Home Super Brewery Build: Hybrid Electric/Gas 3BBL Build

[barryfine]

I've been loving this build, but just one suggestion. I also use an on demand hot water heater and found that silicone tubing connected directly to the water heater was a bad idea. If you open the valve on the wall without opening the valve on the tank you are filling, the silicone will balloon out and eventually pop off the fitting. To address this, I substituted stainless hose that is typically used to hook up a washing machine.

Now I'll go back to drooling over your awesome setup. Cheers!

 

[marcb]

I've been loving this build, but just one suggestion. I also use an on demand hot water heater and found that silicone tubing connected directly to the water heater was a bad idea. If you open the valve on the wall without opening the valve on the tank you are filling, the silicone will balloon out and eventually pop off the fitting. To address this, I substituted stainless hose that is typically used to hook up a washing machine.

Now I'll go back to drooling over your awesome setup. Cheers!

Hi Barry! The tubing is actually reinforced silicone tubing and runs about $10 per foot! After turning regular 1/2" silicone tubing into a water weeny I went down this route. I've been having a hard time finding any tubing that is good enough (food safe and high temp) with a 1" diameter that isn't 20-30$ per foot! This tubing is good for up to 200 psi and is food safe. I think I bought it from McMaster.... I also used the same stuff on my keg washer.

 

[barryfine]

Hi Barry! The tubing is actually reinforced silicone tubing and runs about $10 per foot! After turning regular 1/2" silicone tubing into a water weeny I went down this route. I've been having a hard time finding any tubing that is good enough (food safe and high temp) with a 1" diameter that isn't 20-30$ per foot! This tubing is good for up to 200 psi and is food safe. I think I bought it from McMaster.... I also used the same stuff on my keg washer.

Very nice! I figured you had a solution to that problem already figured out, but wanted to give you a heads up just in case. LOL at the term water weeny!

 

[marcb]

Can't wait to see how the automation is set up! Great build.

Thanks! This will be BCS controlled (at least the mash/boil kettles) will be. Looks like I've got a bad contactor after two days of troubleshooting : (

Onward and upward, still not boiling water yet......

 

[marcb]

Thanks! This will be BCS controlled (at least the mash/boil kettles) will be. Looks like I've got a bad contactor after two days of troubleshooting : (

Onward and upward, still not boiling water yet......

Still troubleshooting the ghosts in the panel, now I'm off to 5 countries for work - on hold for another week : (

I'm sure in another month or so I'm going to look back at my impatience now and laugh but dammit, right now it ain't so funny! I need to brew!

 

[marcb]

Still troubleshooting the ghosts in the panel, now I'm off to 5 countries for work - on hold for another week : (

I'm sure in another month or so I'm going to look back at my impatience now and laugh but dammit, right now it ain't so funny! I need to brew!

Apparently I'm an idiot and a noob to electric brewing! SSR's have trickle voltage that is evident on a multimeter but doesn't affect load. So my ghost 120v disappears when a pump is plugged in for example! So things are looking up for when I return from my work trip.

 

[marcb]

Cool. Almost everything is up and running! May even be able to pull of the first brew day this Sunday!!!

 

[Carlscan26]

What is that thing to the left of the conicals?

 

[marcb]

What is that thing to the left of the conicals?

That's "the beast" basically a 1BBL 40 gallon ferm/bright or BiaB 1BBL brewery. Currently listed for sale as it doesn't have the capacity for my setup!

 

[Boar Beer]

Nice build
are you going to control Fermentation temperature or just
pick your yeast and let it go.

 

[marcb]

Nice build
are you going to control Fermentation temperature or just
pick your yeast and let it go.

Will end up controlling temp, lets call that phase 1.5 : ) right now the garage sits right at 70-72 on a 95 degree day without the AC running. If I can keep the whole garage at 65 and control a heater per ferm most of my brews would be very happy. I need to vent the cold room AC heat out of the room though as that will raise the temp in the whole garage to about 80 when running 24/7.

 

[ClaudiusB]

Hi Barry! I've been having a hard time finding any tubing that is good enough (food safe and high temp) with a 1" diameter that isn't 20-30$ per foot!

Lot's of hoses out there, Goodyear brewing hoses, Noreprene®, etc.
Search for brewing hoses or go to US plastic.
Most of my hoses are Noreprene® A-60-F, NSF-51 tubing, max. temp 275° F.





Cheers,
Claudius

 

[marcb]

Lot's of hoses out there, Goodyear brewing hoses, Noreprene®, etc.
Search for brewing hoses or go to US plastic.
Most of my hoses are Noreprene® A-60-F, NSF-51 tubing, max. temp 275° F.

http://s238.photobucket.com/user/ClaudiusB/media/Brewery/Hose-hanger.jpg.html

http://s238.photobucket.com/user/ClaudiusB/media/Brewery/Brewery-200812.jpg.html

Cheers,
Claudius

Thanks! Awesome info!

 

[marcb]

PBW testing. Last pic is of the whirlpool

 

[marcb]

Full throttle 184 degrees from the rinnai!

 

[jjadamsfb]

Full throttle 184 degrees from the rinnai!

What flow rate and what input temp are getting? Is there any concern about having some of the grains being hot/wet longer than the rest because of the time fill up the MT?

 

[marcb]

What flow rate and what input temp are getting? Is there any concern about having some of the grains being hot/wet longer than the rest because of the time fill up the MT?

I haven't checked the input temp but as far as flow rate it is about 8-10 GPM. The process for the maiden voyage tomorrow is to fill 30 gallons of strike water at 160 then add the 95lbs of grain, stir and recirculate through a heat exchanger to dial it in and keep it at 152. I will post lots of pictures and we still have lots of dialing in to do but it's going to be fun! Inaugural brew day!

 

[BadDeacon]

Whoot!!!!

 

[Francus]

I feel strangely inspired.....

 

[marcb]

Late start for the epic brew day! Cleaning the fermenter! Getting ready to grind the grain!

 

[marcb]

Milling the grain, the last picture is what the hopper looks like with 25 KG of barley... I can definitely fit over 100lbs of grain in the hopper at a time.

 

[SavoryChef]

Which mill is that?

 

[marcb]

Which mill is that?

Crank and stein three roller with a home built stand/motorized

 

[txjoe]

What spray ball and pump are you using for the CIP on your fermenter?

Thanks

 

[marcb]

What spray ball and pump are you using for the CIP on your fermenter?

Thanks

Glacier tanks 1" spray ball and a march nano MD5 pump.

 

[SavoryChef]

How did the Brew day go?

 

[marcb]

Great! Just cleaning up. Lots of little hiccups and way short on hoses and fittings but we made do! All in all pretty flipping awesome!

 

[marcb]

Many thanks out to Chad (Chamuco) and Evan (Fastev) for all their help on the build and on the first brew day. It's alive and has now officially produced Beer (well wort anyways!)

 

[SavoryChef]

What did you brew and what was your efficiency?

 

[marcb]

What did you brew and what was your efficiency?

40 gallons of Amarillo Pale. Efficiency was ~80%
Grain bill was 55lbs pilsner, 25lbs Munich, 10lbs 2 row. SG was 1.064