Solar 12 volt grain grinding

[electricsailor]

Moving to BIAB, but not excited about hand grinding, so, took a windshield wiper motor and hooked it up to my grain grinder. Battery runs motor, battery charged by solar. I have a 12 volt water heater element that will be going in the brew pot (will also be solar powered).

Last batch I discovered that I did not have LME. Used the containers last time to store starsan... I did have some old DME that was solid, so that went into the pot, then looking around for fermentables, found some basmati rice. So, boiled two cups for 1/2 hour before putting in the pot. It came out tasting close to Budweiser! (why am I surprised?)

 

[NTBeer]

Interesting. How many watts is the heating element?

 

[electricsailor]

Have two. One is two loops of 12 volts, each 300 watts, and the other is two loops, one 12 volt 300 watts and the other 120 volts, 500 watts. One inch X 11 threads, fits most US made water heaters (or weld a 1 inch X 11 nut to your pot). Or (maybe) hang it from above into the liquid - but if the element is not completely in liquid it could burn out - better to put it on a float that keeps it immersed.

 

[pdxal]

Congratulations on the ingenuity!
800 total watts may not be much heating power. It could take a long time to heat or boil, what volumes are you going to be using?
You will have to post some pictures of the rig.

 

[electricsailor]

Yes, it's not enough watts to boil, but I can keep 5 gal of BIAB at 150 degrees, even though it will take 2 1/2 hours to heat to heat it up. Then again, the solar power is free. and I have the time.
I have a 12 volt refrigerator from a boat that I was thinking of using it to chill the work after the boil I could completely immerse the evaporator (after sanitizing it, of course).