Electric Bottom Draining, 3 keggle, 2 pump, E-HERMS

CornyKegs 728
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BrunDog said:
Nice! Just make sure the pump can be mounted inverted. I think you can and it looks like you reversed the head, but just FYI.

-BE
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Good eye!! I wouldn't think it would matter since it is just a large round magnet inside the pump head that spins, but I will email the manufacturer to be sure. Can you think of a reason it may cause problems? :confused:
 
You'll need to dismount, and turn right side up, your pumps for oiling.

From the manual:
The motor should be oiled yearly with 4-5 drops SAE20 weight non-detergent oil, do not
over oil.
Click to expand...

Or, if you're careful, it looks like the end cap could be removed from the motor case and reoriented to put the oil port back on top in your configuration. You would need to file an opening in the case to line up with the oil feed.
 
Perfect. Pumps are installed with unions on both ends for easy maintenance and removal. Sounds like I'll be removing annually for some upkeep maintenance.
 
You really are doing an awesome job! I really like how you hard plumbed everything too. Those bottom draining vessels are going be so easy to clean. Wish I had done that when I got mine custom welded. Your getting closer to the end now, lots of luck on the rest of the build!

John
 
Thanks!!

Frustrating day! Started with one leaky connection, tried to break it down to get to that leaky fitting. Now I'm battling a lot of leaky fittings! It's a been a PITA because I have to remove multiple sections to get to leaky connections. Then new leaks pop up! I ran out of my good Teflon tape and I was just using the cheap stuff that I had on hand. Decided to call it a day and get another roll of good Teflon tomorrow. Hopefully that will help. The good thing is once it's all water tight it will stay that way. Here's to tomorrow. [emoji482]:cheers:
 
30Bones said:
That is A LOT of plumbing and thought right there. WOW
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Yes. I sketched quite a few drawings before the final design. It is setup for CIP and ready for motorized ball valves down the road. I tried to plan it with the end goal in mind.
 
jcc4507fly said:
Yes. I sketched quite a few drawings before the final design. It is setup for CIP and ready for motorized ball valves down the road. I tried to plan it with the end goal in mind.
Click to expand...

I'd say you nailed it on the plumbing design! It's so clean and tight and doesn't have unnecessary pipes going everywhere with a large footprint like I've seen on other rigs. Nice job!

John
 
Nice rig! Seriously jealous! I'm just starting to put together an eHERMS and this gives me so many ideas.

How did you polish the kegs? They look amazing!
 
Mountainsax said:
How did you polish the kegs? They look amazing!
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Thanks!

Here is a link to a decent tutorial.
https://www.beersyndicate.com/app/Tutorial/Details/17
You can also find videos on YouTube. Ultimately I found a method that worked best for me. Don't rush the 1st steps and make sure you have a uniform finish prior to attempting the finishing polish.

FYI; I bought the polish at Harbor Freight. Lowes no longer carries the finishing disc in my area. However, I was able to find them by calling Gator Grit and they gave me the number of a retailer that sold them. (I can't find my receipt, but if I remember correctly it was a Feed Store in Wisconsin.) I tried many 'other' polishing discs and nothing was effective enough.
Not to be discouraging but, be ready to spend 8+ hours per keg. It is a LOT of vibrating, loud, & messy work. Nothing a little HomeBrew can't fix, though...I learned the hard way that it makes a huge mess in the garage. The polish gets flung all over and is difficult to clean up. I took mine out in the grass, it saved me time during the cleanup and no residue all over in my garage. In all, it is a painful process but I think the results are worth it. Good luck and brew on![emoji482]
 
Finally got everything sealed up. Did a heat test and I have no more leaks. I ended up using a thin layer of TFE thread paste along with 3 wraps of the standard Teflon tape. That seemed to do the trick. I bought the paste at my local Ace Hardware for about $2.50. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1447205083.855167.jpg

I chose this stuff because it's safe for use with drinking water and there is NO cure time. Just look for an NSF stamp on the label, this means it's drinking water safe. It is a little messier than just Teflon tape, but I highly recommend using it. It would've saved me a severe headache!
 
Also, ditching my counter-flow & immersion chiller. Just ran a test run for my "chill loop".

Late in the boil I plan to recirc my boiling wort through my wort pump, HERMS coil, then at my MLT return, attach a hose to scavenge the wort to return it to the boil kettle. This will kill any possible bacteria.

