Garage Needs a brew rig...

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IrregularPulse said:
4x4 corner posts or 2x4?

Those are 2X4. I was a little short on the lumber take off. I have three more studs in the car. There will be more vertical support added!!
 
The brew rig is growing. And material is showing up.

Put three coats of a high gloss exterior enamal on the 2X4's. Looking pretty good so far..
BeerRig002.jpg

The pids arrived. Time to start trying them out.
BeerRig.jpg
 
Very cool! I'm getting excited.

I've got most of the controls fabbed up. I need to pick up heat sinks, and an exhaust fan tomorrow. I didn't know you had ordered SSRs.
I've got some 1/4" board we can use to make a temp board to test everything out.
 
Plan9 said:
Very cool! I'm getting excited.

I've got most of the controls fabbed up. I need to pick up heat sinks, and an exhaust fan tomorrow. I didn't know you had ordered SSRs.
I've got some 1/4" board we can use to make a temp board to test everything out.

Sounds good. I think this afternoon I will screw around with the PIDs a little, see if I can get them to turn on lightbulbs and stuff like that. I thought I took the SSRs off my order, but I didn't!

A lot of other stuff will arrive today, then we just have the last order from mcmaster. OH, and I have to order the pump too.
 
I brew with a wood rig but I would be a little concerned about the kettles sitting on the wood. Sure there is no flame but they do get damn hot.
 
FSR402 said:
I brew with a wood rig but I would be a little concerned about the kettles sitting on the wood. Sure there is no flame but they do get damn hot.


With electric elements inside the kettles water will act as a conducter. The metal will never be in direct contact with heat, so the kettles shouldn't get over 250 at any point. That is well within the safe limit for wood. I was concerned about it at first, but I just don't see any real reason for being concerned with the electric set up.

Anyone have any first hand experience of kettle temps with electric rigs?
 
Yeah actually, the kegs will never get hotter than the water inside. I.E. the kettle will not go over 212 unless you pressurize it. It's why you can boil water in a paper cup over a flame.
 
Bobby_M said:
Yeah actually, the kegs will never get hotter than the water inside. I.E. the kettle will not go over 212 unless you pressurize it. It's why you can boil water in a paper cup over a flame.


That is what I was figuring on. Would should be perfect for this application..
 
Construction is well under way. Plan9 and I had a big day yesterday. We installed the bulkheads and pick up tubes, we got two of the elements in. Hooked up the pump.

We temporarily set up the PID/SSR/Element combo. It was working pretty well. Took about an hour to get the water from 72 to 170. That was with no cover, and no insullation. I think we can get that time way down. We also might be having an issue with the SSR not putting out enough power. it seems to be cycling ALL the time, rather than just pushing out the 240 consistantly..


Everything else is working well. Below are some pictures of where we are

Testing the hole saw..
BeerRigGarden012.jpg


Boil Kettle heating element
BeerRigGarden019.jpg


Current state of project
BeerRigGarden018.jpg
 
I'll get some completed photos. I keep forgetting.

The rig is complete, and working great. The updates stopped, because Austin was kicked off HBT because someone found him rude in another thread.

As far as the question of the element burning anything in the boil...
We have not found this to be a problem. Close to 20 batches have been brewed on it with out any weird caramalizing. I've done a few Belgians with sugars added directly to the boil with no problems other than it is hard to stir the sugars up.

So far we are happy with it.
Two medals have been won with brews from this rig so far.
 
I'm fond of the idea of an instant hot water system that has been discussed quite a bit here. I don't really like the idea of the element directly in the kettle, but for sure I'd use a 5000 watt element in a copper tube as both a strike/sparge water generator and the mash recirculative heater (run it lower power for this task). I'm barely smart enough to figure it out for myself when I finally get around to it so I'm sure I can't explain it to you in advance.

I use a 4500 watt element at 240 in my boil kettle and it works great
 
My rig is powered by 1 PID and a 40amp SSR.

I have a copper heating coil in my HLT

I have a 3000 watt element in the HLT and a 4500 in my boil kettle.

Im going to up the element in my HLT to 4500 or 5500
 
Ok, I finally took some pictures...


Overall shot

3386204610_c7445f1633.jpg



Close up of controls

3385392771_c78079aba4.jpg



HLT

3385390603_615cf8e20e.jpg



Mash Tun
3386203526_db7f7d6976.jpg


That's not the complete sparge arm.
 
The thread lives!! I have served my ban, and can post and browse again onw
 
It is a fun system to play with. Gives great flexibility in any weather to keep exactly the temps we need for mashing. The electric is far superior to gas in many ways (noise, cost, effeciency, safety) too!
 
Are you looking to be mostly automated or do you want to do it the old fashioned way?

If you don't want to have automation you could be up and running in a weekend.
 
Did someone ask for a parts list?


You all asked, now you get the full production list for the all Electric Brew Kettle..

PARTS LIST


3 weldless ball valves (greatbargainfittings.com)
2 bulkheads for recirculating (bargainfittings.com)


ALL OF THE FOLLOWING FROM MCASTER CARR
3 Lock nut 5530K23
6 male disconnects 6739K59
2 female disconnects 6739K64
Hose 3038K26
4 ¼ bulkead 5455k87
compression ½ male to 3/8 tube 50915K325
½ male to ½ barb 5346K25
compression for sight glass 50385K16
2 45 copper fittings 5520K723
(2) Bulkhead to pickup 5520K21
4 1/2X1/4 reducer for CFCC 5520K223
4 ½ Ts 5520K71

3/8 racking cane Morebeer.com

Water heating elements (plumbingsupply)
1 X 5500watt High Density for Hot Liquor Tun
1 X 1500 low density for RIMS system
1 X 5500 ultra low density for boil kettle

3 SSRS (Auberins.com)
3 PID
3 heat sinks
1 small DC fan
3 Thermocouplers

March Pump (morebeer.com)
2 False bottoms (morebeer.com)

1" male adapter (for the inline water heating element)

Various reducers, bushings, ext, copper parts from local hardware store
various hose clamps
LOTS OF spade bit ends for electrical
Plenty of electrical wire, romex, ext
bus strips
Work boxes
Bi-Metal hole saws (or uni-bits)
duct tape
Volora
Extension cords
Dryer plug
other odds and ends I can't think of right now.
 
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