Hlt Stirrer - Motor/automatic Options

[Gout]

My next brewing task is a stirrer for the HLT, i need this so i can use a temp controller as in the past i found the temp vary through the liquid and i hate getting up there to keep the liquid moving about.

I used a magnetic stir bar in the past and although it worked, it was bollocks so now i would love to copy some of the US brewers with a small motor and a prop.

Has anyone here done this and have any hints most importantly the motor to use.

I did try the search but i must have a setting wrong because like PID i didnt find a result (and i have found threads on PID) google gives mostly USA results and they use their local supplier which didnt help me in melbourne.

My flurry of posts/info requests and brewing plans are due to a 3 week study holiday coming up and its all booked to brewing.... oh and plastering and flooring....and lights doh!

 

[fraser_john]

I use a windshield wiper motor and old PC power supply. Works well. I can probably get some pictures and update my website if you want? Or I can post them here.

John

 

[muckey]

a tigha*se like me would use a battery drill and a paint stirrer. I imagine any small electric motor would be suitable if you could get it though

 

[benno1973]

here and here seem to be good places to start.

BTW - my wife has an old icecream maker which is never used. I've considered cannibalising it...

And do you want a stirrer for the mash tun or HLT? Mash tun seems to make more sense, but I understand you want a fairly uniform temperature through your HLT liquid?

 

[Batz]

I use a windshield wiper motor and old PC power supply. Works well. I can probably get some pictures and update my website if you want? Or I can post them here.

John

Post'em here John, I'll like to see them as well as I've been thinging about this for 10 years or so :lol:

Batz

 

[Gout]

cheers for the links - no idea why i cant get the search to work (years of home brew maybe)

I would like to see the wiper motor if its not a PITA. I also considered it for the barley crusher but like bats - thats been years in thought

The drill i think would be too fast, however if i can find a cheap motor and a way to fix it to the prop (i plan on a tiny one)

Yes its the HLT, because i found the water hot near the electric heat coil but cold on the other side, so depending where my control temp sensor was place it made a mess of it

thanks for the fast reply

 

[schooey]

Just the stir motor out of an old temp rite, but you could use anything. W/S wiper, old fan... anything. Makes a big difference. Before I put it in, was getting 7-10 difference between top and bottom of a 50L HLT. An idea Zizzle suggetsed was putting a piece of copper vertically in your HLT to get some convection happening, may be worth playing around with...

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I've been recirculating through the march pump to stir the water up

In hind sight I should not have mounted my thermometer where I did

http://hyperfox.info/webalbum04/hotliquort...insulation.html

Cheers

 

[Gavo]

I have been toying with this idea also as the bottom of my HLT can be cold while the top can be 70 - 80 degrees C. Like the OP I want a better method than climbing up and mixing by hand. The wiper motor is probably the easiest, never thought of the PC power supply though; plenty of those laying around.

GAvo.

 

[Gout]

schooey thats what i am looking for

I was reading you need to make sure a) heat wont effect the motor or cause oil to run from the motor down the prop

It looks easy enough to make and that will most surly resolve myproblem


Some people have placed a pond pump into the HLT (not Mash LT) with the input and output at different direction and i think it would work well but there is issues of heat, and food safe even it it ran for 20 seconds every 2 min i think it would help, however my pond pump cuts out with over temp hence the motor/prop idea.

maybe i can find a cheap motor online somewhere

 

[fraser_john]

Per Batz request, I have created an album to hold the pictures of my Wiper Motor HLT Stirrer setup. The PC power supply is hooked to the same SSR relay that controls the HLT element, so it only comes on when the HLT element gets power.

HLT Stirrer Gallery

John

 

[Gout]

thanks John, that helps give me idea's. I might try another place like pick a part, or new if they are almost the same (last time they where ) and they wired setup is rather smart and i think i will also borrow that idea myself thanks mate

 

[3G]

I recirculate my HLT water thru the herms to get up to temp faster and distribute the temp in the HLT. Need a stirrer for the Herms unit, the temprite motor looks perfect(not suprising)

 

[sav]

I been thinking about this also what about a stir bar option,get a sizeable fan stir bar in hlt. :huh:

 

[woodmac66]

Would a simple spit motor do the job?
Maybe too slow but bigger blades in the stirrer would help.
Just a thought.

Link to spit motor but I have seen them cheaper than this .
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BBQ-SPIT-ROTISSERIE...%3A1%7C294%3A30

 

[technocat]

I have been thinking along the lines of a two ring burner on the bottom of my 60L HLT to boost the 2400 watt element fitted.
To my mind this would create convection and greatly assist circulation. Any thoughts on this.

<_<

 

[3G]

Would a simple spit motor do the job?
Maybe too slow but bigger blades in the stirrer would help.
Just a thought.

Link to spit motor but I have seen them cheaper than this .
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BBQ-SPIT-ROTISSERIE...%3A1%7C294%3A30

Looks ok, that particular one is only 2 to 2.4 rpm. I am thinking aroung 50 to 100 rpm to get a good flow going

 

[newguy]

I use a small motor that I picked up from a salvage store. It's a small AC motor that is rated for standard house voltage (120V here) and I'm driving it with a standard light dimmer. I have it hooked up to a piece of thick wire (coathanger actually). It does a good job of stirring but it can overheat if I leave it on for too long. Sitting on top of a pot full of water @ 75C can't help either.

If you can't find a bare motor, buy a cheap fan and tear it apart.

 

[MHB]

Per Batz request, I have created an album to hold the pictures of my Wiper Motor HLT Stirrer setup. The PC power supply is hooked to the same SSR relay that controls the HLT element, so it only comes on when the HLT element gets power.

HLT Stirrer Gallery

John

Strikes me as an odd way to go about it, surely the whole point of adding a stirrer is to keep the temperature homogeneous.

MHB

 

[fraser_john]

Strikes me as an odd way to go about it, surely the whole point of adding a stirrer is to keep the temperature homogeneous.

MHB

Layering is caused by the addition of heat or removal of heat (cooling), so once it is homogeneous (by the stirrer during heating), it won't layer once the heat source is turned off if the HLT is adequately insulated. My HLT has a wrap of roofing insulation around it and retains its heat really well.

John