# My All Grain Brew Rig/System



## macca05 (30/8/13)

Hey all,
WIsh I had of found this forum a long time ago. I have been mainly using an american one but will change for sure now. I live in Perth and have been brewing for about 18 months now. Started off with just can brewing and then moved onto a kind of BIAB method that TWOC offers here. Really loved doing the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Now its time to make my own creations.

Its a working progress but here are some pics to show.

Here's a list of what I have so far
32L MLT - wrapped in camping mat
32L HLT - 2500w heating element
58L Boil Kettle
15m Immersion chiller. I made this from an 18m roll I bought from bunnings. A lot cheaper than buying a chiller. kept 3m to make other stuff.
Chugger SS pump
4 Ring Burner
My control box is only an stc 1000 atm just to control the element. Im waiting on an Auberins PID Controller to arrive in the post.
Im planning on using the chiller to recirculate the Mash water (wort) which will sit in the HLT. The t piece in the picture on the chiller will house a PT probe on the outlet so thats where I will read the Mash temp from. Just need to buy the hex bushing reducer today but still dont have the probe yet. In mail too.
The burner is resting on tiles atm but will hopefully get out today and see if bunnings sell firebricks or something.
Pictures are not that good. Taken with phone. 
Am going to make a new sparge arm over the wknd. Made one already but it is top heavy when the hoses are connected so my plan is to make mount it through the lid so the lid can be on the MLT when mashing.







Mounted a new shelve to house the pump. Had trouble getting the pump to prime as I had the pump sideways and
the in at top. turned the pump to sit upright (good for adding oil) and turned the head to up at the bottom.
Works so much better. The box is not staying here tho. Just got it here while im setting it all up.















Any info would be greatly appreciated. I would like to get my first brew on this wknd but I dont think thats going to happen. Sow and steady 
Cheers
Macca


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## Online Brewing Supplies (30/8/13)

If you in the Bassendean area drop in and say hello.
Dont like welding ?
Nev


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## markjd (30/8/13)

macca05 said:


> Hey all,
> WIsh I had of found this forum a long time ago. I have been mainly using an american one but will change for sure now.


This is an American owned forum, but filled with mostly Aussies 

You rig looks impressive. Many years ago I built a 3V wooden stand screwed together and at least a tube of liquid nails, looked no way near as good as your setup


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## JDW81 (30/8/13)

Looks good mate. My only concern is the burner on a wooden stand, could spell trouble.


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## macca05 (30/8/13)

Hmmm, dont think i go to bassendean much but will keep it in mind 
Im more of a wood man actually. But always trying to learn new things. All my bulkheads are weldless which I really think are a PITA but when my mate comes around one day he will ss weld them for me.


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## macca05 (30/8/13)

markjd said:


> This is an American owned forum, but filled with mostly Aussies
> 
> You rig looks impressive. Many years ago I built a 3V wooden stand screwed together and at least a tube of liquid nails, looked no way near as good as your setup


Thanks 
Oh ok but at least on here most people are talking about equipment that can be bought from here. I hate finding something that I really want and then they wont ship it here or it is like 70-100 bucks to get it here.

Thanks. IT is holding up very well. Have had the HLT and MLT full and not problems at all. I figure all three will not be full at the same time. (correct me if im wrong)


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## macca05 (30/8/13)

JDW81 said:


> Looks good mate. My only concern is the burner on a wooden stand, could spell trouble.


Yes have already thought of that. I will be using firebricks below the burner and will also use a heat shield on the two risers going up to the HLT. Should sort that out easy.


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## hsb (30/8/13)

Looks like a well honed setup you've got there. Interesting idea with using your chiller as a HERMS coil in the HLT. With the PID/probe setup, sounds like a winner.

I too have a wooden stand but don't think it's such a bad idea as I chopped (literally!) and changed it many times as I nailed in (literally!) how I ultimately wanted it.
Not welding was much more of a PITA with all things stainless.


