Gas Fired RIMS Flat Rack System...

[mxrob]

My first automated 1/2 barrel system. Propane powered BG14's for the HLT and boil, BG10 for the RIMS burner. Adjustable high pressure regulator with a frame fuel rail. Pilot safety via 3 gas fireplace manual pilot controls. Asco valves fired by Allen Bradley DIN rail relays and PID controllers. Automated mash tun level control with a capacitive proximity sensor. Marsh 815 pumps. 30 plate heat exchanger feeds direct to primary fermenter with aerator nozzle. Boil controller doubles as the chilled wort temp read out. On system filtered water supply and drain connectors. Way nicer than lugging buckets of water around and boiling chiller coils. Shown with the 8 gallon pots and connections set for fly sparging. It took me about 6 months to finish the system. (no big hurry, the gravity system seen in the backgound was still making good beer)

 

[josterhues]

More pics would be awesome if you have them

 

[mxrob]

More pics would be awesome if you have them

I have more at different stages of the build process. I'll dig them up and get them posted...

 

[mxrob]

Frame fuel rail and burner gas train. This was before the wiring conduit plan was figured out. I TIG welded the system frame out of 1-1/2" square tubing and had it powder-coated. Industrial ASCO valves handle the main flame on/off duties.

Burner row... 2 BG14's and a BG10 for the RIMS. I wasn't sure how the adjustable high pressure regulator was going to handle the burners turning on and off. The extra volume of gas at regulator pressure in the frame's fuel rail keeps the burners and pilots completely stable when other burners turn on and off. I feel very fortunate that my first guess on the regulator required was a home run. I was thinking I might over power my gas log pilot safeties.... luckily not so. Pot supports are TIG welded 304 stainless.

 

[mxrob]

Progress on the control panel... this was pre capacitive mash tun level sensor. Added another relay and a 24v DC power supply for the sensor.

 

[mxrob]

This is the 8 gallon pot with capacitive prox sensor on the sight tube. I have since removed the valve and directly connected the male camlock to the bulkhead fitting. The valve now has a female camlock welded to it. Very easy to remove the bulky valve set up for cleaning. I set up the 15 gallon pots the same way.

Laser T slot false bottom. This is the best design false bottom IMO. Never a stuck sparge even with sticky oatmeal stout. :rockin:

 

[pannell77]

very nice work. where did you get that FB at?

 

[mxrob]

very nice work. where did you get that FB at?

I picked it up right from one of HomeBrewTalk's sponsors of course. Talk to Jason over at Adventures in Homebrewing. They have set sizes for the kettles that they carry and for various coolers or they can also have any size cut to your specifications. I bought one of their std 15 gallon FB's (p/n 99-2867) and then modified it to fit my 8 gallon Thunder Group pot. I added the stainless handle and machined the grid support for better cross flow (IMO) and TIG welded the grid together for easier handling. I just ordered a custom cut FB for the 15 gallon TG pots I'm building now.

 

[mxrob]

So the 15 gallon pots are all done... one of the advantages is having that big ole mash tun for the high gravity 5 gallon recipes! Here we are just boiling a 5 gallon recipe of our Imperial Rum Stout which has a 20 lb grain bill. :cross: A crowd favorite at last year's AHA Big Brew in Grand Rapids, MI. We won't run out so soon this year. May 3rd at Calder Plaza this year... be there if you can!