BCS 2 Vessel No Sparge Garage Brewery Build

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BeardedBrews said:
Subbed for sure, I like the stand build and your control panel is a likely candidate for my v2 build.

Thanks Poptarts
Click to expand...

Here is a link to the panel if you want to own your own monster, I offered $75 for it and they took it so you might be able to even go lower than that.
 
Yea this thread should probably be moved into electric brewing haha.
Edit: Done an done, thanks to yooper.
 
sub'ed

With only a two vessel system do you think you could get away with just one pump? I ask because that's my plan at the moment.
 
thekraken said:
sub'ed

With only a two vessel system do you think you could get away with just one pump? I ask because that's my plan at the moment.
Click to expand...

Easily if you are okay doing hose swaps, or got ahold of a large amount of valves. Only one pump should be running at a time. For me with electric valves it was a very close price to just buy a second pump over buying more valves and fittings. Makes the plumbing a lot more simple too.
 
One thing I am worried about in the transition to electric is the hose swaps with TC fittings, and spilling sweet sticky wort all over when I do so. Brewing outside is no big deal, but indoors is another matter.
What kind of connections are you planning to use for hose swaps?

TD
 
Looks more like you suck at taping! I would recommend heat shrink tubing over tape.

Also, though it's going to be fine, stranded wire would usually be preferred for tight bends and wires that move during service at all.

-BD

-BD
 
BrunDog said:
Looks more like you suck at taping! I would recommend heat shrink tubing over tape.

Also, though it's going to be fine, stranded wire would usually be preferred for tight bends and wires that move during service at all.

-BD

-BD
Click to expand...

Yea I was going to use heat shrink but the stuff I bout was too small so I just decided to give tape a try. And yea I can get behind the stranded wire but since this stuff is like 24awg its fairly flexible. Maybe the others will look better and this one can hide in the back haha, or I can just say if it looks bad drink more homebrew :p
 
Indeed, I doubt it will function any better but might as well make it look nice if i'm dumping the time into blinging everything else out haha. I have all 5 valves wired and plan on doing the 4 float switches tonight. Stuff takes me forever. Also got the second hole drilled into the other tri clamp cap. Those things are such a beast to cut without a drill press.
My 110v Lights came and most of my contactors. Waiting a few more pieces from china but post says they are in america so they should be here this week. Then its just left to waiting on Ebrew.Supply to ship out my stuff, I guess they just moved and are lagging behind a bit. And then my big order of pump / hose / bcs from brewers hardware. After that its time to get building this thing for real. I want to run a beer through it over christmas.
 
So what does the BCS use those float switches for? To prevent dry firing or overfilling vessels? Does the BCS support any kind of liquid level sensors?
 
no level sensing at the moment that I know, I believe that have it planned for the future. Im using the floats to kill the elements and or pumps to prevent dry fire. They wont really interact with the BCS at all and just be a switch between the relays. They are more of a safety feature than anything. The code should prevent this all together ideally.
 
Thinking this for the panel give or take.
OZgcmzR.png
 
I always thought it was cool when people mount a window in the front of the panel so they can see the BCS mounted inside. Completely non-functional, but if you're spending time on cable sleeves it sure would look sharp!

-B
 
I wasn't planning on sleeving the inside, but yea that would be getting close to PC mod awesome, toss a black light in there.
 
poptarts said:
Ill see what I can do lol
Click to expand...

Beer (yellow liquid) cooled SSRs would be awesome, you could convert a pint glass into a reservoir. The sleeving could be a mix of yellows and browns to stay on theme.

I'll just wait here patiently.

[/taps foot]
 
Very cool build. Pardon any ignorance, but why not just go BIAB?

Just trying to wrap my head around this as I am wanting to go e-BIAB and have the start of a bottom drain keggle I would like to use since it was free, but feel it's too small to do 10 gallon batches any higher than 1.040-45. Maybe I am wrong there? For the time being I plan to electrify it and mash in my 70qt cooler and use the keggle for HLT and BK like I do now only on propane
 
30Bones said:
Too small to do 10 gallon batches any higher than 1.040-45.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried it, but for a 10g batch size I should theoretically be able to get a full volume mash of 1.050 OG in my 15.5g keg assuming I can hit 75% efficiency and don't lose more than ~0.5g in the tubes and trub.

That said, I am not particularly offended by the idea of tossing 1-2 gallons of filtered water back into the kettle before I start the boil. For that same 10g batch I should be able to fit 1.085 in my BIAB if I plan to add 2 gallons after I pull the bag. If I mash to the top of the keg that puts me at 3l/kg which is fairly thick, but not unreasonable. I'm not sure I'd hit my 75% target and I am quite sure that stirring up that 35# grain bill would be a PITA!

one other thing to keep in mind is the dead space below the element when you BIAB. If you want to heat and recirculate during your mash you'd have to figure out something to get the bag off the element which will reduce your mash volume (thicken your mash) considerably.
 
BeardedBrews said:
I haven't tried it, but for a 10g batch size I should theoretically be able to get a full volume mash of 1.050 OG in my 15.5g keg assuming I can hit 75% efficiency and don't lose more than ~0.5g in the tubes and trub.

