Braumeister NEXTGEN Build

[Dan Pratt]

Thanks for the Golden ale tip guys looks like a winner.

here are a few pic of my finished unit.

View attachment 57671

a bit of artistic pipework

View attachment 57672

element covers using a 50mm ss pipe

View attachment 57673

how it all looks underneath

View attachment 57674

great update with the pictures Edak. keep them coming, video??

what is the flow rate on the pump your using? any reason why you changed it from the green pump>>>

 

[PeteQ]

Thanks for the Golden ale tip guys looks like a winner.

here are a few pic of my finished unit.

That is awesome! I wish I had access to a welder... and someone who could weld. Definitely take some photos when you brew with it, would really like to see it in action!

I brewed again over the weekend and used a 2.5kg grain bill which bent my top filter plate, if i didn't have my biab bag over the main pot a bit of grain would have spewed out. Maybe not so much of an issue but I can't imagine it would be any good for the little brown pump.

Another problem I'm still having is the temps are 2-4 degrees out. Anybody have any problems with their temps?

Uploaded a few more photos with my braumiser in action http://www.flickr.com/photos/88081994@N04/

 

[Edak]

great update with the pictures Edak. keep them coming, video??

what is the flow rate on the pump your using? any reason why you changed it from the green pump>>>

Hey pratty, those were not my photos. My photos are at http://images.cobbersbrewery.com

I still use the green pump.

 

[wotafm]

Another problem I'm still having is the temps are 2-4 degrees out. Anybody have any problems with their temps?

PeteQ Where are you checking you temps compared to you controllers probe?

if you are reading a low temp compared to your controller the probe is very close to your element this could be causing the difference

 

[Edak]

PeteQ Where are you checking you temps compared to you controllers probe?

if you are reading a low temp compared to your controller the probe is very close to your element this could be causing the difference

Surely the place of measurement would not describe a 4 degree offset, especially if there is reasonable flow past the element. That's a huge variation!

 

[PeteQ]

PeteQ Where are you checking you temps compared to you controllers probe?

if you are reading a low temp compared to your controller the probe is very close to your element this could be causing the difference

I'm checking the temps at the top of the malt pipe resting on top of the filter plate with my trusty old http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/product_in...roducts_id=8555

The thermometer is measuring much higher than the brauduino is showing. I could deal with it but I'd prefer it to be spot on, maybe I might try another DS18B20 and see if that measures the same temps.

The flow just from the little brown pump is MUCH more than i expected. definitely enough flow around the probe which is quite close to the inlet.

Thanks for your help

 

[Edak]

Wow, that was unexpected. The temp at the top of the MP is higher than outside? I see why you are concerned.

If you are truely confident in your G&G thermometer, just adjust the DS temperature in software. Call it a calibration.
If the calibration is non-linear, chart it in excel, create a polynomial that best fits and use those factors to adjust the end value.

Follow this technical note that describes the process for a data acquisition system using excel, follow only until you get to step 3.2 I know it relates to thermocouples, but can be used for anything.

 

[dmac80]

Hi PeteQ,

Is your DS18b20 in a thermowell? Are you getting full heat transfer through to the sensor? Has the heat transfer paste run out?

It may be worth checking out, even if the probe is a pre manufactured one if they have heat transfer paste in there it doesn't like hot temps and being mounted upside down.

Cheers

 

[wotafm]

I did have a DS18b20 that read high after I hook it up backwards once. poor thing was never the same so I ended up ditching it

 

[matho]

I have gotten a headcold so I had to stay away from hospital today.

It's great to see so many single vessel breweries being made you guys have done a great job.

As for the DS18b20 temperature difference, it could be any of the things suggested or your trusty thermometer is out. What I have found is that my DS18B20 agrees with my lab thermometer all the way up to 80 deg c then it starts to read low until boil when it reads about 2 degs lower but in the specs it is only rated to be accurate to +-0.5 deg up to 80 deg. Pete you could change the sensor but my gut feeling is the new one would read the same, if you have been brewing with your old thermometer then just factor in the difference at mash temps and let the beer tell you which way you should go, repeatability is more important than the exact temperature in my book anyway.

cheers steve

 

[PeteQ]

I have gotten a headcold so I had to stay away from hospital today.

It's great to see so many single vessel breweries being made you guys have done a great job.

As for the DS18b20 temperature difference, it could be any of the things suggested or your trusty thermometer is out. What I have found is that my DS18B20 agrees with my lab thermometer all the way up to 80 deg c then it starts to read low until boil when it reads about 2 degs lower but in the specs it is only rated to be accurate to +-0.5 deg up to 80 deg. Pete you could change the sensor but my gut feeling is the new one would read the same, if you have been brewing with your old thermometer then just factor in the difference at mash temps and let the beer tell you which way you should go, repeatability is more important than the exact temperature in my book anyway.

cheers steve

Steve,
As a new parent myself I can't imagine what you're going through. I hope your daughter makes a speedy recovery.

If the new DS18B20 reads the same I will trust it and results will decide if is incorrect.

Thanks very much for your help Steve and everyone else.

Cheers

 

[Malted]

Bonj,

which way should the pins go into the Bonjuino, as per A or B? Should they be 2 x 3 (A) or 3 x 2 (B )?


I got in before you flashed them up with the code. I went for one of the 3 options you had posted to be able to connect to a PC. Where should the USB jobby connect to the Bonjuino?

