High Gravity Custom eBIAB System

[Beer-lord]

I’m only getting 68-70% as well. I’ve been stirring every 15 mins for a one hour mash. First time I did this I hit my numbers dead on. Since then it’s dropped each time (2 brews).

Not sure how others are getting 78-80% with this setup. [emoji2373]

What temp do you normally mash and what about the water treatments used? The correct ph can make a difference. I assume your crush is good too but there are so many things that go into efficiency that it's hard to look at just one. I've even read that some of the problems others have had in the past came down to less modified malts though that's not as likely as in years past.
And, Dave himself has mentioned that the average user gets about 70% efficiency with BIAB.

 

[Yambor44]

Mmmm. Makes sense. The last two brews I switched back to bottled spring water to see if my odd taste would return. The beers came out great (IPA’s) but I didn’t use any water treatments.

 

[bendog15]

78% is great. What was your mash thickness, do you remember?

I have a pretty beat up barley crusher. I have to run the grain bill through twice. Once at a pretty wide gap. Second time at a credit card width.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

I have a pretty beat up barley crusher. I have to run the grain bill through twice. Once at a pretty wide gap. Second time at a credit card width.

Crushing grain is a balancing act between wort drainage and a coarse crush and wort absorption by crushing too fine. It’s an interesting part of the brewing process.

 

[blacktop]

Hi guys, my name is Ryan and I’m from Australia.

I’ve read this whole thread and I’ve found it super informative. You’ve also got a great forum.

I like these kits so much that I decided made my own that was inspired by this but I made a few small changes including a power meter, dual strike water timers (depending on batch size) and dual element control , 5500w and 2200w

One problem that I have is that my SSR can only be controlled by PID or potentiometer separately, not simultaneously like this system. I suspect that in this system there is a PID for controlling the SSR and there is a potentiometer for controlling a SSVR and the two relays are connected in series.

Is there any chance that someone in here would be willing to open up the 4 screws on the front cover of your panels and share a few photos with a fellow brewer on the other side of the world so that I can make the necessary changes to my panel?

Cheers
Ryan

 

[augiedoggy]

Hi guys, my name is Ryan and I’m from Australia.

I’ve read this whole thread and I’ve found it super informative. You’ve also got a great forum.

I like these kits so much that I decided made my own that was inspired by this but I made a few small changes including a power meter, dual strike water timers (depending on batch size) and dual element control , 5500w and 2200w

One problem that I have is that my SSR can only be controlled by PID or potentiometer separately, not simultaneously like this system. I suspect that in this system there is a PID for controlling the SSR and there is a potentiometer for controlling a SSVR and the two relays are connected in series.

Is there any chance that someone in here would be willing to open up the 4 screws on the front cover of your panels and share a few photos with a fellow brewer on the other side of the world so that I can make the necessary changes to my panel?

Cheers
Ryan

Hi Ryan,
The High gravity controller I see pictured in this thread only has two regular switches and an ezboil controller. I have the same ezboil controller in my attic and they may have changed it since I bought my version but it only uses a regular ssr. It does not use a potentiometer but rather duty cycle/pwm mode to pulse the ssr and control heat output that way when switched to boil control mode. most pids do the same thing when switched to "manual" control mode.
Inside of these controllers you will just find the ezboil, 2 switches and an ssr I dont even believe this panel uses a contactor to safely turn off power to the second pole going to the element (theres always power going to one side of the element when plugged in). Unless im wrong theres no actual main power switch to keep component costs down.

 

[ZmannR2]

I have a few videos on mine (modded 10 gal batch 240V system with the Boil Coil 20)

I freaking love this system! I still question how long the controller will last simply because it is so compact and the heat sink gets pretty hot, but so far well over a year of use and probably 7-8 batches, its really working great. I skipped on the bag and use a steel mesh basket from Utah Biodiesel that sits on one of Bobbys false bottoms from brewhardware.

I chose the 20 gal SS Brewtech pot on my order:

 

[ZmannR2]

On the second video, pay attention to what I said about that stupid spray nozzle that High Gravity puts on your lid. Mine ended up FULL of mold because it traps moisture and wort in there. I have since replaced it with a camlock straight through design and it just falls into the grain bed and then filters outward from there during recirc. The spray nozzle IS NOT necessary at all guys

 

[ZmannR2]

All the new systems have the probe near the BoilCoil. I don't even think you have an option an longer from HG to have it in the tee since late 2016. I'm going to check my temps before brewing this week but based on the beers I'm brewing, I'm golden. They have all been very good and I'm pleased with them. I'm sure not all of the systems made are perfect but I do believe that for the money, they are very good.

I have replaced my probe with an 8 inch probe directly from Auber very recently and the tip is now at the exact center of my pot just under my basket

 

[ZmannR2]

Quick question for all who brew with the high gravity single vessel BIAB system- do you leave the pump running during the boil? My pump is primed with wort, so when I reach boil, I’m thinking “there’s wort in the lines not getting boiled” so I have been turning the pump on and off briefly during the boil. Or maybe I should just drain the wort out of the lines during the boil?

