Double Batch Brewery Upgrade

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Very interesting way to control the mash. Any reason for not continuously recircing? I've not wired up the PID to turn it on - is there any lag from power on till it actually starts it's proper function? There isn't any requirement to actually push any buttons to start the program on the HE PID is there?

Did you get the ramp soak for the HE PID or just the normal on/off. Ramp/soak allows you to time based steps which of course are no use if your MLT keeps turning it off.
 
Very interesting way to control the mash. Any reason for not continuously recircing? I've not wired up the PID to turn it on - is there any lag from power on till it actually starts it's proper function? There isn't any requirement to actually push any buttons to start the program on the HE PID is there?

Did you get the ramp soak for the HE PID or just the normal on/off. Ramp/soak allows you to time based steps which of course are no use if your MLT keeps turning it off.

I'm not interested in fly sparging, I just want to be able to set a temp for the mash and have the system hit it and shut down, then I'll batch sparge at the end of the mash. The PID units I have do not support ramp/soak so for me it will be a matter of setting the mash temp and the temp I want the HE to run at then mashing in with strike water to achieve a protein rest temp and let the PIDs do their thing.
 
Well then that makes sense. I'm not planning on fly sparging either as I'm not keen on having to buy a 2nd pump. I'll be having the pump recirc for the entire mash, using the ramp/soak PID to do any temp changes from dough in to mash out.

What's the control panel made from?
 
Well then that makes sense. I'm not planning on fly sparging either as I'm not keen on having to buy a 2nd pump. I'll be having the pump recirc for the entire mash, using the ramp/soak PID to do any temp changes from dough in to mash out.

What's the control panel made from?

I folded it up out of a piece of 40thou 5005 aluminuim sheet mate. Some matt black paint and some home made decals and Bob's your Mum's brother.

-BD
 
Finally got my wiring sorted thanks to Bulp for his knowledge of PIDs, in order to have one operate as an on/off controller I had to use a built in relay that is used for alarms to switch the feed to the second PID and the pump. Also I managed to install a float switch in the HLT rigged to an indicator light and installed the elements and wiring in the kettle and gave it a run. Not happy Jan, I tried it out with 50L of water and the temp in the kettle ramped up nicely at 12C every 10mins but once it got to 100C instead of a nice rolling boil it was only a simmer directly above the elements 2 X 2400W. I am going to insulate the kettle and give it another run, but I am a bit worried the geometry of the kettle being nearly as wide as it is high may have something to do with it. The plastic element boxes only got warm not hot, but the elements were only running for 40 mins so that might change for a full boil.

element_wiring.JPG

element_wiring_2.JPG

wiring.jpg

The way this works is if the mash temp is too low the mash PID turns on the heat exchanger PID which can be adjusted to any value above the mash temp and the pump to recirulate the wort through the heat exchanger. When the set point is reached, it shuts them down. The sender for the mash is located in the center of the mash. The sender for the heat exchanger PID is located just near the outflow into the tun.

cheers

Browndog
 
Have you tested the wiring, Tony?

edit: Actually, it will work. I assume the switch is the pump manual override, so you can turn it on without the PID switching it on.
 
Have you tested the wiring, Tony?

edit: Actually, it will work. I assume the switch is the pump manual override, so you can turn it on without the PID switching it on.

Your assumption is correct Ben, the switch is for manual operation of the pump for pumping sparge water, and wort to the kettle. The other switches in the control box are to switch the current to the elements so you can just use the PIDs to monitor temps. The switch adjacent the mash PID I will probably hook the probe to and include another to monitor chiller outflow temp or some such.

-BD
 
Fitted some closed cell foam insulation to the HLT and Kettle and tried the kettle out with 35L of 20C water, it got it up to the boil in 40mins with a good strong rolling boil so I think with wort being much denser than water it is going to work very well, double batch boils should not be a problem either. Been tinkering aound adding a few bits, so I thought I beter post some pics for the bling lovers. Appologies to those on dial up.

pump_guard.JPG

Knocked up a pump guard to keep fluids out of the motor.

HLT.JPG

This shot shows the 2400W element, the float switch for the low water warning light and the PID probe in the center of the pot.

HX_probe.JPG

The heat exchanger probe is located in the silicon tube that feeds into the mash tun.

kettle_elements.JPG

2 X 2400W 1" BSP elements and a 9" false bottom make up the kettle.

wort_return_with_diffuser.JPG

I formed a splayed end of the wort return pipe that feeds down onto a diffuser that will hopefully spread the returning wort evenly though the mash.

wiring.JPG

A jumble of wiring, some to get some temporary power in, the feeds to the SSRs and switches still to be done.