 

[bonj]

Bonj,

which way should the pins go into the Bonjuino, as per A or B? Should they be 2 x 3 (A) or 3 x 2 (B )?
View attachment 57753

I got in before you flashed them up with the code. I went for one of the 3 options you had posted to be able to connect to a PC. Where should the USB jobby connect to the Bonjuino?
View attachment 57754

Hey mate,

As for A and B arrangements, it really doesn't matter as they're not connected to each other. I go for A arrangement because it's less fiddly.
If your intention is to connect to a brauduino, then none of the highlighted pins need to be connected at all.

The USB jobby needs to connect to the 6 right angled pins on the bonjuino, so one of them needs to be changed to female headers.

 

[Malted]

Hey mate,

As for A and B arrangements, it really doesn't matter as they're not connected to each other. I go for A arrangement because it's less fiddly.
If your intention is to connect to a brauduino, then none of the highlighted pins need to be connected at all.

The USB jobby needs to connect to the 6 right angled pins on the bonjuino, so one of them needs to be changed to female headers.

Thanks Bonj,
yes it is my intention to hook it to a Brauduino, that's why I posted in the Braumeister thread. Can you clarrify what "none of the highlighted pins need to be connected at all" means? I take this to mean that they are redundant when used against the Brauduino and thus do not need to be affixed to your board? The fellow I have soldering it up for me will be happy if this is the case.

Gotchya.

Cheers Bonj.

 

[bonj]

Thanks Bonj,
yes it is my intention to hook it to a Brauduino, that's why I posted in the Braumeister thread. Can you clarrify what "none of the highlighted pins need to be connected at all" means? I take this to mean that they are redundant when used against the Brauduino and thus do not need to be affixed to your board? The fellow I have soldering it up for me will be happy if this is the case.

Gotchya.

Cheers Bonj.

Yes, that is correct. The highlighted pins are redundant when used against the Brauduino and thus do not need to be soldered on. He will probably not be happy that he will have to change one of those 6 pin headers to a female one to get the USB dongle and the bonjuino to interconnect, however.

 

[real_beer]

He will probably not be happy that he will have to change one of those 6 pin headers to a female one to get the USB dongle and the bonjuino to interconnect, however.

I'm going to get something like this & just plug it in when needed. You might even find some one pin connectors to raid in old junked computers.

6 pin MTE cable

cheers

 

[Edak]

I'm going to get something like this & just plug it in when needed. You might even find some one pin connectors to raid in old junked computers.

6 pin MTE cable

cheers

Yeah that will work just fine

 

[PeteQ]

I've been playing around a bit more with this build and came up with

Pot in a pot extended malt pipe held together with bolts and wingnuts for easy cleaning

and stainless mesh over the bottom filter.

I brewed with it this morning, the extended MP worked perfectly BUT the bottom mesh filter didn't work all that well. A bit of grain was in the wort after sparging, no big deal so I kept going as normal. When ramping up to the boil the little brown pump stopped pumping (lower than 94C). I think maybe some grains got caught in it and it burnt out... After tests this afternoon shes definitely shit itself.

For now I might stick to my BIAB bag as that worked really well for the previous 2 brews, just another thing to clean.

Brew today was with 3kg grains, OG 1048 80% efficiency

Cheers

 

[notung]

I've been playing around a bit more with this build and came up with

Pot in a pot extended malt pipe held together with bolts and wingnuts for easy cleaning

and stainless mesh over the bottom filter.

I brewed with it this morning, the extended MP worked perfectly BUT the bottom mesh filter didn't work all that well. A bit of grain was in the wort after sparging, no big deal so I kept going as normal. When ramping up to the boil the little brown pump stopped pumping (lower than 94C). I think maybe some grains got caught in it and it burnt out... After tests this afternoon shes definitely shit itself.

For now I might stick to my BIAB bag as that worked really well for the previous 2 brews, just another thing to clean.

Brew today was with 3kg grains, OG 1048 80% efficiency

Cheers

The extended malt pipe looks like a great idea, thanks for sharing that.

Brown pump stories like yours are the reason why it's taken me so long to choose a pump for my build. Am thinking that I'd might has well spend a little more now for peace of mind. Green craftbrewer pumps look ok and cheaper than a march...

 

[angus_grant]

Well according to Malted he paid $204 (inc shipping) for a 2000W element and I am getting a 2400W element, so imagine it will be slightly more expensive.

But your price is well below that. Hmm, what gives???

Well just to let everyone know, I got a local company (Helios in Springwood - www.helios.com.au) to bend up a 2400 watt heating element for me for a grand total of $120. Apparently they had just done the same thing for a beer system 2 weeks previously. Own up, who was it??? The one thing which is a bit irritating is that they couldn't bend up the element to enter the bottom of the pot and still get the element under my minimum height. So the elements exit the side of the pot. So I will now have a control box on the back of the system and a plastic box underneath holding the relays and wiring...

Some quick photos:

control box with offset holes to allow for the starting terminal under the coils and the finishing terminal above the coils.

heating element installed and leak test successful

control box during leak test. Need to grab some stainless screws for the cover (bling factor only)

One thing I am pleased about is that I can still separate the coils and get a cleaning cloth in there after a brew day. Will see how recirculating PBW goes though cause I am lazy. ha ha

I have since finished wiring up the control box and ran a boil test. Took about an hour to get up to a very gentle boil so some insulation is in order to increase the boil rate. Now all that is left is everything else. he he...

Now that I have the element installed I can do some BIABs whilst building the rest of the malt pipe and pump plumbing. Slowly making progress but it is a bit of a struggle with a 6 month old..