Yet Another Basement Brewery...

[Calfj60]

Very nice work, do you happen to have a parts list? Why the small tan pumps?

 

[lextasy23]

Very nice work, do you happen to have a parts list? Why the small tan pumps?

One of the small pumps is to recirculate the MT to avoid stratification, the other is to recirculate the wort through the HERMS coil instead of using a chugger. The thought is that it'll be slower and quieter, which should lead to a better grain bed filter, instead of having a chugger suck grain through the manifold. The ghuggers are for quick transfer from HLT to MT and MT to BK.

I don't have a parts list, I've been buying and selling Stainless and have a ton of stuff that I just sort of reached for the pile and took what I could use. The original thought was to use all NPT to compression fitting, and bend tube, but I was able to do most of it with close nipples and sections of pipe, and bushings and adapters.

I started buying lots of stainless stuff on ebay, keeping what i need, and selling the rest individually. A lot of work, but in the end i had a mountain of stainless fittings, basically free. A bunch from a buddy who works for Parker helped too, and another friend had an uncle who did boilers and passed away, so same thing there - took the lot, kept what i needed, sold the rest. I bought 2-way 3-piece valves in 3/4" originally, and was shipped too many - the seller said keep them because it would have cost him more to send me shipping to get them back LOL. then i changed my plans to this design, so i sold those and bought 3-way valves instead.

 

[Calfj60]

Makes sense, I'm trying to decide if I want to use threaded 1/2 ss pipe or tube with compression fittings. Any advice? I do like the idea of a small pump for herms.

Are your 3way valves 1/2"?

 

[lextasy23]

Makes sense, I'm trying to decide if I want to use threaded 1/2 ss pipe or tube with compression fittings. Any advice? I do like the idea of a small pump for herms.

Are your 3way valves 1/2"?

The tube has a smaller diameter and flow, but is way easier to get components to line up properly. Lining up NPT in all the right direction is difficult. I kept on doubling up on the Teflon lol.

Ya, the valves are all female 1/2. The camlock fittings are all 3/4. I was originally going to do everything 3/4 but then I realized there was no benefit and just added cost. The camlocks look better bigger though, so I kept those.

The part I'm struggling with now is cleaning... I think I have it figured out. I'm recycling cooling water from the chiller back to the HLT, but I'll likely have to swap hoses at that point. Didn't think of cleaning when I designed the plumbing. Rev 2, here we go lol.

 

[Calfj60]

Thank you, I'm just putting together a plan, I like the idea of less soft hose and more hard plumbing. I would really like a CIP setup, and love SS

 

[lextasy23]

Thank you, I'm just putting together a plan, I like the idea of less soft hose and more hard plumbing. I would really like a CIP setup, and love SS

CIP?

Ya, I have a bit of a stainless obsession lol. It's one area I wanted to spend the money in. I'll update my plumbing schematic when I get the cleaning plan figured out. One concern is still if the small pump will have the power to suck through the grain bed, but I think gravity will push it through the grain bed, and the pump will only have to lift it up to the top of the coil, and gravity will again help. All very theoretical though. Other guys (Amazon reviews) said they use it for the whole brew process, but I'm not sure if that means sucking through a grain bed and blowing through a 50' coil.

 

[Calfj60]

Clean in place, rather not have to take it all apart after very brew day

 

[lextasy23]

Ahh yes. Ya, the MT cooler probably. The HLT no, the BK maybe.

 

[WayFrae]

How much did those smaller pumps cost and where did you buy them from? I would be interested in some smaller pumps like that.

 

[lextasy23]

How much did those smaller pumps cost and where did you buy them from? I would be interested in some smaller pumps like that.

Sorry for the delay - I thought I already replied here.

They're $21.99 on Amazon, Prime eligible.
http://amzn.com/B00DWORE5A

As I suspected, I already broke one, tightening stainless. I decided I'll slowly replace them with these, as I earn Amazon points with credit...
http://amzn.com/B00OXMJVNI

$260 instead of $44 is tough to justify now - but I'm already into one replacement motor and I haven't even brewed with them yet.

My interim plan is to JB Weld a small piece of stainless across the cheap pump from the inlet pipe to the outlet, to strengthen the plumbing to itself and not rely on this pump to do any sort of load bearing.

 

[lextasy23]

Hmmm... Just found these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-S...hash=item23384f591b:m:m8jeope7kAOhQWfGm5fgLwA

 

[jbb3]

Hmmm... Just found these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-S...hash=item23384f591b:m:m8jeope7kAOhQWfGm5fgLwA

It appears the pump head is SS (exterior) but may not be rated for high temp...

 

[lextasy23]

It appears the pump head is SS (exterior) but may not be rated for high temp...

Ya, I asked the seller what the internals are made of - impeller, shaft, seals, etc.

The one advertised as high-temp food-safe is $130. I may just go that route if I break another plastic one lol.

 

[jbb3]

Ya, I asked the seller what the internals are made of - impeller, shaft, seals, etc.

The one advertised as high-temp food-safe is $130. I may just go that route if I break another plastic one lol.

