First Brew Day set for March 1st!!!

Well if all goes as planned and my White Labs WLP200 Best of Both Worlds yeast is still alive after 3 months in the refrigerator, Sunday March 1st will be the first brew day on the new electric system!

I will be making a 5 gallon batch of Norther Brewer Irish Red Ale All-Grain.  I have made this recipe several times and love the way it comes out with the WLP200 yeast.  The yeast is very fast and clean fermenting.  In my opinion it comes out very lager like which makes it an extremely good session beer.

Testing has gone well with a few exceptions:

• I had to add a fan to the heat sync for the boil kettle.  Even though the SSR was properly paired and installed with the sync it would over heat and stick in the closed position after being on at 100% for more than 20 minutes.  The fan seems to have solved the problem.
• My design for the measuring the temp of the outgoing HERMS liquid was way to complicated  and used too much hose and too many fittings.  The result was a temp drop of 5 degrees between the HLT and MLT during HERMS.  With the sensor assembly screwed directly into the HERMS coil output, it only drops 2 degrees.
• The long dip tube on the HLT return port was swirling the water around the bottom of the pot but not causing enough turbulence around the HERMS coil so I removed it and aimed the elbow directly at the coil.  Before I was getting about 1 degree gain in the coil where as now I am getting 3 at the same HLT temp!
• I stretched the HERMS coil out a little more to also help reduce temperature stratification.

Fermentation controler completed!

There are plenty of websites out there that have plans for these and the wiring is easy so I won't go into any real detail.   The main component I used was an STC 1000 controller from Amazon.  This controller has a lot of bang for the buck.  It is a dual mode device, that is it can cycle between both heating and cooling with out having to manually make the change.  In the pic, the bottom outlet connects to a heat source and the top plug connects to the cooling source.  What I am planning to do is use an old chest freezer to do the cooling and tape a FermWrap to the front inside as the heat source.  I purchased a long thermowell that I am going to mount through a fermenter lid to house the temperature sensor.

Can't wait to try making a Lager!

Stir Plate 2.0!

This is my second try at a DIY stir plate.  I made it by taking a 12 volt computer fan with a couple of high powered hard disk magnets glued to the top, and screwing on a plastic surface through some rubber spacers. By using rubber spacers you can do some very fine adjustments to get the magnets as close as possible without letting them touch.  The fan I used for the first model was not nearly as heavy duty.  When the flask with the stir bar came in contact with the surface the magnets would pull the actual fan up against the plastic.  I am guessing that the motor's shaft was loose.  This one works GREAT!

Now all I need is to plan the brew date and get that yeast starter going!

Sink Installed!

I now have easy water access and a far better way to clean my gear!  When the plumbers did the install I also had them add a cold water valve above the left bowl so I could directly connect quick connect hose either directly or through a water filter.

Test, Test, TEST!

Testing has begun! Here are the things I have completed since the last update...

• Sight glasses on both kettles calibrated and labeled.
• Vent fan installed in stainless bowl for vent hood
• Control panel and vent hood mounted.
• All the wires have been connected routed including temperature sensors. 
• Temperature sensors tested.
• 13 gallon wet test of kettle elements using PWM and temperature controller.
• All the hoses and fittings pressure tested at boiling temperature.
• Whirlpool test in boil kettle.

In testing I only found two faults that needed to be corrected.  One was an overtightened hose clamp on the HLT outlet hose fitting and the other was my failure to put a clamp on the HERMS coil inlet.  Due to the proximity of pump #2 to the HLT I am finding that the output hose is tending to kink.  I am thinking that replacing the straight fitting with the elbow type will solve it.  I also found that I am going to need further testing on the boil kettle SSR.  When it is on at 100% on the PWM for more than 5 minutes or so it seems to be sticking in the closed position requiring me to turn off the element to reset it.  I guess that is what I get for buying a cheap SSR.  More on this later...

Here is an updated list of things yet to do:

• Purchase a 10 foot piece of hose and an extra connector to facilitate both filling and draining the kettles and MLT during the cleaning process.
• Purchase a couple of elbow type quick connects to replace straight ones that are tending to kink hoses.
• Troubleshoot possible problems with boil kettle SSR.
• Install outdoor vent and hose to vent hood.
• Find a way to route cables to keep them up off the floor but still allow me to swivel and move the control panel on its mount. 
• Do a full run through to simulate a brew day.

Lots of Progress in Fe-BRU-ary!