HLT___Kettle_insulation.JPG

A shot of the HLT and Kettle with their new coats, also I removed the supporting frame from the chiller, it now hangs from the plumbing.

cheers

Browndog
 

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You are a brewery artist Tony, its so beautiful i almost wept .




:beerbang:
 
One word Tony - :icon_drool2:

Just a quick question - how do you plan to empty the mash tun? Looks like it's hard plumbed into the HEx...?

Cheers
 
Fitted some closed cell foam insulation to the HLT and Kettle and tried the kettle out with 35L of 20C water, it got it up to the boil in 40mins with a good strong rolling boil so I think with wort being much denser than water it is going to work very well, double batch boils should not be a problem either. Been tinkering aound adding a few bits, so I thought I beter post some pics for the bling lovers. Appologies to those on dial up.

View attachment 39156

Knocked up a pump guard to keep fluids out of the motor.

View attachment 39151

This shot shows the 2400W element, the float switch for the low water warning light and the PID probe in the center of the pot.

View attachment 39153

The heat exchanger probe is located in the silicon tube that feeds into the mash tun.

View attachment 39154


2 X 2400W 1" BSP elements and a 9" false bottom make up the kettle.

View attachment 39158

I formed a splayed end of the wort return pipe that feeds down onto a diffuser that will hopefully spread the returning wort evenly though the mash.

View attachment 39157

A jumble of wiring, some to get some temporary power in, the feeds to the SSRs and switches still to be done.

View attachment 39152

A shot of the HLT and Kettle with their new coats, also I removed the supporting frame from the chiller, it now hangs from the plumbing.

cheers

Browndog

Aaaaaarrrrggghhh! Blinded by bling! :eek:

I really feel like the poor cousin now :(
 
you do nice work mate, you should be proud B)

cheers

Dave
 
Geez Tony that's Brew Porn.


:icon_cheers:

Paul
 
One word Tony - :icon_drool2:

Just a quick question - how do you plan to empty the mash tun? Looks like it's hard plumbed into the HEx...?

Cheers

Everything is put together with barrel unions Nick,all I have to do is undo one nut and the different vessels can all be removed from the stand exept for the HLT because of the wiring. You never need to remove that one anyhow. Thanks for the comments Brewers, I really enjoy making shiny things and it is so much better when you can take your time with it.

cheers

Browndog
 
View attachment 39157

A jumble of wiring, some to get some temporary power in, the feeds to the SSRs and switches still to be done.
Browndog

The whole rig is a thing of beauty. Would there be any chance of showing some more pics of the guts of the panel. Do you remember where you got those switches from? Do they light up? Have you got heatsinks mounted on the outside of the enclosure for the SSRs?

Cheers
-cdbrown
 
One thing I always wonder about hard-plumbed rigs is how are you going to empty the mash tun? Bailing it out?
 
Ummm, read my post 2 above yours T.D.......
 
The whole rig is a thing of beauty. Would there be any chance of showing some more pics of the guts of the panel. Do you remember where you got those switches from? Do they light up? Have you got heatsinks mounted on the outside of the enclosure for the SSRs?

Cheers
-cdbrown

No worries cdb, I'll take a few in the next day or two. The switches are 15A DPDT from jaycar and they do light up, I didn't bother with heat sinks for the PIDs I just used plenty of thermal paste in the hope that the control box will be the heat sink, I've given the kettle a run and also the HLT and there has been no issues with heat in the control box or the element connection boxes. Unfortunately the plumbing has leaks everywhere, so I am going to have to dismantle it and redo all the joins with epoxy to seal it up nice and tight, then it's time to trial the mash tun and HERMs.

cheers

Browndog
 
No worries cdb, I'll take a few in the next day or two. The switches are 15A DPDT from jaycar and they do light up, I didn't bother with heat sinks for the PIDs I just used plenty of thermal paste in the hope that the control box will be the heat sink, I've given the kettle a run and also the HLT and there has been no issues with heat in the control box or the element connection boxes. Unfortunately the plumbing has leaks everywhere, so I am going to have to dismantle it and redo all the joins with epoxy to seal it up nice and tight, then it's time to trial the mash tun and HERMs.

cheers

Browndog


That would be great. Shame about the leaks, I know your pain. I thought I'd fixed all the leaks in the welds (not good at welding) but after putting more water in the hlt I found water was very slowly seeping out. Very annoying.
 
Wow, I just took a look back at this thread and can't believe I started building this rig in 2008 and still have not run it. I need to fix some leaks in the plumbing and attach some 240V leads and it should be good to go. looking forward to doing double batches.

-BD
 

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