Phase 2 brewery build progress shots

[Baumgartner]

i love your grain elevator. Keep the hopper low. Very nice setup

 

[kladue]

WIll be back to testing this weekend after finishing plumbing and electrical installation, and revisions to propane and water fill tubing. It has taken a while to code the necessary calculations and sequence of events to achieve automatic operation of the equipment. From recipe entries of malt Lbs, water ratio, 1st step temperature, the system calculates strike water volume and temperaures needed. Malt conveyor, mill, and stir system are fired when strike water has been delivered to mash tun and circulating pump cycled to preheat system. Step mashing is done with a steam RIMS system with steps and durations entered in recipe screen. From stike water to final volume the sparge water volume is calculated and flow and temperature are controlled to get 40 minute sparge. Boil kettle is fired when level reaches 1 gallon and boil is detected by boil kettle temperature measurements, hop and boil timers are started, and hop additions made to recipe schedule. Cooling system is fired when sparge is completed and CFC wort chiller outlet temp and O2 injection time is set to recipe entries. The goal is to have system operate safely with minimal operator input and achieve predictable and repeatable results. Total system footprint so far is 4' X 8', something that would fit in a single car garage, with vented combustion from boiler and kettle indoor operation is practical.

 

[Jaybird]

Very nice!
So.... Do you brew?

 

[kladue]

Have been all grain since 1995, do most of the AHA styles for competition and have judged and ran sanctioned competitions. Latest system is an automated version of the steam rims system built in 2003 where the system design and opertional information was developed. Target batch size is 6 gallons to fit glass carboys, with 10 gallon batch size as upper limit of current mash tun capacity.

 

[kladue]

Here are some updated pictures of the system taken during the loop testing of the steam injection RIMS portion of the phase 2 system Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - System Testin... . Next step is trial run with malt to finish system loop tuning and prepare for automatic control test run. Have the plumbing and electrical done, next is insulation and interior finish then finish mash and boil keggles with ceramic insulation and SS jackets. Might have to put construction on hold again if company sends me back to chandler arizona again for another 9 months.

 

[LakeErieBrew]

That is unreal. Very nice.

 

[SAS98M]

Talk about brew-porn... I just felt a tingle....

 

[85 Haro Designs]

I'm going to be honest here.

I believe I'm a reasonably intelligent guy but reading the "back and forth" b/w Kladue and John Beere made me feel like a 3 year old child listening to two adults talk about their jobs.

Steven Hawking makes more sense to me.

That rig is AMAZING!

 

[bendavanza]

I agree with 85 Haro.
Beautiful setup and definitely something you'd need to go to college in order to understand and build. The control panel gives me a headache just looking at it.
amazing build, I'd like to see a video when you get it going.
-Ben

 

[rdwj]

That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

I have no idea how it works and what 3/4 of that stuff is for, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. I need to see a video.

 

[kladue]

Should resume system testing this weekend, what would be worth recording? dough in, step mash heating, sparge and transfer to boil, wort cooling.

 

[tipicreeper]

Oh the whole thing! We love beer porn!

 

[Crash]

That is truly ridiculous (in the coolest sense of the word) -- When I started extract brewing i thought it was so simple & fun I couldn't believe it. This is anything but simple and may be fun in an erector set kind of way. While you're at it, could you build me giant robot that mows the lawn, listens to my wife talk about her day and pisses beer? It looks like you're well on your way. Very cool.
PS -- Check out the Terminator TV series if you need any ideas.

 

[kladue]

As to your request, item 1 already commercialy available, item 2 in long term research phase (been at it 33 years and still have not come up with a viable design yet), item 3 to many delivery options already available, need to narrow choices.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Truly fantastic....I don't think there's a more sophisticated system.....I mean, there's some close seconds....but you, Sir, have delivered the Tiger Punch to my Ha-Do-Ken. I mean, it's compact (big plus, even if you have the space); incorporates a highly sophisticated, rarely seen, and incredibly effective flash boiler; and uses some circuitry most DIY'ers WISH they thought of. Function balanced with beauty is an incredible thing.