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## hsb (30/8/13)

My Italian Spiral burner sits on a wooden brew stand, I just have some terracotta tiles underneath, bricks around as a windshield, doesn't even get warm.


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## macca05 (30/8/13)

hsb said:


> My Italian Spiral burner sits on a wooden brew stand, I just have some terracotta tiles underneath, bricks around as a windshield, doesn't even get warm.


I tested the burner and although it gets warm i dont think it will be a problem either but to be on the safe side will look at the bricks etc.



hsb said:


> Looks like a well honed setup you've got there. Interesting idea with using your chiller as a HERMS coil in the HLT. With the PID/probe setup, sounds like a winner.
> 
> I too have a wooden stand but don't think it's such a bad idea as I chopped (literally!) and changed it many times as I nailed in (literally!) how I ultimately wanted it.
> Not welding was much more of a PITA with all things stainless.


Yeh I have already made changes too. Added an extra shelf that is not yet lacquered either. I work quite easy with wood, but im no good at welding. Have a welder but dont use it much.

Using the chiller as a herms coil was really just to safe money. I dont want to add another into the equation. I want to spend money on grains now. Think Ive spent enough on the equipment.


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## macca05 (30/8/13)

Hello again,
Couple more pictures of the build so far. Today I bit the bullet and bought a MAP torch and soldered my own sparge arm. FIrst time soldering copper. The first time weld was shocking and so I have to watch a video on youtube to seewhat I did wrong. Went back out to the shed and then welded up this. Pretty happy with it. Checked all the joins and no leaks. Would like to make it so its a little closer to the lid but will fix that as I go.





This is the top of the lid with the disconnect so I can just have the lid closed while mashing






More to come


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## Judanero (30/8/13)

Looking good mate! :kooi:


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## Natdene (31/8/13)

The timber looks great!. Mines is made out of timber as well, just built a heat shield and all is sweet


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## Spoonta (31/8/13)

Looks good mate im in thornlie if you are ever over this way


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## macca05 (31/8/13)

Natdene said:


> The timber looks great!. Mines is made out of timber as well, just built a heat shield and all is sweet



Going to try and get some stuff done today but dont like my chances. Freo dockers are playing and that is priority 
What did u build your heat shield with.



Spoonta said:


> Looks good mate im in thornlie if you are ever over this way


Shweet man thornlie is not far from me. I used to work in that area a lot


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## Spoonta (5/9/13)

Mate if you can get your hands on some fibro cement that stuff makes a good heat sheild


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## macca05 (6/9/13)

Shweet man ill see if i can get some. I have no pump until monday by the looks of it so i can play around over the wknd. Few adjustments


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## Yob (6/9/13)

It took months before my 3v settled into place, rebuilt various bits, don't forget to make a volume measuring device for the kettle..


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## Natdene (6/9/13)

My heat shield is just ply walls lined with flat zincalume sheet


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## macca05 (6/9/13)

Yob said:


> It took months before my 3v settled into place, rebuilt various bits, don't forget to make a volume measuring device for the kettle..


Hey Yob,
For my kettle I just used a trusting piece of dowling and I have this digital counter on my tap that measures the amount passing through it. So I put 5L in, then marked the dowling. And kept doing it to 50L.
I should have my pump back today as its in transit (auspost). Came from Melbourne only yesterday. Been working on a SNPA with ingredients I can get from here so looks like I will be brewing this wknd.

Natdene, I was looking at lining mine with a sheet metal too, but at the moment I have some tiles on it and they are working fine. Will change it soon though as I have heard tiles can explode when they get too hot and I dont want that to happen.


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## Black Devil Dog (6/9/13)

Looks good macca, all you need for the heat shield would be something like a piece of fibro, eg blueboard, or even better a piece of 10mm compressed fibro. You might be able to pick up an off cut out of a skip bin on a building site.


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## macca05 (1/10/13)

Black Devil Dog said:


> Looks good macca, all you need for the heat shield would be something like a piece of fibro, eg blueboard, or even better a piece of 10mm compressed fibro. You might be able to pick up an off cut out of a skip bin on a building site.


