New BruControl Build

[GParkins]

Hello, CD listeners. Wait...That's Tom Petty.

Hello, lazy brewers? Maybe, but automated brewing is as much work as any other method…for a while. I hope it’s less in the long run.

TL;DR: Long series of posts about an automated brewstand build using BruControl.

I'm Geoff. I'm at the start of the second phase of an automated electric brewing build. The first phase was the design phase, and it's been about a six-month process. My current rig is just not able to deliver the consistency and repeatability that I want.

Current setup: I have a cut-up keg boil kettle on top of a turkey fryer propane burner, a round Igloo cooler mash tun, and haphazard storage for my 6-gallon glass carboy fermenters. I’ve been increasingly frustrated with the level of effort required for two cases of beer that disappears far faster than I want it to. By the time I give away a six-pack or two to non-brewing friends, have a couple of pond beer sessions with my wife, and bring a cooler full to a party, I’ve done an awful lot of work and really enjoyed about eight beers.

Goal: Automated 1/2 bbl HERMS 3-kettle, 2-pump setup with 50A 120/240VAC 1𝞍 feed to 2 5500W 240VAC elements. Kettles are 30-gallon.

I started by looking at building my own version of Kal's iconic setup, but decided that there were so many modifications that I wanted to make (especially regarding overcurrent protection) that I started expanding my reading horizons a bit. I found my happy place was somewhere between Kal’s somewhat staid, conservative approach using tried-and-true materials that are readily accessible and easily replaced, and the Raspberry Pi crowd’s rebel hacker approach that uses code blocks that six people on four continents have been working on for a total of half a day (yes, that is hyperbole).

I stumbled across BrunDog’s efforts, and the more I looked, the more I liked. Arduino is established and stable, and I liked that the software is turnkey, but I could develop my own scripts. I’m not a code pig, but I can muddle my way through a script.

I started drafting a basic schematic. I’m not effective with AutoCAD, but I was able to use Visio to cobble up some decent drawings. Full disclosure: I work for a company that designs and builds automated power distribution systems for superyachts. I’ve got access to good brains and good parts.

My initial approach was to put a layer of automation over the top of a modified Kal design. I wanted the convenience of automation with the mature, available underpinnings of Kal’s design. I came up with a helluva schematic and a $5k materials cost for the control box alone, after my employee discount.

Around the time that I was finalizing the minutiae of my initial set of drawings, I noticed that BrunDog was sorta close by my area (kinda in between my house and my office), so I reached out to him and started a conversation. Bottom line…He’s a good dude, and I like his approach. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a damn good brewer, and his barleyjuice is well worth a side trip for a visit!

The upshot is that I have been convinced that (while noble) my effort to put automation on top of a Kal box is an order of magnitude too complex, and that I should scale back and follow the KISS rule. I didn’t want to, but in the end, the reduction in part numbers and dollars won out over my desire for redundancy.

Like I said earlier, I’m at the start of the second phase. I’ve finalized my design, built what I think is a pretty comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOM), and have ordered all of the stuff that I have to have shipped in. I promised BrunDog that I would document the build, and this is the first installment on that promise.

I’m also a little bit torn. On the one hand, I really appreciate the sense of community here, and I’m happy to share my labor. On the other hand, I’m thinking seriously about developing and marketing this design as a pilot brewery for small craft brewing operations. This design is original, it’s mine, and I don’t want anyone to copy or use it for commercial purposes without my permission. If you want to build it for your personal use, you are welcome to. Beyond that, I want a cut.

Attached to this post are a couple of drawings and some screencaps from my BOM. My intention is to document the build with photos and comments throughout the process and debugging. Right now, there isn’t much eye candy, but the parts started rolling in today. By next weekend, most of the stuff should be here. I’ll try to document the process, with photos and lessons learned, as I go through the assembly.

1/?

 

[day_trippr]

I'll be following just out of general interest, but given the offerings/prior art found across the forums over the last few years I'm not seeing anything novel here so far.

Cheers! And good luck with the build.

 

[BrunDog]

Looking forward to this build. Geoff has some good ideas and is committed to building a high quality, safe rig. He has incredible attention to detail so I think we will all benefit from his efforts and documentation. He did have a novel concept of building a parallel automated / discreet control system, but I have pressed him to save some $ and heartache and put his faith in BruControl and electronics to control his rig! Hopefully anyone looking to build a 3V system can get some good insight watching this unfold. Good luck Geoff and get building!

