All Electric 2 Keggle brew rig

Well, I just got my all electric rig built up. It turns out to be pretty similar to the Brewtus 20, I guess, although I wasn't aware of it's existence when designing the thing.

It's a two keggle, one pump (insert joke here) kinda setup with PID and a single SSR controlling a 5500 watt heating element.

Done 3 batches so far (2 5-gallon and 1 10-gallon) and it's been a real pleasure! I have learned that, unlike my initial thoughts/theory, I want a third vessel to sparge into (rather than just sparging in to my BK/Hot liquor tun...so the old 5-gallon kettle does rather nicely for now.

Sorry that I don't have any ramp-up times for you all at this moment. I've just been training myself in it's quirks, of which there are few (I approve!).

It is completely different to be able to brew with this thing in relative auto-pilot and SWMBO not getting on me about "the smell" (which I think probably smells lots better than me some days...).

anyway, shutup and make with the pics...

http://picasaweb.google.com/FTLStrings/BarAndBrewRig#5451661613832091506

http://picasaweb.google.com/FTLStrings/BarAndBrewRig#5451661627415578882

more pics

http://picasaweb.google.com/FTLStrings/BarAndBrewRig#5451661630237520610

http://picasaweb.google.com/FTLStrings/BarAndBrewRig#5451662987801886386

and a few more

http://picasaweb.google.com/FTLStrings/BarAndBrewRig#5451662998143947602

http://picasaweb.google.com/FTLStrings/BarAndBrewRig#5451663015774805938

I'd be remiss if I didn't show off my cousin's metal work skills. He made a couple more male QD couplings to attach to some hose (for using the heat coil as a chilling coil at the end of the boil)

http://picasaweb.google.com/FTLStrings/BarAndBrewRig#5451662981331020338

Mike.

Nice rig! Got a simple question as I am working on my own ekeggle. How do you clean that seemingly permanent immersion chiller?

i like it. pretty similar to what i have bene planning.

Gunner, the inside gets gallons and gallons of water sent through it during chilling. The outside gets washed off after I transfer wort out of the BK. If more scrubby attention were needed access is easy through the top (we cut out some of the wires that were above the BK.

Mike.

Almost a year under this system's belt and it's running like a dream most of the time. Once we got our crush dialed in we've had no stuck recirculations or sparges. Learned that the heat element needed a little extra attention after each brew (read: scrubbing it down very well all over rather than just giving it a spray/soak and gentle scrub) to prevent buildup over time.

Moved it inside full-time now and it handles 5-11 gallon batches like a breeze. Can move from milling to clean in ~4 hrs. With a custom (cardboard, at the moment) hood and 1400 CFM fan from harbor freight it keeps most excess humidity and smell out of the basement and SWMBO upstairs never has a complaint.

Nice rig, buddy!

congrats!!!!

Thanks guys! It keeps the bar taps flowing!


~M~