NattyBrew's Electric Brewery Build

[NattyBrew]

And my second option, just plain old "Redwood" from Cabat Stains

And the final set of pics (I promise!!!!) are of the newly installed glass block window in my brew room which will be used for ventilation. I will be venting the steam out of the dryer vent seen in the top left corner, and allowing make up air back in through the fresh air ventilator in the middle. As discussed before I will be adding a "periscope" on the outside of the window similar to those seen on high efficiency furnace exhausts in order to get the hot and humid air up and away from my fresh air return.

Here's a shot of the new window from the inside

And a shot of the outside hours old cement and all!

Here's a shot from the side to give you all a better idea of my plan. A four inch PVC pipe will extend through the dryer vent, out to the edge of the house, taking a 90 degree bend upward with about another foot or so of pipe and then one last 90 degree bend back to horizontal with a screen on the end to keep the critters out! It should end up being about a 2-3 foot difference between the fresh air intake in the window and the top of the exhaust "periscope" which combined with the hot air exiting higher than the cold air return, should keep recirculation to a minimum.

I haven't decided 100% yet on the color of the stain, so feel free to share your opinions on which one you like better.

Happy Brewing!

Matt

 

[kal]

Nice work Matt!

You are indeed correct that you can make a hood out of just about anything that can withstand wet locations given that we're not exhausting grease. Looking forward to more pics!

Kal

 

[cyberbackpacker]

Very nice work; looking great.

Did you do the glass block window yourself?

 

[NattyBrew]

Very nice work; looking great.

Did you do the glass block window yourself?

Yes I did. It actually isn't nearly as hard as you think. Cincinnati Glass Block here in town sells complete windows which are assembled and ready to install. All you need to do is set the window, shim it to hold it in place, and then pipe in the mortar to hold it in place.

To be honest the hardest part was busting out the old glass block window! I felt horrible to destroy such a nice window, but the feeling quickly faded with the first swing on the hammer. Why is it so much fun destroying stuff?? :rockin:

 

[BrewBeemer]

To be honest the hardest part was busting out the old glass block window! I felt horrible to destroy such a nice window, but the feeling quickly faded with the first swing on the hammer. Why is it so much fun destroying stuff?? :rockin:

I spent over 7 hours years ago removing tank glass from a massive Spanish estate as the state purchased (legally stole) for a highway expansion project. With air tools and carbide blades removing grout I collected and sold the tank glass for over $3,000 cash. At over $400 an hour ($428) deducting for gas and cutters plus that that good feeling of saving old glass. Four antique Spanish style window bars with planter boxes, bolts removed with a grinder for another $2,400 of pocket money. Save for others for a new life Recycle!!!!

Your replacment tank glass looks sharp I must add.
The only thing I see the pipe reducers on your pumps plus the quick disconnect fittings which all add up to a massive pump inlet restriction plus what little performance your already dealing resulting in a weak pump output. This is worse than a bunch of sharp 90* fitting bends added on the outlet side of your pumps.

 

[NattyBrew]

Thanks for the input on the pumps, I am hoping that it really won't severely limit the pump output despite the reducer fitting. I am following the design that Kal uses in his own brewery in terms of plumbing and as far as I know he hasn't had any issues. Maybe he can chime in here with his own personal experience with this setup.

In the future if I start having flow problems I can look at some way to keep the 3/4" input on the March pumps, but for now until I run into issues I think it will stay the way it is.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[BrewBeemer]

If you read manufactures pump specs they are under ideal running conditions with zero head minimum tubing length with sweeping bends, they want the maximum numbers vs the competition for sales. Think $$$$ here.
With you stepping down from 3/4" the pump inlet diameter to 1/2" you have already defeated the pump manufactures design as well its output performance numbers. Ask the pump manufacture if this inlet reduction is ok, if so why did the manufacture chose 3/4" inlet instead of 1/2" I must ask?
Example, 3/4" ID cross sectional area of 0.4417" sq/in, 1/2" ID cross sectional area of 0.1963 sq/in or reduced to .4444% in inlet area. Your call?
Not to be negative on your build your already dealing with a marginal pump in HP, flow as well pressure output. Your not dealing with 3/4 HP plenty of extra pressure and volume in reserve. Throw in every 90*, 45* or straight fitting plus the added resistance of your tubing this all adds up. Every fitting causes steps, resistance and turbulence.
I'll shut up I bet i'm already marked as a smart ass.

