Doed
Belching Dog Brewery
hey John, would it be possible for you to add some pictures of the inside of your control box?
My Official E-BiaB Build Thread
- Thread starter johnodon
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+1 on the request for control box interior pics.
gunner65
Well-Known Member
Nice build I am wanting to trade out my e-Keggle for one of the bayou classics as well.
gunner65
Well-Known Member
Why do you have a false bottom if you BIAB and bag your hops? Just curious....By the way ordered my 62qt bayou today and cannot wiat to get the keggle out of my system.
gunner65
Well-Known Member
I have made too many BIAB batches to remember on my current system (which is nearly identical to this one) So there is nothing "wrong" with the e-keggle however I really hate the tight rim on the keggle. I have ripped two of my voile bags removing them from my mash because of that narrow opening I am much more careful now and I can get by without this happening. I also want the crab basket for the ease of housting the bag out. These are just nit-picky reasons but the fact that I can make this change and sell my keggle with minimal financial investment plus I get to make something new makes it a win-win for me.
cpankonien
Member
great job, thanks for posting this, it's exactly what i want to do...how did you cut the holes in the pot for the heating element and temp probe? although kal's site strongly recommends not using a hole saw, and using the hole cutter, the hole cutter is $80 bucks...kinda steep for something i'll use to cut exactly one hole. i've used hole saws and step bits before, seems to me they're plenty accurate for this application. just wondering what you used.
thanks for taking the time to document!
cliff
thanks for taking the time to document!
cliff
cliff,
I recently did this and I can say emphatically that the nice Greenlee punches are worth their price. I started my holes with a step bit and finished with the punches - the step bit worked well but the punch was far more precise and clean. And I think you will find that there are more than just a few holes you want to end up punching once you get into it, for example I decided to punch a 1/2" hole in my pot lid to provide for recirculation during mash.
I recently did this and I can say emphatically that the nice Greenlee punches are worth their price. I started my holes with a step bit and finished with the punches - the step bit worked well but the punch was far more precise and clean. And I think you will find that there are more than just a few holes you want to end up punching once you get into it, for example I decided to punch a 1/2" hole in my pot lid to provide for recirculation during mash.
cpankonien
Member
noise,
are we talking about the same thing? the 1 3/8 step bit i'm ok with, it's the "radio punch" that i think might be a bit of overkill, since you'd need to buy one for each size hole. how many of the radio punches did you buy? by my estimate i'd need two, one for the element and one for the temp probe. that's $120 right there...
are we talking about the same thing? the 1 3/8 step bit i'm ok with, it's the "radio punch" that i think might be a bit of overkill, since you'd need to buy one for each size hole. how many of the radio punches did you buy? by my estimate i'd need two, one for the element and one for the temp probe. that's $120 right there...
Yup, these 2 are what I got:
Amazon.com: Greenlee 730BB-13/16 Standard Round Knockout Punch Unit, 13/16-Inch: Home Improvement - $74
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NQZ0J0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 - $44
Total $118, and then got the cheapest step bit I could, ~ $14 I think.
In the grand scheme of my build it was not that significant, and I plan to expand my indoor/electric rig to multiple vessels in the future, so I'll use them again. I'm guessing you could find them a lot cheaper on ebay or such, but I was in a hurry to get mine done before the holidays when I have some time off to brew.
Edit: that said, you can certainly get away with just the step bit if you want to save some coin, it will do an adequate job if use plenty of oil and patience.
Amazon.com: Greenlee 730BB-13/16 Standard Round Knockout Punch Unit, 13/16-Inch: Home Improvement - $74
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NQZ0J0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 - $44
Total $118, and then got the cheapest step bit I could, ~ $14 I think.
In the grand scheme of my build it was not that significant, and I plan to expand my indoor/electric rig to multiple vessels in the future, so I'll use them again. I'm guessing you could find them a lot cheaper on ebay or such, but I was in a hurry to get mine done before the holidays when I have some time off to brew.
Edit: that said, you can certainly get away with just the step bit if you want to save some coin, it will do an adequate job if use plenty of oil and patience.
Last edited by a moderator:
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
I was hoping for the same thing. I have everything I need to build a controller and I have the same box. I am scratching my head trying to figure out how to cram all the gear in this little box.
