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

[ClaudiusB]

So I have been getting many inquiries about cost of this rig, and even I am blown away about how much it has costs me to build. l

I never talk about cost.
I tell them, "My set-up is a lot cheaper than a girlfriend"

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[ClaudiusB]

Thank you Claudius! This sounds like another pain in the ass, something I was not expecting, especially since all my plumbing is designed around the valves. So I guess I get to take apart all 10.lol What do you recommend me to do if the valve is in the vertical position??

Take the failing valve apart and look at the top gear. In my case the gear moved up and was no longer mashed with the bottom gears.
The designed in gap between the top plate and gear is too large.
If the gear moved away from the rest, reset the gear and place a low friction spacer between the gear housing top plate and gear.
Other option is reducing the standoffs length.
Currently I am running my valves three times a day (horizontal position) with no problem.
As soon one fails I will cut open the housing again and install a spacer or cut down the standoffs.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[kickflip_mj]

Take the failing valve apart and look at the top gear. In my case the gear moved up and was no longer mashed with the bottom gears.
The designed in gap between the top plate and gear is too large.
If the gear moved away from the rest, reset the gear and place a low friction spacer between the gear housing top plate and gear.
Other option is reducing the standoffs length.
Currently I am running my valves three times a day (horizontal position) with no problem.
As soon one fails I will cut open the housing again and install a spacer or cut down the standoffs.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

You are so damn helpful! Thank you so much for all your help over the years, I think many people can say the same.

 

[kickflip_mj]

Spent most of my day finishing my panel, mounted it and now all I have left is to wire it and test it. I'm having trouble getting Internet in my garage, but on my side yard if shouldn't be an issue. Hopefully

 

[Bensiff]

lookin good mate

 

[kickflip_mj]

lookin good mate

Thank you! Im starting to get really nervous that it will work properly. After spending a whole year building something can really be nerve wreaking.

 

[Bensiff]

Thank you! Im starting to get really nervous that it will work properly. After spending a whole year building something can really be nerve wreaking.

Just mentally prepare for debugging. My first run on my new system certainly had its hiccups that I will need to work out before I get everything dialed in. I even had one of my auber probes leak, there was a pinhole opening where the weld was spun shut...still need to call them up and work that out with them.

 

[mattd2]

Just mentally prepare for debugging. My first run on my new system certainly had its hiccups that I will need to work out before I get everything dialed in. I even had one of my auber probes leak, there was a pinhole opening where the weld was spun shut...still need to call them up and work that out with them.

I was going to also say that there is a 99.99% chance that it will not work straight out of the gate... nothing ever does. Hopefully the issues are minor though
Are you planning a water test first, running through the whole process to check for bugs before you pile on the stress of actually making a beer! Yes I want to see you stand around for an hour mashing water ... but you get what I mean right, worst thing would be to have a valve route setup wrong and end up draining you MLT to floor instead of into the BK!

 

[kickflip_mj]

I was going to also say that there is a 99.99% chance that it will not work straight out of the gate... nothing ever does. Hopefully the issues are minor though
Are you planning a water test first, running through the whole process to check for bugs before you pile on the stress of actually making a beer! Yes I want to see you stand around for an hour mashing water ... but you get what I mean right, worst thing would be to have a valve route setup wrong and end up draining you MLT to floor instead of into the BK!

I know im going to run into issues. the first issue I already have is some valves wont return to the close position, so i need to fix each one.... I think im more worried about my gas valves not working properly.

Just for you matt, I will be mashing water for hours!

 

[mattd2]

I know im going to run into issues. the first issue I already have is some valves wont return to the close position, so i need to fix each one.... I think im more worried about my gas valves not working properly.

Just for you matt, I will be mashing water for hours!

Better make it a 90 minute mash just to make sure you get conversion

 

[kickflip_mj]

Better make it a 90 minute mash just to make sure you get conversion

I always make it a 90, no sense in cutting it to 60 for time sake

 

[Bensiff]

Just for you matt, I will be mashing water for hours!

Kinky. Just keep any pics in members only and label properly so we can all avoid .

