Panel Mounting Location

[mattym5]

I'm in the process of purchasing a new electric brewing panel. I am not 100% sure where/how I'm going to mount it. Would love pictures of where people have put their panels in relation to their brewing system. Above? Below? Left? Right? Wall mounted? TV swivel mount? The more pictures the better!

Thank you!

 

[Deadalus]

Mine is mounted on a swivel mount that is clamped to the stainless steel table my keggles sit on. My brew rig is mobile and on casters. Since I am working with the temps on the HLT and MT, I find that it is easier for it to be on that side. An arm like that will support X amount of pounds so weigh your panel and find an arm to fit if you go that route.

 

[delcosansgluten]

I'm in the process of purchasing a new electric brewing panel. I am not 100% sure where/how I'm going to mount it. Would love pictures of where people have put their panels in relation to their brewing system. Above? Below? Left? Right? Wall mounted? TV swivel mount? The more pictures the better!

Thank you!

what system are you considering?

 

[michaeltrego]

TV swivel mount works great for me in the brew garage. For storage, it folds flat against the wall and is covered with a t-shirt to keep the dust off. The countertop also folds flat against the wall so we can park a car and store all the pots up above on the shelf.

 

[mattym5]

This is my setup. Boil kettle is on the left, HLT on the right. My thoughts are on a TV swivel mount to the wall either behind and above the HLT or to the left of the boil kettle. I think it would be more functional above/behind the HLT, but then the panel is very close to the sink and I wont be able to swivel the mount out very far due to the cords hitting the HLT. Mounting to the left of the boil kettle puts it in a corner and not the most efficient place, but will make it easier to control the boil, no issue with cords hitting kettles and not near the sink. What is everyones thoughts? Any other suggestions for mounting location?

 

[Deadalus]

I like the sink sprayer and the pot filler!

I wouldn't want it near the sink myself either. What's on that left wall table? I see you already have the exhaust in, but would you be able to put your BK there on that other table? Then you could scoot your MT and HLT to the left. Your pot filler wouldn't reach the MT potentially but you could move it. I know that's two infrastructure moves (exhaust and water feed) but you could then put the panel somewhere in the corner zone and have it in the middle of the system thereby. And if you don't have space to the right of the sink, this would free up about 1/3 of the table for washed items. Have a drain board project off the table into the sink. I have done that with a makeshift counter next to my utility sink.

Alternatively, slide the table to the left to touch the wall. You would want to move the table then more than likely to access the BK. Then I would suggest the panel on the left wall and able to swing out about the distance of the BK to where you could reach it better while mashing. Over by the sink would likely still be problematic, you have a restaurant level sprayer and anytime aiming to the left with that sprayer will have the potential to send droplets towards your panel. This would move the setup more towards the hood (also nice).

A third alternative is to change the order of the system left to right but it looks like you have the HLT set up to be on the right. Bit of a hard angle on the MT return port though no matter what, maybe a SS 90 would help keep the hose from kinking.

I am curious about your pump system plans? The 90 on the left pump for the inlet caught my eye. It works for the MT but probably not so much for the BK if you want to whirlpool or pump to the fermenter. Straight down works for that pump--that's how mine is--but you might have a different workflow.

 

[mattym5]

Deadalus, thank you for the very thoughtful and insightful suggestions!

Ideally, I would like to avoid any infrastructure changes. For a bit more background, I've been successfully brewing on this setup for about 5 years now. I am simply upgrading to a PID panel. I currently run the hosehead controller and utilize craftbeerpi, but I'm finding it to be less reliable than I'd like and I've had to reformat and reinstall the software multiple times over the past 5 years. Sucks to be all set up for a brew day only to find out the software wont load. I'm upgrading to a reliable PID panel. I just need to figure out where I'm going to mount it.

I do like your idea of adding a SS90 to my MT return. I currently am able to use it without much kinking, but a 90 would likely help out significantly and allow me to reduce the length of my tubing. The pumps also work in their current orientation. I am able to whirlpool and pump to my fermenter with the pump the way it is currently configured.

Thanks again for all the ideas!

 

[Deadalus]

I was going to ask what changes you might have been making, your hoses looked used, like you had already been brewing with the system. On the flip side then you probably know 90s can be harder to clean with a brush depending on where they are used. I hate that noise the pumps make when a hose kinks, it's worse than nails on a chalkboard.

When I see people's brew rooms with corners like that I wonder how that space can get used since a brew table tends to be longer with 3 vessels. It would seem hard to work with putting a vessel in the corner if the table(s) wrap around. Maybe a narrow width low height table. Not what you want just my own musing.

Hopefully you'll get some more responses, I enjoy seeing other setups.

 

[TxNative]

 

[redarmy990]

here is how I have mine, this was taken a while ago, but panel is still in same position. Re positioned all cabling since.