MrWildcat2U
Active Member
I'm getting the parts rounded up to build this, and a question came up. Since I'm brewing 20 ft from my dryer plugin (40a breaker) would I be able to get away without setting up a spa disconnect and just plug into the dryer outlet?
iijakii
Well-Known Member
The spa panel is used because it's a cheap and easy way to get GFCI protection. You certainly can put a GFCI breaker into your main and skip the spa panel route.
You really need to plan out your brewery. IF you decide to go without GFCI protection for your brewery, you are playing "You Bet Your Life".
Keep in mind that any typical brew area is a wet area. There is a very high probability that an electrical fault anywhere in your system could take a path to earth through you.
Is it worth the risk???
Keep in mind that any typical brew area is a wet area. There is a very high probability that an electrical fault anywhere in your system could take a path to earth through you.
Is it worth the risk???
MrWildcat2U
Active Member
We were going to do this, until I did a bit of pricing and discovered that I could purchase and install a spa panel for the cost of a gfci breaker alone, along with making a 20ft 240v drop cord.
Looks like logic (read P-J) wins out.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
That isn't a good idea. The spa box isn't a means of having access to power for your brewing equipment. It's about being safe. A GFCI should be the first thing on your list of parts for an electric brewing rig.
OP
OP
johnodon
Well-Known Member
For anyone interested I am selling my electric BIAB rig. I will be posting in teh classifieds section shortly but figured I would do so here first. Only thing not included is the CFC (selling separately) and the Spa Panel.
Price will be $500 for stand, kettle, control box, hi-temp hoses with quick disconnects, pump, etc.
I will include the Spa panel, 30 amp circuit and wiring for $50.
I have since added a copper sparge manifold to teh underside of the kettle lid. I will post a pic of that in the classified ad.
If interested, please PM me.
John
Price will be $500 for stand, kettle, control box, hi-temp hoses with quick disconnects, pump, etc.
I will include the Spa panel, 30 amp circuit and wiring for $50.
I have since added a copper sparge manifold to teh underside of the kettle lid. I will post a pic of that in the classified ad.
If interested, please PM me.
John
OP
OP
johnodon
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately...no. Moving away from the hobby and drinking altogether.
John
Ahhh...swimsuit season is coming up.
. Your system is an inspiration- I've started a similar build at least I have gathered most of the pieces. If I had the patience to wait, I probably would have bought yours. I am certain someone will snatch it up in no time.
Wish you the best,
BK from MD
Chris7687
Well-Known Member
Sorry if that was covered in the previous 6 pages, but the idea is fresh in my head and I want to get it out. For the whirpooling effect, what if you install a bulkhead fitting with a 90* angle fitting a few inches about the ball valve. But cut a slit up the basket about half the way up, which the whirpool valve slides over, so you don't lose all of the integrity of the basket? Just a thought, what do you all think?
johns
Well-Known Member
suscribe
SpartyParty
Well-Known Member
Veryt nice!
Nothing like a good ol' thread resurrection, but THIS is exactly what I've been planning...
I came across the List of PJ Electrical Diagrams and the very first drawing was exactly what I wanted. A few more minutes of searching and I came across the original conversation leading to this thread, which, of course, led to this thread.
I was saddened to see the OP has since left brewing and drinking, but I'm sure there were excellent reasons. But I did want to pop on here on the off-chance he still gets notifications of replies to his thread, so I can thank him for reading my mind.
As always, major kudos to P-J for his tireless work for the brewing community.
I came across the List of PJ Electrical Diagrams and the very first drawing was exactly what I wanted. A few more minutes of searching and I came across the original conversation leading to this thread, which, of course, led to this thread.
I was saddened to see the OP has since left brewing and drinking, but I'm sure there were excellent reasons. But I did want to pop on here on the off-chance he still gets notifications of replies to his thread, so I can thank him for reading my mind.
As always, major kudos to P-J for his tireless work for the brewing community.
urbangravity
Well-Known Member
While all the dialog looked great in the thread, the lack of images was curious and left me without finding any value. So I fast forwarded and discovered more. Was looking for some box layout ideas and found johnoden step away, I'm sure for good reasons. Sad he didn't leave the pics intact
I've got some "layout pictures" in my build thread..
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/beginnings-brew-mcq-251929/
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