Brewpastor's DIY Water Level Indicator

I am building a water level indicator for my new Hot Liquor Tank.

I wanted a site glass, but they are fragile and expensive. I want it to be sturdy and relatively cheap, so am building it out of copper I had on hand. The problem is you can't see through copper and so I had to figure out how to make a level indicator. I am pleased with my solution.

I have a spread sheet that lets me figure out the volume of water in my HLT in millimeters. For example, if I want 30 quarts of water, I might need 192 millimeters of water.

My WLI (Water Level Indicator) has a 3/4" copper float in side the 1" copper level indicator tube. A yellow metric ruler is attacher to the outside of the 1" tube. A red rectangular metal ring hangs around the ruler with a cord attaching its back side to the top of the float inside the 1" tube. The cord runs through fitting near the top of the set-up.

As the level of water drops in the HLT the float goes down, pulling the indicator up the ruler, indicating how much water (in millimeters) has been used.

Here is a drawing to help illustrate what I am doing:

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I will get some actual pictures up one of these days!!!

As usual....

Brewpastor said:

The problem is you can't see through copper

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If Superman were a brewer, he wouldn't have to deal with this kinda crap.

So, the level on the ruler goes downwards as the water level goes up? Sounds like a great idea. I take it the rectanguar piece has enough weight that it doesn't "stick" to the ruler by friction? Guess the same goes for the tube within the tube...?

Are you concerned about the amount of pressure that 170-180 degree water could exert on the inside of a sealed copper float? My only worry is that it might explode sending out a shower of very hot water. Other than that I love the idea of a mechanical water level.

The float could actually be placed directly inside the HLT. You would need a small port to run the line through, but that shouldn't be hard to do. Something like heavy braided fishing line might work well. I was trying to come up with something similar at one time for my HLT. My imagined design was based on using float made of foam with some kind of light weight rod attached which would poke through a hole in the lid of the HLT. The idea was that the rod itself would have the level marks on it and it would be direct reading. I never got around to actually trying to build it as I found I really didn't need it, but then I am not brewing on a large scale as you are. Just kicking some ideas here. Your design seems to be fine. I don't think you need to worry about the float exploding due to pressure build up from 180 water. It's only air inside the float and you are not boiling it. So long as the float remained vertical in the tube, you could drill a tiny hole in the top without affecting its operation if you were at all concerned about possible pressure buildup.

I am not concerned about the thing exploding. I am using a 3/4" copper water hammer fitting with a 1/4" cap soldered to seal it.

Both the rectangle ring and the float, they both have enough weight in each for them to move up and down without getting caught up. The float is heavier, preventing it from being lifted out of the water by the indicator/rectangle.

I had considered a float rod, but on my system I would have had a rod going up way beyond any reasonable vantage point!

shortyjacobs said:

If Superman were a brewer, he wouldn't have to deal with this kinda crap.

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I Superman was a brewer he wouldn't get much else done and would need to change his name to Unrealized Potential Man!

Throwing out another idea. What if the float itself was attached to a stick or some other long, slender, light tubing. Then you could directly read that tube as it rises above the rim of the outer 1" copper tube. Kind of like a tire pressure gauge, only not.

Munsoned said:

Throwing out another idea. What if the float itself was attached to a stick or some other long, slender, light tubing. Then you could directly read that tube as it rises above the rim of the outer 1" copper tube. Kind of like a tire pressure gauge, only not.

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I think we only recently discussed that very idea. Brewpastor said he's not tall enough.

I would need an eight foot step ladder! Well maybe not that tall, but I would definitely need a ladder!

I tried this same method with my new HLT and it didn't work that well. The float was a rectangle of white styrofoam from the craft aisle while the rod was a long piece of balsa wood. My HLT is a 48qt rectangular cooler so I drilled a hole in the lid and simply stuck the float rod through it and then marked off the water levels on the rod.

Because the assembly was so light it was pretty darn accurate; the slightest change in volume would move it. But in practice it had two fatal drawbacks: A) wind would blow the rod to the side causing it to bind in its hole, B) The marks were really high up on my 3-tier stand making them hard to see.

I then switched over to a cheap sight "glass" made out of 1/4'" ID vinyl tubing attached to a 1/8" pipe bulkhead. This works just fine and can't be accidentally broken like a real glass one could. Nor is it very expensive!

Munsoned said:

Throwing out another idea. What if the float itself was attached to a stick or some other long, slender, light tubing. Then you could directly read that tube as it rises above the rim of the outer 1" copper tube. Kind of like a tire pressure gauge, only not.

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Why not make a glass sitetube and put it inside of a copper tube with a chunk cut out so you can see the level? The copper would protect the glass from being broken.

No disrespect, but have you heard of "Rube Goldberg?"

Dave

This looks like a good solution to the sight gauge problem, you could remote mount the tube in a convient location with a tubing connection to HLT. This same method is used in large storage tanks, no reason it will not work well in this application.

has anyone adapted something like this for brewing?

http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/cols/nv/vol1/col/nv27.pdf

Seems like it would work... but I'm no genius.

