Recent content by shushikiary

Getting a stuck mash, from experience, is dependent on a lot more than just mash thickness. From years of brewing on my recirculating system with grain bills up to 30 lbs in a 1/2 barrel keg with a V screen false bottom and a 500 micron stainless steel filter over it, here's what I can tell...

The sensor I use compensates for local pressure because it has an inlet that DC biases the sensors output based on the pressure it reads, so in reality its 2 pressure sensors. 1 to measure ambient pressure and modify the DC level of the sensors output, and then the actual pressure sensor used to...

I havent seen any data correlating pump power input to flow rate so I cant comment on that. I suspect, that given the fact that AC motors like to run at a fairly constant RPM, and that the RPM will change with power input (how much? that's a very good question and I'd like to know) I think the...

The problem I see with many of the methods is that the density of the liquid changes (specific gravity) and thus weight, pressure due to height, even capacitance changes as gravity changes. On my brew troller setup I use the back pressure from the bottom of the vessel with air flowing...

Back in the days before they had those 3 way valves I put together a group order for the KLD ball valves from china, so those are what I use. The OCS guys (brew troller guys) used them for a little while but they switched vendors to something a little cheaper. I know the KLD 3 way's operate...

I have an automated fly sparge on my system. Its brew troller based and I wrote the code for brew troller to support it. Sadly the fastest PWM output I could get with the brew troller is 10hz because they didnt hook up the hardware counter timer output lines to the PWM control pins on the...

Torque. Remember that when you put a smaller pulley on the motor and a larger one on the mill it multiplies your torque. So if you have a 50 inch lbs motor that runs at 300 RPM and you gear it down so the mill is running at 100 RPM you just trippled the torque the mill sees. I've found that...

Wow... a post about code I wrote.... I wrote and currently use the PWM pump control on the steam output. I also wrote the pulsed input pump control for fly sparge, which I also use. If you PWM control a pump for fly sparge I HIGHLY suggest you use a peristaltic and not a centrifugal...

Here have fun: Open Source Control Systems :: Valves

Reporting back after 8 brew sessions. Swiched to a HEX from a RIMS though the RIMS tube still heats the hot water for the water side of the HEX, this solved the wort scorching issues and still lets me step mash. I switched to a sabco flase bottom to increase my area, and ran into a post...

They have to lower the voltage as the temp goes up especially if they have old transformers. Their transformers are oil submerged and as the temperature goes up their permittivity and permeability change and they are also more likely to break down and arc, so if they dont lower the voltage you...

The only con that I've run into so far is scorching wort in a RIMS tube, BUT I need to clarify on that with details most dont give. One, I was step mashing with it, and two it's a 4500 watt, and three I was running reduced flow rate to prevent bed compaction, four it is much more likely to...

Pulsing a resistor (element) wont damage it, and like already said SSR's are designed to be used like we are using them, just make sure to not get them hot, so buy over rated and heat sink and you'll have a long healthy SSR life span. As far as pulsing... If my system doesnt pulse then no...

The little oval plastic piece with two snap hooks on it? If yes to above the best way to get it back in is to pull out the cane, drop the piece in and then take a needle nose pair of pliers and put it in position so that one of the snap hooks is in the slot its supposed to be in. Then take a...

There is a very nice primer in the brewing science section for water additions. It's pretty simple, and the hardness isnt everything that matters, it's more the alkalinity and what makes up the hardness that is the real issue (they have a larger impact on mash ph). Here, it's just best to...