Complete brewery build

[H@wkeye!]

Hi all

Been a while since i posted, so thought i'd start a new thread as to what's going on in my garage atm.

Current in the process of upscalling from by grainfather. Have purchased a 3x70L HERMS pot system from Cheekypeaky brewery. This includes almost everything i need, short of a sparge arm, plate chiller etc. The rig will be run by 4x2200w elements, 2 in the HLT and 2 in the BK. To control these elements, i am attempting to build an electric control box.

Ordered the first parts of this last night. Looking forward to their arrival.

I'll post some pics of progress when the control box parts arrive. Hoping to have the rig fully functional in 6 weeks or so.

Hawk

 

[Thefatdoghead]

What did they charge you for the system?
Nice to have fully welded gear. I looked at cheeky peak but was about 2 x the price im doing mine for

 

[H@wkeye!]

Sorry for the delay. The system cost about $1800. I looked at getting parts individually and this was cheaper. Perhaps prices have gone up since you did yours?

Can happily say though - the parts for the control box arrived at the Aus Post store in Portland Oregon yesterday. Should now be on its way here.

Still have to get a couple more things, and add a 30amp circuit and then presto, nano brewery ready to roll.

Hawk

 

[malt junkie]

You do know it's against forum rules to have a brewery build thread without pictures. I mean where the hell is the shiny SS brew Pron?

 

[H@wkeye!]

Patience mate, they'll come

 

[mtb]

People haven't waited this long for pron since dial-up modems.

 

[Hermies]

Post photos or it doesn't exist

 

[///]

Garage kinda got out of hand and hectic. Not bad for a home brewer.

 

[mtb]

Wish I had that sort of headroom

 

[H@wkeye!]

First picture. More to come when the control box arrives. Still need to get a sparge arm, plate chiller and few other bits and pieces.

 

[Hermies]

View attachment 108005 First picture. More to come when the control box arrives. Still need to get a sparge arm, plate chiller and few other bits and pieces.

Looking good .

 

[H@wkeye!]

Hello again brewers. Update. The inputs for my brew control box arrived. Still need to get a couple of bits, namely a timer (if i decided to include one), 4 x c13 ports (or 4 x regular power plugs), and ports for the master power in, temp probes and a few other bits. All are happily available in country.

So this weekend i'll be marking the box for cutting. A fellow brewer has offered to assist with the cutting. Then the build begins.

I'll post a few pics of the pre-cut box and the arrived parts. I was surprised to see how small the PID controllers are, but also happy as the box was smaller than i expected (hard to contextualize online sizes sometimes).

 

[malt junkie]

You might consider powercon connectors, they've become my fav for multiple power input output.

 

[ramo]

ahh nice! I've been looking into this set up and you my friend i might need to visit once you are up and running, if you don't mind and close to me haha

 

[H@wkeye!]

You might consider powercon connectors, they've become my fav for multiple power input output.

Hrm looks about right. Probably need a bit more ampage though. Getting a 30A circuit setup for the system. Do they come in 30A connector?

 

[H@wkeye!]

ahh nice! I've been looking into this set up and you my friend i might need to visit once you are up and running, if you don't mind and close to me haha

You'd be more than welcome. Probably won't be brew ready for some time (circuit may not go in to next year due to some other commitments). But setup should be ready before then.

Also, i'm in Canberra. So probably not close to you

 

[malt junkie]

Hrm looks about right. Probably need a bit more ampage though. Getting a 30A circuit setup for the system. Do they come in 30A connector?

Yep here

 

[H@wkeye!]

Perfect. Probably overkill, but better safe than sorry.

 

[ramo]

You'd be more than welcome. Probably won't be brew ready for some time (circuit may not go in to next year due to some other commitments). But setup should be ready before then.

Also, i'm in Canberra. So probably not close to you

yeah that might be too far but i can always make a weekend out of it!!!

 

[H@wkeye!]

And the control box. Unpainted and painted. Still drying when pic was taken so should look a bit better next time. Next step, enclosure cutting. Hopefully to occur next weekend.

 

[H@wkeye!]

Update

Hi all. So things are still moving, just a bit slowly as i wait for parts to arrive. Finally have all the front cutting done and all parts ready short of lights. These are on the way. Literally slow boat from China.

Next step, cut bottom of enclosure for power, and temp gauges and power in. Then actual wiring, the tricky bit.

Will get more pics when there's more to show. And yes had to re-paint, not the best job, but think the PIDs and bits will distract from it all

So brew day is getting closer. Hopefully all ready before the end of the year.

 

[H@wkeye!]

Hi again people.

So the front of the box is now complete. The LEDs arrived and have been installed.

Now I'm moving on to the final cutting and finishing the outside. Then the fun wiring.

Have a question. The electric brewery site says to do this to the enclosure and heat sink: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/control-panel-part-1?page=16

Basically install the top of the enclosure and cut it back so only the SSRs and a little space between them are left.

Do i need to do this? Could i just install the heat sink straight onto the enclosure and not worry about the slightly bigger area of exposed heat sink (on the inside of the enclosure)? If i did the suggested way, i would only have a slightly smaller exposed area as my enclosure is a bit different to the one they are showing.

Thinking that the more exposed area on the inside leaves more heat building inside the enclosure. But not really sure.

Otherwise, it's progressing, just slowly.

Thanks

Hawk

 

[bevan]

I think it's so you get a better heat transfer to the heat sink. If you had the enclosure sandwiched between them I'd think it would get very hot.
Someone else might be able to explain it better or another reason.

 

[H@wkeye!]

The enclosure wouldn't be sandwiched between then. The heat sink will be attached to the top of the enclosure. The existing whole will remain under the heat sink. Just means i don;t have to attach and cut the enclosure hole cover that it came wit. Seems rather pointless as i'd be cutting almost as much as is there now.

 

[H@wkeye!]

Progress.

Been making slow progress, especially on the cutting. Happy to say that's all done now. So the outside is complete. Pics below. Waiting on the wires to arrive and then the fun electric connecting begins. Hoping to have it functional by mid December

.

 

[H@wkeye!]

Update.

Work progressing, slowly. Realized i need an additional Ezboil as the 310 does do both boil and mash, but only in one pot, not two. So the timer has to go to make room for the new Ezboil.

Otherwise, mostly wired up. Still have a few questions about my volt/amp meter and the coils.


Did a wet test of the brew, and it leaked like crazy. Lots of seal tape later and it's pretty closed to sealed. Quickly concluded the chipboard shelves will have to go, to be replaced with some arms, sufficient to hold all components.



Still have a couple more components to go, namely a whirlpool arm for the BK (anyone know where i can get one?) and few other bits and bobs.

Then have to re-wire the garage.

And then we brew!

Long project. Finally nearing completion

Hawk

 

[H@wkeye!]

And many months later. It's finally ready.

Got the control box ready, thanks to a local, fellow brewer. Months of building and delaying brewing are over. Hope to brew tomorrow. Just need to figure how to turn the SYL-2352 to C not F and figure out my thermonator chiller - mainly just the tubes.

 

[Vrtigo]

Looks good, am planning something similar myself, let us know how your first brew goes! =)

 

[H@wkeye!]

Have done 2 brews now. Continual tweeking the cooling system (to use less water). Otherwise the brews went well. The first brew, a porter, is tasting amazing.

 

[Redreuben]

I really like the big red button !

Every brewery should have a big red button,
Like Tesla’s insane button.