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The benefit of the coolbot is not having to do anything. The con is that it's $200 more than a ranco. One way to fool the stock probe is to tuck it around the side of the unit so that it's exposed to the unconditioned space but that only works if your ambient temp is above the lowest stock setpoint of 60F.

Another DIY version of coolbot would be to set your stock thermo to 60F and keep it plugged in to constant power. Run a ranco and have the controlled output hooked to a 1K ohm, 25 watt resistor that you couple to the AC's stock probe. It provides the same kind of control you're looking for by applying heat when cooling is required. Obviously wrapping insulation around the resistor and stock probe will help.
 
Big thanks to elkdog and Bobby M for stopping by on Saturday! These guys are great brewers who gave me lots of good ideas. We tried some fine beers. Bobby's Flanders ale was right there with Rodenbach gran cru and his barleywine beat out Bigfoot, my fave. We pulled out a '95 Bigfoot from my vertical collection and enjoyed its sherry qualities.

Since I had visitors, naturally, I had demo-itis. When the time came to start the RIMS recirc....nothin'. We suspected a clog so Bobby bravely blew into the outflow tube. Nice mash farts but that didn't work.We hot wired the lines to push the sparge water in the outflow... Nothin'. Finally, we suspected the dip tube might be pressing against the keg bottom. Remember the scene in "Blade Runner" where Darryl Hannah retrieves an egg from boiling water? Being a replicant, I jammed my arm into the hot mash and gave a little yank on the dip tube. Success! (okay, I used an L-shaped tube).

It all went pretty smoothly after that. A good brew day with some great company.
 
your setup looks phenomenal! love the vent.
with the paddle, be careful, oak is porus. I'd suggest sealing it, or using a tighter grain wood, like maple.

congrats!
 
The coolbot seems way overpriced to me. It is extremely simple to disconnect the PCB from a window AC unit and just use a ranco. And this is coming from a MechE that doesn't know to much about electronics. Just make sure that giant capacitor is discharged first.
 
Awesome I wish I had room for your set up . I looking into the same jet burners (natural gas) Would you recommend the 6" or the 8" burners or somthing else? I have 1/2 pipe.
 
Love your ventilation hood enough to build my own. I was going to go the same size but ended up only finding 3x4 sheets. So I made my about 8 ft long. It is huge.

Here are pics of the build so far:
http://home-floyd.homelinux.com/brewery/hood1.jpg
http://home-floyd.homelinux.com/brewery/hood2.jpg
http://home-floyd.homelinux.com/brewery/curr_setup.jpg

I am going to use my same range hood in the pics inside the big hood. It pumps out about 400 cfm so it will continue to do the job.

And my output venting is 6in and will soon be hard vent instead of flexible.
 
Nice! we're about a year away from being able to seriously look at buying a house. Brewspace is a must in the wishlist, and I'm really hoping (SWMBO says dreaming) for a walk out basement.
 
So I'll jump onboard by saying *subscribed* and then asking my dumb question.

I was under the impression that having fire burn for hours (or at least 90 minutes) in an enclosed space is a bad thing, not because of the heat (though that, too) but because it burns-up the oxygen in the room and you get a headache and then take a long-term nap... Actually, I thought this was the whole reason for people to build those electric heat-wand gadgets... I'd like to hear more about the heat source and oxygen levels in the room. :)

Obviously this is not a problem and this thread totally inspires me. I'll be moving in the next few months and a basement is at the top of my list, even higher than "secret passageways" and "man-cave with a bar."
 
So I'll jump onboard by saying *subscribed* and then asking my dumb question.

I was under the impression that having fire burn for hours (or at least 90 minutes) in an enclosed space is a bad thing, not because of the heat (though that, too) but because it burns-up the oxygen in the room and you get a headache and then take a long-term nap... Actually, I thought this was the whole reason for people to build those electric heat-wand gadgets... I'd like to hear more about the heat source and oxygen levels in the room. :)

Obviously this is not a problem and this thread totally inspires me. I'll be moving in the next few months and a basement is at the top of my list, even higher than "secret passageways" and "man-cave with a bar."

Well, you need serious ventilation, like Artbrau has. I'm first-person testimony that it's a great room to hang out in.
 
Earlier in this thread you can see the Fantech FKD10 fan I use on the exhaust hood. I also used the the specified fan speed controller. The fan is 3amps and the controller is rated for 5.
nF7QYwUJn6XdlXiUCFrYhcCir2IkPHVS29NUHjto3-h-Y-a4jZrw4oJBA11vS1xKw_F4WUSs0pdPotIXVcj4IJTZ3iXqfoVy7sTLflTpqXVC1WTeY5bcYgKrzn3M9IprfkwmEUTj6ZF8U5ig_vQPnFC4Z1Tj-vwag4uw9VWghTuL8dZAQ8Z15nI4MebzOg


Problem is, I've blown out 3 of them. They work fine for a few brew sessions then "pop." The sound of sparks, the smell of ozone and it's done. I don't think the wiring is faulty because the controllers do work for a while.

I went looking for a heavy duty controller but they are much larger and much more expensive (penny wise...?) So I got this one

It's rated for 15 amps and has a fuse. The problem is, it's designed to plug in a fan, not wire in-line as a switch. I though about complex hacks involving re-wiring the insides and got out my soldering gun before I realized I was way overthinking it.

I just cut off the plug, wired it together and used it as a jumper for the outlet where the fan would plug in. Then I took the beheaded cord that was supposed to plug into the wall and wired that in the way a switch would go. I flipped the breaker back on and Bob's your uncle! Works like a charm. We will see for how long. Hopefully, the fuse gives me a cheaper failure mode.

Fan_Controller1.JPG


You can see where what was the plug cord comes out where the switch used to be. The ground wire in the cord does connect to ground. Where a fan would plug in, you can see the stubby tail of the plug with a wire nut shorting the two current carrying wires.
 
Hopefully someone out there hears this: My understanding is that the interior of this box has flat surfaces, except for the hole in the top leading to the exhaust duct. Is there any condensation buildup in the interior of the box - condensation that doesn't get sucked into the ventilation duct? If so, doesn't that collect and drip back down?
 
I built the same hood as artbrau, and I have never had a condensation issue. In case I did get some condensation there is a drip edge on mine that would drip from one of the corners, away from my brew. The drip edge is also for safety, the raw metal edge can be sharp.
 
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