Once you get over $100, you're pretty much back in Chugger territory. Those small $22 DC solar pumps are cheap enough you can keep an extra on hand if you break one. Once you get your system dialed in and plumped how you like it, then you could upgrade to Chugger/March. Just a thought...

 

[lextasy23]

Once you get over $100, you're pretty much back in Chugger territory. Those small $22 DC solar pumps are cheap enough you can keep an extra on hand if you break one. Once you get your system dialed in and plumped how you like it, then you could upgrade to Chugger/March. Just a thought...

I already have 2 stainless 3/4"-1/2" Chuggers, these smaller ones are for HLT recirculation (destratification), and for slower quieter HERMS circulation/mashing.

The idea was to have something slow and quiet for both. I imagine the bilge pumps probably aren't quiet. The plastic ones are perfect.

EDIT: Here's a preliminary pic. I have it finished now, no pics yet.

If you scroll up you can see the further detail on the system; closed loop so no hose swapping, uses 3-way valves, two Chuggers, and two small pumps. My OCD dictates the small pumps need to be stainless, not to mention I've already broken a plastic one and it hasn't even seen water yet.

 

[jbb3]

.... My OCD dictates the small pumps need to be stainless, not to mention I've already broken a plastic one and it hasn't even seen water yet.

No need to say anymore. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do...

Looking forward to your build!

 

[wit2003]

I like all those pretty stainless steel fittings

 

[lextasy23]

I like all those pretty stainless steel fittings

I have a lot of really nice Chinese 304 ones from eBay, and some crappy Parker 316L ones.

 

[lextasy23]

Is anyone here an Arduino expert?
(Or even a novice??)

My newest plan for a water level indicator on HLT and BK (and maybe MT) is to use an Arduino I got as a gift for Christmas (with plans to use it for future brewery automation), and some waterproof ultrasonic modules (like car reverse sensors).

The idea would be to mount the sensors up in the vent hood, and program the Arduino to know the distance between the sensor on the ceiling and the bottom of an empty pot, and the sensor on the ceiling and the water level of a full pot; with a little 3rd grade math I could then have it easily figure out how much water was in either vessel... Then I could easily adapt the brew panel to automate the fill solenoid based on what my inputs were.

For example: I want to fill the HLT up with 11.5 gallons of strike water. I input '11.5' onto my panel, it turns on the solenoid, fills to the right amount, and shuts off the solenoid. Seems almost too simple...

All I need to do now is get some parts and start a prototype.

Once the brewery is done first of course lol.

 

[jbb3]

Is anyone here an Arduino expert?
(Or even a novice??)

My newest plan for a water level indicator on HLT and BK (and maybe MT) is to use an Arduino I got as a gift for Christmas (with plans to use it for future brewery automation), and some waterproof ultrasonic modules (like car reverse sensors).

The idea would be to mount the sensors up in the vent hood, and program the Arduino to know the distance between the sensor on the ceiling and the bottom of an empty pot, and the sensor on the ceiling and the water level of a full pot; with a little 3rd grade math I could then have it easily figure out how much water was in either vessel... Then I could easily adapt the brew panel to automate the fill solenoid based on what my inputs were.

For example: I want to fill the HLT up with 11.5 gallons of strike water. I input '11.5' onto my panel, it turns on the solenoid, fills to the right amount, and shuts off the solenoid. Seems almost too simple...

All I need to do now is get some parts and start a prototype.

Once the brewery is done first of course lol.

Not sure it will be as accurate and consistent as you would like? But who knows??

Search for "STC-1000+". I've seen guys that use Arduinos to flash the STC-1000 temp controllers on those thread(s).

 

[lextasy23]

Not sure it will be as accurate and consistent as you would like? But who knows??

The modules claim an accuracy of 1cm, which in a 16" pot is approximately a quart... I'd be cool with half-gallon accuracy, so I figure this should be sufficient.

It's really only for cheap coolness factor, and even if it's half as accurate as they say it is, it's still twice as accurate as I really need... My concern is with steam, but the sensor says its waterproof, so...

I'll have to do a lot of testing before I let it control water without me in the room lol.

 

[Erg]

Sub'ed I'm doing the same thing in my basement. Keep going, I've almost caught you and need more ideas. haha

 

[lextasy23]

Sub'ed I'm doing the same thing in my basement. Keep going, I've almost caught you and need more ideas. haha

Ya I've been put on hold temporarily until the HVAC guys can finish their install (we just bought a beautiful brand new furnace and heat pump, they're just about done all the duct work.

No more electric heat = freed up power to run a brewery!

 

[lextasy23]

Well, long time no post, but the HVAC work is all done, the yard is just about squared away, the bathrooms are almost done, the chicken coop is built... Now it's time to get back to the brewery! More to come soon.

 

[RichBrewer]

Well, long time no post, but the HVAC work is all done, the yard is just about squared away, the bathrooms are almost done, the chicken coop is built... Now it's time to get back to the brewery! More to come soon.

Looking forward to updates!