NattyBrew's Electric Brewery Build

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wedge421 said:
Ugg so jealous!!!!! Looks amazing man
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Thanks man. I don't think it's quite set in yet that this whole thing is actually really put together and it's all mine to use. Can't wait for my first brew session!
 
Natty,

Do you have and want to sell the 9/16" and 1 1/4" chassis punches? I need them for my build and didn't want to buy new ones.
 
Lechien said:
Natty,

Do you have and want to sell the 9/16" and 1 1/4" chassis punches? I need them for my build and didn't want to buy new ones.
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Yeah I have all three Greenlee Punches: 9/16, 13/16, and 1 1/4 inch punches. If you or anyone else is interested in them just let me know and we can work something out.

Matt
 
NattyBrew said:
Yeah I have all three Greenlee Punches: 9/16, 13/16, and 1 1/4 inch punches. If you or anyone else is interested in them just let me know and we can work something out.

Matt
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You could work out some kind of a rental deal to recuperate your cost. I know the layout for the specialty tools alone (just for the kettles) is nearly $200. Of course there is always a risk that someone doesn't return them. Could work a deposit somehow I suppose.

GreenLee 9/16" round chassis or radio (not conduit!)*punch 1 $39.45
GreenLee 36414 1-3/8"*step drill bit 1 $67.65
GreenLee 1-1/4" round chassis or radio (not conduit!)*punch for making 1-1/4" diameter holes 1 $73.48
2-1/4"*bi-metal hole saw for making 2-1/4"*diameter holes* 1 $11.92
 
That's something I've never even thought of Chad. I'd be more than willing (I think) to lend out some tools to some fellow home brewers. Heck I'd even take some partial payment in solid home brew!

If anyone out there has some interest in renting any of my tools respond here, or send me PM. If I get enough of a positive response I will probably try and set up some sort of program to help out anyone else tackling an electric brewery build.

I would probably have the following available since I really don't have much use for them after this project:

Greenlee 9/16, 13/16, and 1-1/4 chassis punch
Greenlee Step Bit

Let me know guys!

Matt
 
You should get a list together and send it from one to the next. This way you wouldn't have to keep mailing them out.

I'm sure if some one didn't return them your could contact the persons local police. You would have his address and proof that they are yours.
 
I have most of the tools and punches if anyone in the philly area wants to borrow them. I let them to a brewer and was able to fit them in a 5 dollar flat rate usps box.
 
I also have a bunch of the same tools now collecting dust. Perhaps a group effort to offer up to other members for rental with partial proceeds benefiting HBT

Just a thought
 
bellinmi88 said:
I also have a bunch of the same tools now collecting dust. Perhaps a group effort to offer up to other members for rental with partial proceeds benefiting HBT

Just a thought
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I like the idea! Honestly these things were going to sit on my workbench to collect dust at well. What's a fair rate for all you guys/gals out there? 5-10 bucks per punch? Honestly I am just taking a shot in the dark here. If I am way off base let me know.

Matt
 
NattyBrew said:
I like the idea! Honestly these things were going to sit on my workbench to collect dust at well. What's a fair rate for all you guys/gals out there? 5-10 bucks per punch? Honestly I am just taking a shot in the dark here. If I am way off base let me know.

Matt
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Hell, that's even pretty low to be honest. Your original idea was a good one too. Brews for tools rental program. :rockin:
 
NattyBrew: Do you know how much you have spent on your build. I am back and forth between buying a control box and making my own. I am just worried that all of the various shipping charges will stack up quickly and eat away any savings.
 
Well I'd say the build of my control panel cost me about $1,250 all together with shipping charges to be on the safe side. Now in addition to that I had to buy a few specialty tools as we have been recently discussing which add to the cost.

I would say that buying a control panel from Kal is a solid deal. Like you mentioned you don't have to track down all the pieces yourself and pay the separate shipping charges. I didn't have that option when I was building my CP, but I think if I did have that option I still would have gone through the process myself or maybe done the DIY kit. Personally I like the feeling that I built this system by myself, with tons of help from these forums and Kals site of course, but at the end of the day the system really is my own.

Matt
 
i would agree with Matt, mine cost about the same. +- 50. I enjoyed the build and feel very proud that I did it. Building it gives you an full knowledge of how it works and how to replace something if a part failed. But a lot to go wrong and not an easy thing to troubleshoot. Simple stray piece of minute wire can cause a ground and a breaker or gfci trip. If you check Kals site, somev builds have a story of something going wrong, with tons of head scratching time. I lucked out, only two blown transformers, easy fix. If I had to get another one or upgrade to a 50amp, I would buy a kit. Finding all the right parts take a lot more time then you think. I wish the kit had a precut panel. That was a good amount of work.
 
hows it going? curious.... (not bi-curious, just curious about the brewery) so much anticipation.
 
