I've been meaning to write this up for a while now. The time has come for me to unveil all the secrets behind the brewing method with 2 vessels, and a control panel so simple it has been accused of being under-equipped. Truth be told I'm also tired of typing out the setup I use to describe how it doesn't need to be so complicated. The 2 vessels in this setup are the mash tun and kettle serving double duty as the HLT.
That said I am writing this for those who want to switch to electric brewing. This is not going to include my entire brew day or procedure. I am assuming that anyone reading this has at least a few successful batches under their belt and isn't going to ask the difference between strike water and sparge water. Not trying to be rude here but there are plenty of resources out there that go over it in more detail that I could better suited for the rookie brewer. Also please forgive some of the giant heaps of wire. I tried to optimize everything this particular brew day for best photography of the processes I'm trying to describe. That isn't often high on the priority list.
The simple panel. Notice that it only seems to have one feature, the PID. While it contains the SSR and heatsink integral to operation, it has no buttons, switches, levers, widgets, or doodads. If you look carefully you can see the two screws on the left side holding the heat sink in place. It's also a vented chassis and has no fan inside. While I was wanting to put a fan in I couldn't source one for 240v easily. Being impatient to try to new setup I never got around to it. If the SSR cooks it's all my fault and I have nobody to blame. Got the chassis from a dealer of various surplus parts and got lucky enough to have the key for it. Cost saving feature: hard wired into the internals of the control panel. Saved the cost of the inlet and the female plug end to run to it. It all adds up.
What about a 12v fan used in computers? Couldn't find a 240v to 12v adapter. What's with all this 240v talk? Part of my cost saving measures was to build the entire system on entirely 240v components. While it may sound irrelevant reducing a copper wire count in the cord does make a difference. The Electric Brewery has shown modifications to make this work in countries where 120v isn't available, I opted to do something similar. On the topic of cord, you will notice it's quite long. I intend to do some apartment style balcony brewing, and can't use propane. It's also the armour coated wire - for some reason it was cheaper at the hardware store. I'd recommend against using it as I did - it is both not very flexible and intended for permanent installation. Also if you drag it along something it'll saw up the edge of your TV stand pretty quick. Before we completely change subject from the control panel, should note mine plugs into the existing stove plug.
Back to brew talk and process. Go about your business as you regularly would. This guide is only going into detail where a 2 vessel system varies from BIAB or 3 vessel. Heat your strike water, mash in, do your iodine test if so inclined. But...
Before your mash finishes you may take the option of heating some sparge water. Here it is draining from the kettle into a couple of spare crock pots. Alright I cheated if you count those as vessels. Truth of the matter is that I have had perfectly good beer without either a mash-out and using plain old hot tap water for sparging. Since this step is optional I didn't count them. You could just as easily use a 5 gal bucket you no doubt have laying around. Same procedure if you want to do a mash-out, though that could drain from the kettle directly to the tun.
Notice that the temperature probe has been disconnected from the kettle. Very important that you find a method to prevent dry firing the element or it won't be an element for much longer and your brew day will be ruined. Unplugging causes my PID (Auber 2352 if memory serves) to give an error message and stop powering the element. If you wanted to have a switch or unplug the power cord for the kettle it all accomplishes the same vital task.
If you're wondering why there's a scrap of fabric tied around the probe I can explain. I thought when building the kettle a shorter probe would be convenient because it wouldn't stick into the kettle as far and be less likely to get knocked around from stirring or during cleaning. What I overlooked is that it's also more likely to be influenced by ambient temperatures skewing the reading. With a little bit of PID programming and a bit of insulation it works just fine. Recommendation: 4" probe, not the 2".
Here we are gravity draining the mash tun. Nothing too fancy that we haven't all seen before. You may notice the kettle is on a nice 4 wheeled dolly and lower than before. It takes a trip to somewhere with better exhaust capabilities and the wheels make my life easier. No stands, no tiers, no pumps, just some man powered hoisting. If you're going from a propane setup to electric and have those gizmos feel free to use them now. If you want to integrate it into your control panel I won't be the one to get in your way.
Not shown in the photo is that I do operate the kettle while still draining the tun. I know that with my power output and starting volume it isn't going to hit a boil accidentally while still filling. Even if I rush to drain and sparge the tun in 10 minutes, that's 10 minutes less that I need to wait for it to boil later.
From this point I do as most electric brewers to and set my PID to heat to 95C. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200F. One well noted ability of the e-brewery is that you can do this and not hit hot break while diverting your attention for 3 seconds. I would have a photo included of me patiently awaiting the kettle to reach the set temp, but to the untrained eye it would look like a guy having lunch consisting of pizza and a chocolate stout.
After that it's same old routine that all brewers follow. Bring it to a boil gently, wait for hot break to subside, follow hopping schedule, chill the batch.
Chilled to perfection. I tend to leave the control panel temperature probe connected and use that as my temperature from here on forwards. If you'd prefer to detach your kettle and use a different thermometer go for it.
Hit the gravity target! Session beer with exclusively Simcoe. Not that it matters a great deal, we're talking about processes! On the topic a processes though, we now require a Herculean feat of strength...
That wasn't fun. Assuming a modest kettle weight we're talking about 40+ KG. That's somewhere around 90+ LB. This is assuming that the wort is the same density of water and my hydrometer just told me it isn't. I suppose I could calculate the exact weight based on that, but it doesn't matter. Anyone who's tried gravity lifting a 10g batch knows what I'm talking about.
This is no joke. Weights like that if you aren't careful can seriously mess you up. Pulled backs can lay someone out for weeks, or become recurring nightmares. If you're doing the same sized you've likely got some mechanical device to make your life easier. Use it here. Pump, block and tackle, brew buddy, don't hurt yourself.
On a happier note I decided that the panel should be re-united with the kettle. They're a pair that work wonders together. Not shown well is the fact the kettle is covered with the sanitized lid before the lift.
Nothing left but the transfer and pitching the yeast. Was nice to see that not a single drop of wort landed on the kitchen floor this time around. Not one. Part of me expected a disaster since I was trying to keep a record of the process and Murphy's Law and all. Perhaps it was the fact that I was more thorough than usual to make sure I didn't omit anything. Either way a welcomed change!
The whole family posing together. Yes, you can have a fully functional 12 gallon capable electric brew operation with only this much - both equipment and space. Perhaps you didn't look carefully enough at the pictures as to how much floor space in front of the cabinets and stove was actually used. Remember earlier I mentioned "optimal photography?" That is something that I intended to showcase.
Other things to note in the photo is that the hydrometer is only perched on the edge of the stove for a short while, just to get into the shot. Also use of the 54L (15 gal) demijohn. I do not like these things. They feel very thin and fragile. The first time I ever filled one I was certain that it would break simply under the weight of the liquid in it. I do not recommend them to anyone, for any reason. I'm looking at replacing the 2 I have with alternate options. But I felt compelled to brew and it was the only fermenter left.
I sincerely hope that this has been helpful and enlightening. While it may seem intimidating at first to look at these multiple feature control panels, RIMS, HERMS, multi-tied setups the truth is that it doesn't need to be that complicated. I've found a method that works great to use the power of electricity and the programming capabilities of PIDs to end up with a system that does little else than offer the heating potential I needed for the strike water and boiling. Auber offers a simple dial based SSR controller to take the PID right out of the equation making essentially as easy as using a knob on a stovetop. In conclusion e-brewing can be as simple as you'd like it to be.
Special thanks to kal of The Electric Brewery for having a great resource available, and P-J for having a comprehensive list of wiring diagrams available for countless setups. Of course, thanks to everyone at HBT without whom I would likely still be brewing out of a canned kit. Happy brewing!
That said I am writing this for those who want to switch to electric brewing. This is not going to include my entire brew day or procedure. I am assuming that anyone reading this has at least a few successful batches under their belt and isn't going to ask the difference between strike water and sparge water. Not trying to be rude here but there are plenty of resources out there that go over it in more detail that I could better suited for the rookie brewer. Also please forgive some of the giant heaps of wire. I tried to optimize everything this particular brew day for best photography of the processes I'm trying to describe. That isn't often high on the priority list.
The simple panel. Notice that it only seems to have one feature, the PID. While it contains the SSR and heatsink integral to operation, it has no buttons, switches, levers, widgets, or doodads. If you look carefully you can see the two screws on the left side holding the heat sink in place. It's also a vented chassis and has no fan inside. While I was wanting to put a fan in I couldn't source one for 240v easily. Being impatient to try to new setup I never got around to it. If the SSR cooks it's all my fault and I have nobody to blame. Got the chassis from a dealer of various surplus parts and got lucky enough to have the key for it. Cost saving feature: hard wired into the internals of the control panel. Saved the cost of the inlet and the female plug end to run to it. It all adds up.
What about a 12v fan used in computers? Couldn't find a 240v to 12v adapter. What's with all this 240v talk? Part of my cost saving measures was to build the entire system on entirely 240v components. While it may sound irrelevant reducing a copper wire count in the cord does make a difference. The Electric Brewery has shown modifications to make this work in countries where 120v isn't available, I opted to do something similar. On the topic of cord, you will notice it's quite long. I intend to do some apartment style balcony brewing, and can't use propane. It's also the armour coated wire - for some reason it was cheaper at the hardware store. I'd recommend against using it as I did - it is both not very flexible and intended for permanent installation. Also if you drag it along something it'll saw up the edge of your TV stand pretty quick. Before we completely change subject from the control panel, should note mine plugs into the existing stove plug.
Back to brew talk and process. Go about your business as you regularly would. This guide is only going into detail where a 2 vessel system varies from BIAB or 3 vessel. Heat your strike water, mash in, do your iodine test if so inclined. But...
Before your mash finishes you may take the option of heating some sparge water. Here it is draining from the kettle into a couple of spare crock pots. Alright I cheated if you count those as vessels. Truth of the matter is that I have had perfectly good beer without either a mash-out and using plain old hot tap water for sparging. Since this step is optional I didn't count them. You could just as easily use a 5 gal bucket you no doubt have laying around. Same procedure if you want to do a mash-out, though that could drain from the kettle directly to the tun.
