Show us your sculpture or brew rig

[Layne]

Nice!

 

[PaulHilgeman]

After 2 weeks of late nights, I am ready for my rig's inaugural brew this Sunday:

See the build thread over here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/80-20-brew-stand-212840/

 

[r8rphan]

You're using a tankless water heater? I was wondering if anyone had tried that yet...

Mine only goes up to 160... So I thought maybe that was the reason I had not seen any incorporated into a brew set up...

Or do you heat it more after it goes through the water heater?

I was thinking about getting a 110v point of use instahot... so that I could use water tight out of the hose bib and not wait forever for the burner to heat a keggle full of water from near freezing.. But I'm gonna move my rig to my deck once I am finished screening it in this spring... at which time I can just extend hot and cold water from the kitchen via freeze proof Hose Bibs... So I'll just hoof hat water from the kitchen in buckets for three or four months until I make the move..

But anyways... Sweet looking set up.. Looks like you put a lot of thought and work into it...

 

[PaulHilgeman]

Thanks,

No, in order to use a tankless heater like that, you have to completely gut it, there are so many safety features built in that you could never get 170° strike and sparge water out of it.

For strike water, I fill the MT to my desired volume, then recirculate through the heat exchanger to get to my strike temp. This way, I don't have to run it WOT (imagine a flame shooting out of the chimney). For sparge water, I run it WOT in order to even get by at 0.5 gal / minute at 170°.

A 110v tankless heater would never be be able to produce water at much more than a trickle, you really need >5000W to heat water at an appreciable speed.

 

[Obelix]

My first all Grain "Milk Crate and Slate Rig".

Current contraption. No more weather issues.
Got the idea from this thread. Now I'm moving to sanke's, so I have to renovate my setup again. I'm sure this thread will be a help.

 

[r8rphan]

Thanks,

No, in order to use a tankless heater like that, you have to completely gut it, there are so many safety features built in that you could never get 170° strike and sparge water out of it.

For strike water, I fill the MT to my desired volume, then recirculate through the heat exchanger to get to my strike temp. This way, I don't have to run it WOT (imagine a flame shooting out of the chimney). For sparge water, I run it WOT in order to even get by at 0.5 gal / minute at 170°.

What is "WOT"?

A 110v tankless heater would never be be able to produce water at much more than a trickle, you really need >5000W to heat water at an appreciable speed.

Yeah, I was just going to use it to pre heat water from the spigot (which is around 33-34 degrees) to something in the 80-110 degree mark as is was being dumped into the HLT for heating with the burner..

But that's a moot point now.. As I will just wait until I move the rig, where I can then draw hot water from the kitchen.. and for that I have the tankless control set to 145 degrees... which makes heating to 170 a piece of cake.......

So for now, I'm just gonna fill buckets of water in the kitchen and carry them up the ladder and dump them in... Until I get a sight glass installed, that's the only way I have to measure how much water goes in anyways..

 

[PaulHilgeman]

Wide Open Throttle (or in this case Needle Valve)

 

[Gridlocked]

The old - made from scraps that I had in the garage the night before my first all-grain run.

The new (work in progress):

 

[rrogerstwo]

Where did you get the console from?

 

[limulus]

Where did you get the console from?

If you want to get an answer, you should probably specify the person's name you are asking the question.

 

[ikonis]

If you want to get an answer, you should probably specify the person's name you are asking the question.

That's what I was going to say... but if it was referring to me, I built it. (Only reason I guess it was me.. was that I was the most recent posting one with a control box)

 

[twardnw]

 

[rrogerstwo]

I have been looking for a control panel like the one you show in the photo, where did you find it?

 

[MetallHed]

I have been looking for a control panel like the one you show in the photo, where did you find it?

I'm fairly certain he built it, but he's only made two posts since joining in October.

You could look at Kal's write-up in the electric brewing section for a good, detailed plan for an awesome control panel.

 

[IrregularPulse]

All of these control panels you see are built by the users. There's no off the shelf panel like that. Systems vary to much. They're a little different for the most part to cater to the individual system. There are some turn key options like Sabco if you have the money though.

 

[peterbrau]

I designed and built the panel using parts from automationdirect.com. I have a parts list, schematic and layout diagram if you're interested. I sent an autocad output file to a machine shop that used CNC machine. The CNC takes the autocad file and cuts out the holes and engraves the labels right on the chasis I sent them.

 

[barroomhero1234]

This thread is awesome, if i am sad i can just look at these and realize I am not alone.
In the process of making my system will post soon!
Cheers!

 

[Budzu]

Just received kettles from conical-fermenter.com. Its a 2 bbl HERMS, all electric, with 5500 watt heatsticks. Haven't finished adapting everything to tri-clamp, but its close to functional.

 

[Gridlocked]

Here is my new rig that I sincerely hope to have done in a week or two.
The one behind it is it's evil twin we made from start to where you see it on 2/5/11 (8:30a-11:30p)

 

[rrogerstwo]

Thanks for the information, this sends me in the right direction.

I designed and built the panel using parts from automationdirect.com. I have a parts list, schematic and layout diagram if you're interested. I sent an autocad output file to a machine shop that used CNC machine. The CNC takes the autocad file and cuts out the holes and engraves the labels right on the chasis I sent them.

 

[rrogerstwo]

Thanks, I'll look that up.

I'm fairly certain he built it, but he's only made two posts since joining in October.

You could look at Kal's write-up in the electric brewing section for a good, detailed plan for an awesome control panel.

 

[dedhedjed]

Just received kettles from conical-fermenter.com. Its a 2 bbl HERMS, all electric, with 5500 watt heatsticks. Haven't finished adapting everything to tri-clamp, but its close to functional.

That is beautiful... and in a perfect world what i'd like to get myself into eventually...please post more pics when you have it up and running...

 

[klyph]

Nice system Budzu! I love those heat sticks you built.

 

[zudema]

Here's my Ghetto Rig...Only 2 batches since converting to electric. I kind of miss my direct fire MLT. Lower BK 4500 watt, MLT RIMS 1125 watt, HLT 4500 watt.

 

[klyph]

What do you miss about the direct fired mash tun? Adding insulation and a 2000w element will probably help if you're having trouble step mashing.

 

[zudema]

My efficiency went to crap...went from 85%+ to 60%. I have since added lower temp probe on MLT exit. I know insulation would help. I should just ditch the MLT keggle for a cooler. I just haven't adapted to my new setup. Not having to buy propane is so worth the growing pains.

 

[klyph]

How do you think the heating method affected your efficiency? I'm not seeing the corollary.

 

[rrogerstwo]

Actually I was interested in the enclosure you used not the guts inside, sometimes I say one thing and mean another. But after surfing the web some more, I found a site that you can download their CAD and design what you want with the material you want, and they custom build it. The site is:http://www.emachineshop.com/ [quot...A/xxIxwTF1PBI/s800/IMG_2230.JPG[/IMG][/quote]

 

[Blane]

Just received kettles from conical-fermenter.com. Its a 2 bbl HERMS, all electric, with 5500 watt heatsticks. Haven't finished adapting everything to tri-clamp, but its close to functional.

That's just beautiful......(sniff) (sniff). I just want to be alone for a little while now.

 

[kegtoe]

rroger, are those temp controlers or just digital displays?