My insane 25 Gal, 100 Percent Hard Plumbed Tri-Clover, Automated Tippy Build

Yakima 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
image-2058783861.jpg

It's begun! Wish me luck. Lol wrapping my head around this has been a lot. But I got this, it's been the layout that's been tough
 
Just scored two cornies for $40 at the scrap yard, they also had a few sankeys, I already have to many. Lol
 
kickflip_mj said:
Just scored two cornies for $40 at the scrap yard, they also had a few sankeys, I already have to many. Lol
Click to expand...

Dude, you know I always need more sankes!!!
 
The sankey was $40 a piece, and by the time I get it to you in Santa Clara it's an $80 sankey. Since I'm never that way. Unless you want me to get some, and you can come get them. They had one good condition one from Sierra Nevada and the ironic part is the scrap yard is across the street from Sierra Nevada brewery. Lol (girlfriend lives in chico so if you ever need anything up this way let me know)
 
kickflip_mj said:
The sankey was $40 a piece, and by the time I get it to you in Santa Clara it's an $80 sankey. Since I'm never that way. Unless you want me to get some, and you can come get them. They had one good condition one from Sierra Nevada and the ironic part is the scrap yard is across the street from Sierra Nevada brewery. Lol (girlfriend lives in chico so if you ever need anything up this way let me know)
Click to expand...

Nah, I was just cracking stones. My CL keg connection dried up... I think I'm going to have to break down and buy a pallet of them ; )
 
I mean I can grab them when I find them in chico. Insure they turn up weekly
 
Wow nice build! I just read all 45 pages. I see a few mentions of welding fittings to the stainless tubing, but not a real good explanation of how you do it. Am I correct that you are drilling the end caps then putting tubing into the drilled cap, then TIG the inside of the cap at the joint? What size tubing? And where did it come from? How are you back gassing the weld? How are you finishing the weld?

Also waiting for more info on your control system. I have my brewery set up with a BCS, but have never been happy with my setup. Issues with the igniters causing RF and the BCS to flake out. So I have been planning on a conversion to Brewtroller. Bought the BT setup and then got sidetracked. So curious how you plan to use the BT in your system.

Sorry a little long winded. Great build.

Cheers,
Ron


A few pages back you mention some extra TC pieces. Let me know what you have to sell.
 
RonRock said:
Wow nice build! I just read all 45 pages. I see a few mentions of welding fittings to the stainless tubing, but not a real good explanation of how you do it. Am I correct that you are drilling the end caps then putting tubing into the drilled cap, then TIG the inside of the cap at the joint? What size tubing? And where did it come from? How are you back gassing the weld? How are you finishing the weld? Also waiting for more info on your control system. I have my brewery set up with a BCS, but have never been happy with my setup. Issues with the igniters causing RF and the BCS to flake out. So I have been planning on a conversion to Brewtroller. Bought the BT setup and then got sidetracked. So curious how you plan to use the BT in your system. Sorry a little long winded. Great build. Cheers, Ron A few pages back you mention some extra TC pieces. Let me know what you have to sell.
Click to expand...
No worries about asking a lot of questions. That is the main reason I started this thread. Well first I ordered a bunch of these end caps with 1" holes already cut out from glacier tanks. http://m.glaciertanks.com/product.cgi?group=3621&product=3625 Then I ordered 1" tubing from brewershardware.com in my desired length. I think you can order from glacier tanks but the tubing is a lot more shinny at BH.lol http://www.brewershardware.com/1-304-Stainless-Steel-Tubing-by-the-Foot.html My welding set up is just a basic everlast tig welder with a gas lens, using a 1/16 2% theorated tungston electrode with argon I then tack welded the fitting on like so at roughly 31 amps image-2291842428.jpg Then fusion welded the fittings together at 31 amps. I recommend just doing a little bit at a time so you don't warp the TC cap. Just work on different parts while it cools down slightly. Until it looks like this.

image-24483403.jpg

I then cleaned the weld down if necessary with a flap disk and polished it with a scotchbright wheel on the die grinder. Then passivated with barkeepers. Most of my welds did not have to be cleaned up at all. The process for one is really simple and pretty fast. You don't need to back gas because you are not concerned with the back of the weld.
 

