My Brutus 9 1/2

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WoodyBlue
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
422
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Location
Spencer County, KY
Well I am going for it.

I am building a Brutus 9 1/2. Named that way because is it being made out mild steel and not Stainless. Gonna paint the frame.

The frame pic in the Members Gallery

All of the important pieces are cut and fit together perfectly.
Hole drilling and tacking is in store for tomorrow.
Run to lowes and Harbor freight for more goodies.

Aparatus, I need to speak with you.
 
Are you planning to go the low pressure propane route with the Baso H19's and Banjo burners, or with electric ignition and high pressure propane system.
 
Low pressure with Hurricane burners. I am making a hybrid Brutus 10. A combination of the original and Apparatus' version. The Hurricane can be easily switch to NG later and I just LOVE Apparatus' set-up.

Just shopping for casters and other hardware now.
 
With the banjo burners you can drill out the orifices from high pressure size to low pressure LP then again to Natural gas. If you start with low pressure LP the conversion to NG is fairly easy and you can use the 24V furnace valves for standing pilot safety or the dual valve type for electric ignition.
 
With the banjo burners you can drill out the orifices from high pressure size to low pressure LP then again to Natural gas. If you start with low pressure LP the conversion to NG is fairly easy and you can use the 24V furnace valves for standing pilot safety or the dual valve type for electric ignition.

I am in the process of both understanding and shopping for this stuff.

Can you elaborate on the valve/pilot light set-up?
Pics, model numbers and vendors if possible?
 
I am in the process of both understanding and shopping for this stuff.

Can you elaborate on the valve/pilot light set-up?
Pics, model numbers and vendors if possible?

See the thread below. This is for a Honeywell Y8610U. It can be used for Natural Gas or Low Pressure Propane (<11 WC). I think Claudius B and Kladue both use them. The Y8610U is an intermittent pilot gas valve. If the pilot goes out it will try to re-light the pilot. If it can't re-light the pilot after a period of time it will shut down. I think it is a measure of safety beyond just using an Asco valve and constant unmonitored pilot.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/gas-temperature-control-dummies-116632/

User Manual for Y8610U
 
The gas system on the phase 2 system is a bit different than the others as it uses mass flow controllers to modulate high pressure Lp to the burners, ignition is still a honeywell ignition module and pilot though.
 
I see the safety factor, And I agree that looks much safer. I would like some input as to HOW this gets incorporated with the Love Controllers and Temp Sensors?

I am in the process of building a mixture of Apparatus's brutus and the original one. Using Apparatus' idea of the Hurricane burners.
 
I see the safety factor, And I agree that looks much safer. I would like some input as to HOW this gets incorporated with the Love Controllers and Temp Sensors?

I am in the process of building a mixture of Apparatus's brutus and the original one. Using Apparatus' idea of the Hurricane burners.

If you look two replies back (Post #6) in this thread you will see a Link: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/gas-temperature-control-dummies-116632/. Look at the bottom of the post and you will see a diagram where all the connections are laid out for you using an Auber Instruments PID instead of a Love Controller.
 
Here is the frame so far.
9.5a.jpg

9.5b.jpg

You will notice the fittings on the gas rail gone. I started with black pipe fittings. was able to pressure test to 50 psi and the leg welds do not leak. The fitting however were a disaster.

New fittings going on tonight i hope
 
Hey,

Just saw this thread for the first time. Looks like you are coming along very nice. Hope to see more updates as it progresses.
 
Okay so I finally got the gas beam thing sealed up. 5 hours at 50 psi and not a smidge of movement on the gauge nor did the compressor fire up.

I think I ma good to go.

Pics coming soon but middle hurricane burner mounted. March pumps mounted ( at least one is, gotta get the second one). spalsh shield on the pumps is on. Therminator is located and mount is done. Only two of the four casters on. Had a couple from a privous project. Waiting on a UPS truck for the new ones.

Swing arm for the control box is on and working great.....

All welded up. I am a decent welder but a freaking artist with a grinder!!!!!!

Like I said pics coming soon.

Since I am not using stainless, what kind of paint do you guys suggest?

9.5d.jpg
 
Please keep the pictures coming, it looks great so far and I can't wait till I can build one myself in a few years or decades.
 
Okay, so I got my last two burners. and was able to fab the mounts out of some scrap stuff I had from a previous project.