 

[kickflip_mj]

Haha oh god. So all the switches work properly, I'm surprised.... Except the burners. I may have incorrectly wired the transformer, because when I through the switch to on I heard a pop sounds and then nothing would happen after the fact. No bueno... I also think my breaker for my panel is to small. (15amps) because once I wired the gas valves it kept tripping.

 

[Bensiff]

You aren't powering heavy amp users like heating elements so I would be surprised if you are tripping the breaker due to over draw. Perhaps its a bad breaker. But, just the same, time to go through things and see if you have a short circuit or a ground fault.

 

[kickflip_mj]

You aren't powering heavy amp users like heating elements so I would be surprised if you are tripping the breaker due to over draw. Perhaps its a bad breaker. But, just the same, time to go through things and see if you have a short circuit or a ground fault.

thats what I though, but the breaker is wired directly off the main power in. When I wired in the power to the valves, thats when it started to trip when I would turn the power key. I dont see it being that because the power just goes to a bus bar. from there I have the transformers wired off those. I guess I need to wire the transformers again. Can they blow if wired incorrectly?

 

[kickflip_mj]

Figured out that like an idiot I ran the second 24v to 110 instead of the other side of the relay. rookie move and now I am going to purchase 2 new relays.lol

 

[Bensiff]

Figured out that like an idiot I ran the second 24v to 110 instead of the other side of the relay. rookie move and now I am going to purchase 2 new relays.lol

Don't feel bad. I still haven't gotten an amp meter to work. Smoked one and the next powers on but doesn't read anything but zero.

 

[kickflip_mj]

Ha that sounds like an annoying problem! So I am done fabricating. Finished drilling my sparge arm. Cost me 10 to make verses 60 to buy

Also finished wiring minus adding the transformers that blew up ( in the mail)

 

[Bensiff]

Well, I won't say its purdy...but, drilling on a radius is tough going. Can't argue with $50 though. I think I'm getting channeling from just running through a return hose so I might be doing the same thing myself.

 

[kickflip_mj]

Well, I won't say its purdy...but, drilling on a radius is tough going. Can't argue with $50 though. I think I'm getting channeling from just running through a return hose so I might be doing the same thing myself.

Haha it looks more turdy then purdy, drilling on a radius is tough even when things were marked. I'd recommend buying the damn thing from stout tanks. Drilling was WAY to much work. The thing is going to be hidden under my lid anyways.

 

[Bensiff]

Haha it looks more turdy then purdy, drilling on a radius is tough even when things were marked. I'd recommend buying the damn thing from stout tanks. Drilling was WAY to much work. The thing is going to be hidden under my lid anyways.

I might try to fab up an adjustable one like they sell at Morebeer as I don't really want to spray my wort when I recirc the HERMS. I imagine a little solder and copper would make something that works exactly the same for a fraction of the cost.

 

[wncbrewer]

Glad to see this being discussed, I have a piece of silicon tubing as per the kal and sabco method and have not had great luck. The tubing wants to sink before the grain bed gets nice and settled. Which I feel like is causing channeling. I have my old lineloc sparge arm from my old kettle, but I can't go back to that without exposing my wort to threads, which was the whole point of the $2000 or so worth of triclamp stuff on my rig, I know the drilled spool/stout sparge arm will work for sparge, but ive yet to come up with a good solution for recirc. All ears over here...cheers...WNC

 

[kickflip_mj]

I might try to fab up an adjustable one like they sell at Morebeer as I don't really want to spray my wort when I recirc the HERMS. I imagine a little solder and copper would make something that works exactly the same for a fraction of the cost.

I was thinking the same thing, originally I was going to make the same thing you are talking about. We will see how bad my efficiency is going to be, and then I will start changing things

 

[orangehero]

What's wrong with exposing pre-boil wort to threads? The only benefit of homebrew triclover on wort-making equipment is that it's relatively easy to clean. The typical chinese fittings are far from being sanitary level finish, homebrew pumps aren't sanitary, silicone tubing isn't sanitary.

