Stovetop 110v single vessel system

[klyph]

No sparge, recirculating BIAB.

 

[klyph]

 

[klyph]

 

[EarthBound]

I wish all the threads on HBT were like yours: tons 'o pics!

Excellent work! Easy, cheap, and very quick.

How long is your brewday?

What's your brewhouse efficiency?

 

[klyph]

The process is as simplified as possible. I see this as maybe the easiest way to do all grain.

Heat strike water with stove and element, turn element off and dial stove back to 2.5 (I found this was the spot that the temp. stayed flat at around 150F during recirculation).
Add mesh bag and grains.
Verify mash temp and continue recirculating throughout mash (Stove does a good job of keeping the temp steady, but it's not automatic)
Turn stove on high for mashout
Remove grains at 170F and squeeze the crap out of the bag.
Turn on element and get boiling
Hops
Chill
Pitch

 

[jsguitar]

Looks great Klyph.

I enjoyed reading your earlier build when researching my own.

Is this just an alternate rig to save time, or have you ditched your old rig and gone BIAB full time?

 

[klyph]

I wish all the threads on HBT were like yours: tons 'o pics!

Excellent work! Easy, cheap, and very quick.

How long is your brewday?

What's your brewhouse efficiency?

I usually take it pretty easy on brewdays, Nothing is rushed, The brewing is done in about 3 1/2 hours and I drag out the cleaning because I hate it but I'm anal retentive about the cleanliness of my brewrig.
As far as efficiency is concerned, I brewed a kolsch and got in the 70's but with the stout I was mid to high sixties. I need to add a sight glass to track volumes, something tells me I either added an extra pitcher of water or my boiloff rate is lower than I thought.

Looks great Klyph.

I enjoyed reading your earlier build when researching my own.

Is this just an alternate rig to save time, or have you ditched your old rig and gone BIAB full time?

The 10 gallon system is in a friends basement, this is the rig I use at home and for taking to friends houses to show them how to brew.

 

[wilceaser]

Well done.

 

[klyph]

Also the crush could have been finer and I'm making a manifold for the siphon side to get more thin mash to flow through the grains. It should also allow me to use leaf hops without hop sacks in the boil. I'll post pics when it's done. I'd really like to build a mesh basket with handles that nestles inside. This build was inspired a lot by scubasteve's rig, I really like the idea of a simple single vessel system. It's my humble opinion that sparging is pointless at the five gallon level. Recirculating mash and maybe an extra handful of grain makes better beer with less effort. I'll be adding more functionality to this setup, but I want it to remain as simple as possible.

 

[klyph]

I changed from side pickup to manifold so that I could use leaf hops instead of pellets or bagged leaf. I like the idea of raw ingredients and minimizing waste.

Oh and the stout is burbling away nicely, time to put it in the shed where it will stay cooler.

 

[Jester]

Klyph - Can you share some more info on your setup? and the controller? Thanks for sharing!!!!

Jeremy

 

[klyph]

Klyph - Can you share some more info on your setup? and the controller? Thanks for sharing!!!!

Jeremy

Sorry for the late reply. What about the system are you curious about? The element is powered by the weather proof switch box. It's a simple household on/off switch wired to an outlet in a two gang box with a weather proof cover. It's only powered on to heat the strike and during boil (also during the first few minutes of chilling because you spaced out turning it off).

Future upgrades will include a sightglass and possibly trying my hand at the tig unit I just purchased. This is a great small house/apartment rig since almost the whole setup packs into a 10 gallon pot.

 

[Junkster]

Über-simple.... NICE!

 

[gib0r]

Why recirculate?

 

[klyph]

Why recirculate?

It keeps the temperature uniform as I heat the mash with the stove, and maximizes efficiency.

 

[Dgonza9]

As I build my rig ever outwards and upwards with new pieces, new gadgetry, etc., your simplicity is refreshing.

 

[gib0r]

It keeps the temperature uniform as I heat the mash with the stove, and maximizes efficiency.

Could this be accomplished by stirring?

*Edited to sound less condescending. I'm really curious about this step.

 

[klyph]

Yup, but my arms get pretty tired after a 60 minute mash.
You could get by without the pump, but its nice to not have to stir the mash and recirculating while chilling cuts way down on time and effort. I guess the pump is there because I'm lazy.