That said, I am not particularly offended by the idea of tossing 1-2 gallons of filtered water back into the kettle before I start the boil. For that same 10g batch I should be able to fit 1.085 in my BIAB if I plan to add 2 gallons after I pull the bag. If I mash to the top of the keg that puts me at 3l/kg which is fairly thick, but not unreasonable. I'm not sure I'd hit my 75% target and I am quite sure that stirring up that 35# grain bill would be a PITA!

one other thing to keep in mind is the dead space below the element when you BIAB. If you want to heat and recirculate during your mash you'd have to figure out something to get the bag off the element which will reduce your mash volume (thicken your mash) considerably.
Click to expand...
That's my biggest limiting factor using a keggle. I want bottom drain, but also think I would be ticked if I built a keggle and then realized I should have bought a 20 gallon and a basket over a bag from the start.
 
30Bones said:
Very cool build. Pardon any ignorance, but why not just go BIAB?

Just trying to wrap my head around this as I am wanting to go e-BIAB and have the start of a bottom drain keggle I would like to use since it was free, but feel it's too small to do 10 gallon batches any higher than 1.040-45. Maybe I am wrong there? For the time being I plan to electrify it and mash in my 70qt cooler and use the keggle for HLT and BK like I do now only on propane
Click to expand...

The main reasons i'm not going BIAB is for automation. Plus BIAB makes a ton of trub and that weirds me out for some reason. But you are correct something could be done like this BIAB style and it would be a decent amount simpler.
 
Hey pop tarts if your panel has switches on it, give it a long hard thought if that's what you really want. More switches, lights, etc. requires more hardware, more wiring, more cost, more troubleshooting, more room for failure, more space, and more commitment. Just throwing it out there. The interface is easy to turn things on and off, and assuming you have the connectors built in, expansion is easy. I kept my hardware to a minimum to allow for future expansion without killing myself!

-BD
 
BrunDog said:
Hey pop tarts if your panel has switches on it, give it a long hard thought if that's what you really want. More switches, lights, etc. requires more hardware, more wiring, more cost, more troubleshooting, more room for failure, more space, and more commitment. Just throwing it out there. The interface is easy to turn things on and off, and assuming you have the connectors built in, expansion is easy. I kept my hardware to a minimum to allow for future expansion without killing myself!

-BD
Click to expand...

So what do you think? Power / Elements / Pumps / Alarm
Hold off on everything else for now?
 
Well, first just think about what you really need and if you might want to change it in the future. Wiring in extra lights and switches is no small task.

I just have power and element on LEDs, a power keyswitch, an Estop, and an alarm. There are times when I would like to turn the pump on and my iPad isn't handy. So I just whip my phone out and use it, but some might see the value in a pump switch. Other than than I like having everything in the soft interface.
 
Where did you buy your valves from ? I'm trying to find a place with stainless that doesnt cost an arm and a leg. Automation would be great, just dont want to spend so much on a system.

Thanks!
 
I bought four stainless ball valves with low voltage DC control (open when voltage applied) via eBay. They were fairly inexpensive. Under $40 as I recall?? 1/2" full port female pipe threaded.

Frankly, aside from remote filling the HLT and beginning heating using BCS, I don't currently see what major advantage I personally would get from further automation. For one thing, you sort of need to be there in order to brew. It might be nice to someday get some three way valves to bypass some hose swaps I'll need to do (which I assume will result in spillage and sticky mess that I'll need to mop up). Even still I would need to be there to supervise, and I cannot imaging that is inexpensive to get automated three way valves, so most likely these will be manual. Also I imagine adjusting the recirculation rate to avoid a stuck mash would be better accomplished manually. Someone here or another thread was claiming to run valves and pumps wide open however...

TD.
 
BrunDog said:
Well, first just think about what you really need and if you might want to change it in the future. Wiring in extra lights and switches is no small task.

I just have power and element on LEDs, a power keyswitch, an Estop, and an alarm. There are times when I would like to turn the pump on and my iPad isn't handy. So I just whip my phone out and use it, but some might see the value in a pump switch. Other than than I like having everything in the soft interface.
Click to expand...

Keep it simple keep it safe. I can always add more so ill trust ya and go simple first. :mug:
 
Because I put a bunch of XLR connectors in my control box it was just a matter of wiring them up as I added. I am just finishing my electric valves. After some testing my next project will be to install an RPi into my control console for a permanent interface. These were "envisioned" as possibilities early on but I have let my brewing experiences guide my needs/goals and next directions. I am finding that more incremental automation is allowing me to focus more on brew science.

-BD
 
BrunDog said:
Because I put a bunch of XLR connectors in my control box it was just a matter of wiring them up as I added. I am just finishing my electric valves. After some testing my next project will be to install an RPi into my control console for a permanent interface. These were "envisioned" as possibilities early on but I have let my brewing experiences guide my needs/goals and next directions. I am finding that more incremental automation is allowing me to focus more on brew science.

-BD
Click to expand...

Yea I have 20 XLR and 8 l15-5rs that will be going into the panel for sure. But yea no need to chop a bunch of holes for lights and switches if I dont need them. Can always add them or something else later if needed. Plus like you said, less work and less to break all around.
 
poptarts said:
Got some plugs for the elements. And some special fittings from one of everyone's favorite hardware store.
Click to expand...

Did you make this sight glass on your own? Or did you buy? If so how/where?? :D
Awesome build man!
 

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