Of course I'm biased but I'd just use some 3/4 OD Borosilicate tubing shielded with copper. Since you don't seem to be concerned about using all stainless, you can use a brass compression elbow with a copper shield. Search for 19mm simax tubing from decorative glass shops. It's like $10 for 5 foot piece. Slit a piece of copper tubing and expand it so that it fits over the compression nut on the fitting.

Seems it would be nice to just use a magnetic float inside the tube with some sort of 'flag' that senses the magnet, similar to this. Just need to come up with simple, elegant way to do the 'flag' part.

I've used these types at work quite a bit and once setup right they do pretty well.

EDIT: one simple approach to the flag would be to have a length of heavy fishing line parallel to the copper tube with a small steel ball with a hole drilled through it that travels up and down the fishing line. You'd likely need a rare earth magnet in the float.

Ok, now that's getting a little harder for a DIY. How about a length of silicone tubing stretched between two elbow bulkheads. Two clamps on each end and you have a simple, and unbreakable solution with no moving parts.

Brewpastor said:

I would need an eight foot step ladder! Well maybe not that tall, but I would definitely need a ladder!

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Got it. I don't have a brew rig or tiered system (yet), so my brain doesn't automatically think of those types of issues. Since I'm still a ground dweller, it might work for me though...

If I know brewpastor, it's not the HLT that's up on a tall rack. The HLT is just that tall.. from the FLOOR.

Ok, now that's getting a little harder for a DIY.

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Seems very simple in general. What would be hard about it? I wouldn't build it just because I brew with old junk (I use a 'calibrated' bamboo skewer and never even think of 'upgrading' ) but just curious what would be so difficult about it. The tube is the same, the rare-earth magnet float is duck soup, tying fishing line with a small metal bead on it seems simple enough. Yer done...except for the scale which you'll have to do anyway.

Part of my design considerations was the use of my metric ruler as a means to measure my volume. I could have used it with a site glass, and I had considered a copper shroud, but this just caught my imagination. As for Rube Goldberg, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Actually I think this is a pretty simple design and well within my abilities to put together with the materials I had on hand. It is also very solid and the seemingly very accurate. I was concerned about the indicator being too light, so I jus made sure I used something that had a little weight to it!

Bobby_M said:

If I know brewpastor, it's not the HLT that's up on a tall rack. The HLT is just that tall.. from the FLOOR.

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...awesome... :rockin:

Munsoned said:

...awesome... :rockin:

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I will get some photos pulled together of this new HLT. It is pretty cool, and rather large (something along the lines of 75 gallons). It is basically a giant keg. John Beer bought some of the same units and posted pictures a while back. Any way, I will get some images up soon.

Here are some images of my HLT water level gauge:

HLT with level gauge

level gauge

weighted float

pulley between float and level indicator

level indicator detail

Some people asked about the height of my HLT. It is just over four feet tall and holds about 75 gallons.

I am looking for a way to do the same thing, but electronically for use with the brewtroller. I wonder if a variable resistor could be fitted to this somehow.

Sawdustguy said:

I am looking for a way to do the same thing, but electronically for use with the brewtroller. I wonder if a variable resistor could be fitted to this somehow.

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Earlier on in this thread, there is a link to a page for an electronic thing. Basically, it's two pieces of conductive copper or aluminum tape , one stripe up either side of a tube. Some electrical property, (capacitance?), changes as more water fills the inside of the tube....

Edit: here: http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/cols/nv/vol1/col/nv27.pdf

Brewpastor said:

Some people asked about the height of my HLT. It is just over four feet tall and holds about 75 gallons.

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what was it in its former life? Very cool Idea

GC89 said:

what was it in its former life? Very cool Idea

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I am not sure, probably a toxic waste container from Los Alamos Labs. I got it on ebay.

Sawdustguy said:

I am looking for a way to do the same thing, but electronically for use with the brewtroller. I wonder if a variable resistor could be fitted to this somehow.

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I don't know, but that would be really cool.

I am in awe....

I think you would lose at least a gallon of the boil if you went with a sightglass....

Dave

SkiSoloII said:

I am in awe....

I think you would lose at least a gallon of the boil if you went with a sightglass....

Dave

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Thanks. I believe it will be a slick set-up. Now if I can just get the walk-in completed I can get back to making beer!

Sawdustguy said:

I am looking for a way to do the same thing, but electronically for use with the brewtroller. I wonder if a variable resistor could be fitted to this somehow.

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I personally was wondering about this sensor and if it would work. I emailed them to find out more about what materials come in contact with the liquid / etc. But still waiting for a reply. Kinda neat that you can specify the length you want and all.

http://www.wemausa.com/tank_sensors/details_SSS_SSL_tank_sensors.htm

Thoughts?

BP looks great man! When I first saw it I thought of the sight gauges they put on the side of large ground storage tanks. Love it.

As for an electrical version of it. I've used something called a metritape. Cool concept but I never did like them. Always had problems with them and they never seemed to last.

There are also cable extension transducers which may appeal to y'all.

I have seen pulley systems with a multi turn pot attached to a notched pulley. A beaded chain was used to rotate the pulley and turn the pot. I never really cared for them either.

You can't beat a good pressure transducer...