TheDom's Two Vessel RIMS Build

[TheDom]

Thanks to Santa and a very awesome SWMBO, I am finally going electric! I've got a mostly unmodified keggle and a 10gal round cooler MLT, and really can't wait to be done lifting gallons of hot water over my head during my brew day! I've got a 5500W ulwd element going into the HLT/BK and will be doing a RIMS for dummies approach to my rims element. Since the water here sucks, and I batch sparge, I will just be doing a 1500W element in the RIMS tube, no need for on demand sparge water yet.

Ooh pics!

2 Auber PIDs and SSRs/heatsinks, pretty illuminated buttons (2 red for element power, blue for pump, and green for PID power), contactors (30a) for element power switching, RTDs and my potentially overstuffed ammo can of a project box:



The dimplemaster proudly posing next to its first victim:




Got a 50a spa panel, pics of that to come once I actually do something to it. Waiting on a pump, tubing, camlocks and sightglass. Still need to order DIN rail, breakers, and terminal blocks. Also need to get a regular 50a breaker for my breaker panel, some conduit and 6awg wire for a short (10ft) run to the spa panel.

Thanks to P-J and Kal, and everyone else posting their builds and advice in this forum. I wouldn't be able to do this without this awesome resource! That being said, I am pretty confident in my ability to do this right, but would love to be called out if it looks like I'm planning on doing something stupid.

That's all for now, more to come once I start putting it together.

Ooh, shiny:



Yes, it is crooked, I have to buy another pipe wrench.

 

[TheDom]

Quick question: Can 14awg wire safely be used with a 16 amp breaker?

For some reason factorymation.com only carries 10 amp and 16 amp mini din mount breakers, no 15 amp, which I wanted to use so I could use 14awg wire for my RIMS element, which draws 12.5 amps. I only ask because in another thread someone said it was fine to use 6awg wire for up to 60amps, while the electrical primer says 55 amps for 6awg, and I'm confused. Thanks!

 

[TheDom]

Nobody? Ahh well. Picked up 8' of 6/3 w ground, some conduit and various outlets today, hope to get the 4 prong outlet mounted in the spa panel tonight, and probably the conduit, breaker and mounting of the spa panel in the garage tomorrow afternoon. Pics to come once progress is made.

It is kinda funny, for some reason having a thread going about my build is really motivating me to get things done.

 

[P-J]

I subscribed to your thread and have been watching with interest.

Quick question: Can 14awg wire safely be used with a 16 amp breaker?

It is within your panel... Therefore no problem what so ever.

Wishing you the best.

 

[TheDom]

Thanks P-J, I appreciate it. I am expecting everything but my camlock fittings to arrive by Thursday, so hopefully I will be able to start getting elbow deep in it soon.

 

[TheDom]

Got the 50a receptacle mounted and wired up in the spa panel. I learned to love hole saws after a good while cutting and grinding out a hole for the receptacle with my dremel. I didn't mangle it too badly, but a properly sized hole saw would have made it look much nicer.



Here is a pic of the inside:



Hopefully tomorrow I will have a chance to mount the spa panel out in the garage, and get it wired into the main panel.

 

[SGFBeerBuzz]

Hey. Just wanted to let you know I've subscribed and can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Nice job so far. I just finished building my own 2 vessel system + RIMS, (60 qt cooler MLT, 1500W RIMS tube, 5500W keggle...sound familiar?). Hope to brew on it this thursday or next monday!

 

[TheDom]

Thanks for the encouragement guys! Shorty, that does sound strangely familiar. Do you have a thread where I can check it out?

 

[shortyjacobs]

Not a real build thread....I've got a wiring diagram thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/diagram-critique-my-brutus-20-10-a-279903/

And a few pics (click for bigger, don't wanna hijack your thread too much!):

 

[TheDom]

Nice man, no hijack worries, thanks for sharing.

No wiring work today, but I did try my hand at some silver soldering. Used the kit that Airgas sells, with the Harris stay-brite solder and sray-clean liquid flux. I will probably add more solder to get it flush and pretty with the wall of the vessel, but for a first crack at it I am pretty happy.

 

[TheDom]

I added a little bit more solder, and am happier with it now. After a little sanding and BKF it should look pretty nice!

 

[TheDom]

Got my factorymation order yesterday, and have decided that no matter what level ninja I were, all these components just won't fit in the ammo can. I figured it would be a challenge, but this just isn't worth fighting with.



Instead of getting inline fuses for the P-J E-stop and the PID power, I got 2 1amp breakers. I decided to go with a 20a breaker instead of the 16 mentioned earlier to leave some room for a bigger RIMS element in the future, and did the standard 25a 2-pole breaker for the 5500W BK element. The only thing I am concerned about is my breaker for my pump. I read that the march 809 will draw 1.4 or so amps, and went with a 4a breaker because I wanted to power the illuminated switch for both the pump and RIMS, as well as the coil for the contractor that will switch the RIMS element power on the same circuit. I basically want the rims element power switch and contactor coil to only get power when the pump is running. After placing my order I read that pumps can draw a little extra current at startup. Did I cut it too close with the 4a breaker?

 

[Bsquared]

Nice soldering job,

did you dimple this into the keg? To me it look like some people where dimpling so it was dimpled to the outside.

Im going to re-build my HLT this weekend using a dimpling tool too, and was thinking it would be much easier to solder if it dimpils into the keg. Is this the way you did this?

