built one of the three temperature probes yesterday night. I actually bought the probe kit from The Electric Breweries store, with the expandable braided sleeving, the probe quick disconnects, and all the necessary parts to assemble. My first probe went together ok, but I did find that the braided sleeving is a REAL BEAR to work with at such lengths. I made some slight changes to the design that Kal used on his, but I'm happy enough with the first one. Two left to build!

On the Kettle front, I have been really hesitant to drill my kettles, although I know it needs to be done. I expect that once the probes are wrapped up, I'll get to work on the kettles and element construction.

Last, I need to get my 120v GFCI Breaker in the main panel. This breaker is for all of the 120v standard outlets in the brewery, used by the kegerator, the fermenter heater, the lights, etc.

Stay tuned, more REAL updates forthcoming with the weekend.
 
Well, good news, I found a local shop that will be fabbing up the vent hood at a reasonable price, so that is on order. I expect that should be ready in about a week, so in the interim, I worked on putting together another one of the probe cables AND installed some lighting.

Started with an 8ft section of track and cut it in half to mount the two sections over the brew area, and then another over the cleaning area:
ebrewery_112.jpg


Wired up a switch since the previous light was just a simple pull-cord base light.
ebrewery_113.jpg


First section lit up. I used 3 LED Spots for each of the Kettles, and 2 CFLs of matching color temperature for fill light:
ebrewery_114.jpg


Second Section up and Lit, using 2 larger CFLs and 1 Fill CFL in the center:
ebrewery_115.jpg


The Area Lit:
ebrewery_116.jpg


And, last I got another one of the probe cables together. Just one to finish and then I'll have the temperature probes ready to install into the fitted kettles!
ebrewery_117.jpg


More to come in the next couple of days. I expect the Vent-Hood might be done by this coming weekend, which would be a major step towards finishing the brew-space!
 
If you don't mind me asking, what is the hood going to cost? I have mine made from foam board and want to do it right. Thanks.
 
That's an great price, and an excellent idea to check fab shops. I started looking for a full sized hood with drain online and couldn't find one for less than 1200, except at places that looked shady. I will check shops around me to see what I can find. To pick your brain, is there a reason not to go with something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00146KBT4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The bling factor is obviously gone, but it should move enough air at ~450CFM, and is cheaper at ~$420. I'm sorry, I don't mean to hijack your thread at all, it just looks like you've done your homework and would have a valuable opinion.
 
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Hunter,

Really nice build thread.
Looks great ! Very Very nice !
I can't wait to start mine.

Do you have any concerns about the ceiling - the actual first floor joists - from water vapor ?
Or do you think your fan & hood will keep enough water vaopr away from the wood ?

And do you have a plan to vent in 'clean outside air' to make up for the air you are moving out with the steam vapor ?

Keep up the good work ! When do you think you will be brewing in the basment ?

Steve
 
@steve

Thanks for the kudos! I don't think the steam should cause any trouble with the open joists. If I were going for a small/make shift condensate hood I might have more concerns, but I've got a 460cfm blower and a 60x20 Vent Hood on order that should completely evacuate the damp air. The vent hood is actually the same size as the brew table, so all 3 pots will be served when I flip it on.

I do have a make up air vent running in the end of the brewery (over the sink area). This is simply a vent line that is open to the outside and should allow air to replace the steam evacuated by the hood.

I'm hoping to have my first brew day in Mid-February at the current pace of assembly. I got confirmation that the hood parts were on order today, but that doesn't take into account the Fab time.
 
Hunter do you have a damper on the vent line? How big is it? Is your brewing space sealed off from the rest of your basement? I will ask HVAC guy on Wednesday about a makeup air vent as I continue to waffle on the installation of one. It gets cold here so definitely would need a damper.
 
@Roadie

Good question, I do NOT have a damper installed in my make-up air vent. If I stand under it on a cool day, I can feel that cool air coming into the brewspace. It also serves as a continual vent for my two natural gas fired appliances down in the same area (Furnace/Hot Water Heater) so I'm not sure (in my case) that it would be wise to close it off.

The brew space right now is open to the rest of the basement. Eventually I would like to build a wall on the kettle end of the space which closes it off to the front/recreational part of our basement space.
 
That's an great price, and an excellent idea to check fab shops. I started looking for a full sized hood with drain online and couldn't find one for less than 1200, except at places that looked shady. I will check shops around me to see what I can find. To pick your brain, is there a reason not to go with something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00146KBT4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The bling factor is obviously gone, but it should move enough air at ~450CFM, and is cheaper at ~$420. I'm sorry, I don't mean to hijack your thread at all, it just looks like you've done your homework and would have a valuable opinion.

Sorry Setesh, missed your post.

To answer, if you do go that route I'd go for a bit larger hood unless you're planning on reconfiguring the kettles. Theoretically, you could put your HLT and Boil kettle next to each other and those would be the main generators of steam (the Mash Tun shouldn't be a major steam source, from my reading). That way, you could probably make a 40" hood work pretty well.

With that being said, the amazon link you provided seems to have a 42" option for only 10 dollars more (419.00) I think that could be a very viable alternative if you don't find a fab shop to build it for you custom.

The steam hood seems like a place where you can come up with a lot of great working solutions. Doesn't have to be Stainless Steel to do the job, I've browsed a couple of threads on here and looked at FRP Built hoods, wood frame/foam hoods, and bowl hoods. All could work, just a matter of your budget.
 
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Hunter,
I'm sure you answered this, but I couldn't find it in this thread.
1. Which PIDs? Are these the Auber 2352?
2. Which Thermometer? I've been thinking thru a SSVR-based controller (no PID in 1st iteration), but it would be nice to be able to monitor the temps. With no element in your MT, of course you don't need a PID, but it's great that you've included a means to monitor the temp in your mashtun.

