80/20 Brew Stand

I bought all of the stuff from the 80/20 store on e-Bay, you can get stuff pretty reasonably there.

Here is the updated picture with the new SS RIMS tube and the control box:



I also added a PID to control the flow to the hot water heater, and thus the temperature of the output. I just dial in my strike and sparge water temps now and it puts out water at the desired temperature. Here are the solenoid valves and plumbing:



The system as a whole is literally amazing to brew on. I can be mashing in about 5 minutes usually, sparge water takes no planning at all. And a batch with a 60 minute mash and a 60 minute boil can be done in under 3 hours with very little touch time.

-Paul

Also, since those pictures have been taken I added an in-line oxyegenation system to the wort return to the kettle. After the wort is chilled I can just turn on the O2 tank for a minute while I am either re-circulating or pumping to the fermenter.

Where'd you get the tankless water heater? I gotta get me one of those!

Have any design documentation for your temp control solenoids coming off that water heater??

Really awesome design - new one on me.

Cheers!:rockin:

EarthBound said:

Where'd you get the tankless water heater? I gotta get me one of those!

Click to expand...

It is an old one that I scrapped out of a house I rehabbed to years ago. I suppose any would work, it is just a burner and a set of copper tubes running through an assembly of fins in the exhaust tube of the burner.

bodhi314 said:

Have any design documentation for your temp control solenoids coming off that water heater??

Really awesome design - new one on me.

Cheers!:rockin:

Click to expand...

It is quite simple, they are just 120v solenoid valves, about 40 bucks on ebay. One turns on as soon as the hot water heater is turned on to allow flow. THe other is turned on by a PID to keep it at a setpoint. I use the gate valves to control flow, so that with one on, the temp is about 200, with both it is about 140. That way, the PID can hit any temp in between by cycling the control valve.

PaulHilgeman said:

It is quite simple, they are just 120v solenoid valves, about 40 bucks on ebay. One turns on as soon as the hot water heater is turned on to allow flow. THe other is turned on by a PID to keep it at a setpoint. I use the gate valves to control flow, so that with one on, the temp is about 200, with both it is about 140. That way, the PID can hit any temp in between by cycling the control valve.

Click to expand...

So, they are normally closed valves, and you use the PID to cool, rather than to heat?

Yes, exactly.