 

[NattyBrew]

Beemer,

No worries man, like I said before I appreciate the input. I don't even pretend to know it all when it comes to brewing, gear, etc. and am glad to get some knowledge and ideas from someone else. Like I said before, if I end up being severely disappointed with the flow from the pumps I am using in my setup I will look to change the fittings.

Until I have the whole brewery together and can run this thing through its paces I won't know whether the fittings I am using will truly limit my in any way. I know tons of people on this site use the March style pump to move their product while brewing, many with numerous fittings, maybe even more than mine, most without complaints.

For me its really a wait and see approach. If I get through my first brew session with the new rig and the pumps are taking FOREVER to move my liquids around I'll know exactly what to try and change. Thanks again for the heads up!

Matt

 

[NattyBrew]

More Updates!

I finished staining and sealing the brew stand yesterday, as well as the pump stand and backing plate for mounting the control panel. I also completed the build of my custom vent hood and with it all mounted its starting to look like a brewery!!

Here is a pic of the brew stand back in place with the stain applied. You can also see the pump stand stained and the march pumps mounted and ready for use.

Here is a pic of the control panel mounted to the backing plate and all wired up.

And a quick shot of the custom vent hood mounted to the joists above the brew stand. I went ahead and prepped a cut out for the six inch PVC exhaust tubing which will enter the front of the hood and be positioned directly over the boil kettle.

And lastly here is a shot of the inside of the hood which I lined with FRP panels. These panels are designed for wet locations, you see them as a very common covering in bathrooms, so it should stand up very well against the steam and condensation which will be collected in the hood. I most likely could have left the wood hood without the lining, but I figured the FRP would provide a very nice protection for the wood as well as a surface which would be easy to wipe down and clean. I think the whole hood turned out super nice!

As always stay posted for more too come. Next up is running a a new GFCI outlet to the wall near where the Vortex fan will be mounted to provide the power for the ventilation as well as the actual plumbing of the PVC exhaust. Stay tuned!

Matt

 

[hatfieldenator]

This is looking really good! Nice work. I wish I had the space to do a vent hood and stand like that!
Right now my brewery is in our "office/hobby room" So, it shares space with our dogs when we're not home and my parrot also.

 

[NattyBrew]

This is looking really good! Nice work. I wish I had the space to do a vent hood and stand like that!
Right now my brewery is in our "office/hobby room" So, it shares space with our dogs when we're not home and my parrot also.

It isn't the largest space in the world, the room is about 8' by 8' but it works for me. I am just super happy to have a place I could finally build the brewery in at all. Trying to go more advanced in an apartment is just down right impossible IMHO, and it's really cool to be able to dive head first into this. Thanks for the comments!

Matt

 

[NattyBrew]

A quick ventilation build update for everyone following along with the build. As I have discussed before, I am using PVC piping for my vent system due to its rigidity and just general ease to work with fitting, cutting, etc.

I took a dryer vent which I had installed in my new glass block window and modified it to accept my 4" PVC vent tube. Here it is all prepped with caulk to keep the tube exit to the exterior of the house weather tight. Had myself one of my new favorite beers while I worked, Vicious American Wheat IPA from North Peak Brewing Co.

Here is the interior run of the vent tubing all set and ready to go. I am using the same 6" 450 CFM Vortex Power Fan that Kal uses in his brewery so I have run 6" PVC from the hood all the way to the fan inlet.

The Vortex fan mounted as close as possible to the dryer vent outlet to maximize the portion of my run which maintains the 6" duct work. On the left is a 6" to 4" reducer coupling which attaches to the 4" PVC piece which runs through the window.

Backside shot of the 90 degree elbow and the mounted fan

PVC duct ended up lining right up with the hole I had prepped in the hood. Couldn't believe with my luck it fit the very first time and just perfectly! At least something went right on the first attempt!

 

[NattyBrew]

Moving on to the outside of the ventilation run now. I did a little bit if playing around with how the outside tubing was run trying to judge how much the airflow was reduced with the addition of a couple elbows and short length of tubing. As far as I could tell by the very scientific hand in front of the exhaust test, the airflow wasn't reduced much when comparing the set up I went with versus a pipe exiting straight out of the window.

So in order to make sure I didn't get any recirculation when I opened my vent window while brewing downstairs I went with the slightly extended periscope design seen on the exhaust and intake of high efficiency furnaces. If I notice a big issue with reduced airflow on my first boiling water test I can very easily limit the turns and tubing length on the exit in order to decrease the static pressure and maintain the efficiency of the fan.

Here are couple shots to give you the whole idea of my design I went with:

And last but not least I added a shower floor drain cap to the 4" piping to keep any critters out of the exhaust tubing. The last thing I would want it to fire up the fan on a brew day and hear some poor bird getting chopped to bits my fan!

I am really proud of how well this has all turned out so far, it pretty much has come together in real life the way I had envisioned it in my head. The next step is to go to work on the kettles, and as I progress there I will be sure to keep you all updated on my work.

Cheers!

Matt

 

[kal]

Looks good.

I would curve the exhaust outlet outside so that it faces downwards by at least 45 degrees if not completely down at 90 degrees. This will avoid getting rain/snow/etc into the tubing.


Kal

 

[NattyBrew]

Kal,

That's a good point and something I thought about. I guess at this point adding one more 90 degree bend to point the outlet back downwards couldn't hurt airflow too badly would it? I was hoping that just getting the tubing turned to the right and not opening straight up would be enough to solve any snow/rain issues but I can definitely see how it could still work itself in there with a horizontal opening.

Maybe I will run to Lowes today and grab one more 90 elbow and try it out. My total run is about 6 feet of 6" PVC, then the 6" to 4" reducer, then just a foot of 4" tubing. I know adding more 90 degree elbows increases static pressure, but I think this fan could handle it without to many ill effects.

 

[kal]

Exactly. The fan has excellent static pressure. An extra 90 degree elbow to have the exit point down isn't going to change anything.

 

[NattyBrew]

As of 5/15/2011 my electric brewery is 99.99% done!

WOOOOHOOO!!!

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's get down to business. First of all thanks to everyone on the forum here and anyone who posted positive comments and encouragement along the way. All your input has been extremely vital to the success of this build.

At the suggestion of Kal I went and grabbed myself a 45 degree street elbow to add to my exhaust so that rain/snow couldn't get into the pipe and cause me issues. Here are a few updated shots with the new 45 installed.

I do apologize for the lack of true "build" pictures of the kettles themselves, I didn't quite have the patience to take a break and snap any pictures as I was putting them all together. Also after wrangling the stainless coil for a couple hours my arms would have been too tired to hold the camera up in front of me! I did however manage to snap a picture of my jig I went with for coiling the tubing:

And last but not least, "The Flux Incapacitor" in all its completed glory!

 

[NattyBrew]

I will keep the commentary to a minimum from here on out and just post a series of pictures of the kettles themselves, but if anyone out there has any questions what-so-ever please just feel free to ask! Happy Brewing!

Matt

 

[NattyBrew]

 

[hatfieldenator]

Looks great! Now, start brewing!

 

[NattyBrew]

One quick comment on this picture. The piece of metal you see in the HLT is a Camco Magnesium Water Heater Anode which I have added to prevent rust on the element face. I know some people have had varied results with different methods but using a magnesium anode as it was designed to protect a water heater element seemed like the best way to do it!

 

[NattyBrew]

Looks great! Now, start brewing!

Quick on the draw there. I wasn't even done!

And I definitely plan to start brewing on this puppy ASAP. I am going to to a "mock" brew day with water next weekend to get the feel for the system then the plan is to do the innagrual brew on memorial day weekend with a couple of buddies. Recipe suggestions for a simple but tasty brew are welcome! I am leaning towards just whipping up a ten gallon batch of EdWort's Haus Pale since I've brewed that before and figured it be a nice and easy beer to break the system in with.

 

[hatfieldenator]

No way, no need to start with an "easy" beer...Go for a nice big Imperial IPA! Give your hopstopper all it can take!

 

[NattyBrew]

Haha, that's exactly what my home brewing buddy told me last night when I was talking about the inaugural brew. I may change my mind after my practice run on the system and get more comfortable that I won't screw up my first ever ten gallon batch on the first run.

 

[milldoggy]

Is that the 20 lowes shop vac? Have you tried it yet? My yellow hand me down could use an upgrade.

 

[NattyBrew]

I got the shop vac at Lowes for maybe 30 bucks? I can't quite remember off the top of my head. It has worked perfectly fine so far for me. It has plenty of power for sucking all the water out of different parts of your brewery. I think it it a pretty good balance of size and power, though its a pretty small vacuum so it can only hold about two gallons or so before needing to empty. That may be too annoying for some, but so far it was a good buy IMHO.

Matt

 

[ThickHead]

What diameter cork mats did you go with?

 

[NattyBrew]

They are 14" cork mats from Amazon which nearly exactly fit the size of the bottom of the Blichmann pots. They have a black plastic backing on them that I was kind of worried about when I got them in terms of possibly melting from the heat of the boil. After my first test run the plastic was warm, but not soft at all so I think they will hold up just fine. We'll see if I run into any issues down the road with their durability.

Here's the link to the ones I bought if you are interested: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004R1PLQ6

 

[Lechien]

Natty,

How long did you go with the herms coil and is it 1/2" OD? I'm starting a similar build and couldn't find and answer.

Great build by the way.

 

[NattyBrew]

I went with a 50 foot coil of 1/2 inch stainless steel tubing. My actual coil is actually only about 45 feet or so thanks to me getting a little aggressive with the re-coiling process and kinking the tubing.... Whoops!

 

[ThickHead]

They are 14" cork mats from Amazon which nearly exactly fit the size of the bottom of the Blichmann pots. They have a black plastic backing on them that I was kind of worried about when I got them in terms of possibly melting from the heat of the boil. After my first test run the plastic was warm, but not soft at all so I think they will hold up just fine. We'll see if I run into any issues down the road with their durability.

Here's the link to the ones I bought if you are interested: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004R1PLQ6

Thanks for the info and the link. I will be beginning to piece a similar build together over time very soon. Only my starting point will be the Boil Kettle first to add full boil capabilities to my current stove-top process.

 

[NattyBrew]

Glad to help! Keep us all updated on the build, and make sure to post pics along the way.

Matt

 

[cyberbackpacker]

Excuse me if I missed it, but is the cork mat just between the pots and the wood sculpture to absorb some of the heat?

 

[ThickHead]

Excuse me if I missed it, but is the cork mat just between the pots and the wood sculpture to absorb some of the heat?

That's the idea.

 

[NattyBrew]

Exactly. The idea is just to protect the wood from the boiling pot heat which could damage the wood over time. They are simple to use, and a cheap extra layer of protection. I just bought three mats to put under each of the three pots. They probably aren't needed at all under the HLT and MLT since they never get to boiling temp but I just went with the extra insurance anyway.

Matt

 

[EarthBound]

Beautiful work, buddy! You must be proud.

I have one of these, too. From HF, right? I use it for my mill's drill. What do you use it for?

 

[NattyBrew]

Thanks! I will be proud once I have some awesome beer being made on this puppy.

That is a fan speed controller I use to slow down my Vortex Inline fan. I don't need it running on full blast when I am heating the water in my HLT or mashing in my MLT. The speed control allows me to keep the fan on low just to evacuate some of the heat from my brew room and then crank it up to full power during my boil.

Kal made his own fan speed controller, but I copped out and bought one from the same place I got my Vortex fan, Flora Hydroponics.

Matt

 

[jdlev]

Beautiful work, buddy! You must be proud.



I have one of these, too. From HF, right? I use it for my mill's drill. What do you use it for?

Which do you guys think would be better...one of those variable voltometers (what's the technical name for it...I don't know...remember..I'm a noob!) or simply controlling flow from the pump via a ball valve?

 

[wedge421]

Ugg so jealous!!!!! Looks amazing man

 

[NattyBrew]

Which do you guys think would be better...one of those variable voltometers (what's the technical name for it...I don't know...remember..I'm a noob!) or simply controlling flow from the pump via a ball valve?

Personally I think I would rather just control the flow via a ball valve. These pumps are designed specifically so you can put a ball valve on the output and control flow that way. As awesome as it is to have certain things automated, I think the ball valve just would be a simpler and better option.

But hey that's just my opinion, it ain't my build!

Matt