Jon's E-BIAB Build

[jonurban]

I started thinking about brewing indoors after my first brew, which happened on a pretty chilly Chicago winter night. I really enjoyed that brew day, and most of the brew days after, however I wanted a setup I could really call my own.

Here is a video of current system in action:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQxJhO3IfvERVF6__iq5STZCwt5VV4aWB

After several nights studying electrical diagrams at homebrewtalk and hours spent reading Kal's work at theelectricbrewery I decided my system was going to be a recirculating Single Vessle electric BIAB setup.

I started off with the controller box:

After I finished the controller, it was time to get busy on my brew room, I took a small corner of my laundry room, installed a Cutler Hammer GFCB230 30Amps DOUBLPOLE GFCI GFI Circuit Breaker in my breaker box and ran a 240v electric service to the brew room.

My brother was nice enough to finish the room off with tile, and we installed a 4" inline vent fan and vented the brew area outdoors:

The electric keg consists of a 5500 watt heating element prepared theelectricbrewery way, and the interior grain basket is a King Kooker 30-Quart Stainless Steel Turkey Pot, with the bottom cut out, at the bottom of the King Kooker is a 11 3/4" Sanke Contoured Stainless Steel False Bottom which allows me to drain the grains after the mash process is complete.

Here is the system mashing:

System Draining:

All in all, a really enjoyable system to use even though I still have some tweaks to make...


Parts List:
Controller Amount
1 x Emergency Stop (E-Stop) Switch(SW6) $6.99
3 x Pushbutton Switch,1NO 1NC, 22mm.120/240V (SW11) $35.94
Liquid tight RTD sensor $43.55
Box for 1/16 DIN controller*** $28.67
1/16 DIN PID Temperature Controller $45.50
Heat Sink for Solid State Relay, 40A $18.50
Contactor, 2 pole, 30A, 120V Coil*** $16.50
40A SSR*** $19.00
5 X 10A fast acting fuse 5 x 20mm $10.00
5 X 1A fast acting fuse 5 x 20mm $3.00
3 x 2 8 Position Screw Terminal Strip 600V 25A $5.79
1/4 watt 1k ohm resistors $1.99
15Amp 120 Volt Receptacle $3.49
XLR Type Chassis Mount Male 3 Pin $6.49
Gino 10 Pcs Electrical Panel Mounted 5 x 20mm $6.20
Leviton 2715 30-Amp, 125/250 Volt, Receptacle $40.18
Leviton 2626F 30 Amp, 250 Volt, Receptacle $39.47
PETRA 90-2028 10-Foot 4-Wire Dryer Cord $18.67
Leviton 2713 30 Amp, 125/250 Volt Connector $28.62


Tools:

Neiko 3-Piece Titanium Step Drill Bits $12.99
Greenlee 730BB-1-1/4 Round Knockout Punch Unit, 1-1/4-Inch $83.66
Neiko Titanium Step Drill Bit - 1/4" to 1-3/8" in 1/8" 10 Steps $12.19
TEKTON 66631 8-Inch File Set, 5-Piece $16.23


Home Wiring

Leviton 071-00278-000 4 Wire 30 Amp 250 Volt Dryer Receptacle 7.98
Cutler Hammer GFCB230 30Amps DOUBLPOLE GFCI GFI Circuit Breaker $89.14







Keg and Inner Chamber

sanke Keg - had on hand
King Kooker 30-Quart Stainless Steel Turkey Pot Package $90.00
11 3/4" Sanke Contoured Stainless Steel False Bottom Q1010 $39.00
Sanke False Bottom Stainless Steel Adapter S200 $17.99
Compact Weldless Sight Tee Kit, NO THERMOMETER $27.00




