New Rig Construction

[Seabee John]

I, recently finding myself as a poor college student after selling my business and opting for a career change, had to make a decision... wait to build my brew rig, or use what I have to get it done.

In the spirit of masterful creations like the "brewflex," I present to you, my new brewing system... The BrewGuard

Well at leased it will be. This is a photo of the Weather Guard Ladder rack that I had on my truck before I sold my business. I opted to keep it for the steel rather than sell a used rack.

I'm not finished with my rig yet, but here are the build photos so far:

Day one (basic frame)

These are the side rails that will make up the main frame:

Welding the rails together:

Day two (upper deck)

I'm planning on continuing to use my Herms system, with a gravity fed MLT, so I raised the HLT level which will also give me room for my pumps and valves, not to mention any future control devices.

 

[Seabee John]

Here are the latest

Support & burner install

MLT Supports

HLT Burner & support

Main kettle burner

Burner Test

I know it's not too pretty, but give me time. I plan on getting all the components mounted with welded brackets first. I'll then unbolt everything, grind the welds, sandblast the whole shebang and then have it powder coated.

staytuned

 

[jas0420]

Awesome! I showed your work to Brewflex and it gave a nod of approval.

Keep us updated!

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Very nice! I wish I had your welding skills, there is certainly no shortage of scrap metal around waiting to be reborn as a brew sculpture.

 

[EdWort]

Most Exclellent! Great use of materials at hand too! Some day I'll have a rig.

 

[slnies]

This is what happens when you are a poor college student, and have been a Seabee so long that you no longer know what the word can't means. LOL, I am looking forward to seeing this thing in action this weekend. S.

 

[BeerCanuck]

Awesome :rockin:

Cheers
BeerCanuck

 

[Seabee John]

Ok, scraped together a buck or two for some new 1/2 valves. time to start the plumbing.

step one, mount the base shelf (stainless road sign cut to size...and no the road sign was not stolen)

Mount pump and plumb Herms

Run tubing from HLT into MLT and plumb test sample spout

 

[Seabee John]

Hook up pump feed to Kettle (whirlpool spout)

Copper Jungle.... See if you can follow the lines... from the MLT to the pump, from the pump split one line to the Herms coil and the other to the kettle. From the Herms coil to the test sample spout and then back into the MLT.

What's coming next??? well, I still have to get another pump to recirculate my boil kettle (whirlpool) I know I could just use the one I have, but I like marathon brewdays where I have one batch mashing while the other boils. Then I'll have to construct my control panel. I plan on eventually installing a love control to operate the Herms pump. who knows where it will be by the weekend. The inaugural brew will be a 10 gal batch on sat.

I'll keep y'all posted

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Nice job! I like the recycled truck rack - cheap and apparently very effective. It's hard to follow the plumbing, but as long as you can manipulate it rather easily to get water/wort to go where you want it (without leaks), you're on the right track. I'm sure you can't wait to use it - I know I'd be anxious!

 

[Seabee John]

Nice job! I like the recycled truck rack - cheap and apparently very effective. It's hard to follow the plumbing, but as long as you can manipulate it rather easily to get water/wort to go where you want it (without leaks), you're on the right track. I'm sure you can't wait to use it - I know I'd be anxious!

Thanks Yuri,
I can't wait to brew with it...All of the parts (except the frame) have been producing for some time...but this new configuration will hopefully make things a little more predictable and streamlined.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

So THIS is what youve been busy with! Looks awesome John, let me know when you fire that bad boy up for a brew.

 

[Seabee John]

So THIS is what youve been busy with! Looks awesome John, let me know when you fire that bad boy up for a brew.

Stop by on Sat. I wired the pump last night... everything is working as planned. just gotta clean and sanitize and I'll be ready to rock.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

Nice. Too bad I didnt read this 10 minutes ago, I just put in for 11 hours of overtime this Saturday. What time you guys mashing in at?

 

[Seabee John]

Nice. Too bad I didnt read this 10 minutes ago, I just put in for 11 hours of overtime this Saturday. What time you guys mashing in at?

around 10 I suppose.

