Brew Magic to electric

[jtkratzer]

Hey can you clarify why you are switching plugs. I am planning on using the top pictured one for 240v elements 2 hots and 1 ground. Was wondering why you are switching? I also have a switch on each element so the plug will not be hot until after it is plugged in and I flip the switch.

Cord length. That's it. 6' was barely long enough when the panel was attached to the stand. 20' allows me to mount the panel to the wall and have the brew rig where I want within reason. I may lengthen the RTD sensor cords as well in the future.

 

[sethhobrin]

Cord length. That's it. 6' was barely long enough when the panel was attached to the stand. 20' allows me to mount the panel to the wall and have the brew rig where I want within reason. I may lengthen the RTD sensor cords as well in the future.

awesome. then mine should be ok. i was able to find those exact plugs but in 10' length on amazon. i agree that 6' is just too short.

 

[jtkratzer]

awesome. then mine should be ok. i was able to find those exact plugs but in 10' length on amazon. i agree that 6' is just too short.

What'd you pay for those? The 20' cords and plugs weren't bad. The round, extension cord type wire I got works much better than the flat three-wire cords like the appliance plugs with the Brewer's Hardware housings.

 

[sethhobrin]

What'd you pay for those? The 20' cords and plugs weren't bad. The round, extension cord type wire I got works much better than the flat three-wire cords like the appliance plugs with the Brewer's Hardware housings.

I paid 21 bucks each for 3 of them. I am also using brewershardware fittings and noticed the same issue. I was going to stick a little bit of foam to seal it since as you said it is not a round cable. its not waterproof but it should work ok. i don't expect water should splash inside of the housing where the cable comes in. I think I am past my return period with amazon and was going to try and make it work this way for now so I didn't lose out on 60 bucks.

In retrospect I wish I would have bought round cables and plugs like you are now doing.

 

[jtkratzer]

I paid 21 bucks each for 3 of them. I am also using brewershardware fittings and noticed the same issue. I was going to stick a little bit of foam to seal it since as you said it is not a round cable. its not waterproof but it should work ok. i don't expect water should splash inside of the housing where the cable comes in. I think I am past my return period with amazon and was going to try and make it work this way for now so I didn't lose out on 60 bucks.

In retrospect I wish I would have bought round cables and plugs like you are now doing.

They work, just really, really....really tight when you put the cap over the wire and try to slide it back to give you room to work. Also, get the ground secured first.

 

[sethhobrin]

They work, just really, really....really tight when you put the cap over the wire and try to slide it back to give you room to work. Also, get the ground secured first.

i hear ya. i have wired one of them so far that's how i know about all these issues

I like what you've done!

 

[sethhobrin]

would you mind posting where you purchased the cords and plugs and how much you paid? I'm kind of curious now.

 

[jtkratzer]

would you mind posting where you purchased the cords and plugs and how much you paid? I'm kind of curious now.

Schaedler Yesco Distribution. $1.30-something/foot and $11-something per plug.

 

[jtkratzer]

Addressed a small leak this morning and cut additional hoses to length. The 20' power cords are awesome.

Decide to give this a try on the inside of the MLT return from the HERMS.

Here we go heating to strike temp. Decided to heat the mash water and HLT at the same time with one element and circulating through the HERMS coil.

It's so good to brew again...and all I'm doing is heating water at the moment.

 

[jtkratzer]

Finally!

 

[jtkratzer]

 

[jtkratzer]

Sweet stool to see into the mash tub and HLT as the tops of the kegs are about 5.5' off the floor.

 

[jtkratzer]

Why is the PID trying to fire the element when the temp is 4 degrees over the set value?

 

[mux]

Why is the PID trying to fire the element when the temp is 4 degrees over the set value?

Did you run auto tune? Mine was doing the same same thing. Also check the temp with a known good thermometer to verify that your temp probe is accurate.

 

[jtkratzer]

 

[jtkratzer]

Did you run auto tune? Mine was doing the same same thing. Also check the temp with a known good thermometer to verify that your temp probe is accurate.

Got a dial thermometer in the HLT...

And I'm running the auto tune now.

 

[jtkratzer]

[ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glni3lIRGnE[/ame]

 

[jtkratzer]

Auto tune is done and it looks like it's firing more appropriately for accurate temps.

 

[jtkratzer]

Running the wort into the kettle through the dip tube.

 

[jtkratzer]

Couple more pictures from today:
2nd, 3rd, an 4th additions:

Almost done...

Money in the bank:

 

[jtkratzer]

Some lessons learned from today:

Start earlier...I'm sure things will go smoother next time, but holy crap this was a long day after cleaning up.

Get the right gloves. 140* degree water is a hair on the hot side and will burn.

Try not to finish your fermentation chamber the same day/time you're brewing.



All in all, things went pretty well. Had to learn some tricks with the pumps and that really killed my momentum this morning. Next brew should be even smoother as I cut my teeth pretty hard on this one.

Final volume in the fermenter ended up between 9.5 - 10 gallons. Preboil gravity was 1.042 and gravity going into the fermenter was 1.039...so I guess that while I ended up with the right final gravity, being about 1.5 gallons short on the final volume means I was probably a bit short.

I figured I would be based on some dead space and based on the time things were taking, I just batch sparged 6 gallons all at once rather than 2 sparges.

I content with my first all grain, first electric brew. I got what tastes like good wort, didn't severely burn myself, and I didn't die.