Current State - 2/12/15

The pumps are now mounted and I have started measuring and building the quick connect hoses.  I have also ordered a 2 bowl laundry sink which the plumber should have installed early next week.  I hope to have the ventilation hood built and installed over the weekend along with mounting the control panel.  If everything goes as expected I should be ready for a test run before the end of  next week and a brew day Saturday the 21st or Sunday the 22nd!!!

Remaining Projects

These are the remaining projects that need to be completed before I can set the first brew day:

1. Installation of a two bowl laundry sink next to the brewery with an extra hose connection valve on the cold line for use when filling the HLT. 
2. Mount the control panel to the wall using a re-purposed TV wall mount.
3. Mount the two Chugger pumps to the mash tun wire rack.
4. Measure and assemble all quick connect (BL and BigC) hoses.
5. Installation of the vent hood above the boil kettle. This includes modification of a 30 quart stainless bowl as the hood itself, mounting of the 190 cfm exhaust fan through the top of the bowl, mounting the motor and bowl to a re-purposed TV wall mount and install of the outside vent and flexible hose.
6. A full test and walk through of the brew process using only water.  

I will be calling the plumber today to set an appointment and based on their availability I will determine when to order the sink. Tonight I will be cutting the stainless bowl for the exhaust fan and mounting the pumps to the MLT wire shelving unit.   Wednesday night I will be borrowing my Dad's hammer drill to get the two TV mounts bolted to the wall and I am hoping to have a friend come over this weekend to help get the outside vent flapper and hose installed.

Control Panel Update!

The control panel is complete!!! I first checked everything with the multimeter with no power and everything checked out.  Next came the power on test.  All looked good initially:

• The power light came on
• HLT temp sensor accurate
• Mash Tun temp sensor accurate
• Pump #1 worked
• Pump #2 worked
• HLT Controller was able to power HLT element outlet
• HLT Element Control circuit switch worked
• BK PWM powered on and seemed to function but no power to outlet......

OOOPS!!!

In my diagram I forgot to take into consideration that the PWM runs on 120 Volts AC but it's control leads are 12 Volts DC!  I wired the PWM side the same as the HLT side SSR which promptly destroyed the DC controlled SSR.  I rewired and tested to find that the PWM didn't seem to suffer any damage.  I ordered a new SSR and everything should be a go when it arrives.

I will update this post when it arrives....

*** Update ***  The SSR arrived and worked perfectly when installed.  All systems GO!

Evolution Part 3 - Control Panel

I have to say that the electrical control panel was the most challenging part of this project.  Before I started, the only electrical knowledge/experience I had was a class in high school and helping my dad wire 3 way switches in our old house.  Thanks to a LOT of reading and a little advice from three electricians who just happen to be friends, I now have a working panel.

Disclaimer

I am not a professional electrician, nor do I play one on TV.  Please do not use any photos or descriptions in this post as an example.  If you do not have direct experience and or knowledge in this subject, please consult a professional.  Although I am going to describe my process and the major components I settled on, I will not be providing a detailed schematic of the finished product  nor will I be giving specific advice on how to wire any of the components.  Please do not ask.  There are several websites including TheElectricBrewery.com that give very detailed instructions and are a far better resource than myself. 

First let me start with my requirements for this device:

1. Simple Pulse With Modulator (PWM) control of the Boil Kettle Element
2. Simple Temperature Control of my Hot Liquor Tank (HLT)
3. Temperature monitoring of wort returning to the Mash Tun during HERMS
4. Lighted on/off switches for two Chugger Pumps
5. Incoming power 30 Amp 240 Volt
6. Element activity light for each element
7. 4500 Watt elements in both HLT and Boil Kettle with only one active at a time
8. Safe
9. Easy to use

I started by doing research on how other people were doing this, then examining each individual component to see if it was optimal for my needs.  I then set about drawing crude wiring diagrams based on the components I settled on.  Here are the significant components and their descriptions.

PWM Boil Controller from Auber Instruments
This is a very simple controller for a very simple job.  It pulses the Boil Kettle element on a schedule base on the level you have the knob set to.  As the number on the display increases, the amount of time the element is on compared to time it is off goes up.  At the max setting the element is always on and at the minimum setting the element is off.  This device controls DC power to the SSR below which in turn closes it's connection and allows 240 Volts to flow to the element.

DC triggered Solid State Relay (SSR) for PWM from Auber Instruments
This functions as a wired remote control device allowing the low DC Voltage of the PWM controller above to turn of and on the much higher 240 Volt AC used to power the element in the Boil Kettle.

