Electric BIAB and Nylon Voile Experiment

[gunner65]

Thughes what size punch did you use?

 

[thughes]

Thughes what size punch did you use?

I used my 1 1/4 chassis punch. Figured I'd get some use out of it considering how much the damn thing cost. I simply used the existing holes in the basket as pilot holes and punched out every other one.

 

[gunner65]

Got a greenlee set at work cha ching

 

[gunner65]

Just got to use my new bayou classic with steamer basket and over head pulley. Wow what an easy brew day.

 

[Sardoman]

Seems to me a grant would solve the cavitation problem and be more hands-off than the o-ring on the sight tube solution. On the other hand, that is considerably cheaper and easier to implement. Good ingenuity on that one!

 

[thughes]

Thanks Sardoman. I've actually refined the method to a much less hands-on approach: Once the mash reaches temp I simply shut the pump off, put the lid on, and come back in 90 minutes. 9-10 gallons of water and 12-15 lbs grain (on avg) is a lot of thermal mass and I don't worry too much about the 1-2 degree drop over the course of an hour-and-a-half.

 

[thughes]

Gunner, did you do the swiss-cheese mod or just use the basket with the stock holes?

 

[gunner65]

Gunner, did you do the swiss-cheese mod or just use the basket with the stock holes?

I punched seven 1.25" holes in the bottom. I only recirculate with the valve half open.

 

[ODI3]

Hey everyone, thanks for your comments. I am looking to make a ebiab 10gal setup in the future and like to hear how things work for other people. I brew 5 gal full boil split pot on my stove and since i dont have a pump, when i use one of those strainer baskets I find it makes it difficult to keep the temperature of the water consistent.

Since you are using 220v, could you not just install 2 switches for the two hots on the 220v cord and disable one of the hots making the power output 1/4 for keeping the mash temperature? Would this not prevent the bag from scorching?

 

[P-J]

Hey everyone, thanks for your comments. I am looking to make a ebiab 10gal setup in the future and like to hear how things work for other people. I brew 5 gal full boil split pot on my stove and since i dont have a pump, when i use one of those strainer baskets I find it makes it difficult to keep the temperature of the water consistent.

Since you are using 220v, could you not just install 2 switches for the two hots on the 220v cord and disable one of the hots making the power output 1/4 for keeping the mash temperature? Would this not prevent the bag from scorching?

With that type of set up you need to keep the mash fluid moving/recirculating. Otherwise you will only be adding heat to the area around the element and it cannot regulate the entire mash volume temperature.

(Unless I do not understand you planned set up.)

 

[skipper1953]

Since you are using 220v, could you not just install 2 switches for the two hots on the 220v cord and disable one of the hots making the power output 1/4 for keeping the mash temperature? Would this not prevent the bag from scorching?

When you switch OFF one of the hot leads, you will need to switch ON a neutral lead or you will have no power to your element. Be sure to use a "breaks before it makes" switching arrangement. A three position (ON/OFF/ON) switch controlling two seperate SPST contactors would work.

I'm no good with schematics. There are folks who can draw one up in their sleep (P-J).

 

[ODI3]

Would this work with a 220v gfci?
Or would the lack of power on one of the 110v trip it?

 

[Catywumpas]

I too have made several BIAB batches successfuly with my electric system. This last batch both my elements melted. I have a false bottom so no bag ever touches the elements. You guys are dead on with the slow recirculating system. I was making a Roggenbier, which is almost all rye grain, and I had a pool on top of my grain bed. So, does anyone think rice hulls would solve this problem?

 

[tektonjp]

I too have made several BIAB batches successfuly with my electric system. This last batch both my elements melted. I have a false bottom so no bag ever touches the elements. You guys are dead on with the slow recirculating system. I was making a Roggenbier, which is almost all rye grain, and I had a pool on top of my grain bed. So, does anyone think rice hulls would solve this problem?

What I've done, and it seems to work okay, is to make a tube out of SS screen, like a kettle filter. I put it in between the bag and the kettle and it acts as an overflow pipe. This, and keeping the flow rate down helps. The one time I scorched my element is when I didn't have this pipe and I stirred. Stirring upsets the flow through the grain bed, I think.