Spike Complete System

CornyKegs 728
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Beer-lord said:
Just an FYI, I ordered a Ridgid pipe cutter (1 7/8"size) and cut my table down to a total height of 24"----27" with wheels I added. The pipe cutter was easy but only for the first 3 legs. I guess it got tired and a small part of the wheel broke on the 4th leg so it took some doing but I got it off as well. But, the cuts were clean.
A new cutting wheel is only about $4 so it's good for future pipe cutting needs.
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That’s terrific! I’m glad you’re able to customize your table. Was certainly day and night for me. Cheers!
 
@jready or anyone else know what size wire I need to run for the 50 AMP panel upgrade? i know 10/3 was the norm. for the 30AMP panel.

8/3? 6/3?
 
macebrew said:
What are you guys finding for average hours to brew? What about time to double batch?

I am thinking about purchasing and considering if the 50 amp panel is a worth while upgrade.
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Depends on a few factors, but for me I figure on 5 hours, but I can finish a 10gal brew a little faster than that most times.

There are a few things that can change the duration. Mash time, you could go anywhere from 30min to 1.5hrs or more. I usually do 1hr. If you do a mash out that could add 15-20min, depending on your system. Fly sparge will take about 1hr, batch sparge could be faster. When you are able to start heating the BK as it is filling, some people might have the element mounted higher, so they'd have to wait a little longer before turning it on. Sometimes I do whirlpool hops, which I usually run for 30min. Then a big one is how fast you're able to cool your wort. I currently use a CFC and it's pretty good, but it still takes a good 20-30min, but I like to get below pitch temps before I transfer, so I'm usually shooting for <63F.

My typical looks like this:
Mash 1hr
Mash out 20min
Fly Sparge 1hr
Bring to boil 30min
Boil 1hr
Whirlpool 30min
Chill 30 min

But that's rounding up. I used to plan for 6hrs, now I plan for 5 and usually beat that.

Back to back saves time, but not as much as I would have liked. It isn't my standard practice, so I'd probably find better methods if I did it every time, but here's a few things to consider.

First, if you run 2 pumps you're going to find yourself wondering how you're going to do three pumping tasks at once, recirculate the water in the HLT, Recirculate the water from the mash tun through the heat exchange coil (this is assuming a HERMS set-up) and do a whirlpool, recirculate for chilling and then transfer to fermenters. So you may end up hitting pause on your mash of the second batch when you hit the end of the boil on your first batch, pretty much giving up most of your time savings. Solution is a smaller pump on the HLT for recirc, although I just went with 3 chugger pumps. Also keep in mind, you need to clean out the Mash Tun before getting that second batch in there. Then you need to get the strike water up to temp. Depending on how fast you are with that will go a long way towards how much time you save doing a back to back.
 
Thanks so much for the details - For chilling I plan to just run through the heat exchanger into a unitank --- with cooling/ glycol - so that should save some time. try to get it in at about 100 -- and let the uni drop it to 65 or whatever and then pitch yeast.

how long does it take to heat up the HLT? 5 or 10 Gal.
 
About 6-6.5 hrs for the actual process (additional time for cleaning):
- 7AM get HLT and MLT up to proper temps (eat breakfast).
- 8AM mash in (mash for an hr)
- 9AM start mash-out temp increase
- 9:30ish start sparging (sparge for 75 mins)
- 10:45AM start the boil (1.5 hrs to bring up to boiling temp and hr long boil).
- 12:15 either start WPing or chill down to pitching temp (30 min WP)
- 1:00 Start racking into fermenter, aerate, pitch yeast.
- 1:30 done with beer portion - cleaning process starts (this takes a couple more hours to recirc PBW then recirc boiling water).
 
It takes me about 5 hours to brew a 10 gallon brew on my 30a 3 vessel system... things like a plate chiller and arerating with an inline stone help cut down on the brewtime.(also no need to whirlpool when you recirculate and use hop spiders).

I also dont go through the whole pbw cip between every brew session.. usually I just flush my plumbing and rims with hot water post brew and clean my BK and MT in the sink. still takes a good half hr..
 
I am upgrading from my Grainfather, which I have used very successfully for the last two and a half years to the Spike 20 Gallon system. I ordered it two weeks ago, but just yesterday found this thread. Thankfully, I think I got mostly everything right, including upgrading to the 50A Panel and not getting Spike's table or chiller. In addition, I am ordering a 1.5” TC port near the top of the kettle to attach the Steamslayer from Brew Hardware.