QTY 2 DoCooler Digital Temperature Controller from Amazon
This device functions in a same way as the furnace thermostat in your house but with much finer control.  One of them I am using as a digital thermometer to give me a constant display of the temperature of the wort as it is pumped back into the Mash Tun.  The second one is used to control the element in the HLT so that it maintains a set temperature.

AC triggered Solid State Relay (SSR) for Temp. Controller from Auber Instruments
This SSR functions as a wired remote for turning on and off power to the HLT.  It is controlled by the 110 Volt AC produced by the Digital Temperature Controller above.

QTY 2 Packard C230B Contactor 120 Volt Coil from Amazon
These two mechanical relays are controlled by a 3 position selector switch below.  They are placed in line with each of the elements.  When the switch is in the correct position to power one of the contactors, it engages and allows current to flow to the respective element.  This functions as a safety feature preventing both elements from being activated at once which would pop the electrical service panel breaker.  Their other purpose is to function as a wired remote control which negates the need to run a lot heavy gauge #10 wire to the front of the panel that has to open and close.

2 Position Selector Switch from Amazon 
This switch enables/disables the 110 Volt 15 Amp leg of power from reaching the devices mounted to the front of the panel and when closed turns on the below indicator light.

110 Volt Panel On/Off Indicator Light from Amazon
This is just a simple LED light wired between hot and neutral on the front panel that lights when the above 2 position selector switch is closed.

3 Position Selector Switch from Amazon
In it's top position this switch sends no current.  In the right position it sends 110 Volts to close the contactor that enables the HLT element and in the left position powers the Boil Kettle contactor.

Lighted 110 Volt 15 Amp Rocker Switches Red and Green from Amazon
I am using the red switches as an enable disable switch for the 110 Volt controls going form either the PWM or Temperature Controller to their respective SSR.  This allows me a second shutoff for the elements on the control side and also provides an indicator light that is on when the respective element is on.

110 Volt 15 Amp Panel Breaker
This is the starting point for the 110 Volt front panel control circuit and is a pigtail off the black leg of the 240 Volt incoming power.

Housing Box for Components from Amazon
If I had to do over again I would have looked for a bigger box.  Another two inches in length width and height would have made things much easier.   Although this plastic box was easy to cut holes in for the components, the walls were too thick for the snap in components.  I wound up using a Dremel tool and small file to thin the walls in the area where the clips snap into place.  It worked but took a lot of time.

Nearly Finished!

This is the current state of the panel.  The only things left to do are to install the external connections for the temp probes, fill the mistake holes around the on and off switch, attach the wall mount bracket to the back and label all the controls.  Following are some pics from my build process.

  

Evolution Part 2 - The Basement Brewery

New 15.5 Gallon Kettles on DIY Stand

The new brewery is well under way!  After nearly a month of research I decided not to spend time modifying the 8.5 gallon kettles only to have to do it all over again when I move to 10 gallon batches. The process to drill holes and get the fittings installed is very time consuming and NOT easy.  Purchasing new also left me the option of selling the old one to recover some of my cost. (which I have already done)

I found a great deal on Bayou Classic 62 Quart Kettles through Amazon.com.  Knowing that these kettles would never be put on a propane burner I saw no reason to splurge on the fancy ones with the aluminum clad bottoms.  I also bought the wire shelving units from Amazon.com.  These shelves are all chromed steel and each shelf is rated at 250 lbs.  With the different sizes available I was able to design an arrangement where I can easily reach everything from my wheelchair and also minimize the length of the quick connect hoses preventing heat loss.  I set up the center portion to have a top shelf allowing me to eventually suspend a plastic hopper which will allow me to add grain to the mash without requiring an additional set of hands.

Cam-Lock Quick Connect Fittings and Kettle Hardware

When choosing quick connect fittings there are only two choices for home brewing as far as I am concerned. Camlocks from BrewHardware.com and  Sleeve style from morebeer.com.  For the price and recommendations from on line sources I decided to go with the Camlocks.  Tri-Clover is also used but is even more expensive and the consensus seems to be that they are not so great for the hot side of the brewery.   Brewhardware also has great priced and high quality specialty items like the Hot Pod which is used to mount a screw type heating element in your kettle.  These things are really cool and a way better (in my opinion) and cheaper alternative to the method described on theelectricbrewery.com.