 

[GParkins]

Thanks for the props, BrunDog! Tonight was spent developing a preliminary layout of the home screen for BruControl (attached). I wanted to lay the screen out as close to the way I laid out the plumbing diagram from the first post. I have enough time spent with the drawing that has become intuitive for me to see the BC screen as a sort of overlay to the drawing. I'm sure that it will evolve over time, especially if I can come up with better graphics!

I didn't realize that I needed to specify the firmware I had installed, so I got frustrated looking for the SPI Sensor when I went to set up a new device. A quick tech support request solved it, and I was on my way.

Parts arrival has been just a trickle so far, but the floodgates should open early next week. I did receive the ethernet shield for the Arduino. I inadvertently figured out that the 2x3 header pins that I needed to connect the shield to the Arduino (through the screw shield) didn't need to be soldered, so that was a layer of complexity that I evaded out of sheer dumb luck.

I'm connecting the Arduino to BruControl via an ethernet shield connected to an old AirPort Express via a Cat5 patch cord, and then via WiFi to my laptop. It seems to be working just fine. On brew day, I'll have my laptop and a 27" external monitor in the brewhouse. At some point, I'll look into a dedicated BruControl computer and a brewstand-mounted touchscreen, but this is how rev. 1.0 is going to work.

Once I got all of the Arduino stuff assembled, I went to convert from USB to ethernet w/ RTD firmware. Another round of frustration ensued, until I spent some quality time on the phone with BrunDog. We couldn't sort out why I wasn't able to select the right kind of firmware to install, until I figured out that the firmware folder had to be on the local hard drive. If it's installed on a network drive, the firmware update batch file can't see the folder. A quick copy of the firmware folder to the local desktop solved that little hiccup.

As sort of an "oh by the way," I am running BruControl on a Mac, via a Parallels-driven Windows 10 virtual machine. There have been some oddities, but it seems to be fully functional. I think that's why I've uncovered so many anomalies like the network drive firmware update issue.

 

[Wizard_of_Frobozz]

Love the attention to detail! I’m also redesigning my system for BruControl but not as far along as you are (brew room construction is first and limiting the funds available for the rig upgrades).

Looking forward to seeing your system as it progresses.

 

[GParkins]

The RTD temp sensor ADC/Amps got here today from Adafruit. I'm going to use 3-wire PT100 temperature sensors in the system; one for the HLT, one for the MLT, and one for the boil kettle. The little amplifiers are going to sit on one of BrunDog's 4-amp platform boards. I soldered the header pins and terminals on, and then cut one trace and soldered the two little dabs that are required for 3-wire sensor use. I used a meter to confirm that there is no conductivity between the two areas connected by the trace.

The RTD sensors come with a 1m whip, so they will go from the kettle thermowell to a small junction box near the kettles where the amplifier platform board will reside. From there, I'm going to use some 18AWG multi-core cable to get back to the main control box. BrunDog has been cautioning me about the introduction of inaccuracy from the RTD reading from noise and/or increased resistance, so I'm going to mock the whole thing up on a bench to measure what, if any, effect the extension for the signal from amp to Mega has. Once the whole thing is assembled, I'll have to test again to see if I've introduced any electrical noise or other interference.

Two pics are attached. One is of the completed RTD amplifier assembly, and the other is a screencap I swiped from BrunDog's shopping list PDF that shows the amplifier platform board.

 

[GParkins]

I really didn't like the graphics. Just to get things consistent, I swapped out my "Google Images" search graphics for BrunDog's set of stock graphics. I'm gonna need a graphic designer at some point, and that skill is nowhere on my resume.

 

[BrunDog]

Yes, we would like to have more stock images. The problem with internet images is they rarely come in neat little sets, (meaning look, size/resolution, transparency, and format) unless you pay for them, and even then they don’t include all the items you want.

If there are any out there who are comfortable creating/drawing/manipulating graphic images, we would be interested in leveraging your skills.

 

[Wizard_of_Frobozz]

The RTD temp sensor ADC/Amps got here today from Adafruit. I'm going to use 3-wire PT100 temperature sensors in the system; one for the HLT, one for the MLT, and one for the boil kettle. The little amplifiers are going to sit on one of BrunDog's 4-amp platform boards. I soldered the header pins and terminals on, and then cut one trace and soldered the two little dabs that are required for 3-wire sensor use. I used a meter to confirm that there is no conductivity between the two areas connected by the trace.