Ill look into that. Thanks for the suggestion


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## macca05 (1/10/13)

Thought I would make an update on how my system is going. I have only had one brew day so far. Mainly due to one part not working and then the replacement not working either. But all is sorted and I have been busy with work, uni and the footy.
Since I wanted to do it all right the first time, I have been researching a lot more now and want my brew controller to control two pids. One for the HLT and one for a HERMS that I build with the help of Nev from Gryphonbrewing
Most of it is all setup now, but I am still waiting on parts to arrive for the brew controller.












The wiring is a little too complex for me so as soon as I have all the parts Ill drop it off at a friends house and he will do the wiring fro me. 
I have actually ordered different switches too, so will remove the jaycar ones when I get them. Just waiting on the ramping pid to arrive, all the switches
and the alarms and the ssrs. I have two circuits in my house so I will be setting it up so it has to power ins.

Cheers
Macca

PS - can someone please tell me how to make the pictures shrink so then when you click on them they enlarge. Thanks


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## MaltyHops (1/10/13)

macca05 said:


> PS - can someone please tell me how to make the pictures shrink so then when you click on them they enlarge. Thanks


Well, one way is to make use of the site members' Galleries which has thumbnail images that point to the main image - you'll have to upload you images into your own gallery first. For example, from _my Gallery_ (and using FireFox) do the following steps:

1. Move mouse over a particular thumbnail, right click and select "Copy Image Location"

2. In a new post edit, select the "Image" command and paste the image location into the subsequent dialog URL field, and "OK"

3. Go back to the Gallery, mouse over the same thumbnail again, right click and this time select "Copy Link Location"

4. Back in the new post edit, select the image that you've added in step 2., select the "Link" post edit command and paste the link location and that should so it for one picture. ....... [ put some space characters before the image if you have trouble selecting the image ]



 [<--- ed. added example pix]


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## macca05 (1/10/13)

Cool thanks. Will give that a go next time. In the mean time Ill start uploading pics to my gallery.


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## Spoonta (18/10/13)

What sensers are you running


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## macca05 (18/10/13)

Spoonta said:


> What sensers are you running


I am using these two from auberins
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_15&products_id=96
The above is for my herms
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_15&products_id=107
This one is for my HLT

If I was choosing again I would of got this for my HLT or for any that need to be mounted in a pot/kettle
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_15&products_id=84
It weldless so you dont need to add anything else. I just bought from the brew shop today a half inch weldess kit and then had to buy a hex reducer from 1/2 t o1/4 to mount the probe in. Just means I have to drill a bigger hole in pot

Will add new photos in the next couple of days. My controller is all up and running. Just need to buy a couple of those clips to mount to switches. Connector things. Masters sell them so ill stop in tmrw after work.

Macca


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## macca05 (19/10/13)

Ok,
Finally have my brew controller up and running. Hopefully get all the testing done in the next week or so.

Here is some pictures

BIG thanks to Qldkev for talking me through some problems I was having 



 

 

 



Image 1 - The control box before I had the alarms installed
Image 2 - All the wiring
Image 3 - The box powered up with an alarm going
Image 4 - My HERMS (Thanks to Nev), The controller and my fridge

Dont know why the pics show up as upside down but they show correct when you click on them

Just wanna say thanks to all on AHB. Been great reading over everything here and learning heaps

Macca


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## macca05 (24/10/13)

I seem to be doing more building then actually making any brews. But it keeps me busy as study and work takes up most if not all of my time. I get and build something when I can't look at the computer any longer.

Here's my latest addition to the brew house.



 

 



Still a bit more work to clean and them up. GOt to buy smaller bolts to mount it and also new bolts for the adjustment bolts. And drill holes for the adjustment bolts.

Mounting it all onto a kitchen cabinet with a mounted drill. Wouldnt mind getting a a dryer motor assembly if I can find one. I did see a dryer in an industrial area a couple of days ago. Might see if its there and pick it up. Hopefully if its there I dont get seen and it looks like im dumping it  Haha

Macca


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