 

[Seabee John]

No photos tonight,
got the last of the plumbing done, and ran some cleaner through the lines. everything seems to be working just fine. I'll be posting photos after the brew on sat... maybe even a youtube vid or two.

one note: I was on the phone with SLNies tonight, (I was putting things together to clean the system) and I noted to him that I seemed to have a bunch of annoying little leaks. Like the weldless fitting on my MLT...drip... wait a min...drip... wait a min...drip... any way he started telling me this and that about how I can fix the leaks... I simply laughed and said "this rig is just like the fuel tanks on an SR-71 Black Bird... they leak like hell till she warms up... then shazam! all sealed up!" He said it sounded like we had a new name.

So what do ya think the "SR-71 Brew Bird"???

 

[dblvsn]

Nicely done!! I'm going to be welding up my brew rig later this spring and this setup really got me thinking about some different designs. I like the way this looks. I'd like to use as little steel as possible yet build something that's sturdy. This design looks like it's doing that well. Congrats on a job well done.

 

[plumber]

Looks like it will work a hell of a lot better then the saw horses the last one was on . I'm a little jellous.

 

[67coupe390]

I think that was a great idea for a rig!!!!

 

[Desert_Sky]

WOW now thats a nice rig!

 

[67coupe390]

I need to see more pics of this sweet sweet rig!!!!! You can do it!!!!

 

[Seabee John]

I need to see more pics of this sweet sweet rig!!!!! You can do it!!!!

I've got another pump on order and a little more copper to buy. I should be installing a the rest of the hardware this weekend...I'll get you all the Pics I can.

 

[EdWort]

So what do ya think the "SR-71 Brew Bird"???

Sounds Perfect! Pretty Cool too!

 

[Seabee John]

Ok, due to high fuel prices and my love for spilling wort on the floor, my build has again taken another turn. I've almost completely redesigned the system. (yes photos to follow soon) I've abandoned the HeRMs and decided to copy Slnies's RiMS process. shown here

I've also scrapped the cooler MLT in favor of a sanke w/ a false bottom. Any ideas on what to insulate the keg with would be helpful.

The process has become less complicated and more refined to increase control and become more energy efficient.

Another change that came with the keg MLT is the ability to direct heat the mash if necessary. I installed a third burner under the MLT that can be deployed if want to change the flavor a little. I've also finally decided to add a second march pump for the boil kettle so I can whirlpool while a second batch is recirculating through the RiMS.

I've screwed up a few batches working the bugs out and some would say better planning would have saved me, but the experience has been worth a ton. I started out with efficiencies in the 60's but now 85's the norm. With the new set up, I'll be able to repeat the process more precisely with the addition of the PID.

I'll try to get some pics up as soon as parts arrive. As soon as the build is done, I'll disassemble, paint the frame, polish some copper, and reassemble. I hope to have the prettiest rig on the block!

 

[Seabee John]

Ok here it is, complete (well almost). I'm going to strip it down and send the frame to get bead blasted and powder coated. I brewed a 10 gal batch of a nut brown today (1st batch on this set up) and hit 81% eff. Not to bad for the first shot.

Here are the pics:

Like I said, it's aint to pretty yet...but then, neither am I.

This (above) is the new MLT (duh) ... any way Notice the three pipes going in. The bottom one feeds the pump, then next one just above is the return from the pump, and the top is obviously the feed from the HLT.

The reason I went into detail there was because I've got a great sparge/vorlaugh manifold. The return from the pump and the feed from the HLT join together in a vertical pipe. then from a free (unsolder ed) "T" extends a swing arm with the manifold seen below in action

All in all, having this set up was 10 times easier to brew with and constant even temps were the best.

I also discovered that the PID & element couldn't quite heat the mash as fast as I wanted, but I've got a burner under the MLT and put it on low and the assist was great.

I can't wait to brew again

 

[jrm16311]

Very Nice man. Enjoy.

 

[EdWort]

Sweet! Copper & valves, & stuff. Looks like a portable reactor for frigate.

 

[Seabee John]

Sweet! Copper & valves, & stuff. Looks like a portable reactor for frigate.

I went with all copper because I've had such a hard time with flex tubing in the past, plus with the intro of Slnies' RiMS design, I was over 60% copper anyway. The nice part is with all the copper, I included all copper unions before entering each vessle, so I can disconnect quickly and the whole rig slides right into the back of my truck for transport. If I disconnect the legs, I can sit the frame on the back of my tailgate and brew just about anywhere I can find electricity. The cost savings on heating with elec. over propane are huge. I used to go through a full 20# cylinder of gas on a brew day, yesterday, I think I used all of a 1/4 of a tank.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

I see some good brews coming from that thing.

 

[BierMuncher]

That looks identical to my set up.

Except I don’t yet have a pump.
Or copper plumbing.
Or a false bottom.
Or a fancy controller.
Or a fly sparge device.
Or cool coasters on my rig.
Or a rig.

Other than that…we’re like twins.


Except for the horse shoe.
Or the combination dry erase / cork board.
Or the hat……

 

[BlindLemonLars]

That looks identical to my set up.

Except I don’t yet have a pump.
Or copper plumbing.
Or a false bottom.
Or a fancy controller.
Or a fly sparge device.
Or cool coasters on my rig.
Or a rig.

Other than that…we’re like twins.

Except for the horse shoe.
Or the combination dry erase / cork board.
Or the hat……

Sounds like my setup is closer than yours...at least I've got an orange bucket!

 

[EdWort]

That looks identical to my set up.

Except I don’t yet have a pump.
Or copper plumbing.
Or a false bottom.
Or a fancy controller.
Or a fly sparge device.
Or cool coasters on my rig.
Or a rig.

Other than that…we’re like twins.


Except for the horse shoe.
Or the combination dry erase / cork board.
Or the hat……

Yeah, but you have an unfinished basement with a kegerator, a chair, a tv, and a case of Trisquits.

 

[BigKahuna]

Yeah, but you have an unfinished basement with a kegerator, a chair, a tv, and a case of Trisquits.

And sweet mother of merciful fermentation I'm jealous.

I hope to move up to "BierMunchers Style of Ghetto" someday.

 

[fat x nub]

THAT IS AWESOME! Im gunna have to make me one of those

 

[SHvanBommel]

Posted to Subscribe

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Great work! And who says beer makes you dumberer!

81% efficiency first run I think you said!? AWESOME! I see some great brews in your future!

 

[slnies]

No, I think it just brings the tinker out in everyone. Some are just better at it than others.

 

[Seabee John]

Update:

After many successful brews, I just ordered a 3rd March pump and will be adding a "RiMS" style setup to control and heat my HLT. I'm hot on the look out for a cheap PID as well as tossing the idea of just switching to the BCS 460 to control the rig.

If I run the BCS rout, it will be temporary as I will soon (a year or so) begin to switch to natural gas much like Nickstecks Rig. So at that point, I'll either sell what I have and start over, or cannibalize the parts and build a new frame. Either way, I'll keep the updates coming.
-cbj

 

[Sawdustguy]

Update:
I'm hot on the look out for a cheap PID as well as tossing the idea of just switching to the BCS 460 to control the rig.

Auber Instruments has one for $35.95. The link is Universal 1/32 DIN PID Temperature Controller Universal 1/32 DIN PID Temperature Controller [SYL-1512A] - $35.95 : auberins.com, Temperature control solutions for home and industry

 

[Seabee John]

Found another watlow PID (the same model as the one I currently own) and managed to win the auction for a poultry $24 ... $32 after shipping.

In order to finish the temperature maintenance system for the HLT, I need only an element and an SSR. The "RiMS" tube seen in other threads is already complete. I'm still stuck on weather or not I have studs welded to the outside of the HLT for mounting of the pump and RiMS tube, or if I mount them lower on the frame. I'm leaning on mounting them on the lower frame which may mean a complete re-plumb of the system.... I'll keep you posted.