TH’s (somewhat unconventional) E-brewery

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-TH-

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
913
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110
Location
Zeeland, Michigan
The concept for this project was simple: To achieve the ability to brew indoors without spending a fortune. For me, electric was the only option. I had a pretty good propane rig previously so I was able to reuse some of my existing components. I also kept things pretty basic operationally – no automation or pumps. I took my time scrounging for parts, buying online when I had to but also finding a good amount of parts and supplies from work or other places at low cost or free. The “build” aspect of our hobby is a great creative outlet for me and at times I even had to remind myself not to rush things in order to enjoy the process as I went along. But enough about me...

Power comes from the main breaker to a 50A spa panel then to my control box. The box came from the scrap metal bin at work and I fabricated the cover/front panel out of a piece of sheet metal. I designed the panel label in Photoshop then printed it and covered it with a clear matte Lexan label material. To control the heating elements I went with an inexpensive PWM control board. Since the PWM only goes up to about 95% “on” time, I installed a bypass switch which allows for full continuous power. I already had a nice remote thermometer to monitor HLT temp so I stuck with that method rather than going with PID. The element housing boxes are made from old industrial motor junction boxes that are welded to the elements. Only one element can be plugged in at a time.

My stand is a bit unique in that it has a lateral file cabinet as a base (lateral file cabinets are great for brew-room storage BTW). One work surface sits on top of the cabinet, the other is raised up a little above that and is mounted to the concrete wall. The exhaust hood above the BK is a used (but cleaned up) aluminum warehouse lighting reflector. A new Tjernlund M-6 6” fan does a super job of exhausting the steam to the outdoors through a 6” duct and dryer vent.

On brew day I fill my HLT in place with a hose that attaches to a quick disconnect on my water faucet hose. I mash in a cooler and batch sparge using my homemade “tippy dump”. The only lifting I do is to bring the full BK from the floor to the work surface. Cooling is accomplished by a gravity-fed CFC that also connects to my faucet Q.D.

The rest of my brewery is in the same basement room, including the sink, keezer, fermentation chamber, etc. The entire project was a big job because I had to resurface the concrete walls, run the plumbing, run the 230V, install additional lighting, etc. Not to mention the 6” hole through the 96 year-old house’s brick wall. It was also challenging coming up with a layout that worked in such a small room while still keeping my work-room stuff on the other half. There is a bar that runs part way down the middle of the room that I made completely out of old wood left over from earlier house projects – old trim, closet shelving, etc. In fact, the bar top is a single piece (not plywood) of yellow pine 22” wide and almost 6 feet long that came out of one of the closets.

I’ve brewed one batch on it so far and I absolutely love it. I couldn’t have done this project without all the great resources and posts here on HBT. Thanks guys!


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boil1-58116.jpg


control-panel2-58115.jpg


chilling1-58118.jpg


Sink hooked up to CFC
chilling2-58119.jpg


ltorpan4-58120.jpg


sinkkeezer-58121.jpg


Schematic:
schematic-31-58142.jpg


Layout:
acad-layout-58117.jpg


Panorama:
panorama1-58122.jpg
 
Very cool. I really like how clean and streamlined your control panel is. Could you provide some more information on the PWM control for the boil kettle?
 
Hey, hey, you did too good a job there. You need to tone it down a bit.

No really, what a heck of a set up you have there. It actually looks pretty cozy there. Nice work indeed. :mug:
 
Cool exhaust hood idea. Looks a little high. How does it perform? And where did you get it?
 
Cool exhaust hood idea. Looks a little high. How does it perform? And where did you get it?

Works like a champ. The key is the fan - I first tried a $30 inline duct booster fan and it had no power. The Tjernlund M-6 will about suck the paint off my walls. The hood I got when my company replaced all our HID lighting with flourescent fixtures a few years ago. I asked if I could have one thinking I might use it for a hood someday. We had a stack of about 30 or so until they finally got thrown out into the aluminum scrap bin. I should have grabbed a few more. I would bet you could talk to a lighting place who does that kind of retrofit for ideas of where you could get one.
 