9.5E.jpg


Got a few items still coming and yet to be ordered.

Burner Test:

burnertest.jpg


I am going to fab some heat shields. 16 or 18 ga. steel or maybe even aluminum circles around the burners to concentrate the heat and give some wind protection.

Wife is wondering when we will be brewing again. Aint life grand?????
 
Based upon the above burner test I fabbed a heat shield out of 22 ga. sheet steel. Gonna trim to length and spot weld then fasten to the mounts. should provide a wind guard and shield some of the heat off the frame.

heatshield2.jpg
 
Rustolium or some kind of paint that prevents rust. What about that stuff you paint onto pick up truck beds, something like Rhino Lining. I always thought that stuff would be awesome.

Looks good.
 
testwkeggle


Testing the heat shields with a keggle. All looks good, able to really dial down the gas as a lot more heat is directed to the keggle.

Painted the frame and waiting for other parts to start working on plumbing this bad boy.
 
Just did a track.

Coming today:
Casters! This beast needs wheels BADLY!!!
Gas Valves. Will see where they can be located on the frame.
Pilot lights.

Need to find: Modules, enclosure, time and oh yeah, MONEY.
 
Amazing how heavy those things get isnt it? Mine 2/3 the size made with 1.25x1.25 14g. Took the casters off to paint it, they are never coming off again.
 
Latest pics.

Didn't get a ups deivery on friday so progress was slowed over the weekend

Details of the swing arm to hold the controll box
IMG_0058.gif

IMG_0059.gif


current state. FREAKIN huge controll box because of the gas valve modules that have to go inside.
IMG_0061.gif


Keggles get welded this week I hope. and UPS will bring me some presents to continue and/or finish the build.
 
Dude!! Everything looks great! Two quick questions, did you buy new keggles? Second, how deep are you into the project price wise? More specifically, what are you looking at for the frame of the system?
 
Dude!! Everything looks great! Two quick questions, did you buy new keggles? Second, how deep are you into the project price wise? More specifically, what are you looking at for the frame of the system?

Yes I did "buy" the keggles. Or I should say I exchanged them for cash. I purchased them from a friend of mine who owns a Latino food restaurant in the area.

I Told him I needed 3 kegs and he said "$40.00 a piece" and I told him i was going to cut them up and he could NEVER have them back and he said "$40.00 a piece." I said that he would NEVER and I mean NEVER get them back and he said "$40.00 each." So I paid the man and off we went. I know that this will seam like it is in a "Grey Area" as far as ownership of the kegs and to those members of this board, I apologize. I didn't obtain them through false or dishonest means. I told him what I was going to do repeatedly and he sold them to me.

The steel I used is 2x2x1/8" tube, and I purchased 48 feet of it for .80 a pound, right at $106.00. I had the steel shop cut it into 4 12 foot sections for me (they would have shipped two 24 foot sections) and I have a 12 foot section sitting on my garage floor waiting for another project. I just love left overs. so 36 feet of steel to cut to Lonnie's specs.

As far as the running total I decline to say that here as my wife does read these too. Just kidding. I started to keep a running tally but when I decided to use the gas valves and ignition modules that i am using i basically said "What the F@#*!" and figured I save so much by not going stainless that I could have fun elsewhere. Like I am bagging the weldless fittings on the keggles and having the things welded. I supply the fittings and a local dude welds for me at $10.00 per fitting.

Sorry for the book.
 
Yes I did "buy" the keggles. Or I should say I exchanged them for cash. I purchased them from a friend of mine who owns a Latino food restaurant in the area.

I Told him I needed 3 kegs and he said "$40.00 a piece" and I told him i was going to cut them up and he could NEVER have them back and he said "$40.00 a piece." I said that he would NEVER and I mean NEVER get them back and he said "$40.00 each." So I paid the man and off we went.

Technically they weren't his to sell to you. The brewery owns them. Im not going to preach but, you did not obtain them legally. Just so yah know.
 
Technically they weren't his to sell to you. The brewery owns them. Im not going to preach but, you did not obtain them legally. Just so yah know.

Point made. and I would like to consider that point over. we don't need to re-hash the debate.

All who got their kegs from the breweries and have their blessing, stand up and have a home brew.

Next topic please.
 
