Brew Magic to electric

[jtkratzer]

Ordered ingredients for 10 gallon batches of Bell's THA and an altbier from "Brewing Classic Styles."

Went with a middle of the road route on the THA:
18 lbs 2-Row
4 lbs Vienna
2 lbs Maris Otter
1 lb Caramel 20
1 lb Carapils

Same hops...going to use a washed yeast cake of 1056 from 5 gallons of Centennial Blonde.

 

[jtkratzer]

Kegged the first 5 of 10 gallons of Centennial Blonde tonight and it's great success. The hydro sample tasted phenomenal! Final gravity was 1.006. My parents asked for this to be on tap next weekend on Saturday night after my sister's wedding and on Sunday for a blue crab feast.

Now washing the 1056 yeast to use for my Bell's THA and then kegging the second 5 gallon batch that fermented with Notty.

 

[Jakeintoledo]

Two points:

1) I happen to know the folks @ Brew Magic (they're located in Toledo, also, and I am friends w/ the director of sales), and they've said they've kicked around doing electric systems, and they've done some for a handful of clients (at extra cost, of course). You might consider sending them an email to inquire about converting your system. IMO they should sell retrofit kits to convert systems to different heat sources.

2) having some experience with PID loops, my bet is that the control system is tuned for heat ramping for gas burners. Electric burners will heat the liquid at a different rate, which will mess with the controller's ability to hit temps. To what extent this will be problematic is anyone's guess, but I know that when you change a variable in a PID loop, you have to re-tune the PID.

 

[jtkratzer]

Two points:

1) I happen to know the folks @ Brew Magic (they're located in Toledo, also, and I am friends w/ the director of sales), and they've said they've kicked around doing electric systems, and they've done some for a handful of clients (at extra cost, of course). You might consider sending them an email to inquire about converting your system. IMO they should sell retrofit kits to convert systems to different heat sources.

2) having some experience with PID loops, my bet is that the control system is tuned for heat ramping for gas burners. Electric burners will heat the liquid at a different rate, which will mess with the controller's ability to hit temps. To what extent this will be problematic is anyone's guess, but I know that when you change a variable in a PID loop, you have to re-tune the PID.

2 counter points:

1. I'm done converting and brewing on the system already. Why would I contact Sabco about retrofitting anything?

2. The PID only controlled the RIMS tube, the gas burners were manually controlled with ball valves. I have an older system, much like the one Sam Calagione started with and it was very basic and simple. The PIDs I'm using from Auber are the same as Kal's and things are working just fine.

Did you read the first post only or did you look through the thread? Maybe your points are for the next guy that gets a system like this and is considering a drastic change with it.

 

[jtkratzer]

49.375 lbs of grain for 10 gallons of Düsseldorf Alt and a version of the Bell's Two Hearted Ale link to on the previous page.

After these two, I'd like to get a lager going and Denny's Bourbon Vanilla Porter. After (or in between) these beers, I'd like to do some small batches of SMASH beers to taste different grain and hops I've never used before. I keep reading how awesome Amarillo and MO are together and I've never used either.

 

[jtkratzer]

Brew Day #2 is under way. Heating water in two vessels rather than using one and the HERMS coil. After figuring out the trick to priming pumps, things are going faster and smoother already.

 

[jtkratzer]

Mashing grain has to be one of my favorite aromas.

 

[jtkratzer]

Everything went really well today. Way less disaster-sized mess/flooding to clean up...moved the stand outside of the garage (learned that from last time). Even so, still far less spills, leaks, etc.

Lesson learned today - sufficient hops and break material will fill/coat/clog/overflow a 5 gallon paint strainer bag when recirculating the wort through a copper coil and having the return go through the center of the hop spider.

Hit my volumes of two fermenters with ~5.5 gallons and OG of 1.050. Recipe called for 12 gallons post boil (6 originally, I doubled) and 11 into fermenters. I also did a 75 minute mash and boil.

My brother in law came over shortly after dough in and helped out the rest of the way. It was good to have a buddy to drink a beer with and an extra set of hands.

 

[jtkratzer]

And we're off! Not bad for the sometimes sluggish WLP036 and at 62* in about 12-14 hours.

 

[jtkratzer]

Very excited about the Alt I brewed on this system and kegged tonight. Also used my boil kettle to sous vide a venison steak and that made for an awesome dinner. Also vacuum sealed a roast with onions, carrots, and an onion soup mix to sous vide in a couple weeks.