 

[jtkratzer]

Fermentation is looking good in the temp controlled fridge. Looking good. Going to let it go until about June 10th or so. I'm out for a couple weeks starting Friday. I'm going to have SWMBO turn the temp down to the mid 40s on the 10th to cold crash for 5 days and I'll keg when I get home that weekend. That's 15 days to ferment out, should be plenty for the Centennial Blonde. Maybe I'll get a brew going that weekend as well. A Bell's Two-Hearted Ale needs to happen.

 

[stlbeer]

A Bell's Two-Hearted Ale needs to happen.

What a great beer! Please post your recipe!!

 

[jtkratzer]

What a great beer! Please post your recipe!!

Don't have one yet. I've seen a few on the site and on Beer Smith Recipes.

 

[copyright1997]

Here you go: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/bells-two-hearted-ale-clone-close-they-come-91488/. Note that the yeast should be S-05 or 1056 (or if you are really ambitious, harvest yeast from reall B2H).

When I made it I changed the recipe from:
10# 2-ROW
2# Vienna

to:
8# 2-ROW
1# MO
3# Vienna

with everything else the same (carapils, C10, C40).

Of course, adjust for your expected efficiency (mine was around 70%)

It uses 3.75 oz of Centennial @ 10%, I had 8.1% so I had to up the amounts to 1oz @ 60, 1.25 oz @ 15, 1.25 oz @ 5, 1.25 oz @ 1.

If you have trouble getting Centennial, you could use the time honored method of subbing 70% cascade/30% Columbus in a blend.

Re-post if you make it to let me know how it turned out! After trying mine, I had other brewers want to do the recipe.

 

[jtkratzer]

Here you go: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/bells-two-hearted-ale-clone-close-they-come-91488/. Note that the yeast should be S-05 or 1056 (or if you are really ambitious, harvest yeast from reall B2H).

When I made it I changed the recipe from:
10# 2-ROW
2# Vienna

to:
8# 2-ROW
1# MO
3# Vienna

with everything else the same (carapils, C10, C40).

Of course, adjust for your expected efficiency (mine was around 70%)

It uses 3.75 oz of Centennial @ 10%, I had 8.1% so I had to up the amounts to 1oz @ 60, 1.25 oz @ 15, 1.25 oz @ 5, 1.25 oz @ 1.

If you have trouble getting Centennial, you could use the time honored method of subbing 70% cascade/30% Columbus in a blend.

Re-post if you make it to let me know how it turned out! After trying mine, I had other brewers want to do the recipe.

I'll give it a shot. I was looking for something with some MO in it. I've never had trouble getting Centennial before. I can't usually find Bell's beers around here. I've had to go on base to PX's in other states to find it. Loved it when I spend time in Michigan and could get it everywhere on tap.

I just ran to the freezer thinking I had a bunch, but it's Cascade, and I have a pound of that coming in a group buy as well. I have some Centennial, but not 3-4 oz

I thought of you today when I updated my sig line, finally getting something into my fermenters.

 

[copyright1997]

I'll give it a shot. I was looking for something with some MO in it. I've never had trouble getting Centennial before. I can't usually find Bell's beers around here. I've had to go on base to PX's in other states to find it. Loved it when I spend time in Michigan and could get it everywhere on tap.

I just ran to the freezer thinking I had a bunch, but it's Cascade, and I have a pound of that coming in a group buy as well. I have some Centennial, but not 3-4 oz

I thought of you today when I updated my sig line, finally getting something into my fermenters.

I also answered your pm, but in terms of the MO and upped Vienna, it was just because I felt like it. I have bunches of MO and Vienna, and have liked the brew's I've used it in before.

I mentioned the Centennial issue as I bought some in Jan/Feb time frame (a # of whole and some pellet), but noticed it seems to be in short supply now.

 

[kpr121]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/bells-two-hearted-ale-clone-close-they-come-91488/ (same link as copyright's above)

I brewed this THA clone to the OP's tee about 5 weeks ago (it was actually my second e-brew). Already plowed through the first keg and the second is going to be kegged tonight or tomorrow. I used the Bells yeast strain, harvested from about 12 Oberon’s and stepped up to about 4 liters. I am planning on pitching at least half of a yeast cake from 5 gallons into a big 1.090 barleywine I brewed on Sunday – have a feeling I am going to need a blowoff tube for that one!

I would say that using a little Maris Otter and/or extra Vienna would go well, especially if you plan on using a very clean, attenuating yeast like US-05, Bells, or the like. I will say that my beer came out very close to the real thing, even with the first keg being drank at such a young age. I think the second 5 gallons will be even better!

 

[summerofgeorge]

Sweet build man! Just read through the entire thread. I'm planning something similar (you've replied to a few of my threads already). I have a few questions though. I just wanted to check on your fuses vs the wiring diagram. Are you using them for the E-stop, 2 contactors, and 2 PIDs? Did you put a separate fuse on each component (i.e. 5, although you mention 6 at one point)? Did you use 1A for all of them per PJ's diagram? This is one of the last pieces I need to figure out for my panel. Thanks!

 

[jtkratzer]

I ran a fuse on the e-stop, one for hot that feeds all the components on the door (except the switches for the pumps because they draw more than 1 amp each) and then one for each leg of the indicators that light up when the element is firing. I know this indicators are cheap, but if one got fried because I didn't put a fuse on it, I would have to wait on and pay for shipping rather than run to Radio Shack (5 minutes away). I have two open spots for fuses that I could put a properly rated fuse in for the pump switches, but I haven't bothered with it yet.

I'm planning on my second brew day for next weekend. I've been out of town since June 1st and the beer I brewed on it Memorial Day weekend is ready to be kegged to free up space in the fermenter.