I wouldn't worry about the tiny amount not being boiled in the lines, but honestly it's still probably moving about in there, especially over an entire hour

 

[ZmannR2]

Personally, I would be concerned having anything metal touching the heating element. It just sounds wrong to me.

My dip tube goes right in between the boil coils and touches them......no issues whatsoever anywhere

 

[ZmannR2]

Latest brew day update- went great but efficiency still sucked. View attachment 624633

Here's my issue with your little arm you're using there. Think about where that water is going once it hits the outside of that grain bed....it just rolls over and gets sucked out of the sid of the bag.....if you just had an open flow port on that lid with no attachments, it would bury itself deep into the grain bed and work it's way outward in all directions from there. When I made the switch in my second video, my efficiency went up over that dumb sprayer

 

[ZmannR2]

What is everyone's boil off rate for those with the 20 gal SS pot? Mine is a whopping 1.5 gals/hour

 

[Beer-lord]

What is everyone's boil off rate for those with the 20 gal SS pot? Mine is a whopping 1.5 gals/hour

That sounds about right depending on how hard you boil. I have the 15 gallon and it's usually 1.25 gallons an hour.

 

[blacktop]

Hi Ryan,
The High gravity controller I see pictured in this thread only has two regular switches and an ezboil controller. I have the same ezboil controller in my attic and they may have changed it since I bought my version but it only uses a regular ssr. It does not use a potentiometer but rather duty cycle/pwm mode to pulse the ssr and control heat output that way when switched to boil control mode. most pids do the same thing when switched to "manual" control mode.
Inside of these controllers you will just find the ezboil, 2 switches and an ssr I dont even believe this panel uses a contactor to safely turn off power to the second pole going to the element (theres always power going to one side of the element when plugged in). Unless im wrong theres no actual main power switch to keep component costs down.

Ah k I understand now. Thanks for your reply

I was under the impression that It could be done at the same time.

After further investigation I’ve realised that’s its a different product in the video I was watching. It looks like a regular PID, not an ezboil, in the early versions of this kit.

Check the video from 3:10.

 

[augiedoggy]

What is everyone's boil off rate for those with the 20 gal SS pot? Mine is a whopping 1.5 gals/hour

Boil off rate depends on the boil power set on the ezboil.. sounds like your just running the element at 100% power during the boil. On my setup I normally set my boil power to 75% and get a gallon boil off that way. I've read that boiling too hard can have a negative impact on the beer. I dont know the details of that but I havent noticed any negative effects of boiling at a lower watt density by pulsing the element. On the plus side I have less steam to deal with.

 

[Austin_]

I freaking love this system! I still question how long the controller will last simply because it is so compact and the heat sink gets pretty hot, but so far well over a year of use and probably 7-8 batches, its really working great.

I had to send my controller back after about a dozen or so batches old due to some real wonky temperature readings. Dave fixed it right up and sent it back quickly and it now reads within a degree or so. Hopefully whatever he did to it holds up.

 

[ZmannR2]

I had to send my controller back after about a dozen or so batches old due to some real wonky temperature readings. Dave fixed it right up and sent it back quickly and it now reads within a degree or so. Hopefully whatever he did to it holds up.

What was the issue? I’ve already had to replace the cable but that was my fault I think I might bent it too hard

 

[Austin_]

What was the issue? I’ve already had to replace the cable but that was my fault I think I might bent it too hard

It started with some minor differences between what the temperature showed on the controller and what the actual temperature of the water was (verified by three separate thermometers). I was able to fudge some adjustments in the Auber to make up for the difference. That worked alright for a few batches, but then the controller just started going crazy. It would have spikes where the temperature on the controller would run out of control and read so high it would just start flashing error. In case you're wondering how high the controller reads, it's 999 degrees.

I contacted Dave thinking it might just be the probe, but he said it was probably in the controller itself. What was really odd is that the temperature reading would run wild when I physically pressed the knob on the controller, which seemed to back up what Dave was thinking. I sent it back to HG and they fixed it up in a day or two and had it back out to me. I did a batch this past weekend and everything worked fine.

 

[ZmannR2]

Oh nice! Ya I had an error reading where it wouldn’t communicate with the probe at all. Replaced the probe, still nothing, bought a new EZBoil controller still nothing! I was furious. So I got a new cable and it fixed it lol. Returned the EZBoil n got my money back but kept the 8” Auber probe cuz it’s freaking awesome lol

 

[ZmannR2]

Boil off rate depends on the boil power set on the ezboil.. sounds like your just running the element at 100% power during the boil. On my setup I normally set my boil power to 75% and get a gallon boil off that way. I've read that boiling too hard can have a negative impact on the beer. I dont know the details of that but I havent noticed any negative effects of boiling at a lower watt density by pulsing the element. On the plus side I have less steam to deal with.

At 75% I barely get a trickle of a boil so I keep it at about 90%. And I’m using a big 240V 5000W BoilCoil 20!

 

[augiedoggy]

At 75% I barely get a trickle of a boil so I keep it at about 90%. And I’m using a big 240V 5000W BoilCoil 20!

