Another 1v recirc build

[husky]

With a 1 vessel set up, is there an advantage other than less mess of a malt pipe (eg. Big W pot) over a bag or basket for containing the grain? Is there a real need to sparge with a 1V recirculating rig?

The inner basket if removed without disturbing the grain bed after recirculation will leave a clearer wort, this is nice but I don't know it makes much difference to the brew. I prefer to no sparge so at the end of recirc you carefully remove the pot and grain, sit it in a bucket and collect the run off for yeast starters. Gives you the best chance of a clear wort and also good for growing yeasties. Just add a bit more grain in the mash of you need the extra points a sparge will give you.

 

[CoopsOz]

Went to the LHBS today with the intention of getting some yeast but my addiction got the better of me. I walked out with a new malt pipe that should alleviate any grain limits I may have had with the big w pot. It's too big for my current boiler so it will probably go on the shelf with all my other brew gear until I find a different outer pot.

 

[Matplat]

That looks like it would be good for doing double batches....

Managed to get my kettle welded yesterday so now it looks a bit like this:

 

[Matplat]

Assembly takes a shit load longer when your hole saw arbor breaks, and then your file breaks too. Mainly need to terminate the heater and finish the stc-1000 assembly, then insulate, clean then brew!

 

[CoopsOz]

Looks great Matplat. How much was the element and where did you get it from? I'm thinking I may need to upgrade mine.

 

[Matplat]

Its the 2400w element from stove connection in sydney. $36 delivered. I had to open up my 1" bsp parallel socket using a tapered tap to get it to fit though

 

[Matplat]

Finished assembly today and did a 'dry' run with 20l of water. Managed to heat the water from 20-50deg in about 20mins before fatherly responsibilities pulled me away. i wasnt timing super accurately as in, i looked at the clock now and then... but seemed pretty quick so im pleased! The cheap ebay silicon hose that i bought is absolute shit. It kinks and collapses all the time but it will have to do for now... it works if you squint and hold your left bollock. No leaks and i didn't trip the circuit breakers so I'm pretty happy ☺ wheat beer coming up tomorrow night

 

[Matplat]

So I completed the first brew last night with great success! However I did learn a few things, principally that cheap ebay pumps are just that, and you shouldn't expect too much. It was fine at mash temps but once I hit the boil it complained and I had to turn it off.

I was pleased with ramp times however during the mash, the temp fluctuated a little more than I would have liked, hopefully insulating the vessel will improve this. It was overshooting by about 0.5-0.6 each time the element turned on.

2400W seems to be plenty of power for this size of vessel, I'm glad I didn't get carried away and go for 3600W. The attached photo shows the boil and this is without insulation.

Cleaning now takes a bit longer than before, but I was all washed up with a cube of wort after 4 hours, and that included bottling my previous batch at the same time.

I thought I had dealt with trub before when completing extract boils, apparently I was mistaken..... need to get a better pump so I can whirlpool properly to separate...

With the slots in my malt pipe, as shown above, I achieved a flow of approx 3-4L/min through the grain bed

 

[Fylp]

I have almost the same set up and quit the pump after mashing. Also, the silicone hoses will kink when hot. I put a few stainless elbows in to stop it.

 

[flocculated]

Hey Matplat, thanks for sharing your experience. I'm thinking of doing something similar. Is the pot you used one of the eBay 56L pots, something like this?

If so, how do you (or others) rate it? Would it be worth spending a little more if you could?

 

[Matplat]

Yep that is the exact one. Basically you get what you pay for, it is made from either 0.5 or 0.7mm stainless and none of the welds are finished, however they are extremely neat fusion welds.

I'm not dissappointed with it, for my level of brewing it is fine. It is a bit flimsy and if money weren't a concern I probably would spend more, but in terms of functionality vs cost it's a winner.

 

[flocculated]

Good to know. I could probably splash out and get one of the ~$160 ones, like this or this, but if I can save a hundred bucks for something else, that would be my preference. Worse would be if I get the cheap one and have to replace it in 12 months.

 

[Matplat]

Yeah I can't speak for the longevity of it as I have only done one brew, but I can't see any reason as to why it would fail... I would save some cash to spend elsewhere.

 

[Fylp]

I have the same one and it has been going for a year. When I first added my ball valve it seemed a bit flimsy so I whacked in an extra washer each side to stabilise it. I reckon I'll get a fair few years out of it. But I wouldn't trust the handles with it full.

 

[dannymars]

Does anyone use a heat exchanger with their 1V setup? rather that an element actually in the pot?

 

[crowmanz]

How would you get a rolling boil with just a heat exchanger and no element in the pot?

I've seen someone post a 1V+herms design, don't remember seeing the final thing though.

 

[Matplat]

If you use a steam generator to pump super-heated steam through an exchanger you will get a rolling boil....

I think it would defeat the purpose of a 1v system though, i.e. small, simple and cheap.

 

[Matplat]

Just calculated efficiency after taking my OG reading last night, and got approx 75-80%.... stoked!

 

[Matplat]

However rust has taken residence around my welds and at the cut faces of all my slots. And that is even using fresh cutting disks... gonna pickle that shit this weekend...

 

[booargy]

Does anyone use a heat exchanger with their 1V setup? rather that an element actually in the pot?

I am building a system like this using a RIMS setup. In a week or two I will know how it works. Have also thought of a tube and shell heat exchanger with oil instead of steam but I can't find the right pump for the right price. My system is a 100l 2v with 2 3kw elements if it is not enough power I have a 3rd element. But from tests I get a good boil off rate. Main problem is keeping the elements clear of break.