Recent content by at3brew9

Same as the others--no issues with my center inlet Chugger with a T and bleeder valve on the outlet side of the pump. I usually place a Pyrex measuring cup under the bleeder outlet, open the inlet valves and bleeder valve, and let it rip for a couple seconds. Never had any issues. I don't...

I've gathered the hardware for my electric setup over the past 6-7 years. Somewhere along the line, I found a 5500W "S" style element for my HLT that appears to have a magnesium anode built in to the element--see picture. I just don't remember where I got the element and haven't found any...

Latest incarnation using CFC for HERMS and post-boil cooling. Heating and bypass valves held over from previous design. Pulse meter and solenoid valve for accurate water dispensing is also nice. PLC control using a Siemens S7-200 controller and old OP-7 HMI.

Yes, you can run both your controller and a heating element from a single 120VAC circuit. You will need to determine what amperage your power circuit is (or can be). I would recommend at least a 20A circuit breaker, preferably the GFCI type. That circuit would require #12 AWG wiring. This...

I'd try to find an old "wall wart" style power supply that's rated at 12VDC output and at least 0.8 amps. Some likely sources are power supplies for old cordless phones, portable radios or CD/DVD players, or printers. I also doubt that your pump motor is dead--it's much more likely that the...

Well I searched the archives and found a bunch of discussion from 2009 on this topic. No one seems to have a definite answer on whether running the amylase enzymes through a heat exchanger and exposing them to 160+ degree temps for a short amount of time will denature them. The amount of time...

I'm looking to get some feedback from those of you who run a HERMS system. My system has evolved over the years. In the current design, I use one pump to circulate the MLT wort through one side of my CFC and another pump to circulate hot water from my HLT through the other side of the CFC to...

I'm a controls engineer for a consulting company. I fortunately get to do a lot of work for one of the big brewers (how can it be work if I get to deal with beer every day?) I've touched just about every brand of PLC over the years, but have the most experience with Allen-Bradley. My first...

I also think you'll have a tough time finding the RTD module for the LOGO. Searching ebay might be your best bet. My old system used both a Siemens LOGO and an Allen-Bradley PICO for control. I ended up cutting a hole in my panel and covering it with lexan to enable seeing the built in...

I have a similar system controlled by a PLC. My first brew on it I was similar to you--ended up running my 4500W BK element at 70% boiling 12-13 gallons. I throw in an additional 2000W heatstick during initial heating, but pull it out when it gets close to boiling. I have a HERMS coil in my...

h_c, Sorry, I understand what you were asking now. I've marked up your diagram a bit to reflect how it could be done, showing the neutral and ground bus connections. You would need to ensure that the 240VAC power source had a neutral wire also. You would need to size all wiring, connectors...

Yes, you can do that--that's exactly the way my rig is set up. I can run both 120VAC heatsticks and the 240VAC elements in my HLT and BK. Make sure that when you pull in the wires for 240VAC that you have 4 wires. US household power systems have two hot legs that are 180 degrees apart, a...

Bought the 1/2" pulse meter several years ago from Omega (they've gone up a lot since then): http://www.omega.com/pptst/FTB4600.html Paired it with a 1/2" solenoid valve from ebay. Wired the signal input to the PLC and used it to drive a counter. The meter gives 151.4 pulses/gallon--just...

Newly revamped panel for indoor brewing. PLC based using a Siemens S7-200 controller with DC input/output, 4-channel t/c, and 2-channel RTD modules, along with OP7 HMI. Also features Omega water meter for accurate filling and two 240VAC and two 120VAC receptacles controlled by SSRs for heating...