# RedBeard's Brew Rig v2.0 build



## cat007 (29/7/13)

Hey all

So here's a little build thread of my brew rig 2.0.

Currently using a 2 tier 3 vessel system:





New system incorperates a BrewTroller, automatic ball valves, HERMS, and lots of lights lol

Main parts are:

19meter 1/2" copper HERMS coil.
2 x 3500watt elements in the HLT, which is where the HERMS coil resides.
70L HLT, 100L MLT and 70L boil kettle.
2 x magnetic pumps
Big 500x300x250mm enclosure
Open Source Control Systems BrewTroller DX1
Lots of relays.
Air pump for bubbler volume measuring system for HLT and MLT
Boil kettle is heated by a 32 jet mongolian burner - but I'll probably plug some of the holes as it's a bit too powerful.

Pics of the build so far:

HERMS coil:





Started making a false bottom for MLT out of the end of a stainless sink bench and by cutting slots:





Enclosure front panel cut out:





Almost everything install on front panel:





Back of front panel: 





Inside the enclosure - I've since moved the SSR's to the top of the inside of the enclosure as the circuit breakers were blocking air flow too much:





Frame built:








Plumbing mock up without motorised ball valves - in mash mode:





More to come.....


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## Truman42 (29/7/13)

Wow..that my man is freakin awesome. How well do you find the bubbler system works? I considered it but thought it wasnt worth the trouble.


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## cat007 (29/7/13)

Truman said:


> Wow..that my man is freakin awesome. How well do you find the bubbler system works? I considered it but thought it wasnt worth the trouble.



I haven't tested it yet. Only just got some polycarbonate tube in the weekend for the bubbler dip tube, and also to make a sight glass out of.

I hope to have a wet test next weekend but I'm still waiting on my 3 way switches to arrive (the current lower 8 in the enclosure (4 for ball valves, 2 for the elements and 2 for pumps) are just 2 way switches (on/off) at the moment).

The bubbler can be VERY accurate I'm told - down to a few hundred mls apparently!


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## boostin (29/7/13)

That is awesome. You are my hero.


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## Edak (29/7/13)

drool!

i love all of the buttons. Nice and clean build mate


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## redbeard (30/7/13)

Looks great - when can I pick it up ?


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## cat007 (30/7/13)

redbeard said:


> Looks great - when can I pick it up ?


hahaha


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## boostin (2/8/13)

Have you got the inlet and outlet of the HERMS coil around the wrong way?


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## woodwormm (2/8/13)

Hey Hunt,

seriously impressive brewery. 

is that a 7 slightly covered up - you a rotor head too?


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## Cocko (2/8/13)

:icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2:


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## Camo6 (2/8/13)

printed forms section said:


> Hey Hunt,
> 
> seriously impressive brewery.
> 
> *is that a 7 slightly covered up - you a rotor head too? *


Ha! That's the first thing I picked up on too. No mistaking that green. Nothing beats a quick Wankel. I'd love to own a 7 but mine looks more like a 4.  

Build looks bewt too. How are you planning on finishing the stand?


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## woodwormm (3/8/13)

Camo6 said:


> Ha! That's the first thing I picked up on too. No mistaking that green. Nothing beats a quick Wankel. I'd love to own a 7 but mine looks more like a 4.
> 
> Build looks bewt too. How are you planning on finishing the stand?


sadly both my 7's are long gone into other wankel lovers hands... but the inherrent love and memories of 'rotor-smell' remain. why go up and down when you can go round and round.


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## cat007 (3/8/13)

boostin said:


> Have you got the inlet and outlet of the HERMS coil around the wrong way?


Good spotting chief!


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## cat007 (3/8/13)

hahah no sorry folks - not a 7. It's a GA70 Supra - my other project - although 10 years later and I still find things to change/modify:


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## cat007 (3/8/13)

Camo6 said:


> Ha! That's the first thing I picked up on too. No mistaking that green. Nothing beats a quick Wankel. I'd love to own a 7 but mine looks more like a 4.
> 
> Build looks bewt too. How are you planning on finishing the stand?


Either POR15 the whole thing, then top coat in just some black heat proof paint. Or maybe just regular heat proof primer/paint.

Not looking forward to sanding it back though....probably just get a bunch of sanding disks on my favourite tool.....the angle grinder! haha


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## cat007 (19/8/13)

Brewed my first batch on it yesterday:


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## mash head (19/8/13)

Looks awesome.
Is there a specific thread some where that goes through the electronics side of things? There seems to be so much gizmos and gadgetry round now I cant keep up. Basicaly I love the idea of electronic controls but lack the know how and most of that is probably know whats available and how to use it.


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## cat007 (19/8/13)

Thanks

I got most of my ideas from these guys: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/

I'm using the OpenTroller DX1 with the BrewTroller firmware to control everything - found here: https://www.oscsys.com/store/product/1002116

There's a Forum on the open source control systems website - or there's an IRC channel: #brewtroller on freenode.net

I could go into great details of my rig, but I'd probably bore you to death haha


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## cat007 (23/8/13)

Mounted the enclosure on the side of the rig and made it removable (box tube attached to the enclosure slides inside the box tube of the brew rig frame) for some reason. Not sure why I make it removable haha.





Managed a mash efficiency of 86.9% and a brewhouse efficiency of 84.1% the other day. Pretty happy with that.

Next I need to work out what else I want to mount to the frame, or what other mounting points I need to weld to the frame - and then I can paint it!


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## cat007 (17/9/13)

Finished painting the rig with heat resistant BBQ paint. Hopefully it can handle the heat around the burner section....


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## andytork (17/9/13)

Truman said:


> Wow..that my man is freakin awesome. How well do you find the bubbler system works? I considered it but thought it wasnt worth the trouble.


My bubbler is super accurate, its more down to how round your pots are and how accurate your radius/diameter measurements are.

If you are using MPX5010DP sensors and need a hand, give me a shout. I spent many hours on these.

Here is my workings, don't bother with psi, keep in kpa (as that translates to mm easily) - my pot has a 237 mm radius as seen below. I also use an averaging system to cater for splashing. 

formula was
Vout = VS x (0.09 x P + 0.04) ± (Pressure Error x Temp. Factor x 0.09 x VS)
ignoring errors becomes O = 0.2 + 0.45P 
or they way we want it p = (O -0.2) / 0.45


Output of below is litres (with decimals) 

```
val = cMPX5010.GetSensorByName("H")->m_iAvgVal;
	//Serial.print(val,4);
	val = ((5.0/1024.0) * val);		// range is 5v, we have 1024 steps giving 5v
	val = (val -0.2) / 0.45;
	val *= 100;
	val *= (3.1415927 * (237.0*237.0)) /1000000.00;
	cProgram.hlt().SetVolume(val);
```


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## cat007 (17/9/13)

Hey

Thanks for that.

I have confirmed with the supplier that my DX1 is actually faulty.
Put a constant 3.3V power source onto the analogue input pin and the reading fluctuates around a heck of a lot. Which is why my readings with the bubbler in place jump all over the show.

I'm going to send it back to them for testing and repairs - but will have to wait until I've done all my beers for my wedding in November.


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## andytork (17/9/13)

Just drop a multimeter on the output pin of the temp sensor (and gnd of course) while you play. You can still leave it hooked to the controller

I use a Arduino mega (self / custom programmed). All mine run at 5v (as can be seen in the code). 

Are they non-return valves in before the t-piece for the bubbler ? If not, you need them. Your aquarium pump is almost identical to mine. I just used the el-cheapo non return valves from the fish tank places. The other issue I had was the diameter of the diptubes. I had some thin stainless didn't work, changed for a keg dip tube and it fixed the problems, then went to a diameter in between and its still good.

I just checked the DX1 page, it shows flow control valves not non-return / check valves I had one with a non-return and one without and can confirm you need them

My bubbler rate is every three seconds I bubble at full flow (on pump low setting) for 500ms then take a reading 1 second later. This is essential from my testing to get a stable result

What are your temp sensors ?


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## cat007 (17/9/13)

My post are round - but I've been calibrating it by adding 6L at a time from a known 6L source. But the problem is not my configuration but there's something wrong with my DX1's analogue input circuit.

I'm using DS18B20 temp sensors, daisy chained. They're working perfectly now after adding a 4.7K resistor across the signal and 5V pins on the last sensor has stopped the issue where some of my sensors would read 127C and wouldn't read normally again until I unplugged and plugged it back in again.

The dip tube size is fine - the 3mm I/D has been tested as per this:

https://www.oscsys.com/forums/projects/brewtroller/1002101

Finished insides of the control box - although I've yet to earth the box....oops:


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## andytork (17/9/13)

Sorry, I meant what's your pressure sensors ?


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## cat007 (18/9/13)

I'm using MPX5010DP


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## andytork (19/9/13)

The pressure sensors are 5V, is the controller really 3.3v ?


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## cat007 (19/9/13)

No - the controller is 12V.

A computer PSU has 12V, 5V and 3.3V.

I used the 12V bus to power the controller and the 3.3V bus to feed into one of the analogue inputs to give it a constant voltage.


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## andytork (19/9/13)

I would feed one of the external 5v's or a gnd from the controller back to the a/d input to check min / max. Did you power the temp sensor from the controller or the PC PSU ? You should take power from the controller and use it as a reference into the input to test

The controller will have its own voltage regulators etc to run at 12v , this level of isolation can cause issues with the a/d ref of the controller


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## cat007 (19/9/13)

Hi

By temp sensor, do you mean pressure sensor?

Anyway - putting a steady 3.3V on the analogue inputs should result in a steady reading on the controller. But it doesn't.

I've been talking with one of the designers/builders of the DX1 and they were the ones who gave me the various test scenarios to confirm the fault.


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