This thread has been awesome and very informative, and I found it interesting especially following PeteSeattle’s posts, as he echoed my decision making process almost exactly. Thanks guys for all the input to Pete, which has helped me greatly. (And Pete, thanks for asking them…)

I will be using Beer Smith. Does anyone have an equipment profile they could share?

What else do I need to get to make this complete??? Do pump brackets come with the system, or should I buy them as noted in an earlier post here? I use PBW for cleaning, but Spike recommends Craftmeister ABW. Is there any reason why PBW wouldn’t work as well? Anything else?

My system is supposed to ship next week and be in the west coast the following week. Just in time for Thanksgiving holidays to install and build…
 
Zenmeister said:
I use PBW for cleaning, but Spike recommends Craftmeister ABW.
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Glad you were able to read over the thread even though you already purchased your system. A least you feel validated with your decision.

The steam slayer certainly does make a difference. You made a wise choice.

I’ve just been using pbw. I’ve had a tub of it for a while so I might as well use it up. I’m curious to know the difference as well.
 
@Zenmeister --- the pump mounting brackets do not come with the system unless you buy SPIKES tables.. which i then think they are welded on. (I could be wrong)

I JUST finished putting together this system in the last week or so - so i may be able to give you some ideas.

i will show some pictures how i mounted my pumps. works great... very sturdy - and a cheaper option to the brackets.

I also was questioning how to mount the box -- so this is how i did it. i figure out where my studs where, and lag bolted a 1/2 piece of plywood into thew all... then mounted my box to that. very secure.

The pumps i used 2 pieces of 2x6 and mounted to them to table legs using 5" bolts... predrilled and tightened to keep secure on the legs. then mounted pumps into the boards.

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Are you guys using a hop spider when using this system? or just letting the whirlpool do its thing?

Thinking of a beers with 8+ oz hops in the whirpool/ boil. we have a hop spider from an older system... worth using... or ditch it and just hope the whirlpool works good enough. it seems like the spider interrupts the flows a little of the whirlpool.

also - for whirlpool - are both your input and output arms going in the same direction or opposite???
 
Thanks macebrew. I like how you mounted your pumps and will probably do something like that. I am waiting on getting the equipment in and assembled, as I want to figure out where I am going to put my panel, and then whether I am going to flush mount it or attach it to a TV bracket.
 
Macebrew - you'll want to rotate your pump heads so the inlet is below the outlet (easy fix - just unscrew the head plate and rotate). It's also ideal to have the pumps as low as possible on the system, but not required. I've never used a hop spider, but I've had wonderful luck whirlpooling. Hops (even over a pound!) added at whirlpool have never cause any clogging (pump clogged once, but just turning it off and back on solved the problem). I have the inlet / outlet facing opposite directions, but it doesn't really matter. One thing I've noticed - and this was touched on earlier by someone - is that when you're chilling your wort (with a CFC) is that the return arm in the kettle basically throws the cool wort right at the temp sensor in the kettle, which will make the panel read a temp that's much cooler than the majority of the wort in the kettle. I tried sticking a thermometer in the top of the kettle and the temp was 20F higher at the top than what the panel was reading (since cold return wort is being thrown at it). So, just take this into account when targeting an "exact" WP temp if you use a plate chiller or CFC (it will likely be much higher than you think). Temp will start to merge between the top kettle reading and panel reading as you get closer to pitching temp, but again, you might be a couple degrees higher than what the panel is telling you due to the above when you pitch your yeast.
 
I am not sure what you mean, rotate the pumps? My outlets are on the bottom - as the spike product guide said to do.

Inlet below the outlet? Are you sure?
 
macebrew said:
Are you guys using a hop spider when using this system? or just letting the whirlpool do its thing?

Thinking of a beers with 8+ oz hops in the whirpool/ boil. we have a hop spider from an older system... worth using... or ditch it and just hope the whirlpool works good enough. it seems like the spider interrupts the flows a little of the whirlpool.

also - for whirlpool - are both your input and output arms going in the same direction or opposite???
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Really no need at all for a hopspider with the spike system. The whirlpool piles up the trub perfect and I often throw in a pound of whirlpool hops for a 15 gallon finished beer. I suppose the spider could increase your brewhouse efficiency, but who really cares. A bit more grain is cheap.