Notice that the temperature probe has been disconnected from the kettle. Very important that you find a method to prevent dry firing the element or it won't be an element for much longer and your brew day will be ruined. Unplugging causes my PID (Auber 2352 if memory serves) to give an error message and stop powering the element. If you wanted to have a switch or unplug the power cord for the kettle it all accomplishes the same vital task.
If you're wondering why there's a scrap of fabric tied around the probe I can explain. I thought when building the kettle a shorter probe would be convenient because it wouldn't stick into the kettle as far and be less likely to get knocked around from stirring or during cleaning. What I overlooked is that it's also more likely to be influenced by ambient temperatures skewing the reading. With a little bit of PID programming and a bit of insulation it works just fine. Recommendation: 4" probe, not the 2".
Here we are gravity draining the mash tun. Nothing too fancy that we haven't all seen before. You may notice the kettle is on a nice 4 wheeled dolly and lower than before. It takes a trip to somewhere with better exhaust capabilities and the wheels make my life easier. No stands, no tiers, no pumps, just some man powered hoisting. If you're going from a propane setup to electric and have those gizmos feel free to use them now. If you want to integrate it into your control panel I won't be the one to get in your way.
Not shown in the photo is that I do operate the kettle while still draining the tun. I know that with my power output and starting volume it isn't going to hit a boil accidentally while still filling. Even if I rush to drain and sparge the tun in 10 minutes, that's 10 minutes less that I need to wait for it to boil later.
From this point I do as most electric brewers to and set my PID to heat to 95C. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200F. One well noted ability of the e-brewery is that you can do this and not hit hot break while diverting your attention for 3 seconds. I would have a photo included of me patiently awaiting the kettle to reach the set temp, but to the untrained eye it would look like a guy having lunch consisting of pizza and a chocolate stout.
After that it's same old routine that all brewers follow. Bring it to a boil gently, wait for hot break to subside, follow hopping schedule, chill the batch.
Chilled to perfection. I tend to leave the control panel temperature probe connected and use that as my temperature from here on forwards. If you'd prefer to detach your kettle and use a different thermometer go for it.
Hit the gravity target! Session beer with exclusively Simcoe. Not that it matters a great deal, we're talking about processes! On the topic a processes though, we now require a Herculean feat of strength...
That wasn't fun. Assuming a modest kettle weight we're talking about 40+ KG. That's somewhere around 90+ LB. This is assuming that the wort is the same density of water and my hydrometer just told me it isn't. I suppose I could calculate the exact weight based on that, but it doesn't matter. Anyone who's tried gravity lifting a 10g batch knows what I'm talking about.
This is no joke. Weights like that if you aren't careful can seriously mess you up. Pulled backs can lay someone out for weeks, or become recurring nightmares. If you're doing the same sized you've likely got some mechanical device to make your life easier. Use it here. Pump, block and tackle, brew buddy, don't hurt yourself.
On a happier note I decided that the panel should be re-united with the kettle. They're a pair that work wonders together. Not shown well is the fact the kettle is covered with the sanitized lid before the lift.
Nothing left but the transfer and pitching the yeast. Was nice to see that not a single drop of wort landed on the kitchen floor this time around. Not one. Part of me expected a disaster since I was trying to keep a record of the process and Murphy's Law and all. Perhaps it was the fact that I was more thorough than usual to make sure I didn't omit anything. Either way a welcomed change!
The whole family posing together. Yes, you can have a fully functional 12 gallon capable electric brew operation with only this much - both equipment and space. Perhaps you didn't look carefully enough at the pictures as to how much floor space in front of the cabinets and stove was actually used. Remember earlier I mentioned "optimal photography?" That is something that I intended to showcase.
Other things to note in the photo is that the hydrometer is only perched on the edge of the stove for a short while, just to get into the shot. Also use of the 54L (15 gal) demijohn. I do not like these things. They feel very thin and fragile. The first time I ever filled one I was certain that it would break simply under the weight of the liquid in it. I do not recommend them to anyone, for any reason. I'm looking at replacing the 2 I have with alternate options. But I felt compelled to brew and it was the only fermenter left.
I sincerely hope that this has been helpful and enlightening. While it may seem intimidating at first to look at these multiple feature control panels, RIMS, HERMS, multi-tied setups the truth is that it doesn't need to be that complicated. I've found a method that works great to use the power of electricity and the programming capabilities of PIDs to end up with a system that does little else than offer the heating potential I needed for the strike water and boiling. Auber offers a simple dial based SSR controller to take the PID right out of the equation making essentially as easy as using a knob on a stovetop. In conclusion e-brewing can be as simple as you'd like it to be.
Special thanks to kal of The Electric Brewery for having a great resource available, and P-J for having a comprehensive list of wiring diagrams available for countless setups. Of course, thanks to everyone at HBT without whom I would likely still be brewing out of a canned kit. Happy brewing!