Attachments

  • image-1814796004.jpg
    image-1814796004.jpg
    39.5 KB · Views: 1,439
Regarding the brewtroller. I plan on using it like they intended and max it's outputs out. I will be running 7 valves that control the beer flow, 2 valves for the water to the bk/HLT and 1 for the counterflow chiller. That's 10 valves in total. Then I have two pumps and two honeywell ignition systems. Ontop of that I am running two volume sensors with the aquarium pump. I hope at some point I can add a second module to control hop additions or have someone help me program a RPI to do this. But I think I have plenty of automation in the mean time, I still want to play some role in the beer process. Lol
 
RonRock said:
Thanks for the tutorial. That and the links will be very helpful. Cheers
Click to expand...

Anytime! I think this is the easiest approach to welding TC.
 
Bensiff said:
Looking good, how are you going to polish that up?
Click to expand...

It doesn't show on those images because it's right after I welded it, but a scotchbright wheel on grinder works amazing. I'll post images when I get home
 
Kind of a change of topic, What should I use for fermenters? I have 3 Sankeys that I was thinking about flipping upside down and adding glicol chillers too. I Figured I can ferment and pressurize in these vessels. You think I can dump enough trub? or should I go the plastic conical route?
 
The main issue I see with using the sankes is you won't be able to fit a single batch into one. Therefore you will need to use more than one, which inturn limits you to only being able to ferment one batch at a time. I'd say go for conical and in stainless if you can afford them.
 
I just don't know if I want to dump that kind of coin into a 20 gallon fermenter. And the plastic ones only come in 15 or 30... And for a 20 gallon batch a 30 is to large.. Maybe I will hit up Toledo for 5 fermenters, I have just heard there shipping is insane
 
kickflip_mj said:
I just don't know if I want to dump that kind of coin into a 20 gallon fermenter. And the plastic ones only come in 15 or 30... And for a 20 gallon batch a 30 is to large.. Maybe I will hit up Toledo for 5 fermenters, I have just heard there shipping is insane
Click to expand...

Check out these guys - http://www.ssbrewtech.com
 
Kickflip,

Not sure if you're aware, but there's supposed to be some expansion capabilities showing up soon, so you won't be as limited with outputs.... Just thought you might be interested.

Awesome build - pretty similar to what I'm just starting out on, but the hard piping will take a fair while....

Cheers
--
Andy
 
Andycos said:
Kickflip,

Not sure if you're aware, but there's supposed to be some expansion capabilities showing up soon, so you won't be as limited with outputs.... Just thought you might be interested.

Awesome build - pretty similar to what I'm just starting out on, but the hard piping will take a fair while....

Cheers
--
Andy
Click to expand...
I heard that somewhere, they are going to create a GUI instead of the LCD screen too.

Thank you for the heads up, I would really be interested in an expansion module because it would be nice to be able to add a hop dropper. I already know how I would make it.

Good luck with your build, this can get very daunting at times. Check out stainlessbrewing for your TC. they are really cheap
 
Thanks for the tip on the supplier, but I'm actually in Australia, and work in China a fair bit, so I'm working through sourcing my stuff directly from manufacturers at the moment... Nice cheap prices for Commercial quality Valves and vessels are custom made as requested... Nothing too fancy for the first small system (50L), but I know what I want if I can get this operating and prove that it's worth upgrading to bigger....
 
Awesome build!
I love the hard plumbing, starting to go soon I hope.

Just to know, which sw are you going to play on the rip? Seen in your touchscreen (chalkboard?) the live.brewtroller web page and in your post #441 it seems to me you have the open troller dx1 on the left of the image. So, rpi or open troller?

gm
 
goingmad said:
Awesome build!
I love the hard plumbing, starting to go soon I hope.

