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Hey Mash Paddlers,
Hope everyone is having a fine socially-distant summer. I’m updating a few of my summer brewhouse projects. I decided in the spring that it was time for some big upgrades to my system. I have a Frankensystem that’s been pieced together out of several large-haul Craigslist purchases as well as a big buy during Ben’s total liquidation. I now have three cappers because everyone who’s getting rid of their brew stuff on craigslist ALWAYS throws in the capper. If anyone needs one, you can just have it. The Frankensystem worked well for helping me experiment with a couple different processes with 1, 2, and 3 vessels. I brewed a ton of beer during peak quarantine/lockdown.Then it happened. While finishing a batch of would-be imperial stout, my brew-hauler failed between my brew area and my fermentation area and sent a full glass carboy of sweet dark wort crashing to the ground. The only silver lining is that it was outside.
This catastrophic failure was a reckoning. A harbinger of doom. The Frankensystem had become a grotesque monster, incapable of repeatable results and prone to complete failure.
But from death comes new life.
The president wrote me a check and all my friends cancelled their weddings. Hello new system!
I decided on a versatile 1 and 2 vessel system that’s capable of doing BIAB for a straightforward 5gal batch and K-RIMS for a high gravity 5gal or standard gravity 10gal batch. Additionally, My home solar panel array was installed at the end of February and has been stacking up energy faster than I can burn it. So of course I fell into the trap of going electric because it would “pay for itself in just a couple years”.
So anyhow, a few months later, my new brewery is so close I can smell the boiling hops. Here are a few of the design highlights:
Vessels:
The star of the show is a new 15 gallon SS Brewtech kettle with a 5500W heating element installed in it. I used the design guide from The Electric Brewery with only one modification. Instead of having a cord permanently attached to the kettle, I installed a power inlet in the junction box so that I can move the kettle around without worrying about a dangling cord. For the mash tun, I’ll only use this when I’m doing a HG or 10 gal batch, and so I’m sticking with my orange cooler/domed false bottom for now.Control Panel:
Here, I went full nerd, cheered on by my neighbor and our resident brew club tech geek Colter. Instead of wiring knobs, switches, and LEDs, I decided to go with a computerized system that is controlled by a web-based dashboard. I’m using Brewblox, which is the new software from the people who brough you BrewPi. I bought their “Spark3” controller, which was reasonably priced (about $150) and shipped pretty quickly (from The Netherlands). The controller is pre-wired to handle up to 5 SSRs and 5 DS18B20 temperature probes (with RJ11 ports). It also has a little display that can show you temperatures, PID output, and various other parameters that are accessible in the software. As a bonus, Brewblox also controls fermentation. I am setting it up to handle the heating element, a single pump, and the heating/cooling for my fermentation fridge. That leaves one space for another SSR if I decide I must add another pump or kettle/HLT. The Spark3 is powered by a Raspberry Pi, which is the actual central nervous system of the build. This is what runs the software, and it communicates with the Spark, which controls the SSRs, display, and sensors. All of this fits into an enclosure which will be housed in my garage. I’ve installed the Spark so that the display is visible through the front similar to how you would for a traditional PID. Ideally, I’ll have fridge/beer temps on display, and if they ever support it, gravity from my Tilt Hydrometer (currently not able to be displayed in this way). The final product will be a kettle/pump that I can control from a computer/phone/tablet so I can wake up in the morning and say “Hey Siri, fire up the kettle”. Why is this necessary????? I don’t know, it’s just cool, and supports my argument for building this as opposed to just buying a sweet pre-fabbed control panel.Brew Cart/Stand:
I brew outdoors on my patio right behind my garage, but I like to store my equipment in the garage when not in use. I don’t need the control panel to be in arms reach during my brewing process, since all of the controls are accessible from a computer. As long as I can connect all of the necessary cables (kettle, pump, temps sensors), I can brew anywhere these cords will reach. I was struck with a sudden idea for where to source the frame for a rolling brew cart. A few years ago, I picked up and restored an old Weber Genesis grill. You know–the square-ish kind that have been around for decades. These are pretty easy to find on Craigslist for free or cheap. I managed to pick one up off the curb and I stripped all of the grill parts off of it leaving only the frame and wheels. I’ll be building a new tabletop for it and adding some functionality for mounting things like my pump, my CF chiller, and some hooks for hanging my tubing. The image I’ve included is a prototype, but you get the idea. For the first iteration of this brewery, I’ll be running cables through the window of my garage out to the brew system. Eventually, once I have the “mise en place”, I may add some outdoor junction boxes which house outlets for kettle, pump, and sensors that run through the wall into the panel enclosure. This is a project for later. One thing at a time!A few tips I’ve picked up:
1. TheElectricBrewery.com has really good resources, especially for kettle/heating element builds. I chose to stick with their design as close as possible, and I’m glad I did. They did the troubleshooting for me.2. Get the right tools…specifically tool. The 1-1/4″ knockout punch is the only thing that makes the right size hole for the standard heating element like the one I used. It retails for $75 which is ridiculous. I found one used for $41, which I guess is better, but still…seems like too much for a glorified hole punch. But alas, I’m glad I got it because it made a perfect hole in the side of my brand new, shiny, $240+ kettle. No fuss, no messy cut, no deformation of the kettle wall. If you need to borrow mine, you’re welcome to.
