Kill-A-Watt Brewery Build Compilation

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

The Pol

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
11,390
Reaction score
117
The premise is a 2 vessel system, capable of 5-10 gallon batches. No sparge, but a Brutus 20 type recirculation process.

-Overall dimensions of 48" wide, 20" deep and 40" high.
-BK wattage: 9000W (30,717 BTUs)
-RIMS wattage: 9000W (30,717 BTUs) (Parts list on page 61)
Pumps: LG 3-MD-HC magnetic drive pumps (2x the flow of a March 809)
Control: BCS 460

It all starts somewhere:
CurrtentHardware.JPG


These are the new pumps (sold March 809's in photo):
P10306661.JPG
 
MLT needs the AutoSparge installed. The hole punch is a $25 Blichman option... in one of thier chosen locations. I did it for free, in my location, very easy process:

Locating the Hole:
P1030644.JPG

P1030642.JPG


Pilot:
P1030646.JPG


Deburred Hole:
P1030647.JPG


Installed:
MLT_Inside_Finished.JPG
 
The integrated, removeable chiller.

1/2" OD SS tubing
TriClamp mounted
Modified HD SS chiller from Midwest

Coil:
CoolingCoil.JPG


Coil with silly garden hose fittings removed:
P1030637.JPG


After (2) hours of re-rounding the tube ends, installing the compression fittings and bending the SS to line up the Tri's:
P1030639.JPG


P1030640.JPG
 
The BK required (5) holes to be properly located, drilled... then hours of assembly and leak tests.

15 gallon Boilermaker
(2) 4500W elements
Integrated Chiller
Recirculation fitting for chilling/"sparging"

Locating holes... (2) hours:
P1030656.JPG


P1030655.JPG


Leak Test photos:
P1030670.JPG


P1030669.JPG


P1030671.JPG
 
RIMS heater:

9000W (30,717 BTUs)
1-1/2" ID SS Pipe
Integrated drain

P1030672.JPG


P1030673.JPG


P1030674.JPG


RIMS done (need to add other element)
P1030698.JPG
 
Finished Kettles, RIMS heater 99% complete:

BK Interior FINISHED:
BK_Inside_Finished.JPG


MLT Interior FINISHED:
MLT_Inside_Finished.JPG


BK and MLT Exterior FINISHED:
P1030696.JPG


Finished Pump (LG 3-MD-HC)... both are identical.
Temp. reading at inlet
P1030697.JPG
 
Some electrical stuff is trickling in...

P1030729.JPG

P1030714.JPG


More stuff arrived, rig top... That is a high temp, charcoal colored nylon work surface to make the kettles POP. It is 48 x 24 x 1/4" thick
Showing Plumbing Panel too (the small SS panel in the center front)
P1030719.JPG

P1030722.JPG

P1030723.JPG

P1030724.JPG

P1030725.JPG
 
P1030726.JPG

P1030727.JPG


A couple more photos, starting to lay out the bays...

P1030732.JPG

P1030730.JPG


Pumps complete with 4" BCS temp probes.
P1030764.JPG


RIMS complete with 6" BCS temp probe.
P1030756.JPG
 
Drilling, assembling the top... what a chore.

After mounting the protected SS plate to the work top, I laid out the hole locations:
P1030771.JPG


After drilling pilots, used a hole saw to open up the back side to accomodate nipples that run to the valves and the hoses for the triclamp pump inlets:
P1030774.JPG


You can see here the different hole sizes, necessary to use the nipples to tighen the valves to the plumbing panel:
P1030775.JPG


After valve mount, you can see the nipples that will connect to the silicone plumbing:
P1030778.JPG


After mouting valves, here is what people will see. Valves are for the pump outlets, the holes are to accomodate the 1/2" barb Tri's that will have silicone hoses attached for the pump inlets:
P1030777.JPG


Wiring of SSRs
P1030796.JPG


BCS control and clean wiring
P1030800.JPG


Power distribution:
P1030797.JPG



Here is the rig, living and breathing on its own. The pulse of the system is clearly visible ;)



P1030822.JPG
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Excellent. (rubs hands together, Monty Burns-style)

By the way, I always appreciate these builds of yours. You've got a knack for thinking of some way to combine hot water and grain that others haven't tried before, and the discipline and engineering to see it through.