BOIL KETTLE----MLT----HLT
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1447209949.804060.jpg


Then at knockout, I will add ice & water to the HLT and use it as a reverse immersion coil. I will recirc the ice water in a closed loop in the HLT to minimize stratification. During my test I was able to reduce the time to chill by 75%. With my counterflow only it took about 1 hour to chill 6 gallons of wort. If I used counter-flow and my immersion chiller it took about 30-40 min. Mind you I live on the gulf coast and the ground water here is about 80 degrees out of tap. And the immersion chiller wastes A LOT of water!!

During the test I was able to use the "chill loop" to cool the total volume of 7.5 gallons below 140 in 3 minutes. Furthermore I was able to chill the wort exiting the coil to 68* within 10-15min. And by not using the immersion chiller I'll save about 160 gallons of water. Pretty good improvement! Anyone with cold ground water want to buy a counterflow???

In theory during recirculation and chilling I should be able to use my BK filter to filter out cold break and any hop particulate that is in the finished wort. Just one more plus imo. I'll repost if and how this worked next brew.
 
As stated in the previous post it is definitely drinking water safe. Maybe it's not clear in the picture, but it is labeled as Certified ANSI/NSF 61, which is drinking water safe.

Edited previous post with this info since it was not 100% clear how to determine whether or not the paste is drinking water safe.
 
Thanks for sharing! I think I found my dream system!

One question though -- how painful/costly (in perspective) would it be to use food safe SS piping and tri-clamps on all the hard pipe fittings (rather then thread connections)?
 
BrewApprentice: I priced out a section in sanitary stainless vs. threaded stainless. It was significantly cheaper for threaded. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford all sanitary. But for now it's threaded pipe for me.

BD- My comment wasn't meant to be snarky. Only trying to clarify for the next guy that may come along. I appreciate the feedback and criticism from the community. Also, I know I don't think of EVERY detail. However, I try to take the time to plan and learn as much as possible. Thanks for the comments and keep them coming!
 
@jcc4507fly can you get a measurement from the base of your kettle to where your element is located? I have a full false bottom and filter stand and don't want it to be too close. Or does that not really matter in a BK? 2" above the false bottom and call it good?
 
I'll put my false bottom and stand in and take a pic. The closer the element to the bottom the harder it will be to get the false bottom in/out without having to remove the element EVERY brew day. I'll also get you a measurement of how far off the bottom my element is.
 
From base to bottom of element fitting is 4".
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448392298.567319.jpg

Mine is very tight and I have to remove my element to install/remove false bottom. I normally remove it anyway to clean but keep that in mind.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448392364.784963.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448392376.352013.jpg

My other two bulkheads are 4.25" from the base. Keep these fittings and what you plan on mounting in them in mind during your build. I have to position my false bottom just right for it to clear my digital temp probe & my thermometer probe. This won't be an issue once I install my sight glass on the front bulkhead. Then the thermometer won't stick out into the kettle as far.
 
30Bones said:
Thanks, much higher than I expected. Much appreciated
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That's as low as I could get it without welding the ferrel into the natural bend of the keg. But if I would've welded it just a little higher it would probably be easier.
 
jcc4507fly said:
That's as low as I could get it without welding the ferrel into the natural bend of the keg. And IMO it's perfect and works for me. But if I would've welded it just a little higher it would probably be easier.
Click to expand...
First time I viewed this the pics weren't there and in my head I was thinking 4" off the false bottom. The pics make it much more clear and where I was hoping to be able to drill the hole. I am going weldless, but same principle.

Had you went with a straight element I bet the FB would come out while the element was still in place.
 
Yeah sorry about that. I accidentally sent it mid post. Then had to edit.

But yes with a straight element it would be much easier to install/remove the false bottom. None the less and be it a pita, I'm still happy that my element is at the lowest point in the kettle wall and that I can manage getting the false bottom below it. I didn't originally plan on having a full FB in the BK.
 
Your build looks fantastic! I really like how you built the plumbing into the stand and hid a lot of the components underneath. It really gives it a very clean look. While electric systems bring a bit more complexity in wiring versus gas systems, you gain a lot of flexibility in materials and mounting by not needing to worry about high reflective heat from burners. Those benefits of electric stand out here in the way it is all tucked away. Looking forward to hear about the maiden brew day.
 
Part from a buddy in Louisana that deals with oil field. They custom cut and threaded the longer odd sizes in 316 ss.

The other normal lengths are from Mainland Valve in Houston. Good guys there! They let me go out in their shop and dry fit and pull my own pipe. And they have a website if you aren't so lucky to live in the area. And reasonable prices.
 
 

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