But I gotta wonder.....when are you gonna throw some pink stuff between those studs and finish the room?

 

[kladue]

Going to try and do what I can between now and March 1, will be going back to run another instrument install job at Intel ocotillo campus until next year. Another year in an extended stay suite, oh well more time to write more operating code,design other projects, and purchase more equipment. Will have company truck again with tools and parts, might see if anybody in phoenix area needs help with their brewing rigs on the weekends.

 

[slnies]

Truly fantastic....I don't think there's a more sophisticated system.....I mean, there's some close seconds....but you, Sir, have delivered the Tiger Punch to my Ha-Do-Ken. I mean, it's compact (big plus, even if you have the space); incorporates a highly sophisticated, rarely seen, and incredibly effective flash boiler; and uses some circuitry most DIY'ers WISH they thought of. Function balanced with beauty is an incredible thing.

But I gotta wonder.....when are you gonna throw some pink stuff between those studs and finish the room?

Suck up! LOL!

 

[macabra11]

But where's the Flux Capacitor?

 

[kladue]

Might look at that for phase 3 when the automated batch prep system is built to measure, weigh, and transport malt to hopper, and run independently temperature controlled fermenters. Currently working on control software code and graphics for use on an Advantech touch screen computer. Target is to be able to develop recipe and control parameters on touch screen or import from Promash and turn over operation to control program while working on other brewing activities. With temporary work relocation I have evenings and weekends for software development to fill the time.

 

[WortMonger]

I secretly have a kladue fathead poster in my room right next to my hulk poster

 

[Ceedubya]

Going to try and do what I can between now and March 1, will be going back to run another instrument install job at Intel ocotillo campus until next year. Another year in an extended stay suite, oh well more time to write more operating code,design other projects, and purchase more equipment. Will have company truck again with tools and parts, might see if anybody in phoenix area needs help with their brewing rigs on the weekends.

Man I wish I lived in Phoenix! That thing is insane. I have no idea what half of it does or is, but its cool. I have access to someone in the company who speaks your language, I need to get that guy into brewing so he can help me make cool toys like this.

And here I am all jacked that I'm moving to all grain with a keggle, HLT, and cooler mash tun. Now I'm just sad.....

But where's the Flux Capacitor?

I secretly have a kladue fathead poster in my room right next to my hulk poster

:rockin:

 

[kladue]

I took a look at the control software directory to find out what size it has grown to, 633 files, 10.3 Mb. and there is still more to write. I have most of the control and monitoring Gui's built and working, next up is working in a virtual keyboard for text entry from touch screen.

 

[WortMonger]

Kladue, is your flash boiler capable of boiling your wort if you had an insulated kettle?

If so, would you use a recirculating wort type of system, direct inject into the bottom of the kettle with a diffuser for the thumping, or something else??

 

[kladue]

Have not explored the use of the flash boiler to boil as the additional work to put a coil in the kettle and suitable control valve are not worth the effort. The heat output of the flash boiler is about equal to 15 KW but heat transfer through a coil in the wort would take some time to work out optimum size to get boil started but small enough to control condensate problem when steam input is throttled down to control boil rate. Most of the commercial boil kettles use 100 PSI (350 Deg F.) steam in a pipe coil at the bottom of the kettle for their heat source and a steam trap to let condensate out before it builds up. Main question would be why not direct fire boil kettle as the problems with steam on a small scale are probably more than most want to deal with. If you had plans of using a cooler for a boil vessel the liner would probably not hold up to extended boiling temperatures.

 

[WortMonger]

I am not talking about a coil in the wort, I am talking about using the same method of injection as you use in the mash. I am talking about direct injection into the bottom of the kettle, or direct injection while recirculating (same as what you do for the mash tun). I understand how an internal calandria works, that has steam or direct fire through coils/pipes inside the kettle. I am either wanting to use the flash boiler to boil from the bottom of the kettle, or pumping and injecting like the mash tun. Is 15KW of steam power enough for either method mentioned?

 

[RBChallenger]

That looks exactly like my setup.
View attachment 6043

Not too hijack the thread, but would you mind telling me what burner and stand that is... looks purty compared to what I am looking at getting.

