Prototype Previews: Hopback and Heat Stick

[Bobby_M]

I should have them in a couple days.

 

[WI_Wino]

Bobby - any chance the hot rod will be offered with a larger diameter drop tube?

 

[Bobby_M]

I can consider it. What's the motivation? You can get 10/3 down the tube.

 

[WI_Wino]

OK, reviews made it seem really hard to feed 10-3 thru with the upper bend.

 

[eulipion2]

OK, reviews made it seem really hard to feed 10-3 thru with the upper bend.

Agreed, it was a little difficult to pull through. Also, I would have preferred to leave the outer jacket intact, but that's just me.

 

[WI_Wino]

Just saw that there's an option to have brewhardware pull the 10-3 wire for you, cool.

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hotrodlabor.htm

 

[WI_Wino]

What are the connector details at the top of the hot rod? I see pictures with a cord grip attached but I can't find out the size and thread count (if it is threaded?). thanks!

 

[Bobby_M]

Agreed, it was a little difficult to pull through. Also, I would have preferred to leave the outer jacket intact, but that's just me.

Agree that it's difficult if you've never pulled any wire through conduit before. You certainly can't just push the wire in. You have to feed a piece of solid wire or something similarly strong like nylon cord and PULL the wires through the bend using a little lubricant. The outer jacket is not necessary in a conduit.

Yes, we've added prewiring services and we also have high temp rated 12/3 and 10/3 cable appropriate for use with the hotrod.

 

[Bobby_M]

What are the connector details at the top of the hot rod? I see pictures with a cord grip attached but I can't find out the size and thread count (if it is threaded?). thanks!

The top of the drop tube conduit has 1/2" female NPT threads and we supply a cord grip that gets threaded in.

 

[GregDH]

Bobby, do you have a ballpark time frame for when the Hot Rod will be back in stock?

 

[WI_Wino]

Looking to pull the trigger on a hot rod and SS element. My kettle has an inner diameter of 15.5". I would prefer the ULWD ripple but looks like that's 14" from flange to tip. So with the hot rod that's a total of 16". Do these elements bend easily enough where I can make this fit? Or should I got with the U bend element that is a LWD. I'll be doing BIAB, element controlled by a PID. Probably will have to fire the element some to keep mash temp.

 

[Bobby_M]

You may be able to contract the element by about an inch but it would be close. If you want the ripple, going through the side of the pot might be the best option. I'm a big fan of using a controller that will effectively limit the power output during BIAB heating such as dropping the voltage to 120v or using some kind of PWM.

 

[WI_Wino]

You may be able to contract the element by about an inch but it would be close. If you want the ripple, going through the side of the pot might be the best option. I'm a big fan of using a controller that will effectively limit the power output during BIAB heating such as dropping the voltage to 120v or using some kind of PWM.

Would firing the element in manual mode via the PID controller at a low % work?

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, probably in the 10-20% range would be OK.

 

[thunderwagn]

Got my Hot Rod today! All I can say is WoW! So glad I went this way instead of building my own. It's so professionally done and just looks like a high quality brewing tool (that it is). I know I could have pieced something together that would have worked, but it would pale in comparison and I'm sure I would have spent close to the same amount of money...not to mention my time. This thing shipped and arrived faster than I could have scrounged the parts.
Can't wait to use it and FINALLY have a nice boil on my crap ass stove top.

 

[ram5ey]

I can't say enough good things about the Hot Rod. Great device.

 

[thunderwagn]

Question for those with the Hot Rod, does the 1" oring work in conjunction with the rubber heating element gasket (the standard black one that comes with most heating elements) or without?

 

[wbarber69]

You should just use the silicon o-ring that comes with the hot rod

 

[Bobby_M]

Right. The groove machined into the 2" TC adapter is sized for just the oring. I haven't tested it with a stock square gasket.

 

[cheesecake]

Wondering if the heat stick kits are going to be back in stock anytime soon?

 

[Bobby_M]

I just added 6 more.

 

[cheesecake]

Thanks!!! Just placed a order for one pre wired!