Blichmann uses a stainless steel float on the end of the silicone tubing for their sparge device. I think you can special order just the float through a LHBS that carries Blichmann gear. One of those silicone foam stoppers might work too.

You should avoid recirculating wort through a sparge arm, it's going to cause a lot of shear stress and aeration.

 

[kickflip_mj]

What's wrong with exposing pre-boil wort to threads? The only benefit of homebrew triclover on wort-making equipment is that it's relatively easy to clean. The typical chinese fittings are far from being sanitary level finish, homebrew pumps aren't sanitary, silicone tubing isn't sanitary.

Blichmann uses a stainless steel float on the end of the silicone tubing for their sparge device. I think you can special order just the float through a LHBS that carries Blichmann gear. One of those silicone foam stoppers might work too.

You should avoid recirculating wort through a sparge arm, it's going to cause a lot of shear stress and aeration.

I couldnt agree more, the Chinese fittings arn't up to par, but I knew that when I installed them. I just went with all tri clovers because I could, and it would be easier to CIP.lol

I may remove the sparge arm and run some silicon tubing for the mean time.

 

[mattd2]

What's wrong with exposing pre-boil wort to threads? The only benefit of homebrew triclover on wort-making equipment is that it's relatively easy to clean. The typical chinese fittings are far from being sanitary level finish, homebrew pumps aren't sanitary, silicone tubing isn't sanitary.

Blichmann uses a stainless steel float on the end of the silicone tubing for their sparge device. I think you can special order just the float through a LHBS that carries Blichmann gear. One of those silicone foam stoppers might work too.

You should avoid recirculating wort through a sparge arm, it's going to cause a lot of shear stress and aeration.

Shear stress from the saprg arm or the pump? What is the issue with aeration of the wort, I know some calim hot side aeration is a bad thing but there has been a lot of imperical evidence that it does not occur - I suppose if you do have aeration on the hot side then you need to keep it in the back of your mind for troubleshooting the beer later.

 

[orangehero]

There will be shear stress from both the pump and the sparge arm. Even any time you make a sharp turn in the flow path there is going to be some shear stress. I don't believe that it's a major issue, but it is something to be aware of.

My suggestion is based on professional brewing literature. I don't know about a lot of empirical evidence, maybe there's some anecdotal evidence from homebrewers who may or may not know what they are talking about but still like to claim HSA is a "myth". In any case it's not a bad idea to avoid it if you can.

The chinese fittings are more than adequate for homebrew rigs, especially for helping with CIP. They don't make your system "sanitary", though, nor is it necessary to be "sanitary".

 

[dwntwnbwn]

Just a suggestion for the sparge arm idea.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/stainless-sparge-arm-idea-446565/

You could boar out the threads and tack a triclover to the center if you wanted it to be sanitary.

 

[wncbrewer]

What's wrong with exposing pre-boil wort to threads? The only benefit of homebrew triclover on wort-making equipment is that it's relatively easy to clean. The typical chinese fittings are far from being sanitary level finish, homebrew pumps aren't sanitary, silicone tubing isn't sanitary.

Blichmann uses a stainless steel float on the end of the silicone tubing for their sparge device. I think you can special order just the float through a LHBS that carries Blichmann gear. One of those silicone foam stoppers might work too.

You should avoid recirculating wort through a sparge arm, it's going to cause a lot of shear stress and aeration.

I agree about the Chinese stuff also. I have no problem with preboil wort touching them either. I do have a problem with unscrewing them everytime I want to clean them. Triclamps are easier to clean in every way. Which IMHO makes them inherently cleaner. Thanks for the info on the float. I'll look into that

 

[mattd2]

...My suggestion is based on professional brewing literature. I don't know about a lot of empirical evidence, maybe there's some anecdotal evidence from homebrewers who may or may not know what they are talking about but still like to claim HSA is a "myth". In any case it's not a bad idea to avoid it if you can...

Sorry I guess I actually meant anecdotal And I agree that HSA is not a myth as if it were there wouldn't be anything on the subject in the first place, just it doesn't seem to be an issue for homebrewers - but shouldn't to be ruled out as a potential reason for off flavours.