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I can't speak for batch sparging since I've always done fly sparging. For me, I've always gotten 75-80% efficiency using a cooker mashtun. I feel the critical variables are a slow sparge(~5min/gallon collecting in the Bk), and a vigorous boil, so you can collect more in the bk from sparge, lose...

Remember, With the 5500w element you will need access to 240v to reach that wattage. Depending on if your brewing area already has access to a 240v outlet (dryer or range), you will have to run the wiring, which can be several dollars a foot and adds up fast. Off the top of my head I don't...

The BobbyM style heat shield is exactly what I have protecting my heating element cable from the flames. I also wrapped the thing in flame retardant cloth and heat shield covering about a foot out of the kettle, both from McMastercarr. Probably overkill, but I'm uninterested in dancing with...

Not sure why eBrewing would effect your efficiency. To me, the most important factors aside from mixing the heck out of the mash at dough in to ensure no dough balls and a nice mixture are. 1. Slow sparge and 2. vigorous boil. My sparges typically take ~75 minutes to get about 12.2-12.5...

In reply to the first post, the Brew Magic does actually use an electric element to maintain the mash temperature as a RIMS set up. Rather than the wort being pumped through a coil in the HLT, it goes through a tube with the heating element in it. They use a dinky element that runs off 120v so...

Just did the light bulb test. I didn't bother digging out a 9 volt battery from the closet, just wired in a lamp through the SSR with all power off. As expected, the light worked, so I'm concluding the SSR is indeed fried closed. Ordering a new one now. My built in digital ammeter also...

Just got home and per PJ unhooked the ssr and checked the element output. I get 1 volt across hots, 120 from 1 leg to neutral and 55 from the leg that was going through the ssr to neutral. The first two make sense to me, but I don't understand why I would get 55 from between the neutral and the...

Good call. I'll double check when I skip out of work early this Friday afternoon... ;) not like I'm getting mug done here with my brewery on the verge of completion.

Even leaky, should I be getting 240v by measuring the output from the ssr with one probe and the other leg out of the power in? I assume not if the ssr isn't being triggered closed.... I guess I'll try the light test, but it will require me to do some additionally wiring for it all. Seems to...

Looking for someone with a working ssr to measure resistance across the switch both when the control panel is off and when there is no input signal from the PID. I think mine is fried from a direct fault since there is constant current flowing through it with or without PID signal (which...

I'm interested to hear about readings from the ir gun on the surrounding area. I am nearly finished building a hybrid rig exactly like this and was also planning to heat both strike water in the bk and herms/sparge water in the hlt simultaneously with nat gas and then mash with the hlt run with...

I'd sanitize some foil and semi-loosely put over the top. All you really want to do is keep ambient dust and crap from falling in while allowing co2 to escape. The co2 will find its way out no problem. Two things to keep in mind: 1. Watch out for condensation outside the bottles but underneath...

Don't worry, there are billions if yeast cells swarming your fermentor by now.

I'm finally starting to build a proper rig. Went over tentative plans with my grandfather this weekend (formerly ran gas and water utilities for the small town he lives in). He wondered why I would not just use a water heater as my HLT, being it is what it is already designed to do (keep a...

And by doing this, what is the average time to peak fermentation, at which you make the stocks? I assume there is tremendous variability in different strains.... Thanks for the info!

How vigorous do you spin the stir bar? Do you keep a vortex going overnight while it ferments?

Just discovered this little forum. I've been brewing for about 4 years, and seems to me to be a serious shortage of good local beers in GA. (There certainly are a couple, but it is dry 'round here). Can anyone convince me of a reason to stay in Grad school and not drop out to start a brewery...