Single vessel 120v build

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

GreatBeerTour

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2016
Messages
50
Reaction score
9
Location
San Diego
I have a handful of parts and have begun my build- hopefully this will include an exchange of ideas.

image.jpg
 
The "GrainDaddy?"

Looks interesting. What size is your kettle? Will you be lining your basket with a bag? Will it recirculate?
 
the kettle is 24 Qt- 6 gallons. I plan to do 2-3 gal batches so I can brew with more variety and more often. And yes a bag in the basket- and re-circulation. and PID control. Now if I can figure out how to post more pictures I will share.

IMG_0623.jpg


IMG_0629.jpg
 
Well that seemed to work- I will put up a more thorough chiller build thread soon. Since there are loads of build threads I will try to focus on things that are slightly unique to my build. So lets get on with it shall we...

Sight glass attachment-
The Bayou Classic inner basket is a tight fit to the pot- a good idea in my book. However, if one were to drill through the top as is often instructed to the inner nut will prevent basket insertion/extraction- not good. What to do? Observe.

IMG_0644.jpg


IMG_0645.jpg


IMG_0646.jpg
 
I ran a couple of prpf of concept tests- all good. Scuff the pot and the nut- Heat heat, apply flux- more heat- touch with solder- more heat- Repeat until solder flows- Giggle in triumphant glee- allow to cool- clean.
Happy tip* Your eye bolt will be too long - When you cut it down run a nut past the cut- after making the cut, removing the nut will 'chase' and clean up the threads- if you don't and make a less than ideal cut it can be a PITA to get the bolt to thread at all.-

IMG_0648.jpg


IMG_0649.jpg


IMG_0651.jpg


IMG_0653.jpg
 
Question for ya'll- My control panel will be somewhat basic- 120V 2000w element- PID- SSR- and low voltage for my pump

How harm/hot? does the heat sink on the SSR get?

I would like to avoid having it hanging out of my panel alternately I have a couple other heat sinks laying around from other projects- may not be as efficient if that is critical
 
If the heatsink isn't outside the enclosure, you need to have a fan, and an air inlet and outlet in the enclosure. You need air flow to remove the heat from the heatsink/SSR. An SSR can generate 35W, or more, which can get pretty hot if bottled up in an enclosure.

Brew on :mug:
 
35w is a touch warm, yikes. I guess a small fan isn't a big deal.

The auberins box is groovy, but for $60 I will have to pass-

Thinking something like a tool box or ammo can that can double as storage for cables and whatnot
 
Thought an update might be in order-
I am putting together a chiller over here > https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=584578 and if I knew how I would make that a spiffy link

And now I have a control box- as you can se its a basic red tool box- chosen for the inner tray that can be inverted to provide a nice blank slate for controls- also I can "cut to length" and keep one side open for cord storage. Or so is the plan

image.jpg
 
Quick update- I calibrated my sight glass and applied the numbers. Since this is a 6 gallon kettle I also marked the 1/2 gallons. And used the '9' inverted to mark the 6 gallon point, which will likely never see liquid. Using the underline pointers from excess numbers for the 1/2 marks.

For what it's worth, I have the numbers 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 left over. It would be enough to piece together most of a small range. If you want them send me a pm and I can pop them in the mail.

image.jpg
 
If you opt to externally mount your heatsink, they sell some on Amazon that work great if you have(or goto HarborFreight and buy a cheap set) a way to tap your own holes.

I bought one of these, a tap & die set for like $20 @ HF and it comfortably fits two SSR's.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N419ABM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Considering your looking at near $100 for a retail heatsink to hold 2 SSR's, i figured $30 + now i have a tap&die set is a good deal.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Some updates- After the electronics arrived (I think it was on a slow boat from China full of novelty rubber dog doo)
So here are some arrangements and and expected placements. Part of the plan is to have some room in the box to store chords and parts between brew sessions.
Also fashioned a chord and plug arrangement for the pump.

IMG_0761.jpg


IMG_0763.jpg


IMG_0774.jpg


IMG_0775.jpg


IMG_0785.jpg
 
That arrangement of the fan and heatsink is about the worst possible. You want the fan to blow air thru the gaps between the fins of the heatsink. You need to rotate the heatsink/SSR 90˚ to get proper air flow.

Brew on :mug:
 
That arrangement of the fan and heatsink is about the worst possible. You want the fan to blow air thru the gaps between the fins of the heatsink. You need to rotate the heatsink/SSR 90˚ to get proper air flow.

Brew on :mug:

Point conceded- I will see if I can spin it, but I think space dictated the placement
My thought is that it is designed to dissipate the heat generated in static air and any evacuation at all will be sufficient
 
Minor update-
I crafted a ground for the kettle- which I thought was clever but received a cold reception. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=588960

Drilled holes and modified the control box. Don't worry it will get cleaned up. Also I think I am going to hinge it on the 'open' side. How I will do that is TBD

As always questions and feedback appreciated.

IMG_0822.jpg


IMG_0832.jpg


IMG_0837.jpg


IMG_0838.jpg


IMG_0833.jpg
 
With the speed of an opium inspired sloth I have made additional progress. Replaced the end of my RTD connectors with an XLR plug- its amazing how unnerving it is to cut a perfectly good, factory installed connector. (of course I did drill a hole or two in my kettle...)
After some judicious application of blunt force- the former tool tray is now a fancy hinged control panel. And began to routing wires. Exciting times- I will be ready for testing soon, like time me with a calendar. ;)
And finally- a shout out to my local surplus extravaganza store- Murphy's- Its an overwhelming warehouse of random bliss- I gathered what you see below (actually that is not all of it) has the guy cut several feet of wire- pile it on the counter and ask for a price... He thinks for a moment... six bucks. $6!! one of those terminal strips could be $6. and I have over 30 18-22 spade connectors. I should start a resale shop in the 'for sale' section.

IMG_0851.jpg


IMG_0853.jpg


IMG_0854.jpg


IMG_0857.jpg


IMG_0856.jpg
 
I think the wiring is done! i think. I will retrace each line and reassure myself before I plug the thing in. Then I need to tidy up the wires. And eventually label the various components. Any thoughts? questions?

IMG_0885.jpg


IMG_0886.jpg


IMG_0887.jpg
 
Back
Top