Ok well that's a bit weaker element but you should be getting a good boil with it at around 75-80% regardless unless something is wrong.

 

[Beer-lord]

What was the issue? I’ve already had to replace the cable but that was my fault I think I might bent it too hard

I bought an extra cable but kept the original in perfect condition. I sent it back and he repaired it for free in 1 day! I was certainly willing to pay for it.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

On the second video, pay attention to what I said about that stupid spray nozzle that High Gravity puts on your lid. Mine ended up FULL of mold because it traps moisture and wort in there. I have since replaced it with a camlock straight through design and it just falls into the grain bed and then filters outward from there during recirc. The spray nozzle IS NOT necessary at all guys

I have to say that after unscrewing and cleaning the nozzle and filter assembly after each brew I've never once experienced the issues you've mentioned. I'm actually surprised to even hear this is a thing.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Quick question for all who brew with the high gravity single vessel BIAB system- do you leave the pump running during the boil? My pump is primed with wort, so when I reach boil, I’m thinking “there’s wort in the lines not getting boiled” so I have been turning the pump on and off briefly during the boil. Or maybe I should just drain the wort out of the lines during the boil?

When I whirlpool hops I do run the pump to recirculate the wort during the boil. Otherwise I run the pump and recirculate the wort for ten minutes to sanitize the counter flow chiller I use for cooling the wort going to the fermenter.

 

[MikeCo]

I have a 15 gallon kettle with a 4500 watt BoilCoil. I have not yet drilled a hole for the 2" long temperature probe. I see from High Gravity's web site the picture shows the probe in between 2 of the coils now with the tip sticking out. I am considering a similar location for my probe to keep it away from the bag and placing it near the element for a quick response time from the controller. Does anyone have this configuration, and does it work ok?

https://www.highgravitybrew.com/store/pc/Wort-Hog-5-10-Gallon-BIAB-240V-445p3987.htm

https://www.highgravitybrew.com/store/pc/catalog/BIAB-LT_1_detail.png

 

[MX1]

I do, it works fine.

 

[MikeCo]

I do, it works fine.

Thanks. Do you use a basket and recirculate while mashing? I plan to start out with no basket and not recirculating and just stirring occasionally, and maybe adding recirculation later if it doesn't maintain a consistent temperature.

 

[Beer-lord]

I do as well. Never had a better brewing experience until this unit was purchased.
I use a basket/bag and mash in, wait 10 minutes or so for the grain bed to settle then use a slow recirc. At first, I did have some challenges with the right flow but after reading about waiting 10 minutes, I tried it and it works great. I do stir the top of the grain bed every 10-15 minutes and pretty much hit my numbers all the time. Around 78-82% efficiency.
I would never go back to my old BIAB!
I questioned the probe near the coils too and this works great for me.

 

[Cato1507]

I had Dave fix me up with the 10 gal 240v Blichmann kettle w/whirlpool port kit from Blichmann, the Brew Commander, and I already had the Riptide pump.
Love the whole system for my BIAB. I do 3.5- 5 gal max batches.

The Boil Coil doesn't bother my Brew Bag, and I run the whirlpool during the mash and it keeps the grain bed fairly fluid and the temp pretty consistent throughout the kettle.

Dave is good people.

I know there are probably much fancier controllers out there, but the Brew Commander is more than adequate for me, coming from constantly babysitting an induction burner.

Now I mash in turn it over to the controller and go have lunch, get coffee, weigh out hops, etc. Love it!

 

[kaffeenjunkie]

What are you going to use to keep the bag off the element?

About 30 brews ago I forgot to put in my false bottom. Nothing happened to my bag. Haven’t bothered since. I have a boil coil and older EBC-SV system and use a Wilser bag.

 

[kaffeenjunkie]

First, thanks for sharing. While I'm not pleased your having issues, I'm glad it's not just me. Why this happens to some and not others is still a mystery to me..

I used to have the same issues then I stopped using the insert that came with the Bayou Classic Pot, no more issues. I also stopped using a false bottom because it just isn’t needed. Your bag will not burn with the boil coil.
I have the old EBC-SV system For about 5 years now.

 

[Austin_]

I wanted to give an update on this system as I've been brewing on it for almost three years and put quite a bit of beer through it - I'm guessing 30ish batches . Short review is that it's still as great as the day I got it. If you are looking for all-in-one electric systems, this one is worth considering. We've had two kids since purchasing it, and going electric with a system that can do 10 gallon batches has been a real saver for the hobby for me. I don't know how I'd find time or energy to brew 5 gallon propane batches. I'm glad I bit the bullet and paid a little more for a bigger system rather than compromising on a smaller system. Just to add on to other comments in here, but I no longer use the metal basket. I use the bag directly on the element and have zero issues with circulation, scorching, or bag-burning.

Two thumbs up.

 

[Beer-lord]

I also have a few years of great brewing with a system from High Gravity and never have looked back. I've lost count of how many batches I've brewed but brew about every 3 weeks or so on it.
There's lots of well known systems on the market and I'm sure they're all good but I think HG doesn't get the attention they deserve.