heating element: $145

(Qty: 1) Camco #02963 5500W (or #02953 4500W) 240VAC ultra low watt density (ULWD) RIPP element
(Qty: 1) Weatherproof 2-gang outlet box
(Qty: 2) Weatherproof 2-gang blank cover & gasket
(Qty: 4) #6-32 machine screw hex nut
(Qty: 4) #6 locking washer
(10 feet) 300V 10/3 wire (10 gauge, 3 wires), oil/water resistant, rubber coating, rated for outdoor use
(1 foot) 3/4" heat shrink tubing - black
(Qty: 3) 10 AWG wire ring terminals
(10 feet) 1/2" expandable braided sleeving - carbon colour
(Qty: 1) NEMA L6-30 (250VAC/30A) twist lock electrical plug
(Qty: 1) JB Weld cold weld compound
(Qty: 1) Silicone high temperature o-ring
(1-3/16" ID x 1-7/16" OD x 1/8" width, AS568A Dash No. 217, Durometer hardness A70, FDA compliant, -65F to +450F)
(Qty: 1) Food grade silicone adhesive/sealant
(-75F to +400F, Food grade: Meets MIL-A-46106B, Group I, Type I, FDA compliant, USDA approved, NSF 51 certified)
(Qty: 1) Stainless steel washer/shim
(0.075" thick, 1-1/2" ID, 2-1/4" OD)
(Qty: 1) Standard straight cord/wire grip, 3/4" NPT
(For cord diameter .50" to 0.63", aluminum, -30F to +225F)
(Qty: 1) Stainless steel locknut 1" NPS


Total $919.73

 

[eulipion2]

Nice box! Could you post a parts list? Also, what are the things under the e-stop?

 

[jonurban]

I updated the post with a parts list, those are front load fuse holders, if a fuse blows I don't have to take the box apart to swap it out, haven't had a fuse blow though...

 

[hio3791]

Nice build! The only thing that concerns me is having the control panel in such close proximity to the keggle.

 

[brettwasbtd]

What's the cfm on the 4" fan? How is it haggling the book of?

 

[singybrue]

Watching the video, curious why you recirculate during the boil. What's the rationale?

 

[jonurban]

Thanks for the comments, The fan above the brew station is a 100 cfm, and the inline fine is 200cfm, At most I think I'm moving 200 cfm. The ceiling fan helps direct the air flow, but I don't think it adds to the air displacement. I think you were asking how it handles the boil, pretty well, If I had room and the inclination or were to do it over I would defiantly have done 6" venting with a 6" vortex fan, but it vents pretty well how it is, after a typical boil I have a little condensation on the brew room walls that I wiped down, the rest of the laundry room was completely dry.

HIO, I agree, I'm going to build out my adjacent windowsill to keep the controller on, for now it's ok next to the keggle... I just have to be careful.

I decided to recirculate during the boil to keep the wart in the lines and in the pump sterile, I use the chugger pump to fill the primary after chilling, so I didn't want to introduce contamination. I don't think it needs to recirculate for the entire boil, but I figured it didn't hurt.

 

[ljkelly]

Can you show me the king cooker mods? I really like the idea of an all stainless biab system. Have you tried it without recirculating?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[jonurban]

ljkelly,

Here's some photos of the king cooker:

Here you see 4 stainless loop bolts i put in place to suspend the king cooker over the heating element in the keg.

Here is the bottom of the king cooker, the false bottom sits on the lip, if I didn't want to use the bag I could solder or weld the false bottom in place, but for now using the bag and leaving the false bottom as removable has worked well:

Here's the cooker from the outside looking in:

 

[OldDirty]

I'm slowly putting together my E-BIAB system now and had a few ideas about keeping my bag off the elements. Your pot and false bottom is a very nice simple solution!

Does the false bottom clog at all with any break material during your brew day?

 

[haeffnkr]

Have you tested your mash pot/bag/pump system?

I would be surprised if you can get the water to flow the grain/bag/false bottom setup.
If you can get it to flow share the details of the grain crush/bag used/false bottom hole size

thanks Kevin

 

[jonurban]

You can see the flow in the youtube playlist I posted... The false bottom has not clogged at all, actually the flow is pretty nice. I got my bag from "Home Brew Ohio" on Amazon: Brew In A Bag Straining Bag 26 x 26, the false bottom is a typical sanke contoured false bottom, don't know the whole size... sorry.

I usually do two passes through my brew store's grain mill, and don't remember their setting.

here is the video playlist of the flow in action to save you from going back to the first post:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQxJhO3IfvERVF6__iq5STZCwt5VV4aWB

Why wouldn't the water flow during the mash?