3. Get an engineer. I am useless when it comes to circuitry. Fortunately for me, I have a good friend who builds food processing equipment for a living, and this is small potatoes for him. I just owe him a lifetime of beer.
4. Old Weber grills make excellent frames for rolling patio carts.
5. Don’t use glass carboys.
I’ll add some more photos once I get it all setup and running. My goal is to have it semi-dialed in by the time my hops are ready for harvest, which I’m estimating about 5-6 weeks from now. I’m hoping to get some people over in my backyard at that point to
help me pick hopsshowoff the new gear!Kettle pics:
Attachments:
panel pics
Cart pics
Man that looks nice. I am limted in space so I use a converted keg for BIAB brewing. I also have a 5500 watt 220 electric heater but I had the keg welded to have 1.5 in Tri-Clamp ferals for:
1. Heater
2. Drain
3. Whirlpool wort returnMy Chugger pump moves the work around.
Ball valves are used to control flow on the drain and whirlpool.I really like moving away from weldless fittings for two reason:
1. Lack of ability to fully clean kettle
2. The whole kettle can be disassembled for cleaning after each brew day.Control: I use Brew Boss controller to manage pump and heat
The Brew Boss Controller is wifi enabled. I have a android tablet that has the Brew Boss software. I could configure a whole brew day via the software but I find it easier to just run the process manually.Fermentation: Spike CF5 with Heater jacket and cooling coil.
Cooling in the fermenter is provided via a DIY glycol chiller.Jay
Wow…very cool Aaron. I love that Ss Kettle! Tend to love their stuff anyway. While I know Colter has plenty of his own gadgetry set-up and currently engaged in making bier, I’m also sure his mouth is agape in wordless pleasure (possibly with a slowly descending sting saliva as well?) as he lives vicariously through you. Not unlike Frankenstein’s assistant. Can’t wait to sample all the wonderful brews you are producing with your incredible system!
Thanks Jim–hopefully there’ll be some good content for the HomebrewingDIY podcast from this.
And Jay, I did spend a bit too much time fiddling with the weldless fittings to get them to stop dripping. I have a lot of cheap SS fittings that I’ve sourced from various places and have collected over the years. Not surprisingly, the parts that shipped from SS Brewtech with the kettle were perfect out of the box and didn’t even need thread tape. The other fittings that are either well-used or bargain bin (or maybe both) were very annoying. With enough thread tape, I’ve gotten them watertight, but it’s possible that welded bulkheads could be in my future. And yes, I prefer a mainly manual operation as well. I can pre-program the various steps in the recipe, but I don’t trust a computer to run it without me telling it to.
I had a bit of a challenge finding a welder that would take on small projects.
Stainless welding requires HeliArc welding. I used Noco Welding.
It was a bit of a drive but well worth it.
The business is a Father and Son Welding business.
The Keg welding was so good I went back for Trailer Welding and a Frame repair on a project car I have.Jay
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