My Sculpture was not created equal!
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mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
Not sure. I think I might have the wrong temp probes. Gonna try to solve that issue over the next couple days. I am still working long hours so its tuff to accomplish things at home.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
Got the probe issue worked out, and calibrated the controllers.
Not just need to flare a couple copper tubes for the burners, test and run a cleaning cycle then, I'M BREWING!
Not just need to flare a couple copper tubes for the burners, test and run a cleaning cycle then, I'M BREWING!
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
Damn. I gotta get a job as a pipe fitter and buy a kickA$$ tig welder so I can make 1 of these.
Thanks Stevo,
Its been a long road. Being a Pipefitter/Welder and having welding to do at home is comparable to being a painter whose house needs to be painted. I do it all day at work and then have to do it when I get home. Some days I really lack the motivation. At least at home my welds are not being x-rayed.
Heres a tig weld I made at the local neighborhood nuclear power plant.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
SO the first batch is fermenting. All went ok.
Had issues with one of my pumps wanting to cavitate.I fought that for a bit then it just stopped running all of a sudden, then came back on about a half hour later. The other pump ran like a champ. I will call Chugger and see what they say.
Also had trouble hitting the mash temp. I was getting readings from the low 140s on the controller up to the high 160s on a hand held digital probe depending where I measured. I know I need to get some thermal paste for the probes.
Had issues with one of my pumps wanting to cavitate.I fought that for a bit then it just stopped running all of a sudden, then came back on about a half hour later. The other pump ran like a champ. I will call Chugger and see what they say.
Also had trouble hitting the mash temp. I was getting readings from the low 140s on the controller up to the high 160s on a hand held digital probe depending where I measured. I know I need to get some thermal paste for the probes.
The workmanship is beautiful but I immediately wondered about the control panel blocking off being able to get to the mash tun for cleaning. Do you wheel the whole stand away from the wall when you use it?
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
I have a little stepstool that I stand on to stir the mash and look in the vessels. Cleaning was pretty easy. Just scooped out the old grain while the wort boiled, used a wet vac to suck out the little bit that I could not scoop, then rinsed the whole system with the reclaimed hot water from the chiller.
The whole brew day took about 5 1/2 hours.
chuggerpumps
Well-Known Member
Would love to get a Chugger on that rig...call me 800-810-1053...MIKE
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
Hi Mike,
I am currently running chuggers. I did my homework before I committed to the brand of pumps I was going to run. It came down to the customer service. I knew that at some point I would run into an issue and "chugger's" customer service was raved about.
As I posted yesterday I did have a problem with one of my...your...our, pumps. I thought it was cavitating, But no air would bleed out of the fittings when loosened. Then it just stopped running.
The second pump ran like a dream. Smooth, quite, no issues at all.
Yesterday I contacted Chugger through your website.this is the thread of e-mail;
Feedback - Customer Problems
Name :
Michael Denniston
Email :
Phone :
Urgent :
Urgent, please contact me right away.
How To Provide Technical Support :
I have two of you brewing pumps. They are configured the same on my brew stand. Yesterday I used them for the first time. One worked flawlessly, but the other one not so well. The pump squeeled really bad. I thought it was cavitating but there was no air in the system. The liquid temp was only 150. It seems like the impeller is sloppy, causing a vibration. The pump ran like this for about a minute then the motor stopped. It did come back on after about 15 minutes. Not sure if these issues are related or not.
CHUGGERS RESPONSE : (less then 10 minutes later!)
Send me your address we will send a replacement pump…which pump is it plastic or SS? Michael Caringi
Mike, You guys are awesome. I have no regrets about my decision to run chuggers. I highly recommend that anybody trying to decide which pumps to run to go with the chuggers. They offer value, great customer service, and top notch craftsmanship. These really are nice pumps!
Cheers Mike
RazzBarlow
Well-Known Member
Very nice build!
Welderbydaybrewerbynight
Well-Known Member
Thanks Stevo,
Its been a long road. Being a Pipefitter/Welder and having welding to do at home is comparable to being a painter whose house needs to be painted. I do it all day at work and then have to do it when I get home. Some days I really lack the motivation. At least at home my welds are not being x-rayed.
Heres a tig weld I made at the local neighborhood nuclear power plant.
Nice cap, good to see another pipefitter/welder on the site, I too run the power house shuffle. I know what you mean by not wanting to weld at home its a real pain when you have to buy your own argon, don't realize how much you use till your paying for it. Makes you watch that purge gas flow a little better though. Are you a UA brother? Also nice work on the rig.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
I am out of Local 230 in San Diego. Started apprenticeship in 1996 there.