 

[sowoah]

Looking forward to the hotrod being back in stock.

Is anyone using a Hotrod with the temperature probe in the rod, connected to a PID? What probe are you using? I'm planning on using 10/3 wire, so it's going to be pretty tight in there.

Any other clever solutions for using 1 temperature probe with the heat stick between the HLT and BK? I may have to settle for attaching a 24" thermowell to the side of the hotrod...

 

[dlaramie08]

Looking forward to the hotrod being back in stock.



Is anyone using a Hotrod with the temperature probe in the rod, connected to a PID? What probe are you using? I'm planning on using 10/3 wire, so it's going to be pretty tight in there.



Any other clever solutions for using 1 temperature probe with the heat stick between the HLT and BK? I may have to settle for attaching a 24" thermowell to the side of the hotrod...

I wired a pt100 rtd into it and placed the probe against the back of the housing as per bobby's recommendation. Just as he did, I find it perfectly accurate enough. I use this heatstick in my hlt and boil kettle. Squeezing the rtd wiring in there works, it's not as tight as it seems. I kept the metal braided sheath on my temp probe wiring to prevent breakage during pulling the wires.

 

[paul_111]

Looking forward to the hotrod being back in stock.



Is anyone using a Hotrod with the temperature probe in the rod, connected to a PID? What probe are you using? I'm planning on using 10/3 wire, so it's going to be pretty tight in there.



Any other clever solutions for using 1 temperature probe with the heat stick between the HLT and BK? I may have to settle for attaching a 24" thermowell to the side of the hotrod...

I used 10/3 and a thermocouple. I did NOT like it - the temp lagged and that wasn't good enough for me. And it was a bear to pull the wires through.

I put an rtd through the sidewall of the kettle using Bobby's silver solder bulkheads - piece of cake... Large slice!

I like your idea of a thermowell alongside the hot rod. Let us know if you go that route and post picts!

 

[Bobby_M]

I was pretty happy with the thermocouple in the downtube. My first test was with the junction inside a small SS capsule (the kind with the short 6mm hollowed out bolt but with the bolt removed ) and it was plenty accurate when jammed tight against the wall. I also tested removing the capsule. Of course jamming the bare junction against the sidewall is faster reading. As long as that little blob of epoxy stays put on the end of the junction, it will work.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Hello Everyone-

Just wanted to say that I ordered a Hot rod, and finally got around to putting everything together. All I can say is that this is one well thought out piece of gear! I chose to use a PT100 sensor that is ~1-1/2" long; I bought that and a few other odds and ends from Auberins...just ran it down with the rest of the wiring, and it is simply resting on the bottom of the chamber. It was a PITA getting everything pulled through, but I persevered. Keg lube and homebrew help! Finally, I encased the wiring in the PET wire covering....it keeps everything together and gives it a nice, professional look. If I get sluggish feedback from the PID, I'll consider doing something else for the sensor, but for now it should be fine.

 

[Dolomieu]

I like how this thing looks and what you guys are doing with it. I'm working on going electric and think a hotrod would be good to use for my mash and HLT. My only concern is if it will fit in my keggle nicely.

 

[truckmann]

I like how this thing looks and what you guys are doing with it. I'm working on going electric and think a hotrod would be good to use for my mash and HLT. My only concern is if it will fit in my keggle nicely.

Fits fine in mine. Would fit even better if I'd clean up the opening cut and shorten my dip tube, but I've brewed a few times with it like this and not had any problems.

Another option he has now are these weldless Tri-Clover bulkheads.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15wlf.htm

 

[Dolomieu]

Fits fine in mine. Would fit even better if I'd clean up the opening cut and shorten my dip tube, but I've brewed a few times with it like this and not had any problems.

Another option he has now are these weldless Tri-Clover bulkheads.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15wlf.htm

I was thinking of using that on my boil kettle. just not sure if the ripple element will fit around the dip tube or if I should just mount it over the dip tube.

I do think I will get a hot rod. The idea of being able to heat in my mlt or HLT with one set up sounds good to me. Then I only have to drill one hole in my bk and I'm electric.