Hi All, I finally collected some pictures and wanted to show you my eBIAB system created with all the great resources from this forum.
Special Thanks to P-J for the freely available diagram that I discovered and used to build the panel, to Kal for the freely available information on theelectricbrewery.com and many, many others who offered help along the way.
My main goal was to go electric, move to all-grain BIAB and use only one kettle for the entire system. I also wanted to have easy access to everything and make it easy to brew in my garage or have the option to move out to the patio on a nice day. The result was a new brew stand, control panel and modifying my current 15 gallon kettle to accommodate a heating element as well as building a RIMS tube. We've all seen these threads before and I take zero credit for any originality in this build, nonetheless I am proud as heck of what it has become.
The Diagram I used (as noted above) was from P-J so I'm linking to the original for reference:
This drawing was exactly what I was looking for, it had support for both a RIMS tube and a Boil Kettle, it also had capability of two pumps which I wired it for but will likely only ever use one. Either way I have two switched outlets in case I ever need another one.
My RIMS tube was inspired by a thread on HBT called "RIMS for Dummies", I definitely fit that classification so I will proudly admit it. I also used the double gang boxes for both the BK and RIMS tubes as I found that design very easy to make myself and very effective. Pictures of my RIMS tube below:
As you can see I ultimately moved the RTD probe because I mounted the RIMS tube vertically which worked well for me on my first two brews this past weekend.
The control panel has two PID's, all the normal items you'd find in a panel, it's nothing fancy but it works really well, following the diagram from P-J was very helpful and there is no way I would have been able to do this without it, I did a lot of research until I felt comfortable I could do this on my own. I also had some trial and error and thanks to people on this forum I got through it. Some pictures of my panel build below:
I purchased most components from Auber Instruments, also some switches from DigiKey, some parts from sellers on Amazon and eventually some din rail and Din mount contactors from Mouser Electronics. I realized after I bought everything I probably could have saved some money if I was a little patient, unfortunately for me patience isn't my strong point.
My brew-partner built the stand from recycled wood materials he had laying around, every piece of the stand except for the stainless top was recycled and I think it turned out nice:
I added a hose reel to the back (not pictured to roll up the power cord, just mounted that tonight so finally the cord is off the top. I also need to pick up some waterproof boxes for the RIMS and BK elements to plug into, we designed the brew stand with 4x4 corner posts intentionally so we could leave one erect for mounting the panel which worked great, I also am mounting outlet boxes for the 240v items to this pole for easy access. I decided not to install plugs directly in the panel due to cost and am glad I made this choice after it came together. The stand also has casters which makes it very easy to move around in the garage.
My first impressions are that this worked great, I brewed two 5-gallon batches on Saturday and they both turned out well, hit about 75% efficiency on both which I was happy with. I am still dialing in my recirculation method as I had things wide open, I recirculate through a weldless bulkhead I installed in the lid, I also have a whirlpool tube installed which I could use but haven't. It's worth noting that I used a Step-Bit for all of my holes and it worked fine, just have to be careful to not press down to hard to cause dimples as well as drill from both sides to deburr the holes. This was something I was really concerned about but I just couldn't bring myself to buy punches that I would only use once. I've used my step bit multiple times and it's worked well, I only paid $14 on ebay so it has definitely been worth the money.
Special Thanks to P-J for the freely available diagram that I discovered and used to build the panel, to Kal for the freely available information on theelectricbrewery.com and many, many others who offered help along the way.
My main goal was to go electric, move to all-grain BIAB and use only one kettle for the entire system. I also wanted to have easy access to everything and make it easy to brew in my garage or have the option to move out to the patio on a nice day. The result was a new brew stand, control panel and modifying my current 15 gallon kettle to accommodate a heating element as well as building a RIMS tube. We've all seen these threads before and I take zero credit for any originality in this build, nonetheless I am proud as heck of what it has become.
The Diagram I used (as noted above) was from P-J so I'm linking to the original for reference:
This drawing was exactly what I was looking for, it had support for both a RIMS tube and a Boil Kettle, it also had capability of two pumps which I wired it for but will likely only ever use one. Either way I have two switched outlets in case I ever need another one.
My RIMS tube was inspired by a thread on HBT called "RIMS for Dummies", I definitely fit that classification so I will proudly admit it. I also used the double gang boxes for both the BK and RIMS tubes as I found that design very easy to make myself and very effective. Pictures of my RIMS tube below:
As you can see I ultimately moved the RTD probe because I mounted the RIMS tube vertically which worked well for me on my first two brews this past weekend.
The control panel has two PID's, all the normal items you'd find in a panel, it's nothing fancy but it works really well, following the diagram from P-J was very helpful and there is no way I would have been able to do this without it, I did a lot of research until I felt comfortable I could do this on my own. I also had some trial and error and thanks to people on this forum I got through it. Some pictures of my panel build below:
I purchased most components from Auber Instruments, also some switches from DigiKey, some parts from sellers on Amazon and eventually some din rail and Din mount contactors from Mouser Electronics. I realized after I bought everything I probably could have saved some money if I was a little patient, unfortunately for me patience isn't my strong point.
My brew-partner built the stand from recycled wood materials he had laying around, every piece of the stand except for the stainless top was recycled and I think it turned out nice:
I added a hose reel to the back (not pictured to roll up the power cord, just mounted that tonight so finally the cord is off the top. I also need to pick up some waterproof boxes for the RIMS and BK elements to plug into, we designed the brew stand with 4x4 corner posts intentionally so we could leave one erect for mounting the panel which worked great, I also am mounting outlet boxes for the 240v items to this pole for easy access. I decided not to install plugs directly in the panel due to cost and am glad I made this choice after it came together. The stand also has casters which makes it very easy to move around in the garage.
My first impressions are that this worked great, I brewed two 5-gallon batches on Saturday and they both turned out well, hit about 75% efficiency on both which I was happy with. I am still dialing in my recirculation method as I had things wide open, I recirculate through a weldless bulkhead I installed in the lid, I also have a whirlpool tube installed which I could use but haven't. It's worth noting that I used a Step-Bit for all of my holes and it worked fine, just have to be careful to not press down to hard to cause dimples as well as drill from both sides to deburr the holes. This was something I was really concerned about but I just couldn't bring myself to buy punches that I would only use once. I've used my step bit multiple times and it's worked well, I only paid $14 on ebay so it has definitely been worth the money.
RUNK:
