Hey guys,
Just thought it might be of some use to someone to write this up. Basically after big brew day 2014, I decided I wanted/needed a semi-automated HERMS setup, but on the cheap(ish). So here's my build!
First off, we started out with the basic 1V BIAB in a Crown urn. Mine had a ball valve with barb fitting added in with it from my local store:
Then I started the build of my Heat Exchanger (HX/HEX). This was comprised of an approx. 300mm long length of 150mm OD PVC pipe, with screw caps both end, and a copper coil wound around a 90mm diameter piece of pipe, with a 1250W heating element in from the other end. T-pieces with 1/2" barbs were fitted on both ends of the pipe, in order to keep an eye on temps in and out of the HX (i.e. to see if it's heating too much, or what effect it is having on the wort). Another T-piece will be put in with the barbed outlet on the urn itself in order to monitor "out" temps, and the "HX IN" probe will be more just to make sure there's not too much heat loss between i.e it won't actually be used to change temps.
External view with the wrong probes in - these are for sale on here! See my posts haha
Coil - it looks pinched but flow is fine.
Next I built a T-piece that will go through the lid of the urn to be a return. I haven't finished this yet, so no photos, but essentially it's just a t-piece with holes along the lower side facing the wort to sprinkle back into the wort. It was also debated whether to use used fire sprinklers but we don't want to get it flowing/spraying too fast!
Onto the next step, a control system. My ideal is that I can sit on my computer during brew day, if I am working on assessment for university, or gaming, or whatever, and be able to control it from where I am.
For this, I purchased a BCS-460 (linky: https://www.brewershardware.com/BCS-460-Brewery-Control-System.html) which is essentially a micro-computer with inputs and outputs.
Also, three probes were purchased. These needed to be 1/2" threaded, 2inch long probe NTC thermistors, to work with the BCS.
Next, a 10A 3-32V DC IN to 90-380VDC OUT Solid State Relay. As the HX will only be running a 230VAC 1250W (5.6A approx) heating element, this was decidedly big enough to cover the job.
Finally, the last piece - normally a BCS-460 will only run on a wired network. This was worked around by purchasing a Netgear WNCE2001 - essentially a wireless receiver with a wired line. This will be put with the BCS460 so that it may receive wireless signal from our house, and I can access it with any device on the network. Ipad, phone, or my desktop PC!
Still to come: Some sort of mounting system. The design is as such, and I will be hiring my uncle who is a phenomenally good boilermaker to help on this (I can't weld for shit!!).
I will add a note on this - The rig isn't exactly how I want it, but essentially that's how it is (minus the top guide for the HX being SO FAR!! above where it should. This is just a rough mock up. Essentially the green thing is the urn, blue is the trolley (with locking castors), the red is the mount for the herms (will be made to stop the herms moving mainly) and the white is a rough-in of the HX itself. The BCS and electricals will be mounted somewhere on the bottom part, with all the power leads run down and under to where they need to be. Note that the urn will be independently powered, and will only be switched on for actual warming up to strike and then to boil temps, otherwise all heating/temp control will be the herms. There will be a pump mounted in the system as well, to control flow. And the computer will be mounted in a ventilated, safe mounting system in order to stop water etc. getting in and ruining it, but allowing it to keep cool.
Stay tuned for more!
~Fat
Just thought it might be of some use to someone to write this up. Basically after big brew day 2014, I decided I wanted/needed a semi-automated HERMS setup, but on the cheap(ish). So here's my build!
First off, we started out with the basic 1V BIAB in a Crown urn. Mine had a ball valve with barb fitting added in with it from my local store:
Then I started the build of my Heat Exchanger (HX/HEX). This was comprised of an approx. 300mm long length of 150mm OD PVC pipe, with screw caps both end, and a copper coil wound around a 90mm diameter piece of pipe, with a 1250W heating element in from the other end. T-pieces with 1/2" barbs were fitted on both ends of the pipe, in order to keep an eye on temps in and out of the HX (i.e. to see if it's heating too much, or what effect it is having on the wort). Another T-piece will be put in with the barbed outlet on the urn itself in order to monitor "out" temps, and the "HX IN" probe will be more just to make sure there's not too much heat loss between i.e it won't actually be used to change temps.
External view with the wrong probes in - these are for sale on here! See my posts haha
Coil - it looks pinched but flow is fine.
Next I built a T-piece that will go through the lid of the urn to be a return. I haven't finished this yet, so no photos, but essentially it's just a t-piece with holes along the lower side facing the wort to sprinkle back into the wort. It was also debated whether to use used fire sprinklers but we don't want to get it flowing/spraying too fast!
Onto the next step, a control system. My ideal is that I can sit on my computer during brew day, if I am working on assessment for university, or gaming, or whatever, and be able to control it from where I am.
For this, I purchased a BCS-460 (linky: https://www.brewershardware.com/BCS-460-Brewery-Control-System.html) which is essentially a micro-computer with inputs and outputs.
Also, three probes were purchased. These needed to be 1/2" threaded, 2inch long probe NTC thermistors, to work with the BCS.
Next, a 10A 3-32V DC IN to 90-380VDC OUT Solid State Relay. As the HX will only be running a 230VAC 1250W (5.6A approx) heating element, this was decidedly big enough to cover the job.
Finally, the last piece - normally a BCS-460 will only run on a wired network. This was worked around by purchasing a Netgear WNCE2001 - essentially a wireless receiver with a wired line. This will be put with the BCS460 so that it may receive wireless signal from our house, and I can access it with any device on the network. Ipad, phone, or my desktop PC!
Still to come: Some sort of mounting system. The design is as such, and I will be hiring my uncle who is a phenomenally good boilermaker to help on this (I can't weld for shit!!).
I will add a note on this - The rig isn't exactly how I want it, but essentially that's how it is (minus the top guide for the HX being SO FAR!! above where it should. This is just a rough mock up. Essentially the green thing is the urn, blue is the trolley (with locking castors), the red is the mount for the herms (will be made to stop the herms moving mainly) and the white is a rough-in of the HX itself. The BCS and electricals will be mounted somewhere on the bottom part, with all the power leads run down and under to where they need to be. Note that the urn will be independently powered, and will only be switched on for actual warming up to strike and then to boil temps, otherwise all heating/temp control will be the herms. There will be a pump mounted in the system as well, to control flow. And the computer will be mounted in a ventilated, safe mounting system in order to stop water etc. getting in and ruining it, but allowing it to keep cool.
Stay tuned for more!
~Fat