 

[doug293cz]

Nice system Jon. I plan to do a very similar system but using a regular 15.5 gal pot instead of a keggle. I like the Bayou Classic pot + basket combos. The the basket is supported by the inner rim near the top of the kettle, and the bottom of the basket is 3 - 4" off the bottom of the kettle, so there is room for the element, dip tube, sight glass fitting, etc. below the basket. The baskets are perfed on the sides (as you can see) and the bottoms as well. This should make recirc flow concerns less of a worry. I got the 15.5 gal set (Bayou Classic 1160) from Amazon for $145 & change, which compares favorably to your cost for the inner pot and false bottom.

I have been brewing with the 8 gal set on the left, but will modify the larger set on the right for e-BIAB. I have the pump and plumbing parts to put in the recirc system, which will be propane fired initially. Second phase of the project will be the electric heating part of the system. Will have to hire an electrician to put in a dedicated 240 circuit.

The baskets also have handles that make it easy to use a pully system to suspend the bag over the kettle for draining.

Brew on

 

[DU99]

wouldn't a Circuit breaker/rcd box instead fuses be more practical and more cost effective

 

[eulipion2]

I've seen numerous builds using similar diagrams that look like they're using 110v pumps on 240v panels. Could someone please explain to me how to do this without burning up the pump? I'd rather get a 110v pump than a 220v so that I can use it away from my panel, but I'm not sure how that works.

 

[jonurban]

Doug- thanks, that looks like a great 15 gallon setup!

DU99 - this whole rig is hooked up to a gfci breaker, the fuses are for equipment protection, the fuses and holders were less than $10, and are just wired inline to the equipment switches and estop.

Eulipion2- when you have 240v systems, you have two hot legs with 120v each, inside the box only one of the two 120v lines is used to provide power to the pump.

 

[eulipion2]

Eulipion2- when you have 240v systems, you have two hot legs with 120v each, inside the box only one of the two 120v lines is used to provide power to the pump.

Perfect, thanks!

 

[haeffnkr]

You can see the flow in the youtube playlist I posted... The false bottom has not clogged at all, actually the flow is pretty nice. I got my bag from "Home Brew Ohio" on Amazon: Brew In A Bag Straining Bag 26 x 26, the false bottom is a typical sanke contoured false bottom, don't know the whole size... sorry.

I usually do two passes through my brew store's grain mill, and don't remember their setting.

here is the video playlist of the flow in action to save you from going back to the first post:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQxJhO3IfvERVF6__iq5STZCwt5VV4aWB

Why wouldn't the water flow during the mash?

When I have tried this, using stainless steel perforated shelf to keep the grain/bag off the element, the grain/shelf compacts to much pump will fill up the bag and the element will be dry, resulting in burned mash.
Even running the pump at a trickle, I was not able to keep the bag from filling up and had to shut off the pump every 10/15 minutes and let the water soak back through the grain.

Looks like you got it figured out though.

thanks Kevin

 

[doug293cz]

When I have tried this, using stainless steel perforated shelf to keep the grain/bag off the element, the grain/shelf compacts to much pump will fill up the bag and the element will be dry, resulting in burned mash.
Even running the pump at a trickle, I was not able to keep the bag from filling up and had to shut off the pump every 10/15 minutes and let the water soak back through the grain.

Looks like you got it figured out though.

thanks Kevin

Kevin, How does your recirc loop feed water back to the mash? Is it a spray onto the surface of the mash, or is it more like a whirlpool nozzle down in the mash? Jon's setup looks like he's returning the wort down in the mash at an angle that might give some whirlpool action. If the recirc keeps the grain moving around, rather than allowing it to settle, this should mitigate the possibility of the equivalent of a near stuck sparge (which is what I believe you are experiencing Kevin.) My system will empoy a real whirlpool arm and nozzel to keep some movement in the grain. Also, the side of basket holes should also help.

Jon, Can you comment?

Brew on

 

[jonurban]

Kevin, Doug is correct, the whirlpool effect may help, I've been recirculating with my check valve about hslf open.... I'll see what size drill bit I can fit in the false bottom holes to give you an idea about that. How much water do you account for for grain absorption... it may help to use a little more.