 

[TheDom]

Yeah, I dimpled into the keg. My thinking was that the ease of doing the soldering far outweighed the potential benefits of dimpling the other way. Plus, the outside will look nicer the outside once I sand it up.

Edit: Thanks!

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

I think 4a will be fine on the pump... they draw more at startup but the breakers handle more at non sustained loads, unless you got a fast blow breaker.

Looking good BTW!

 

[TheDom]

Well, I got a B curve breaker, which I think counts as fast blow (throw in this case?) Hopefully it will work, if not I can always get a bigger one.

I pulled the cover off of my main breaker panel yesterday to make sure everything inside was as it appeared on the outside.



Nothing goofy that I could see/recognize. I will probably be putting the new 50a breaker in this morning, and running the cable/conduit. It just depends on how happy my drill is with putting holes in block. If not, I should be able to make some progress on the control panel.

Thus far I have cut some DIN rails for my terminal blocks and breakers, and attached the range cord.

 

[TheDom]

I'm starting to get stuff mounted in the box, and I have a question about my breakers. They are the CHINT miniature breakers from factorymation, and they have one terminal marked "load" and the other marked "line." To install them according to those labels would mean I would have to have then upside-down, which isn't a big deal, but it would look nicer doing it the other way. For AC, which side of the breaker is which doesn't matter, does it? Are those markings just for DC use of these breakers, or am I totally off? Thanks!

 

[P-J]

I'm starting to get stuff mounted in the box, and I have a question about my breakers. They are the CHINT miniature breakers from factorymation, and they have one terminal marked "load" and the other marked "line." To install them according to those labels would mean I would have to have then upside-down, which isn't a big deal, but it would look nicer doing it the other way. For AC, which side of the breaker is which doesn't matter, does it? Are those markings just for DC use of these breakers, or am I totally off? Thanks!

I'm not sure I understand your concern. Just mount the breakers in the position you want with the appearance that you want to accomplish (breaker right side up). The wiring will be in the back of the box routed around the breakers and will not interfere at all with your layout.

The terminal marked "line" is the power input from your input power cord. The terminal marked "load" goes to the device you are powering (protecting).

Hope this helps.

 

[TheDom]

Thanks PJ. It really was a silly concern, as I will hardly ever be looking at the inside of the box anyway. For some reason I thought direction of slow wasn't relevant with AC, and that the breaker would function the same either way. I'm glad I asked.

Edit: I wanted to clarify that I did know what line and load mean, and really appreciate you spelling it out for me since I didn't make it clear that I understood which was which.

 

[P-J]

You are more than welcome. Thanks a lot for the feedback.

P-J

 

[TheDom]

Got a little bit more done today. DIN rails and contactors mounted, terminal blocks and breakers installed, and some of the wiring done.



Got holes cut for the PIDs and switches. The PIDs were a bit aggravating to do with the dremel, but not too bad. I cut just inside my lines almost to the edges, finished cutting with a steak knife, and used a file to get it to fit just right. The first one I cut with the dremel I screwed up a little and went outside of my lines, but it doesn't show too badly. The switches were a breeze with the step bit.





More to come whenever the toddler gives me some more time to get stuff done.

 

[brewhokie]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what are the benefits of DIN mounted terminal blocks versus regular screw terminal blocks you find at Home Depot? I ask because the enclosure I bought has a DIN rail and about 20 single pass through terminal blocks. I wasn't planning on using a DIN mounted system, but I'm now entertaining the idea.

Got a little bit more done today. DIN rails and contactors mounted, terminal blocks and breakers installed, and some of the wiring done.

View attachment 44650

Got holes cut for the PIDs and switches. The PIDs were a bit aggravating to do with the dremel, but not too bad. I cut just inside my lines almost to the edges, finished cutting with a steak knife, and used a file to get it to fit just right. The first one I cut with the dremel I screwed up a little and went outside of my lines, but it doesn't show too badly. The switches were a breeze with the step bit.


View attachment 44657


More to come whenever the toddler gives me some more time to get stuff done.

 

[TheDom]

That they are modular was the big selling point for me.

 

[Brew52]

I like your control panel wiring (very clean) can you please post some close up shots of the inside of your box when it is completed? I would very much like to copy a lot of what you have done. I am building a 2 keggle electric RIMS system (sparge optional) and have the same switches and PID's that you have as well as 2 SSR's and two coil relays. Thanks.

 

[TheDom]

I like your control panel wiring (very clean) can you please post some close up shots of the inside of your box when it is completed? I would very much like to copy a lot of what you have done. I am building a 2 keggle electric RIMS system (sparge optional) and have the same switches and PID's that you have as well as 2 SSR's and two coil relays. Thanks.

Thanks, it isn't done yet, but I plan on keeping it as clean as possible. I will definitely get out the good camera when all is done and give some detailed shots of the wiring, both to help others and to let those more knowledgeable than myself pick it apart if need-be. Best of luck on your build!

 

[TheDom]

So I learned the hard way that the proper size hole saw for the round 125V single outlets is NOT 1 1/2, but rather 1 3/8. Doh!



No big deal since it is out of sight on the bottom, but still lame just the same. 2 1/8 worked just fine for the bigger one:



May future builds have more purty as a result of my mistake.

 

[TheDom]

Got my camlocks from proflowdynamics today, so unless I forgot something, I have 100% of the parts I meed to get this project finished. Now I gotta find the time. Here is a shot of the assistant brewer dilligently inspecting our shipment of camlocks:

 

[shortyjacobs]

That's so friggin' cute.

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

nice... you let him taste the prefermented beer right?