The arms aim opposite.
 
I posted this on the spike Facebook page, but thought I'd duplicate it here as I am struggling with my final assembly:
I just go the Spike system with the 50 Amp panel and finally fired it up tonite. It doesn't work. Well, more specifically, the HLT won't heat. I have attached a picture to show how it reads. Note in the Pic that the Boil Kettle is working, but not the HLT. Its white LED is not lit and there is no power to the element.
The PID for the HLT flashes LLLL

I opened the panel box, and the breakers were ok, but I tripped and reset them anyways. Also, I double checked to see if anything was loose and everything was tight.
Any help is appreciated as right now I have about $5500 of stainless steel that I can't do anything with.
Panel 1.JPG
 
Zenmeister said:
I posted this on the spike Facebook page, but thought I'd duplicate it here as I am struggling with my final assembly:
I just go the Spike system with the 50 Amp panel and finally fired it up tonite. It doesn't work. Well, more specifically, the HLT won't heat. I have attached a picture to show how it reads. Note in the Pic that the Boil Kettle is working, but not the HLT. Its white LED is not lit and there is no power to the element.
The PID for the HLT flashes LLLL

I opened the panel box, and the breakers were ok, but I tripped and reset them anyways. Also, I double checked to see if anything was loose and everything was tight.
Any help is appreciated as right now I have about $5500 of stainless steel that I can't do anything with.View attachment 603513
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I'd suggest emailing them directly. When I first bought my conical I had some questions and if I remember correctly they replied back in like 10 mins on a Sunday evening. Cheers
 
@Zenmeister , I believe "LLLL" error code refers to when the measured input tempt is lower than the input range of the sensor. Did you make any program changes? I'm not sure if this will help, but I would go through the menu to see if the input tempt range starts at "0" and if not, change it to "0" to see if that makes any difference. Maybe you can try to reset the PID back to factory settings.

As @Blazinlow86 wrote, SB responds quickly. With that said, at this time in the holiday season, they may not get back to you over the weekend. Rest assured, you will be taken care of.

Good luck!
 
Do they not test fire the ebrew supply panels before shipping? I get they can jostle in shipping and a wire can come loose but i hear a lot of “dead relay” and miswiring out of the box on the fb page. You shouldnt have to be playing doctor to a $2k 50 amp panel out of the box. Not what id expect from spike. Wiring/connectors that can survive fedex should be a solved problem in 2018.
 
Gut Pile said:
Do they not test fire the ebrew supply panels before shipping? I get they can jostle in shipping and a wire can come loose but i hear a lot of “dead relay” and miswiring out of the box on the fb page. You shouldnt have to be playing doctor to a $2k 50 amp panel out of the box. Not what id expect from spike. Wiring/connectors that can survive fedex should be a solved problem in 2018.
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So what ended up being the problem? Was it a dead relay or miswiring or something FedEx did?
 
First off, I did contact EBS, and they responded to me this morning (Saturday.) First option was that the wires may be loose or switched, but that is not the case. We are still going over possible causes, but I have eliminated a lot of them. For example, I have switched the BK and HLT connections on the panel, and then the BK won't work and the HLT heats up. To me that means it is not a loose or improperly attached connection outside of the panel.
Additionally, I have cross referenced the HLT to the BK PID's and confirmed that their settings are identical. I am not sure whether that is a problem or not, but have let EBS know.
I believe the relay is working fine, as you hear the clunk when you turn on the HLT, and inside you can see the indicator on the relay drop as well when turning it on. In other words, it is acting exactly like the BK relay.
I am a little frustrated as I want to get some brewing done over the holidays, BUT I am not upset at either SPIKE or EBS on this. Stuff happens, as it does in any business. They are working with me on a Saturday, before the holidays, to see if we can come up with a fix, and that is great.
I will keep everyone posted.
 
Maybe it is the relay. Notice the two relays in the picture, one is lit indicating power and the other is not. I traced the wiring back, and the lit one is to the BK, the unlit one is to the HLT. HMMMM....
Zens PID Relays.JPG
 
Well, that wasn't the problem, and we finally think the PID is bad. They are Fed-exing a new one to me now. Looks like an easy replacement and I should be running by the weekend.
 
Are they shipping you a new pid or just a whole new panel? Kind of lame to have to play tag with their vendor (EBS) and start teardown/troubleshoot on something so new and expensive.
 