The RTD sensors come with a 1m whip, so they will go from the kettle thermowell to a small junction box near the kettles where the amplifier platform board will reside. From there, I'm going to use some 18AWG multi-core cable to get back to the main control box. BrunDog has been cautioning me about the introduction of inaccuracy from the RTD reading from noise and/or increased resistance, so I'm going to mock the whole thing up on a bench to measure what, if any, effect the extension for the signal from amp to Mega has. Once the whole thing is assembled, I'll have to test again to see if I've introduced any electrical noise or other interference.

Two pics are attached. One is of the completed RTD amplifier assembly, and the other is a screencap I swiped from BrunDog's shopping list PDF that shows the amplifier platform board.

What are the dimensions of that RTD Board? I'm trying to plan my enclosure layout and debating going with RTDs or Thermistors. It might come down to what I can actually fit in the panel.

 

[Inspire]

You want images like this? I made it black because looks like the text on the software comes white. The center is left blank for text output from the software. I left right side blank because looks like there's clickable icons there. I'm not sure what image size it is, so just made the ratio roughly. This took me 2 mins to find and modify, and the original its free to reuse, so modifying it will be fine.

 

[BrunDog]

What are the dimensions of that RTD Board? I'm trying to plan my enclosure layout and debating going with RTDs or Thermistors. It might come down to what I can actually fit in the panel.

It’s about 4.5 x 2.8 “. Would be a little bigger with the DIN carrier if you want that. No bigger with clips.

 

[BrunDog]

You want images like this? I made it black because looks like the text on the software comes white. The center is left blank for text output from the software. I left right side blank because looks like there's clickable icons there. I'm not sure what image size it is, so just made the ratio roughly. This took me 2 mins to find and modify, and the original its free to reuse, so modifying it will be fine.

The software overlays the text as needed, so only graphics are needed. It handles scaling to the element size also. Depending on the look wanted, the background can be a color or better: transparent. The hard part is having an entire set that matches, not just one item though.

 

[GParkins]

I'm at what for me is a notoriously difficult part of a project. I've ordered all the parts, and they're not here yet! Some have started coming in, but the bulk isn't due until around the middle of next week. So, what to do...

I figured that the single most important part of my life with BruControl is going to be the effectiveness of my scripts, so I decided that I needed to get busy with that aspect of the project sooner rather than later. I started by drafting a Word document of the logical flow of the steps required for a brew day. Next, I started playing around with the bottom half of the BruControl interface, and created a test script. It's only a few lines, but it helped me understand the syntax and flow. Full disclosure: I'm not a programmer. At all. That said, the script was done and debugged in about a half an hour, which tells me that the learning curve isn't terribly steep.

I need to develop my scripts as discrete blocks, so I can add, subtract, and modify brewday steps on a per-recipe basis. It will take some more time that way, but I think BruControl will be a much more powerful tool for me if it's done that way. Sure seems like a good way to kill time until the big brown truck shows up with the new shiny stuff from Ss Brewtech!

 

[day_trippr]

Ah, yes, the "waiting for parts" stage. I'm pretty sure my beer consumption goes up during those periods

I'm far from implementing the specifics of such matters as automation scripts, but I will be eventually.
Does BruControl support calls? I think the mainline script could be exquisitely clean/readable if you could bin each major configuration change to a callable sub-script...

Cheers!

 

[GParkins]

It does. In my little example, line 1 defines the name of the subroutine. Line 13 loops it back around. My next test is to run a few different blocks in different sequences. The script editor in BruControl does support copy/paste functions, so duplicating similar blocks isn't difficult. According to the manual (free download off of the website), any basic text editor will work for script development.

 

[BrunDog]

I’ll weigh in... technically it doesn’t currently support a subroutine or function call, but you can call other scripts. You can easily loop out as @GParkins mentioned.

That said, we will be adding a subroutine and global variables soon, so it will be fully functional that way in the near term.

 

[day_trippr]

 

[GParkins]

The 30-gallon Ss Brewtech kettles I ordered arrived today, as did the whirlpool adapter, the three thermowells, the grain screens, and the sparge ring. Now I need overcome my urge to put a coat of wax on them and lock them away in a hermetically sealed display case. I have to take these beauties and start hacking holes in them. If there was ever a time for "measure twice, cut once," now is it.

Side note: 30-gallon kettles look lots smaller on the web than they do coming out of the shipping box.

My intention is to install the element as low as is practical in the kettle. I'm going to mock up the shelving unit (Costco, 60"w x 24"d x 72" H) on the workbench at work, to try and get a workable orientation of the holes around the kettles. For example, I don't want the 30A connectors to the coils touching another kettle, nor do I want the HERMS coil hoses interfering with the MLT. Once I get that sorted out, it's time for step bits and Greenlee punches. I'll take some pics and post them later tonight, assuming I'm not weeping over the inadvertent destruction of a kettle that looks as nice as the Ss units do.

 

[BrunDog]

Measure 10x! Take your time and contemplate any/all future changes! For example, an element low in the BK is usually a good idea, but since you will be whirl-pooling, you don't necessarily want it laying on the bottom!

 

[Tartan1]

The 30-gallon Ss Brewtech kettles I ordered arrived today, as did the whirlpool adapter, the three thermowells, the grain screens, and the sparge ring. Now I need overcome my urge to put a coat of wax on them and lock them away in a hermetically sealed display case. I have to take these beauties and start hacking holes in them. If there was ever a time for "measure twice, cut once," now is it.

Side note: 30-gallon kettles look lots smaller on the web than they do coming out of the shipping box.

My intention is to install the element as low as is practical in the kettle. I'm going to mock up the shelving unit (Costco, 60"w x 24"d x 72" H) on the workbench at work, to try and get a workable orientation of the holes around the kettles. For example, I don't want the 30A connectors to the coils touching another kettle, nor do I want the HERMS coil hoses interfering with the MLT. Once I get that sorted out, it's time for step bits and Greenlee punches. I'll take some pics and post them later tonight, assuming I'm not weeping over the inadvertent destruction of a kettle that looks as nice as the Ss units do.

I went through the same thought process with my BK and ultimately went with this, https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hotrodxl.htm
Because I use a 5500W element I wired with this (High-Temperature Wire (SRML) instead of the normal type cable (to prevent melting of insulation within the tube portion in the BK). This addressed 3 issues for me, (1) 1 less hole to drill in the kettle and (2) as BrunDog mentioned the whirlpool after the boil, just lift the whole rig out and whirpool away, and (3) cleanup is a breeze afterwards, no triclamps or fittings to mess with to remove the element for cleaning under it.
Anyway just a thought in case you haven't considered this option.

 

[day_trippr]

Measure 10x! Take your time and contemplate any/all future changes! For example, an element low in the BK is usually a good idea, but since you will be whirl-pooling, you don't necessarily want it laying on the bottom!

Good advise, especially after seeing the results of someone measuring the hole location from the outside of the kettle which eventually led to a hole too low to get the locking nut to thread on the inside.

Woof.

 

[November]

Sub'd. I'm in the early part of phase one of building a new rig with Brucontrol. Physical layout is way different but I'm interested in how yours comes together.

Good luck. Keep the updates coming.

 

[GParkins]

I'm using these false bottoms in the bottom pf the MLT and BK. I also opted to go with this element from BrewHardware, as it presents a far more finished appearance than the modified Home Depot weatherproof quad box setups I've seen. Too late now, but I like the idea of the drop-in element. As far as placement goes, the element in the HLT will get mounted as low as possible, so I can install the HERMS coil as low as possible. The BK element has to come up a fair bit to clear the false bottom and the compost pile from the whirlpool. The element is turned off before the whirlpooling starts, so I'm not concerned about scorching trub. However, I don't want to interfere with the physics of cone formation in the center. Without including room for the trub pile, I need a little over 2 5/8" from the countertop surface to the center of the hole for the element (and nut). If I allow 3" for trub, I think that putting the center of the hole 7" up from the countertop surface gives me plenty of room.

My bigger issue appears to be the size of the kettles. My rack is 60" wide and the kettles are listed as having a 19.7" diameter. That number doesn't account for the lid flange at the top, which puts the actual diameter at about 20 3/4." It looks like I am going to have some overhang off the sides and will have to rotate the kettles a bit to accommodate the handles. I may build a custom countertop/cabinet in the garage later on, but for now, I'm living with a little overhang.

 

[BrunDog]

Why use a FB in the BK? Also, the element can actually help with cone formation - the reason the debris piles up there is because the velocity is minimal, and the element can actually help aid that velocity reduction there. 7" sounds too high.

At the end of the day, the element needs be low enough to handle your smallest batch, but also keep in mind that the higher it is, the more liquid you will need to add to cover it when you CIP.

I wont say anything about the kettle size vs. the rack.......................................... I told you so!