Thanks,
Keith
 
@Keith

I used the SYL-2352's from auberins.com for my PIDS (Boil, HLT)
and I chose the smaller SYL-1512A for the thermometer probe.

Realistically, the SYL-1512 can still perform as a less complex PID, but knowing that the Tun didn't require control of the element, I saved myself a few dollars.
 
Just a quick update from this evening. I finished building all 3 of the probe cables, and finally assembled all of the process/transfer hoses.

I chose blue cable sleeving for all of my cables, I figured this way, they're interchangeable if I disconnect them and move them around. I will likely flag them with the label maker with a unique identifier on the panel end just for clarity once I set everything up.

ebrewery_118.jpg


And, I fitted all the camlocks to the hoses this evening. I made 4x 4ft lengths and 1x 6ft like the Electric Brewery Page suggested, but I also made 1x 6ft with a camlock male barb on one end, which will allow me to attach to the water filter while filling the HLT.

ebrewery_119.jpg
 
@Keith

I used the SYL-2352's from auberins.com for my PIDS (Boil, HLT)
and I chose the smaller SYL-1512A for the thermometer probe.

Thank you, Hunter. I'm going to study your build of your "space" more carefully. I have an unfinished area of appr 14' x 42' at the end of my basement (remainder of basement is finished). The rear end has a single garage door. I hope to install my pipe organ into the front 16 - 18 ft. In the remainder, I want to put the brew area along one wall and workshop along the opposite.

Most of one long wall is out of ground with 4 windows, but I do have about 30 linear feet of poured concrete around the front end which is below grade. I wish to insulate that area. It's quite dry, so I don't know if I will need the foam board you used or not. I don't think there is any between the concrete wall and the treated studs in the other finished part of the basement.

Thanks, again, for the answer. I look forward to following your build further.
Keith
 
So I gotta ask. What's your estimated total cost for this project. I'm about to move into a house that would have the perfect space for something like this :) . the wife might think otherwise though ^^
 
Thanks for the kudos guys. Hard to tell what I have into it money wise, I'd estimate 4-5k for the brewing setup. Finishing the area cost me materials and time, so that adds up in other ways. It's been really cool to build.

Good news on that front, the Vent Hood was supposed to be finished today (way ahead of schedule). Unfortunately, the fab shop is quite a ways away, so I may not be able to pick it up until the end of the week. I am planning on getting it installed this weekend though!
 
Sweet, sooner is better! My hood was connected today. Found out my fan speed controller doesn't work (only on high not other two slower settings) so I'll have to install/try another.
 
As I am still gathering parts to start my build I have a question. Why did you build the probe cables instead of getting the pre-built ones from Auber? The price difference seems to be a wash. BTW the cables you made look great.
 
@Docubruw

I went with the KIT from Kal's website: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/custom-temperature-probes

After assembling all 3, it was one of my least favorite tasks of the build so far. If money is no object, I'd actually strongly recommend buying them fully assembled. Using the expandable sleeving was a huge pain.

Ahh ok. When I ordered my PIDs and temp probes I upgraded to the deluxe cables.
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_15&products_id=249

Your panel is almost exactly what I have planned to build. If I remember right you mentioned you didn't use a schematic?

Did you use any fuses to protect your PIDs?

Sorry for all the questions. Really enjoying your build.
 
Deluxe cable looks very nice as well, I think you made a wise choice.


The 120v (B) leg in my panel (affectionately referred to as the B leg) is on a 15amp circuit breaker. I did not fuse the pids individually, no. I'm not sure I saw the reasoning behind needing the 7amp fuse that Kal built into his, but the panel design he used is quite different (relative) to how I built mine.

I did use ebrewsupplies schematic as my starting point, but I made changes I thought were more logical to protecting the panel and incorporated a 3rd 'pid' (the thermometer) which was not on the schematic. I should probably do an updated schematic with my design and submit it for critique as I'm sure SOMEONE would love to find the faults in mine!
 
I'd loved to see the schematic. Not to critique but to follow lol. I am going to start ordering my parts soon.
 
I'd loved to see the schematic. Not to critique but to follow lol. I am going to start ordering my parts soon.

I second this. All my panel parts are on my front porch right now and I'll be starting the build this weekend. I already have the heating elements built and the panel sealed. Just have to get to the wiring poetion....
 
Deluxe cable looks very nice as well, I think you made a wise choice.


The 120v (B) leg in my panel (affectionately referred to as the B leg) is on a 15amp circuit breaker. I did not fuse the pids individually, no. I'm not sure I saw the reasoning behind needing the 7amp fuse that Kal built into his, but the panel design he used is quite different (relative) to how I built mine.

I did use ebrewsupplies schematic as my starting point, but I made changes I thought were more logical to protecting the panel and incorporated a 3rd 'pid' (the thermometer) which was not on the schematic. I should probably do an updated schematic with my design and submit it for critique as I'm sure SOMEONE would love to find the faults in mine!


I believe Kal put in the fuse to protect all the 14AWG wire, probably the same reason you have that 15amp breaker, in his design 7amp is plenty, the 120v stuff doesn't draw much current, and inline fuse holders are cheap.

BTW I used the Deluxe cable as well, and I have no complaints. It does what it's supposed to and I didn't have to do any soldering, other than fixing a wire I accidentally broke off a pin on the panel connector.
 
BTW I used the Deluxe cable as well, and I have no complaints. It does what it's supposed to and I didn't have to do any soldering, other than fixing a wire I accidentally broke off a pin on the panel connector.

Does the deluxe cable include the panel connector, or do you have to buy a panel connector separately? I didn't see a separate panel connector on Auber's site, so I assumed that the cable include the connector. I hope I'm right!
 
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