You've also got me switched to no-chill, and I've never been happier brewing.

Prost!
 
Everytime I come around the city bling, bling!

Awesome craftsmanship, Pol!
 
Excellent. (rubs hands together, Monty Burns-style)

By the way, I always appreciate these builds of yours. You've got a knack for thinking of some way to combine hot water and grain that others haven't tried before, and the discipline and engineering to see it through.

You've also got me switched to no-chill, and I've never been happier brewing.

Prost!

Wow, what a testimonial!

I apprecaite the comments guys, I do enjoy these builds and thinking of cool ways to make it all happen.

This is over the top, but that was the whole point after all, Brew Beast made great beer... there is more to this hobby than beer for me.
 
I see more places where you could have used tri-clamps........

You would Joshua... you would!

Updated the photos...

Added photos of completed RIMS heater and photo of completed pump config.
 
I think the build is outstanding. The engineering that has gone into it is enough to make an engineer proud, and to top it off, it almost qualifies as a work of art.

J
 
I think the build is outstanding. The engineering that has gone into it is enough to make an engineer proud, and to top it off, it almost qualifies as a work of art.

J


Oooh dont give it all away Joshua! :D

Enjoy your flight to DC, if the flight # starts with a 7, then you are on my plane
 
I am anxiously awaiting it's final configuration with bling-filtering sunglasses at the ready, so that I can look at it without scorching my retinas.
 
I am anxiously awaiting it's final configuration with bling-filtering sunglasses at the ready, so that I can look at it without scorching my retinas.

It is hard to photograph without proper lighting.
 
I gave nothing away; it is not my place.

When you get it all finished up, we should get together for a beer and I will bring up the photo gear and do some professional photos of it for you. Photographing anything shiny is very hard, and there is a whole lot of shiny there.

Thanks. No match on the flight numbers, mine starts with a 3. It should be a good flight if the aircraft ever shows up (good = I get there without impersonating a lawn dart).
 
I gave nothing away; it is not my place.

When you get it all finished up, we should get together for a beer and I will bring up the photo gear and do some professional photos of it for you. Photographing anything shiny is very hard, and there is a whole lot of shiny there.

Thanks. No match on the flight numbers, mine starts with a 3. It should be a good flight if the aircraft ever shows up (good = I get there without impersonating a lawn dart).


We will definately do that, Id love to get some professional looking photos of it when it is complete. It is always nice to have you over bro
 
Damn that looks expensive! I think I will have to do a lot of saving before I can do something like this.
 
Damn that looks expensive! I think I will have to do a lot of saving before I can do something like this.

The BK alone is now $940...

Most of the fabrication is complete, the rest is some simple wiring. Which is nice, I am tired of the heavy lifting.
 
Looking great. Good thread, it is nice to see it all in one place!!!

:mug:

Yah, and the place holders are a great idea, to keep the MEAT of the thread in one place, instead of being like... oh, the RIMS is on page 20, the BCS is on page 36... etc.

This way I can have the meat of the thread in one place, then we can discuss and I can post results from testing.
 
after putting my keggle system together and agonizing over details that would save a few dollars, I couldn't imagine punching holes in a 900$ blichman system. Must be nerve racking. You must have nerves of steel.
 
It helps to have sold his previous brew rig. A dual element RIMS? cool idea, this must be why you wanted high flow rates. Very Very shiny.....and no fire to soot it up.
-Ben
 
Punching 5 holes in a new Blichman was nerve racking... I admit.

Selling my previous system helps fund this build, also a blessed Xmas, also a little holiday bonus from the CEO and some other streams... it will be fully funded shortly.

I am moving much faster than I had thought I would really... The hardest part was building out the BK... that was hard.

Now I have my kettles, RIMS and pumps ready to intall on the stand, then I just have to wire up 10 SSRs to my BCS and such and it is done and ready to test.

I keep saying that the hard part is over... but I dont know. I do know that I have finished off (3) rolls of thread tape so far!
 
You can't make beer on that. It won't work. :D

Man, that thing is sweet, and I am green with envy. I laid awake last night thinking about what gear I can sell to get a single blichmann. Those things are the balls.
 
Back
Top