Just to know, which sw are you going to play on the rip? Seen in your touchscreen (chalkboard?) the live.brewtroller web page and in your post #441 it seems to me you have the open troller dx1 on the left of the image. So, rpi or open troller?

gm
Click to expand...

SW? Im running raspberry wheezy on the RPI with a light web server running. I plan on plugging the RPI into DX1 and when speaking with Brewtroller today on the phone, they mentioned that I just have to plug the Ethernet plug in.
 
Great minds think alike, dude!

The next time you are going to flight to Europe, make a trip northern Italy to help me with the brewstand build! :mug:
 
goingmad said:
Great minds think alike, dude!

The next time you are going to flight to Europe, make a trip northern Italy to help me with the brewstand build! :mug:
Click to expand...

What part of Northern Italy? I actually find myself there every once in a while, mostly snowboarding though.
 
Guys,

While you're talking about "learning from great minds" (which some people may say is "copying from great minds"), I have a feeling that I can probably join you both Kickflip and Goingmad.... It's hard to ignore such inspiration.... So I've also designed my control unit around the Goingmads design, and just waiting for the chalkboard guys to have stock so that I can get a lcd and RPI. Then I think I should have everything to start the control panel build.

Then hopefully the hardware (stainless vessels, plate heat exchanger and tri-clover electronic valves) will arrive from China in the next month or so.

I'll start a thread soon - have to fly to China this week for work (from Aust).

Andy
 
Andycos said:
Guys, While you're talking about "learning from great minds" (which some people may say is "copying from great minds"), I have a feeling that I can probably join you both Kickflip and Goingmad.... It's hard to ignore such inspiration.... So I've also designed my control unit around the Goingmads design, and just waiting for the chalkboard guys to have stock so that I can get a lcd and RPI. Then I think I should have everything to start the control panel build. Then hopefully the hardware (stainless vessels, plate heat exchanger and tri-clover electronic valves) will arrive from China in the next month or so. I'll start a thread soon - have to fly to China this week for work (from Aust). Andy
Click to expand...

I agree with you Andy! I have to ask, WHERE DID YOU FIND TRI CLOVER ELECTRONIC VALVES???
 
Kickflip,

As I travel to China a fair bit, and we've got an office over there, I've chased around and found commercial suppliers from various sources for almost all of the brewing hardware, and I'm currently waiting to finalise shipping for the valves. Prices came in at about 140 each valve, but they are commercial 24V motors, and I'm buying them to hopefully use them in the next brewery too (I don't think that the use I'll give them will stress them!

If you're interested at any stage I can point you in the direction...

Andy
 
Thank you for your response, I like the idea of all sanitary valves, I just dont think I can justify spending 1k on valves at the moment. I wish that wasnt true, but that would require me to modify most of my hard plumbing.
 
I managed to get the exterior of my box complete, I still have to do some small mods to the box itself so it will close properly
 
Oh and "ImObersteg" is my last name, I tried to come up with many brewery names, but I felt like my Really old Swiss last name fit. As tough as it is to pronounce. I can always change the panel later
 

Similar threads

M
For Sale Complete homebrew system - HERMS, conical, temp controlled.. Denver metro
Replies
1
Views
246
metaltim
M
Chipster27
For Sale Getting out of the hobby - Riverside, CA
Replies
4
Views
1K
DonH
DonH
hilljack13
Planning my setup...thoughts?
2
Replies
48
Views
3K
hilljack13
hilljack13
SouthernYankee
Sold SOLD...(TX: DFW) Entire 5/10 gal Brew System, Keezer, Mill etc....
Replies
2
Views
876
SouthernYankee
SouthernYankee
T
For Sale Awesome all grain home brewery for sale $1000 for EVERYTHING - Dallas,TX
Replies
0
Views
889
tealio
T
Yakima 300

Latest posts

Back
Top