Prototype Previews: Hopback and Heat Stick

[wbarber69]

Any word on when those ripple elements are coming?

 

[Bobby_M]

Tuesday

 

[paul_111]

Tuesday

As in Today? How long are they?

 

[Bobby_M]

Still haven't arrived and I'm working on figuring out why. The length should be just over 13" but they tell me there are some variations from unit to unit

 

[cank]

I've been testing my new system when I had time and I've left water in the hlt for over a week and no rusting on my SS Element.
Thanks Bobby.
PS. I did change the water when I brewed today! 😆

 

[wbarber69]

Still no ripple elements ;(

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, I know. I'm equally disappointed.

 

[wbarber69]

Have you come up with any improvements on the hopback or have you thrown in the towel on that venture?

 

[Bobby_M]

I have to put it on the backburner because testing it out myself with any design changes requires that I pretty much brew a full batch of something hoppy, over and over. Once I get more employees in place to take some things off my plate, I'll be able to work on it more.

 

[wbarber69]

Yeah I get you. I still have one more test to check out the new screens. But as for filtering so far its a bust.

 

[makubex]

Just finished assembling my hot rod and am leak testing it now. Assembly is relatively easy and the product is really brilliant in its simplicity.

No home improvement stores around me had the recommended power cable available by the foot, so I had to buy a 25' spool. Also, the standard SJOOW cable was only rated for up to 100C. While that probably would have been okay, I didn't want to risk it and bought a slightly more pricey product rated up to 105C. The drawback is that now I have about 10-12' of cable that I'll probably never use.

If anyone is building one and would like to avoid having to go out and find cable, send me a message. If you pay for a shipping label, I'll send you the remainder of my 12-3 SJEOOW cable so long as you promise to put it to good use.

Edit: That was quick! Spare cable claimed.

 

[Bobby_M]

I think the 100C would be fine but I see your point. What I'm really trying to avoid is have people cut apart some extension cord with unknown temp rating and having a melt down.

 

[brewnz]

Hey Bobby, bought two hot rods from you and couldn't be happier! Do you have any plans on stocking 2000w or ideally 2500w 240v stainless elements? If so...Take my money!

 

[rebelhill]

Bobby, any updates on the status of the ripple elements?

 

[Bobby_M]

Very good chance they'll be here Friday.

 

[wbarber69]

What a coincidence. That's the same day my money shows up...

 

[Spellman]

I suppose this is a bit (a lot) off topic, but seems like there have been several new products introduced on this page. Would it be difficult to manufacture a 3/4in npt to 1/2 camlock fitting? The idea is that would make it easy to convert garden hose fittings to interface with our brewery hoses. Obviously you can do this with adapters now, but this could cut out that portion. I know it would make my life a bit easier. I have a few things in my brewery that would benefit from not having those extra couple of inches with added adapters, namely it would be truly awesome to have a camlock right on my utility sink. If I used adapters I would no longer be able to slide a carboy underneath it easily. Jet bottle washers would become so much more handy with a set of those on there. Rinsing brewing hoses would become a breaze. Hooking chilling water up, the list goes on.

Just a thought, I know you are always looking for new ideas to fit our needs!

 

[orangehero]

Garden hoses are not 3/4" NPT if I'm understanding your post correctly. You can get a female 3/4" GH x 1/2" Female NPT and attach a camlock fitting to that.

 

[Spellman]

yup, brain fart, 3/4 ght

 

[truckmann]

I suppose this is a bit (a lot) off topic, but seems like there have been several new products introduced on this page. Would it be difficult to manufacture a 3/4in npt to 1/2 camlock fitting? The idea is that would make it easy to convert garden hose fittings to interface with our brewery hoses. Obviously you can do this with adapters now, but this could cut out that portion. I know it would make my life a bit easier. I have a few things in my brewery that would benefit from not having those extra couple of inches with added adapters, namely it would be truly awesome to have a camlock right on my utility sink. If I used adapters I would no longer be able to slide a carboy underneath it easily. Jet bottle washers would become so much more handy with a set of those on there. Rinsing brewing hoses would become a breaze. Hooking chilling water up, the list goes on.

Just a thought, I know you are always looking for new ideas to fit our needs!

Stainless versions of these would be cool. http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...d=10151&pageSize=&filterTerm=&catalogId=10051

 

[Bobby_M]

It's not that a garden hose thread to camlock fitting couldn't be machined in one piece, but rather whether many people would be willing to pay the premium cost over the combination of GHT to NPT and NPT to cam. It would require a pretty large piece of hex stock and the resulting machine time would be pretty costly. I'll still look into it though.

 

[ScubaSteve]

A bushing might be a nice solution....internal threads would be 1/2" FPT allowing you to thread it over existing 1/2" MPT camlocks, and the outside threads would be GHT....you would still be able to keep the length down, and adapt to a garden hose in just one fitting.

I've actually adapted camlocks to my garden hose out of necessity, regular garden hose disconnects kept leaking everywhere making a mess and creating a dangerous situation with electricity nearby. No leaks whatsoever and they don't require a wrench....and for my limited homebrew use, they are almost as sanitary as triclovers, at a fraction of the cost. :rockin:

 

[truckmann]

Can anyone tell me the wall thickness of the hotrod?

 

[Bobby_M]

Do you mean the down tube? I believe they are .035"

If you need to bend it, you'll need a mandrel tube bender.

 

[truckmann]

Do you mean the down tube? I believe they are .035"

If you need to bend it, you'll need a mandrel tube bender.

Yes the down tube is what I was after. Thank you.

I'm having a hard time finding someone with a 5/8 od bender around here. One place I have checked with asked me the wall thickness.

 

[Derp]

Any estimate of when the HotRod will be back in stock?

Cheers!

 

[cbzdel]

Any estimate of when the HotRod will be back in stock?

Cheers!

x2

 

[Bobby_M]

Should be about 2 weeks. I doubled up the quantity for this run so hopefully it will never be out of stock again.

 

[cbzdel]

I have been trying to read though this thread but there is just so much to it, 3 days later I have still not yet found enough time.

Bobby can you answer this, are you still thinking about putting in a thermowell or anything like that on the Hot Rod Heat Stick? I would like to buy one when they get back in stock but if that option is still on the way I might need to wait for that.

Also I am thinking about getting on of these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0037NXKY0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
That way I am not limited to a GFCI specific outlet. Any input?

 

[Bobby_M]

I've determined that there is no need for an extra part for a thermowell. You can pull a standard thermocouple/RTD probe into the downtube and lodge it against the metal of the tube to conduct heat. Ideally, it would be a bare junction, well one that is insulated from shorting with a dab of epoxy or heat shrink. Some of the cheaper probes that are made from a drilled out M6 bolt for example, can be taken apart and the inside junction removed.

The bare type is sometimes called a "bead" thermocouple.

Even with a narrow stainless jacket left in place on some probes, the heat is conveyed within +/- 3F or so which may or may not be accurate enough.

One thing I have not had a chance to play around with is potentially a decent solution is to use the M6 bolt that is part of the PT-100 probe as the bolt to attach the ground wire. The reason it may work is that I have an M6 nut welded inside the enclosure for the ground. I just don't know if it will catch enough threads to be secure.

The link to that GFCI seems fine.