TomHanx said:
hows it going? curious.... (not bi-curious, just curious about the brewery) so much anticipation.
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I have now completed two batches on the system since its completion. I meant to document both but focusing on getting my first ever ten gallon batch done got in the way the first time, and a few too many beers got in the way the second!

I would say both runs were 99% successful, but like anything you learn a few quirks as you do a couple batches. The one big oops I had on my second batch, the five gallon run, was when it came to clogging the hop stopper. I choose to sanitize my CFC by running the boiling wort out of the kettle into the pump, through the CFC (without the cooling water on) and back into the kettle.

On this batch I just opened the pump full bore while recirculating and when it came time to chill, kicked the water on and started to fill my carboy. Well about two gallons of wort in my carboy the flow slowly teetered out and completely stopped. My hop stopper screen was still under the wort level in my kettle so I was pretty sure I couldn't have lost my siphon, but I couldn't get the siphon restarted. I ended up just dumping all the wort into the carboy and sticking it in the fridge to cool down to pitching temps.

Upon pulling out the hop stopper it was pretty clear what had happened. After my first batch, where I didn't recirculate with the pump at full bore, the hops on the screen came right off. When I went to clean off the screen this time it took forever to get all the holes cleared. By recirculating at full bore I had packed my pellet hops super tightly into every nook and cranny of my screen, effectively completely blocking the flow.

Long story short, don't do what I did! You can still recirculate through the CFC to sanitize but at your normal cooling rate, which for me is no more than 1/4 open on the pump outlet. This will still get some boiling wort through your chiller but without the hops so tightly on the screen, thus not ending up like I did!

Everything else with the system has been fantastic! It's a joy to use really. Any other specific questions about using the system just ask and I will be happy to answer.

Matt
 
I had a question really like your build by the way.
Why do you have 3 PID controllers? One is for the element for the boil kettle one is for the element in the HLT where your herms coil is what is the other one controll? I noticed it said mash temperature.

NattyBrew said:
Just when I go and start complaining about the delivery time of my Amp meter in the mail from China look what shows up on my front porch! Also got a nice surprise with the panel tags being delivered!

I decided to name my contraption "The Flux Incapacitor", a nice play on one of my favorite movies of all time....except this contraption will send you to inebriation before it sends you to 1955. Anyway here's the control box with a few updates!

Front of the control panel with all components installed:

168062_10100615303269204_9314355_78302227_6102414_n.jpg


Bottom Panel with the tags:

163652_10100615303369004_9314355_78302230_2144449_n.jpg


Interior shot of the door with the amp meter installed. I decided to take the optional step and set myself up for the safe start interlock that Kal added after the fact on his panel. I figured it was easier to take the step now and prevent any accidents than to go back after and add it. You can see the interlock mounted on a metal backing plate in between the water/wort pump switches and lights.

164004_10100615303573594_9314355_78302237_2482851_n.jpg


And last but not least a (semi) artistic shot of my new creation! The Flux Incapacitor!

163912_10100615303758224_9314355_78302243_5856638_n.jpg
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It controls the wort pump, recirculating from the mash tun through the herms coil. The sensor for it is mounted on the mash tun outlet.

EDIT: I was mistaken, mash PID only shows mash temp and wort pump constantly circulates. I started wiring mine tonight and the latter posts are correct, I was wrong.
 
I see on my system I just have one PID and the sensor is on the herms output. That way I have continuous circulation and it keeps my wort dead on.

PID controls the element in the HLT where my coil is. When I want to boil I simply unplug the HLT and plug in my Boil kettle run the PID on manual.

The only reason I could see this as a benefit is that he could keep the HLT heat higher so step mashes could be performed quicker, but at the same time your trading off not have continuous circulation.
 
The only reason for having a 3rd PID on these control panels is to monitor the temperature of the mash...It doesn't control anything. On mine (I built a Kal Clone too) I use it to monitor the temp of the mash as it exits the mash tun. My HLT PID monitors the temp of the mash as it exits the HLT and controls the temp of the mash from that reading.
 
Seems like a costly Thermometer. Maybe not I guess they are only 45 bucks it just seems like a waste of money. Overkill but I guess thats what these machines are right?
 
brewjunky said:
Seems like a costly Thermometer. Maybe not I guess they are only 45 bucks it just seems like a waste of money. Overkill but I guess thats what these machines are right?
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It does serve a useful function in the system, its not like there are PIDs just slapped all over the place Plus the total build probably ended up costing me about $5,000 so why not go ahead and build a quality product if you are putting in all re work elsewhere? At least that's what I told SWMBO haha.

The flexible braid can be had from an eBay vendor who carries all sorts of diameters and colors. It's super cheap stuff that is not only useful bit also gives a cool finished look to your cables. I am most likely way off but the seller was something like flexilric or something similar. Just search for "Expandable Braided Sleeving" and you should be able to find his eBay store front.
 
So, I just read through every post in this thread, wide eyed and drooling!!! This is awesome! Me and my wife are moving soon and once we get settled, im going to start work on a set up like this asap. Thanks for sharing! I look forward to some pics and descriptions of your first brew with it, maybe a run down of brewday? (as if you haven't already shared enough)

Great work!
 
Thanks!

If you have any issues or questions as you persue the build, just shoot me a PM or ask a question here.

I was planning to document a bit of my brew day just to prove to you guys that it works, but now that you brought it up maybe I'll go full steam and try to take a bunch of pictures to document the full process from start to finish. That would probably end up being a good resource to complete my build thread entirely and really provide everyone out there some good documentation of the system in action.

I am planning another brew day here in a couple of weeks so everyone out there stay posted.

Matt
 
Kal has a work in progress that goes through the day. I took a video of using my kal clone, but it just ended up showing how many beers I drink during the process :)
 
NattyBrew said:
It does serve a useful function in the system, its not like there are PIDs just slapped all over the place Plus the total build probably ended up costing me about $5,000 so why not go ahead and build a quality product if you are putting in all re work elsewhere? At least that's what I told SWMBO haha.

The flexible braid can be had from an eBay vendor who carries all sorts of diameters and colors. It's super cheap stuff that is not only useful bit also gives a cool finished look to your cables. I am most likely way off but the seller was something like flexilric or something similar. Just search for "Expandable Braided Sleeving" and you should be able to find his eBay store front.
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Do you remember what size you bought?
 
The size needed for a nice fit on the Auber RTD probes is 1/8" braided sleeve. You can check out Kals site mentioned above for more details on the complete temperature probe build if you want to steal some of his ideas.
 
@Nattybrew

That would really help me out a lot! I've been learning a lot from these electric build threads, not only about how to build a system, but the entire AG process as well. I can't thank you guys enough for all the great info!
 
Does anyone have a part number for the 4 pin connectors on the Auber probes themselves? (I know they come with the connector, but it would be nice to use the same connector on both ends.)
 
KruegerBock said:
This is great. I am wanting to build an electirc brewery as well. What are you estimating your total cost at?
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I'd probably estimate the total cost of my build to be about $4500 bucks. I decided pretty early on when I began my Kal clone that I was willing to spend the cash on a system that I could use reliably for a very long time. Now that I have a system that works as well and consistently as this one I can focus on the more important part (at least to me) and that's making some damn good beer.

Matt
 
NattyBrew - awesome build.

Do you have a floor drain and/or sink in the room & how do you do your cleanup?
 
ZooKeeper said:
NattyBrew - awesome build.

Do you have a floor drain and/or sink in the room & how do you do your cleanup?
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I do not have a floor drain, but in my dreams I do! I have a downstairs bathroom that has a walk in shower stall so I throw my stuff in there to be scrubbed down and cleaned. I have a hose hooked into a hot water supply that I drag over and use as well. It's not exactly a perfect clean in place solution that I would like, but carrying the mash tun and boil kettle to the shower is only about 20 feet so it isn't all bad.

I just need to convince the significant other that jack hammering up the basement concrete floor to install a floor drain is totally worth the investment when we sell the house haha.

Matt
 
NattyBrew said:
I do not have a floor drain, but in my dreams I do! I have a downstairs bathroom that has a walk in shower stall so I throw my stuff in there to be scrubbed down and cleaned. I have a hose hooked into a hot water supply that I drag over and use as well. It's not exactly a perfect clean in place solution that I would like, but carrying the mash tun and boil kettle to the shower is only about 20 feet so it isn't all bad.

I just need to convince the significant other that jack hammering up the basement concrete floor to install a floor drain is totally worth the investment when we sell the house haha.

Matt
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I'm in the same boat & this is what is causing my hesitation in putting the brewery in the basement. Appreciate the info.
 

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