 

[gib0r]

Fair enough, good sir. Thank you.

 

[gridstorm]

Hey, what size is your kettle? Would 9 gallon work?

Is that an immersion chiller? Would you need a second vessel to chill in using the pump (instead of the IC)?

Looking to convert my LP rig for inside apartment use because of a crazy HOA

 

[nduetime]

So I'm curious about one thing. If I wanted to cut cost on my gas bill (stove) and switch to 110v electric, could I stick with my round cooler to mash in and just copy your setup for the boil side of things (minus recirc. pump)? I know it's not a single vessel but looking to keep it simple for me.

 

[tektonjp]

Round cooler are pretty energy efficient. Mine loses less than one degree during mash. Also lets me start the boil while sparging so my day is a little less.

 

[klyph]

Hey, what size is your kettle? Would 9 gallon work?

Is that an immersion chiller? Would you need a second vessel to chill in using the pump (instead of the IC)?

Looking to convert my LP rig for inside apartment use because of a crazy HOA

My kettle is ten gallons. You could make a nine gallon work for everything but imperial styles and barley wines, but I don't think I could make a full five gallons of barley wine on mine either.
I'm not sure about your second question, it is an immersion chiller, but if you're asking if you can use this setup in an ice water bath, I wouldn't because of the electrical connections. Other than that I don't see why you'd need another vessel for chilling.

So I'm curious about one thing. If I wanted to cut cost on my gas bill (stove) and switch to 110v electric, could I stick with my round cooler to mash in and just copy your setup for the boil side of things (minus recirc. pump)? I know it's not a single vessel but looking to keep it simple for me.

I used these components with a round cooler mash tun and propane burner before going no sparge / biab. I had great results, and I think you'll have a higher efficiency potential and the ability to brew stronger beer with a seperate mash tun. This setup works great on the boil side, but make sure your range hood vents outside, rather than recirculates, or your kitchen will be a steam room.

 

[nduetime]

This setup works great on the boil side, but make sure your range hood vents outside, rather than recirculates, or your kitchen will be a steam room.

Thanks for the reply. I just have one last question, would your e-kettle create more steam than my electric stove? I don't have a hood vent per say, just a round pipe leading up and out the roof (gotta love a rental!). I don't really have much of a problem come brew day with steam but I do get an abundance amount of heat generated by using the stove, usually compensated by opening the kitchen window.

I only brew 2.5-3 gallon batches and it's pretty hard to get a good rolling boil on the stovetop. I'm thinking going electric would help this and address my concern of cutting cost.

 

[klyph]

This design utilizes the immersion element to supplement the heat from the electric stove. If you're getting a low boil with your stove, then adding the element will yield a much more vigorous boil and more steam being generated. I use the lid to direct the steam to the intake of the vent. It's possible that you'll be able to get a draft going up your vent, but it's impossible for me to say. The extra 1500w of power allowed me to vigorously boil 9+ gallons of water during testing with the stove top and immersion element on full.

 

[klyph]

One note: the base of my kettle is about 18" wide. I place the pot so the stove element is on the front edge, and the immersion element is on the rear edge. This prevents the wash heat of the stove from melting the pvc pieces used to cover the connections on the element wiring. I wouldn't recommend this setup for a gas stove, or for small diameter pots that would be difficult to keep the immersion element well away from the stove element. Please don't burn your house down.

 

[nduetime]

I suppose I was more interested in it's capabilities of boiling a few gallons of water without the use of a stove. I am interested in this because I sometimes like to brew at friends house and don't want to run a propane burner. 110 into one of their outlets would be very exciting.

 

[klyph]

Depending on how many gallons, and how well insulated the pot is, it's possible. I'd have to do more testing.

 

[Thefirebuilds]

So I'm curious about one thing. If I wanted to cut cost on my gas bill (stove) and switch to 110v electric, could I stick with my round cooler to mash in and just copy your setup for the boil side of things (minus recirc. pump)? I know it's not a single vessel but looking to keep it simple for me.

Maybe I've misunderstood you, but gas is more efficient AND cheaper than electric when used as a heat source.

 

[cockybitz]

The heat that you feel around your pot when using a gas burner means lost efficiency, whereas electric does not have as much heat lost (higher efficiency). The immersed element in the pot provides 100% efficiency. Now gas may be cheaper (despite a lower efficiency) , but more efficient it is not.