Speaking of the purge, at work I let it scream, at home just crack the flow meter.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
Thanks Razz
Welderbydaybrewerbynight
Well-Known Member
I'm out of 166 Ft. Wayne IN working in town in a fab shop and plan on milking it out as long as I can. Started in the program in 2001. And when at work the purge is a humming
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
I was working on the BP in Whiting for a few months last year for AMS. Then it started to get cold (thats anything less than 50 in the daytime for us SoCal boys), then I headed home. Really enjoyed Threefloyds and Crown Point brewing while I was there.
Welderbydaybrewerbynight
Well-Known Member
Whiting is going hard right now as well good scale there to, next time your around that area try some darkhorse brews fairly close in MI. they have a great smoked stout. I also like threefloyds.
RazzBarlow
Well-Known Member
I have a question for you both, since you're professional welders (mikelikesit2000 and Welderbydaybrewerbynight).
Why is it that everyone seems to be using such large tubing for their brewstands? (You two included) Most of the stands seem to be overbuilt to me. 2 x 2 is an awful lot of steel! Hypothetically, if you were doing 15 gal batches and had HLT, Mash and Boil Kettle full, we're talking a total weight of less than 450 lbs including kettles.
I think I could park my car on top of some of these stands and roll it around the driveway.
/end threadjack
Why is it that everyone seems to be using such large tubing for their brewstands? (You two included) Most of the stands seem to be overbuilt to me. 2 x 2 is an awful lot of steel! Hypothetically, if you were doing 15 gal batches and had HLT, Mash and Boil Kettle full, we're talking a total weight of less than 450 lbs including kettles.
I think I could park my car on top of some of these stands and roll it around the driveway.
/end threadjack
Verloc5150
Member
Gorgeous looking sculpture. I'm green with envy, especially of all those nice pretty welds.
Sparky
Well-Known Member
Interested in what kind of (electrical) controls you have. I may have missed it in the past couple pages.
Good that you are not having your welds X-rayed at home. And, at least OSHA is not showing up in your driveway!
Good that you are not having your welds X-rayed at home. And, at least OSHA is not showing up in your driveway!
Welderbydaybrewerbynight
Well-Known Member
RazzBarlow said:
I can't speak for mike but I got all my steel for free, and 2 by 2 box tube was what was available. I also like working with it, 1" tube would be fine but I like the beefy look of it. Big steel, big pipe, big welds make me happy.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
I plan at some time to go to a 1 bbl system. So for me strength was a major consideration when I designed my stand.
For others, sure, 1" tube would be enough. But the smaller tube does look kind of funny with the bigger vessels on it. So the looks of the larger tube I think is preferred by many.
Also, It is easier to weld thicker material. It can be welded at a much higher amperage which makes for nicer welds.
IMHO
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
I am using ebay Chinese temp controllers. Right now they are only wired up for manual control, meaning I control when the pumps come on and when the burners come on.
I need to relocate the temp probes down to the drain ports to get a better "real time" temp as I recirculate before attempting to run the controllers in an "auto" mode.
I am actually enjoying brewing on my system right now, and learning the differences from what I was used to before. I have brewed 3 times in the last 4 weeks, and have now run out of room to store beer. This is a great problem to have. I, of course increased my consumption levels in order to combat this problem.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
Gorgeous looking sculpture. I'm green with envy, especially of all those nice pretty welds.
Thanks Verloc for the compliment.
autobaun70
Well-Known Member
I am using ebay Chinese temp controllers. Right now they are only wired up for manual control, meaning I control when the pumps come on and when the burners come on.
I need to relocate the temp probes down to the drain ports to get a better "real time" temp as I recirculate before attempting to run the controllers in an "auto" mode.
I am actually enjoying brewing on my system right now, and learning the differences from what I was used to before. I have brewed 3 times in the last 4 weeks, and have now run out of room to store beer. This is a great problem to have. I, of course increased my consumption levels in order to combat this problem.
what probes are you using? I like the idea of using these rather than the others that are out there just because I am familiar with them from my fermentation chamber, and the price can't be beat. I may even get a spare just to keep on the shelf.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
I ordered these probes on ebay. I tore out the sensors from the thermowells because they were the wrong type for the controllers. I then inserted the K-type probes that came with the controllers. I did use some heat paste in the wells for better heat transfer.
mikelikesit2000
Well-Known Member
So here is my latest upgrade to my brewery. This micro-RIMS setup consists of a 400w 120v heat cartridge that is 1/2"od installed into a custom made mini rims tube. The cartridge will be controlled by the temp controller in auto mode.
Primevci
Well-Known Member
Looks Great Mike. now i understand why your Detailing looks great looks like you take pride in everything you do...
Welderbydaybrewerbynight
Well-Known Member
You aren't up here at instructor training in Ann arbor by any chance are you?
Stealthcruiser
Well-Known Member
Kick Ass build, Brother............Bitchin'!
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