 

[eulipion2]

Last question (I hope): Did you use 10 gauge wire for everything?

 

[jonurban]

I used 14 awg for everything that services less than 15 amps, and 10 awg for everything else... on the diagram everything above the middle of the ssr is 10 awg.

 

[chisena]

I started thinking about brewing indoors after my first brew, which happened on a pretty chilly Chicago winter night. I really enjoyed that brew day, and most of the brew days after, however I wanted a setup I could really call my own.

Hey Jon,

As you originally did, I am searching high and low for my ideal controller diagram. I read all of Kal's info and looked at every one of P-J's diagrams I could find. The one you selected is very similar to what I plan to build. Question; does your controller follow this diagram EXACTELY? It obviously worked for you. I am a little leery about following diagrams without some confirmation that it has worked for someone, which is why I am asking this question. On a side note, the only thing I would like to do is add a second switch for a possible future second pump (or whatever). Any input is appreciated!

 

[eulipion2]

Finally getting this built, I have a question about wiring the contactor. 10-gauge Red and black go into the screw-down connections, but I'm not sure where the "coil" wires go.

Asking here because I've tried finding better pictures of contactors in other threads with no luck, and this is the only active thread I've found.

 

[brewmcq]

Hey Jon.. great looking controller box.. reminds me a little of mine, the design for which I stole from Jon.

Sincerely,

Jon

 

[kevreh]

Nice setup and design Jon. I was recently reading up on Braumeister systems, and yours tends to mimic one. With the exception that Braumeisters have a tube going up the middle to recirculate the wort.

If I was you I would want to implement a cable pully system that can help raise and hold the kettle. Then you don't have to finagle raising the kettle and putting a support under it.

Keep an eye on the ventilation. Warm moist air + basement = bad. Fortunately a vortex inline fan could make a difference.

 

[doug293cz]

Jon,

Was studying your schematic more closely, and have a suggested mod to improve safety. The way the element contactor and SSR are currently wired, there is always 120V to ground on the SSR. If you reconnected Line 2 (red) so that it goes to the element contactor before the SSR, then turning off the element switch will remove power from the SSR as well. What do you think?

Brew on

 

[jonurban]

chisena, the diagram posted with my build is the exact wiring i performed. adding a second switch is as simple as duplicating the first switch. If you want I can update the diagram for that.

eulipion2, the lighter guage coil wires from the switch go on the single tabs on either side of the of the coil, the heavy guage coil wires go on the double tabs on the top and bottom of the coil.... if that doesn't make sense take a picture of your coil and I'll edit the picture to show you.


brewmcq, Nice box!

Kevreh, a pully is an excellent idea, but I manage to get my wife to put slide the rack in for me when I lift my grain container out and try to impress her with my strength and brew skills... not sure it's working


doug293cz. I belive you're right, if I were to check one leg of my heating element coil it is probably always hot, hitting the element switch causes the SSR to turn on the other leg and thus power the element, your approach would make the switch kick on both legs and would work as well.



My next modification will be to add a IR switch to automatically turn off flow of the recirculation if the wort drops below a certain level, I sometimes feel uncomfortable leaving the recirculation unattended incase the flow gets stuck on the grains:

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=324

Product Description:
This switch will open or close the electric circuit when liquid level reaches a specific position. It can be used to activate a pump when liquid level is low, or to open the heating circuit to prevent the damage of the heater. For activating the pump when liquid level is low, the sensor tip should be mounted downwards as shown in the picture below. For cutting off the heating circuit when liquid level is low, the sensor tip should be mounted upwards. Since the switch is rated for 0.8 Amp, a typical wiring is to put it in series with relay (or solid state relay) control loop.

Specification
Float Switch(stainless steel Float Switch,Liquid Switch)
Rated voltage: 220VAC/24VDC
Rated curent: 0.8A
Insulation Impedance: >10MΩ
Applied pressure :20/50 Pa
Working temperature: -10 ºC~130 ºC (14 ºF~266 ºF)
Cable length: 17 inch