Nice, I have the centrifugal fan but I am not happy with the hood I am using currently. It is too bulky and big. I like your idea better. How did you mount the centrifugal fan on the joists?
 
Great job, love the exhaust hood fixture recycle idea.
I almost bought that same fan off of Amazon but ended up with the green Hydrofarm/ActiveAir instead (only because the Tjnerlund and the seller didn't have many reviews posted).
 
Nice, I have the centrifugal fan but I am not happy with the hood I am using currently. It is too bulky and big. I like your idea better. How did you mount the centrifugal fan on the joists?

This actually took some thought (ok trial-and-error is more like it). I welded 3 pieces of 1" angle iron together - sort of in the shape of an "H". Screwed that to the floor joists, then slid the fan with ducting piece already connected to it through the "H" then screwed through 3 holes in the "H" into the fan/duct making sure the screws went into the lip of the fan not just the duct. Does that make sense?
 
This actually took some thought (ok trial-and-error is more like it). I welded 3 pieces of 1" angle iron together - sort of in the shape of an "H". Screwed that to the floor joists, then slid the fan with ducting piece already connected to it through the "H" then screwed through 3 holes in the "H" into the fan/duct making sure the screws went into the lip of the fan not just the duct. Does that make sense?

Yup, it looked something like an H when I zoomed it. I have my hood strung with chain and wood screws and I just know it will fall down some day. I need to find a better way to mount it all without drilling too many holes in my joists trying different configurations. I like your idea, thanks.
 
Great job, love the exhaust hood fixture recycle idea.
I almost bought that same fan off of Amazon but ended up with the green Hydrofarm/ActiveAir instead (only because the Tjnerlund and the seller didn't have many reviews posted).

I'm sure that one is very comparable. I probably exaggerated a bit with the sucking paint off walls comment ;)
 
Damn nice setup you got going over there on the west side of the state! :mug: The exhaust hood is genius and the entire space turned out great. Really, really nice man! :mug:

Somewhat :off:, but I'm heading over to the west side of the state sometime in Feb. with a couple of buddies for a brewery tour. We are going to spend a day in BC/K-Zoo and another day in GR. Besides the obvious one's, any suggestions on must stop at places over in your neck of the woods. I know there is a high concertration of top notch breweries, both big and small on the west side, so I'm just looking for a little feedback. Thanks man!
 
Damn nice setup you got going over there on the west side of the state! :mug: The exhaust hood is genius and the entire space turned out great. Really, really nice man! :mug:

Somewhat :off:, but I'm heading over to the west side of the state sometime in Feb. with a couple of buddies for a brewery tour. We are going to spend a day in BC/K-Zoo and another day in GR. Besides the obvious one's, any suggestions on must stop at places over in your neck of the woods. I know there is a high concertration of top notch breweries, both big and small on the west side, so I'm just looking for a little feedback. Thanks man!

Thanks man. Your bar is legendary.

As far as the tour goes, Founders is probably obvious but it is a must. They just started giving tours for the first time ever a week or two ago, but only on Saturday and limit 12 per tour. I guess you can reserve online but I haven't looked into it yet myself. New Holland in Holland is cool too. A couple others that I hear good things about but have not been to are Brewery Vivant and Perron Brewery. Also GR brewing Co just opened but I haven't heard anything about them. Hope that helps!
 
There are a couple of those aluminum light hoods laying around at my work. I have been eying them for a long time because I knew they could be something useful. Now I know.
 
I designed the panel label in Photoshop then printed it and covered it with a clear matte Lexan label material.
control-panel2-58115.jpg
Hello everybody, i'm french and new here. I really love you panel label, and would like to do something close. But I don't completely understand how you did it, and if I could do the same at home without specific material, except a lazer printer. So, you printed the label on a standard paper sheet (or self sticking ?), and then pasted a Lexan sheet on it ? Could someone explain this a little bit more in detail ? Do you have a link to the Lexan product in question ? Congratulations again, and thanks in advance.
 