Dammit! I couldn't stop myself!

 

[GParkins]

I wont say anything about the kettle size vs. the rack.......................................... I told you so!

Dammit! I couldn't stop myself!

Haha! No worries. I can always go for the bigger rack and just bail out of the 'roll it out onto the driveway' idea altogether. There is no way that a shelving unit will stay empty with my wife around, so it wouldn't be that big a loss to go for the 6' width. I'll have to see how it looks when it's filled.

 

[Inspire]

You can always lay it out in a triangle formation to save the space, if you have enough length.

 

[GParkins]

You can always lay it out in a triangle formation to save the space, if you have enough length.

The shelving unit has 24" depth. I'll have a little to play with. In the long run, I may have to make a change.

 

[GParkins]

Kettle setup update: I got the thermowell hole punched in the MLT on Tuesday. It doesn't really need much. The HLT is a different story. Thermowell, HERMS coil, and element holes are needed. This afternoon after I finished my Clark Kent workday (alas, no alter ego), I worked on the HLT. I punched the holes for the coil and the element. Still have the thermowell to do.

I think I need supports for the coil. I'm just not happy with the pressure that a 50' coil puts on the fittings. @BrunDog suggested S.S. tubing, and I think there may be some scraps lying around the shop that will do. Each chock will be custom-fit and milled to support the tubing.

Anyway, here's a couple of progress pics:

 

[GParkins]

I think it's a good time for an update. The project is not stalled, but it's been delayed by life, in the form of family and work obligations that take a higher priority. Blergh. It hasn't helped that I'm in the middle of a forced bathroom remodel at the same time. So, I've had to rearrange some priorities, and the bathroom has moved to the back burner. I have plenty of trees in the yard, and beer is a necessity, amirite?

So... I've received the whole first round of materials. I've got crap piled up on every flat surface in the house. All of the holes have been cut in the kettles, but I have some deburring and final assembly to do before I can start static tests for watertight integrity.

I received the stand, which pointed out (oops!) that Ss Brewtech does not include either the handles or the lid flange when they publish their kettle specifications regarding diameter. Eventually, my wife will have a nice wire rack for her gardening shed, and I will replace the 5' wide unit I bought with a 6' wide unit that means my kettles don't hang off the edges of the shelves! (it's only an inch or two off of either end, so I can live with it for the time being).

I took an hour this afternoon to wander through the warehouse at work with an empty box, and took home most of the guts of the enclosure. I got home early enough that I had time to cut DIN rail, ductwork, and ductwork covers, and laid out a kitchen counter approximation of the enclosure. I was pretty random in the warehouse, and I have some changes to make to match the schematic. Still, the pic gives me an idea of where I am for the next step.

I also started taping up the cutouts for the enclosure. I'm going to use it in landscape mode, meaning the lid will drop down towards my lap. I think that it will be better for heat sink installation, and offers more room for cable entry across the bottom of the enclosure.

My goal for the weekend is to have completed the static tests for watertight integrity of the kettles, and to have all of the DIN rail and ductwork mounted to the backplane of the enclosure. I'd also like to sort out how (and where) I'm going to mount the enclosure.

I have DIN rail mounting clips for the Arduino stuff enroute, which will allow me to set the final equipment locations for the enclosure.

The biggest step for this update is a stop at @BrunDog's place for a growler fill tomorrow afternoon!

Onward and upward!

 

[BrunDog]

Ooh starting to look like something!

Can’t wait to see this come together.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

I think it's a good time for an update.

Are you using a Mega? If so, where did you find that screw shield that will accommodate the wifi board too?

 

[GParkins]

Are you using a Mega? If so, where did you find that screw shield that will accommodate the wifi board too?

.
@BrunDog has a website for BruControl at www.brucontrol.com. There is a tab called "Build" and under that is "Order Lists." What you're looking for is in that PDF.

 

[GParkins]

Both the bathroom remodel and the brewery control box have made a little progress. I received the 16" x 20" Rittal enclosure, and started laying out the tray and rail. I mocked up the equipment and....wasn't happy. It was just too tight. I attached a couple of the pics for an illustration of what it looks like when there isn't enough room. I started with 1 1/2" tray for the middle cross-piece, but that was ridiculously tight. I switched to 1" tray, and it got a little better, but there was just no more width on the lower rail, and I still had to add the 12VDC power supply to the upper rail. Margin for error and room for growth were too close to zero. So, I ordered a larger 20" x 24" enclosure. It's actually the size I originally specified for an earlier design that was a straight-up Kal clone, with more contactors, fuses, relays, switches, and PID controllers.

So waiting on another box and Thanksgiving forced another delay, so I worked on assembling some of the PCB-mounted kit. To save space, I stacked three of the 4-relay boards, so I needed to get some M4 screws and spacers. I'm not real happy with the flimsiness. Time will tell if I need a different solution. I also used a small piece of micarta to fabricate an adapter plate to mount the relay stack to 35mm DIN rail. Seems to me there is room for better materials, standardization and quality in the world of DIN rail mounting for small PCBs. It took more drilling and fabrication than I expected.

The Rittal enclosures are nice, but heavy. The bigger box has landscape orientation with a left-hand hinge. I like it better than the smaller one, which would have put the hinge on the bottom to get landscape orientation. I want the extra width for cable entry along the bottom, and to mount the heat sink along the side to encourage better convective cooling.

I received the box yesterday, and spent a couple of hours after dinner cutting and fitting the tray. Tonight, I cut and fit the DIN rail, mounted the tray, and mounted the backplane in the enclosure. I expect it will be in and out of there a bunch of times before I start hooking up the equipment. One thing that struck me is that there might be room to rotate the orientation of the Arduino assembly, which would make hooking it up a lot simpler. On the advice of @BrunDog, I'm also going to move it to the other side of the relay board stack, to keep the cable length from the RTD board to the Arduino as short as I can.

The next step is to start laying out the cutouts for the enclosure case and door. Noise to follow shortly thereafter.

 

[GParkins]

Are you using a Mega? If so, where did you find that screw shield that will accommodate the wifi board too?

@cyberbackpacker , I just noticed that I never answered your question! Yes, I am using a MEGA. To make it easier, Here is a link to the screw shield, and Here is the Ethernet shield I'm using.

 

[GParkins]

I noticed that the PT-100 temperature sensors I bought from Amazon have a threaded end, and that the Ss Brewtech thermowell is not threaded. However, scratching my head and puzzling over it for a while, it seemed like the PT-100 threaded end would fit inside the thermowell if it was threaded. So, I dug out my tap and die set and figured out that the PT-100 has an 8mm x 1.25mm pitch end. I enlarged the hole in the thermowell with a 17/64" drill, and ran the tap in. Note: be careful tapping stainless steel. Use plenty of tap cutting oil, go slow, and break the chip frequently. Here is the result:

 

[BrunDog]

Sweet! How close to the end does the probe tip reach?

 

[GParkins]

How close to the end does the probe tip reach?

About 1 1/2". The probes could have been longer. It should be OK once the wells are packed with thermal grease.

 

[caskconditioned]

Hi Geoff - thanks for posting this. And a big thanks to BrunDog for BruControl. I've taken a 5 year break from brewing (kids = no time) but I'm hoping to get started again soon (hopefully). My goal is to scrap my current system and build a BruControl, 3 vessel, all electric system. I have a ton to learn about electrical engineering etc. So I'm simply in the learning stages right now. Just wanted to thank both of you for posting all this info.

 

[GParkins]

Hi Geoff - thanks for posting this. And a big thanks to BrunDog for BruControl. I've taken a 5 year break from brewing (kids = no time) but I'm hoping to get started again soon (hopefully). My goal is to scrap my current system and build a BruControl, 3 vessel, all electric system. I have a ton to learn about electrical engineering etc. So I'm simply in the learning stages right now. Just wanted to thank both of you for posting all this info.

@caskconditioned you're welcome...It's kinda what makes HBT so useful. That said, be careful, and make sure that whatever you do is electrically safe. Mixing hot, sticky liquids with 240VAC can have disastrous results. There are some rigs posted on this topic and on the electric brewing topic that are really sketchy. Electrical safety isn't where you want to save a few bucks by cutting a corner or two.

 

[caskconditioned]

@caskconditioned you're welcome...It's kinda what makes HBT so useful. That said, be careful, and make sure that whatever you do is electrically safe. Mixing hot, sticky liquids with 240VAC can have disastrous results. There are some rigs posted on this topic and on the electric brewing topic that are really sketchy. Electrical safety isn't where you want to save a few bucks by cutting a corner or two.

Electricity scares the cr@p out of me. I'm definitely going to hire a licensed electrician to review all my work etc. Plus post everything on here to get even more eyes to review everything. Good luck on your build - cannot wait to see the end result