Just a quick note to show my status. Slow for now, witing for the UPS guy and who ever is bringing me stuff.
Waiting on a couple of switches that Kevin says I should incorporate (and I agree).

waiting for the Keggles to get finished being welded.

Waiting for some hoses from Norther Brewer

Waiting for and cancelled the order for the brass gas fittings from Discount Hydraulics. too damned slow.

a few other odds and ends....

Pics so far:
almost.gif


Will throw on some detail pics later.
 
J,
Looks sweet so far. I sent some pics your way. Its amazingly simple but when one gets a closer look there is more too it! Little stuff here and there. Its a pain but is worth it. You about finished yet? I want to see your pilot light set-up. I just drilled two tiny holes in a brass cap flared fitting. It works but if its windy, its tough to keep them lit.
Bart
 
So_Far.jpg

Pics are of the Boys, the keggles welded and ready for action. Other pics are of the Sparge set-up I plan to try. Trying to stick with Lonnie's original design so I am going to try a flying sparge arm.
theBoys.jpg

Took the white plastic piece it comes with and cut it down to fit inside the center hole of a sanke top. Works great in my hand.
sparge11.jpg

Have configured a 1.5" Sanitary Triclamp fitting, which I will use on the entire system (alot of them from good ol Swagman himself). and I think once I get the lids welded with a lip to keep them from falling into the keggles, it will work out great.
sparge4.jpg

sparge2.jpg

I ain't no tree hugger or environmentalist or nuthin. Not afraid of waste these things but I just wanna use as much of the keg as I can. I can always go out and get lids and convert them if these don't work out. Gonna have all three welded I hope and then finish the Brutus rig and see what this puppy can do.
 
Because fly sparging is awesome. That's why :D

How are you going to circulate the mash? Those whirlygigs are pretty and all, but I just don't see the practicality of them???

Like he said...

I don't know. I am new to AG and since I am jumping into this head first i thought i might as well set this up like Lonnie did his and THEN test other options and see what works for me.

I will re-circulate the mash the way Lonnie does. I will use a lid with a curved manifold that gently rolls the mash back along the walls. when it is time to sparge, i move that lid to the Boil Keggle and move the fly sparge lid to the mash tun. Time the sparge water from the HLT with the mash going to the Boil and.....

That is pretty much the way the guy who designed this thing does it, isn't it?
Just kill the pumps, move the lids and fire em up and throttle back the floow so they match and have a home brew. then boil and have another HB.

Did I get any of that wrong?

The practicality is simple, you are not soaking and creating channels with your sparge water as it spins it sprays ALL OVER the grain bed, not just in a few spots, besides it's cool
 
Well had a VERY productive weekend. After a minor set-back where I was inserting a Stainless Steel 3 1/2 inch bolt for the swing arm and severally damaging one of the burner module wires and then had to re-fish a new one to the HLT burner module and the Gas valve.

After that I was up and running on the copper plumbing. Got a cheap flare tool and tube bender from Harbor Frieght. The flare tool worked great but the tube bender was a piece of crap. The remebered I had a whole set of tube springs and switched and away I went.

Anyway here it is so far. Getting closer:
almost.jpg

almost2.jpg

almost3.jpg

The Gas Modules and valves that Kladue talked me into using were a serious expense but with his help I got some good prices on Ebay and got them wired up and WOW they are way freakin cool. Hit the power, switch to manual, and the valve click and the pilots spark like mad and fire up then the valve clicks again once it knows there is a pilot and flows gas to the burner and away we go.

Can't wait to let em rip on the PID's and sit back and let em cook.

Things left to do:

1. Fit lids and/or re-work cut off tops with sparge arm, and re-circulating fittings.
2. siphon for HLT.
3. boil screen of some sort. Saw Bobbys on her the other day. a strong possibility.
4. Labels for the control panel.
5. programing the PID's.
6. Spark lighter for boil burner.
7. buy grain, hops and yeast
Get to cooking beer....

More to come.

THANK YOUR GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Your system looks very nice but I do have three questions. Are your thermocouples or RTD's mounted out on the end after the valve and the tee?
If that is true do you get accurate temp readings of what is in the keggle? The second question I have is I see you have the sensors plugged into a nice connector on your control panel. Are the connectors designed for the sensors? Lastly, are you using the S8610U intermittent pilot gas valves?
 
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