To the OP... sweet!!! I think... I'm to ignorant to know what most of it is.

 

[kladue]

First the boil question, you could use a 2" tube for a a chimmney and inject steam at the bottom and use thermosiphon/boiling action to distribute heat like the old style coffee percolators. Would expect that steam addition would equal evaporation rate so you would have to adjust recipes accordingly as there would probably be no change in final gravity of boiled wort. To diffuse steam us a 1/4" tube bent in a J pattern with a 1/4" diameter X 1/2" screen wire cap for the end of the tube, centered inside of chimmney tube might work.

 

[kladue]

As to the system shown in the pictures (System)http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/CoolingSystem#5248653726957372914 , (Water tank and vent piping) http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/WetTestProgressPhotoS#5225298796424700082,(Panels) http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/BreweryConstruction#5168175062822754866 the kettle on the left is the boil kettle with vented skirt to take combustion gasses up 4" vent pipe at left side, keggle on right is mash tun, keg attached to wall behind keggles is the water tank that is used to measure and store water used for each step. Under deck is the counterflow wort chiller on right, and control device panels with the wort control and pumping devices on left and the water control panel on right. In the center is the flash boiler that heats the water to strike and sparge water temperatures and produces steam to inject into circulated wort for step mashing. On the ceiling is the cooling system storage tank and circulation pump, ahead of the tank is 2 water chillers from water fountains set to 32 Deg to cool ethanol water coolant mix. On the right side of the picture is the plc hardware panel and malt hopper with screw conveyor that takes malt to mill mounted on wall above right hand keggle/mash tun. The panel on far left side of pictures is where the touch panel pc mounts that runs the control program software and houses the plc hardware for the fermentor controls and hop addition solenoids.
Temperatures are measured with 100 ohm RTD's for keggles and cooling system, J thermocouples in boiler circuit. Flow of water and wort are measured with .13 - 1.3GPM flow transmitters and gas flow to boiler and boil kettle burners is controlled with mass flow controllers. Levels are measured with pressure transmitters attached to lines connected to the bottom of the water, boil, and mash tun keggles. Electric proportional control valves control levels and flows in the system in response to control program commands. Electric ignition modules fire the pilot burners for the boiler an boil keggle burners and provide flameout shutdown to prevent gas explosions.
The current goal is to be able to develop recipe in Promash, place grain bill in hopper, enter session information into touch screen, then initiate control sequence and let brewing system do the tedious parts of the brewday. This would give one time to rack and bottle/keg beer while system does its thing without having to worry about misfires blowing you up. Venting of the boil keggle and boiler gets the combustion products to the outside without gassing one out in the small area of the 8' x 16' brew shed, and vent hood over boil keggle takes care of the vapor problem.

 

[vwdan]

Wow. That is just amazing... Now I have something to shoot for

 

[WortMonger]

First the boil question, you could use a 2" tube for a a chimmney and inject steam at the bottom and use thermosiphon/boiling action to distribute heat like the old style coffee percolators. Would expect that steam addition would equal evaporation rate so you would have to adjust recipes accordingly as there would probably be no change in final gravity of boiled wort. To diffuse steam us a 1/4" tube bent in a J pattern with a 1/4" diameter X 1/2" screen wire cap for the end of the tube, centered inside of chimmney tube might work.

The thermosiphon idea is great and I did a electric drawing once. I like your idea a lot, it was just my impression there would be enough turbulence upwards with a simple steam diffuser screen on the bottom of the kettle (like maybe the siphon dip tube that is there now only with a diffuser screen) to keep it simple, unless the J thing is mandatory or the 1/2" valve siphon tube is too large. Again, you know more about steam diffusion kladue, so that is why I ask and by all means continue with more on the idea. If it would work well enough to not need a pump then great, exactly what I would want. I just need your education on the chimney vs. just diffused vs. infusion while recirculating debate I am having with myself, lol.

I do know my recipes will have to be adjusted, and am busy searching how to set up Beersmith to marry with direct steam-injection boiling. Seems like it should benefit hop utilization. :rockin: