30A Electric Brewery

[Crusty]

After starting my AG adventure back in 2008, I have finally settled on my final brewery.
I started out with a simple Igloo cooler, went to Rims, followed by BIAB & then onto the Braumeister.
All of which are good in their own right but as I now spend a bit of time brewing other beverages, the need has arisen for a larger final volume that requires a much higher FG that couldn't be achieved with my systems of the past.
I'm going back to 3V, fully electric which will enable me to brew up to 20G capacity. I'm looking at 3 x 100L vessels, a couple of march pumps & associated fittings that go with it. The most costly part of the build is the 30A control panel. Everything purchased from the USA & it will be a work in progress as it's bloody expensive just getting the control panel operational. 2 x 5500W elements control the HLT & Boil kettle. 3 x PID controllers will monitor temps etc & a timer for manual input & alarms. I chose not to go with the ramp, soak PID's as this system is more manual & more hands on. Set your temp, set your time & an alarm will sound when it's there. A ramp to the next temp is simply a manual adjustment using the up arrow followed by a reset of the timer & away you go again. All PID's can have alarms set if you wish for high & low temps as well as an alarm for hop additions on the timer. My 50L Braumeister will be up for sale when I get the build closer to operational. Here's the pre-cut 30A control panel from the Electric Brewery. I have the stainless handles, heat sink, power receptacles included. It's on it's way & I've just got to install everything in the pre cut holes when it gets here.

 

[Zorco]

Much envy over here mate!!! I bet that new kit smell matches nicely with an ale.

Look forward to the progress photos

 

[TidalPete]

Congrats on your choice of upgrade,
I reckon you are doing this for all the right reasons, Namely for the love of brewing & not just for the sake of churning out beer after beer with a minimum effort involved as so many on this forum do.
Your plan is pretty much what I do right now but on a larger scale (and more digital than mine). I use gas for the boil but am otherwise all-electric using a 20 amp + a 10 amp power point.

May I suggest a complete trawl of http://www.marchpump.com/
I use an 815 that has a much better flow rate than the 809.
I'm too lazy to search on your behalf ATM :drinks: , but perhaps there's something better on that website that suits your (pumping) purposes?

All the best with your upgrade Crusty. :icon_cheers:

 

[Maheel]

out of interest is pulling 30a in a "normal house" easy ?

do you need to get anything special out to the pole in the street etc?

i have a 15amp set up (using i think 25amp screw in plugs) and was just wondering about drawing 30A down the mains from the street etc .

 

[TidalPete]

I had to get a separate 20 amp fuse & dedicated line installed Maheel so i would imagine the same thing happening for a 30 amp.

Edit --- You would probably get away with it IMHO BTBH but not really my area of expertise so perhaps others can offer you more help than i could?

 

[Doubleplugga]

Nice one Crusty. I built an exact copy of the electric brewery a few years ago now, still going strong and i have never had an issue with it. There are a few posts i put up here somewhere on the build. Any questions with your build feel free to ask mate and i may be able to help out.

 

[Mr B]

Why dont you chuck a ramp/soak pid in there?

They are awesome for the mash, like really really awesome, and if you dont want to use it just use that one for the HLT. cause it will do the same thing as a normal one for that purpose.

I'm a hands on person and get where you're coming from, but I reckon you would convert.

 

[Moad]

Look at the march 815-c or the march nano depending on your coil (assuming herms).

You should definitely look at the bcs controller for your brewery although looks like you've gone down the electric brewery path.

Good luck with the build!

 

[Moad]

out of interest is pulling 30a in a "normal house" easy ?

do you need to get anything special out to the pole in the street etc?

i have a 15amp set up (using i think 25amp screw in plugs) and was just wondering about drawing 30A down the mains from the street etc .

You need a breaker big enough and suitable gauge cable

 

[Crusty]

Thanks guys.
The new system is far less set & forget than the Braumeister & a maximum of 13kg in the malt pipe doesn't allow me to reach a final volume of 40L @1.070-1.080 which is where I need to be for my single malt whiskey alternate form of beer brewing. Pumping will also allow me to add O2 on the way to the fermenter which is something I've been wanting to upgrade for some time. I'll bookmark that march pump site, thanks Pete. I'm basically following the guidance of the Electric Brewery website & my order was done via PM over on their website & forwarded onto Mike from Spike Innovations, the manufacturer, to make sure that I was ordering the correct components for the 240V version of their control panel kit. There are some things on the control panel that aren't necessarily needed like the Volt & Amp meter but why not? It comes standard with their 110V version so I did the same. The only change to that was to order 2 x 5V DC power supplies so those two meters can run using 240V. I still have to order some male plugs to fit the female receptacles installed on the control panel. The wiring is pretty heavy gauge from boil elements, to pumps & to power so they use a twist & lock receptacle to avoid accidental disconnection from the panel. XLR receptacles are installed on the bottom for the 3 x PID controllers which makes easy for connection & disconnection if need be. The temperature probe wires are also upgraded with a heavier cable to beef up the standard cable for the same reasons.
It's a simple installation here. Dedicated 32A circuit pretty much directly behind my meter box.

 

[jlm]

out of interest is pulling 30a in a "normal house" easy ?

do you need to get anything special out to the pole in the street etc?

i have a 15amp set up (using i think 25amp screw in plugs) and was just wondering about drawing 30A down the mains from the street etc .

Speaking as a sparky.........32A shouldn't really be a problem in a relatively modern, i.e. <30 years old house (there is a few variables there of course). Speaking as someone who's dragged their 32A setup around a couple of rental houses over the last 5 years and can sort that out that stuff out themselves.......You'd want to make sure you'll be in that spot for a while before you shell out the dollars to do something along those lines.

 

[Crusty]

Why dont you chuck a ramp/soak pid in there?

They are awesome for the mash, like really really awesome, and if you dont want to use it just use that one for the HLT. cause it will do the same thing as a normal one for that purpose.

I'm a hands on person and get where you're coming from, but I reckon you would convert.

I still have a ramp, soak model here but I'll tell you one reason behind why I don't want to use one for this setup.
When you set up your ramp temp & ramp time, you need to work out exactly how long it takes to ramp from one set point to another.
For example, if I want to go from a 90min rest @66deg to 78deg for 10mins & lets say my system ramps @1degC/min, I need to allow at least 12mins for that ramp. If I get a stuck sparge for example, the PID will start my 10min mash out @78deg after 12mins regardless of whether I'm at my set point or not. The PID's that I'm using are from Auber Instruments, Model SYL-2352
All will have RTD - PT100 probes. With those PID's, simply set your desired temp, set your timer for that rest time & away you go. Once at temp, the buzzer alarm will sound & flash telling me I'm at set point. Set timer to required duration & start the timer. After the time has been reached, alarms will sound again & then set new time & up arrow on the PID for the next temp. It's more hands on & something that I miss with the more set & forget PID controllers.

 

[Mr B]

Roger that you are using the SYL-2352

The SYL-2352P ramp/soak model holds off from moving to the next step until the temp for the step has been reached.

So program a 5 min ramp time even if it takes 15 or whatever to get there, and it will start the next step at the correct temp and give it the programmed time.

You have decided etc, so its all good. Just throwing the idea out there, i'm sure you'll be happy, both options are crackers.

 

[Crusty]

Roger that you are using the SYL-2352

The SYL-2352P ramp/soak model holds off from moving to the next step until the temp for the step has been reached.

So program a 5 min ramp time even if it takes 15 or whatever to get there, and it will start the next step at the correct temp and give it the programmed time.

You have decided etc, so its all good. Just throwing the idea out there, i'm sure you'll be happy, both options are crackers.

I must have my wires crossed. So the ramp, soak PID won't ramp to the next temp even though your ramp time has expired? I cant recall that when I used one on my Rims. I'm sure it started the duration countdown after the ramp time had expired regardless of whether you had reached the temperature set point or not.

 

[Mr B]

Correct, think crossed wires.

Its all about the ramp step i.e. you might mash at 64 for 60 mins, then ramp to 78 mashout for 10 mins.

It will do the 60 min mash, then start ramping at the end. No matter how long it takes to reach 78, it wont start timing the 10 mins until it is within tolerance for the step temp.

You can set the 'temp differential' (cant remember what its called) to whatever you want.

Basically, it wont start timing the step until its within the set temp differential. If it goes outside of it during the step it will stop the timer as well.

I think mines set at half adegree or so.

 

[Maheel]

Speaking as a sparky.........32A shouldn't really be a problem in a relatively modern, i.e. <30 years old house (there is a few variables there of course). Speaking as someone who's dragged their 32A setup around a couple of rental houses over the last 5 years and can sort that out that stuff out themselves.......You'd want to make sure you'll be in that spot for a while before you shell out the dollars to do something along those lines.

the BIL is my sparky and he did a new breaker and nice thick run to my brewery (only about 7M of wire) for the 15amp

i was just thinking if i upgraded and was pulling 25A+ into the brewery, plus running fridge, washing, A/C and stove all at same time would a standard fuse box (with correct breakers) and wire to the street be enough ?

not trying to drag you off topic Crusty just thinking it may have been relevant to others

I have also been thinking of going to a 5K element......

 

[Batz]

Hi Crusty, Been a while mate.
Congratulations on your new venture, I hope all works out well for you. Could be over your way soon, be great to catch up for a beer again.
Let me know about the BM, might know a lazy arse brewer looking for one.

Batz

 

[Crusty]

Hi Crusty, Been a while mate.
Congratulations on your new venture, I hope all works out well for you. Could be over your way soon, be great to catch up for a beer again.
Let me know about the BM, might know a lazy arse brewer looking for one.

Batz

Hey Batz.
Give us a call mate if you get down.
I'll let you know about the BM.
cheers

 

[TidalPete]

Let me know about the BM, might know a lazy arse brewer looking for one.

Batz

You make me laugh Batz! :lol:
Pretty sad isn't it.
You know the story!

 

[Crusty]

It's here.
I installed all the components today that came with the control panel which included, the heat sink, the power in receptacle, both pump power receptacles,the herms & boil kettle element receptacles & the 3 x XLR receptacles for the PID temp probes. I've installed the handles, top, bottom & sides. The Volt & Amp meter both came with their own power supplies & a 50A shunt for the Amp meter.
The switches & LED lights I already had so I put them in as well. I'm only half way there & still need to order a bit of gear to fill in the gaps but I'm hoping to have the brewery done & dusted by the end of the year.
The panel itself & the team over at The Electric Brewery are A1. It's flawless & a quality bit of kit & I'm looking forward to the day the Electrician comes over for the wiring job to kick it into gear.