They are shipping a new PID. I am OK with that... it'll get here faster, and not a major teardown. I didn't have to really play tag, as EBS contacted me first thing Saturday am to try to fix the problem. We'll see if that fixes it when it comes. Hopefully tomorrow.
 
Brewfreedom said:
Are they shipping you a new pid or just a whole new panel? Kind of lame to have to play tag with their vendor (EBS) and start teardown/troubleshoot on something so new and expensive.
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Ya it’s not bad. I had to swap 2 of mine when I first got it.(mash and boil installed in wrong place). Ate they sending it preprogrammed?
 
So, I got it (mostly) fixed, but it wasn't the new PID. I got the same LLLL message from that one. A couple people here and on the Spike facebook page said the error is a loose wire, so I put a meter to the wires, and sure enough one of them wasn't completing the signal.

Yesterday morning I went to a local specialty electrical supply house, bought an XLR fitting for about $3.00, wired it up and attached it to the PID. You guessed it... Everything worked!

I autotuned successfully yesterday, and will be doing a test run or two today to check for leaks, and then make a simple batch on either Monday or Tuesday.

I notified Ryan at EBS via email yesterday and asked him to send me a new XLR that will fit the mounting holes in the cabinet. As I understand it, the XLR’s that he installs are pre-made with the wires attached and soldered in the factory. My hack job works, but I would rather use a fitting that was part of the design of this cabinet.
 
Zenmeister said:
So, I got it (mostly) fixed, but it wasn't the new PID. I got the same LLLL message from that one. A couple people here and on the Spike facebook page said the error is a loose wire, so I put a meter to the wires, and sure enough one of them wasn't completing the signal.

Yesterday morning I went to a local specialty electrical supply house, bought an XLR fitting for about $3.00, wired it up and attached it to the PID. You guessed it... Everything worked!

I autotuned successfully yesterday, and will be doing a test run or two today to check for leaks, and then make a simple batch on either Monday or Tuesday.

I notified Ryan at EBS via email yesterday and asked him to send me a new XLR that will fit the mounting holes in the cabinet. As I understand it, the XLR’s that he installs are pre-made with the wires attached and soldered in the factory. My hack job works, but I would rather use a fitting that was part of the design of this cabinet.
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I have seen this happen with several connections that I have used brand new. Doesnt matter the brand. I usually take them out of the housing and resolder. I have even received temp probes that the wires were completely wrong and had to rewire the entire new probe to work. Glad to hear you got it worked out and are handy enough not to be a pre madonna about the whole situation. Simple skills will always be valuable. Especially with electric control panels. I work for an $85 billion food processing company and you would not believe how often electronics fail or are defective out of the package. And we use MUCH nicer $$$$ pid's and electronics than are used in these brew panels. These china made parts will all eventually fail and if you dont have the know how or skills to figure out how to troubleshoot and replace them trust me the initial investment or part cost will be much lower than what you will spend on a professional troubleshooting your panel.
 
Neens_ said:
Ya it’s not bad. I had to swap 2 of mine when I first got it.(mash and boil installed in wrong place). Ate they sending it preprogrammed?
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I hear ya but for to have to go through the aggravation and wait - when you should be brewing sucks. Hopefully Spike ups their QC on these before shipping them.
 
Tobor_8thMan said:
The Spike people are decent and will work with you to solve the problem. They stand by their items. Unfortunately, in this day-and-age, I honesty can't write that about a lot of companies.
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In this case it wasn't Spike, but The Electric Brewing company, the maker of the panel. But they responded as well as can be expected, and I am happy with them.
 
Tobor_8thMan said:
The Spike people are decent and will work with you to solve the problem. They stand by their items. Unfortunately, in this day-and-age, I honesty can't write that about a lot of companies.
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Confused does spike make the panels or ebs? So you have to chase vendors of spike down for support?
 
The Spike that builds the electric brewery panels Is a completely different company than spike brewing. They have nothing to do with each other. Cheers
 
Brewfreedom said:
I hear ya but for to have to go through the aggravation and wait - when you should be brewing sucks. Hopefully Spike ups their QC on these before shipping them.
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My problem had nothing to do with spike. They don’t wire the panel, the electric brewery does. They told me they had already fixed the problem.(new employee error) they thought they had fixed all panels before they had been shipped.
 

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