Hello everybody, i'm french and new here. I really love you panel label, and would like to do something close. But I don't completely understand how you did it, and if I could do the same at home without specific material, except a lazer printer. So, you printed the label on a standard paper sheet (or self sticking ?), and then pasted a Lexan sheet on it ? Could someone explain this a little bit more in detail ? Do you have a link to the Lexan product in question ? Congratulations again, and thanks in advance.

I printed mine on regular paper then put strips of transfer adhesive (3M VHB) on the back and the clear Lexan on top. I don't have a link but it is .010" thick and called "velvet Lexan" or "velvet polycarbonate" or "matte polycarbonate". It is clear and comes with a 3M adhesive on the smooth side. You should be able to google those terms and come up with something. I got a bunch years ago from a company that makes nameplates and labels (US Nameplate).

If that ends up to be too expensive or difficult to find you could also probably use a vinyl adhesive sheet made for laser and inkjets maybe.
 
Thanks man. Your bar is legendary.

As far as the tour goes, Founders is probably obvious but it is a must. They just started giving tours for the first time ever a week or two ago, but only on Saturday and limit 12 per tour. I guess you can reserve online but I haven't looked into it yet myself. New Holland in Holland is cool too. A couple others that I hear good things about but have not been to are Brewery Vivant and Perron Brewery. Also GR brewing Co just opened but I haven't heard anything about them. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the feedback! We will probably go to Founders the first night we arrive (on a Thursday) and then on Friday hit the other few that you mentioned (maybe Schmohz as well) and end the night at the Hop Cat, which from what I hear is amazing. On Saturday we were going to swing over to Holland and then down to KZoo for the obvious. We were really considering taking an additional day and going waaaaay out of our way over to Munson, IN to 3 Floyds, but that may be pushing it. Our livers are already going to be on crutches come Sunday, so scratch that extra day. I do however, want to hit Dark Horse in Marshall on our way back across the state. Thanks again! Sorry for jumping :off: :mug:
 
Nice. I really like how everything has its place and given the somewhat tight quarters you clearly thought it through so that every placement has its purpose.
 
Thanks for the feedback! We will probably go to Founders the first night we arrive (on a Thursday) and then on Friday hit the other few that you mentioned (maybe Schmohz as well) and end the night at the Hop Cat, which from what I hear is amazing. On Saturday we were going to swing over to Holland and then down to KZoo for the obvious. We were really considering taking an additional day and going waaaaay out of our way over to Munson, IN to 3 Floyds, but that may be pushing it. Our livers are already going to be on crutches come Sunday, so scratch that extra day. I do however, want to hit Dark Horse in Marshall on our way back across the state. Thanks again! Sorry for jumping :off: :mug:

Ok I am seriously jealous of that road trip and I live around here!!! Excellent choices. I expect a full report.
 
I printed mine on regular paper then put strips of transfer adhesive (3M VHB) on the back and the clear Lexan on top. I don't have a link but it is .010" thick and called "velvet Lexan" or "velvet polycarbonate" or "matte polycarbonate". It is clear and comes with a 3M adhesive on the smooth side. You should be able to google those terms and come up with something. I got a bunch years ago from a company that makes nameplates and labels (US Nameplate).

If that ends up to be too expensive or difficult to find you could also probably use a vinyl adhesive sheet made for laser and inkjets maybe.

Thanks, I see better now. In fact, the Lexan is very thin and flexible. And yourself, how did you proceed to have that nice end result. Did you paste the labels first on the panel with the Lexan on them (3 different labels ?) and drilled the holes through it ? Is it easy to cut off the labels with the Lexan on it with scissors or cutter ?
 
Thanks, I see better now. In fact, the Lexan is very thin and flexible. And yourself, how did you proceed to have that nice end result. Did you paste the labels first on the panel with the Lexan on them (3 different labels ?) and drilled the holes through it ? Is it easy to cut off the labels with the Lexan on it with scissors or cutter ?

I printed the whole thing on one sheet of paper then stuck the lexan on top of that, then put the transfer tape on the back side, then I cut the extra off all four sides with a paper cutter (scissors will cut it too), then stuck the whole thing on the panel, then cut out the holes with an exact knife. Does that make sense?

By the way welcome to HBT!!!
 
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