All BrewHardware Fittings and Hot Pods Installed - Leak Test

I installed all the kettle hardware except for the high mount whirlpool returns which I have not received yet. Not one leak!  One thing I would do differently if I had to do over is to order my water heater elements from Brewhardware.  After leaving water in the kettles for 48 hours the faces of both elements were showing signs of rust.  After doing some research I found this to be normal due to the fact that there is no sacrificial anode like there is in a regular water heater.  Most brewers that have this problem make sure to clean and dry the face immediately after brewing.  Others buy and anode and install it.  The element from Brewhardware is double the price but has a stainless face. I am going to try the keep it dry method first and see how it goes.

My next post I will go over the electrical side and my panel build.

Evolution Part 1 - MMMMM.... BEER!

4 Gallon Brew Kettle  -  First Brew Day

I love good beer!  I love to enjoy it, talk about it, make it and talk about making it!   I am also a very technical problem solver who loves to learn and be challenged.   I think this is why I have been having so much fun brewing and working on my brewery.

My brewing adventure took root at a local bar about a year ago.  One of my best friends Kurtis and I had just finished off a few good beers and solved all the worlds problems (as usual) when the topic switched to beer.  I told Kurtis that I had been wanting to try brewing for years and how there are simple kits to get you started.   He said he felt the same way and in fact he had a kit collecting dust in his basement.  Before we left the bar, we set a date for our first brew day!   As it turned out you can't really leave beer ingredients in your basement for over two years and expect to use them.  So I started doing some research and asking around where I could buy an ingredient kit locally.  To my surprise I found out that my cousin Dan and his son Jake had brewed a few batches and that they would like to join us!  We went to the local brewing supply (LBS) called St. Louis Wine and BeerMaking where we picked up a couple of recipe kits.  It was amazing how things started to fall into place after the first brew day! FYI. Our first brews were a Kolsch and Irish Stout!

Second Brew Day - The Whole Crew

Our second brew day I upgraded to an 8.5 gallon brew kettle which allowed us to do what they call a full volume boil.  That is, you can boil down the entire volume of wort before it goes into the fermenter as opposed to only boiling half and adding water.  As I look back, this was the beginning of the never ending brewery upgrade obsession.  FYI... Our second brew day was an Irish Red and a Sweet Stout.

Preliminary Setup of New Gear

Now that I had the upgrade fever the next logical step was to go all-grain.  By all grain I mean that you actually Mash or soak the barely malt in hot water to create the wort instead of adding malt extract to water.  This was a big undertaking but with a lot of help from the guys and a lot of searching google and amazon, we got by without breaking the bank and made some very passable beer.  We actually used some tiny food grade pumps and a wort chiller to do a poor man's Heat Exchange Recirculating Mash System (HERMS).  The beer, an Irish Stout, came out Ok but the tiny pumps were just not good enough.  They couldn't pump enough volume and we had to take elaborate steps to keep them from clogging.

First HERMS Brew Day

There were more upgrades for the next brew day including two new Chugger pumps, a temperature controller and a bucket heater to give better control over the HLT temperature.  The two brews we made that day were the best yet!  We brewed a Vanilla Porter and an Irish Red that were very clear and hit their respective OG projections.  I used MoreBeer Best of Both Worlds yeast which made for very clean finishing beers.  The only real problem we had with these two batches was that the 1000 watt bucket heater was not powerful enough to do the job.

First Brew With Insulated HLT

Kurtis' brother Jeremy (who just happens to be an engineer), suggested that I find some insulation material that would stand up to the heat from the propane burner and insulate the HLT.  The only thing that I could find that might work was a fiberglass welding blanket.  It did the trick!  The system worked perfectly for the East Coast Cream Ale we made that day.  We also used this same system for brewing a Scottish Wee Heavy which was the first really big beer we brewed.  This was my favorite of all of our beers.  Although this system worked well, it also had it's drawbacks.  The bucket heater was still underpowered for the job, the welding blanket was getting very scorched from burner, the blanket fasteners kept melting through, wind kept blowing out the burners, brew days kept getting further apart due to the weather and using hose barbs without shutoffs was messy and painful (literally) when changing from Mash to Sparge.

 Having made some fairly respectable beers to this point and knowing that I plan to keep this hobby for some years to come, I decided to make larger investment.  So here are the goals I wanted to meet with the upgrade:

1. Not be a slave to the weather and wind
2. Fix the HLT so I can not only maintain temperature but raise it 
3. Make it easier to switch between Mash and Sparge
4. Make the system easier to use from my wheelchair

To eliminate the weather/wind issue I needed to move the system into the basement.  I determined my best route to this end was to go all electric due to the venting and cost associated with the gas options.  Going all electric using permanent heating elements in the Boil Kettle and HLT would allow better control with more wattage/heating power eliminating my HERMS issues at a reasonable cost.  I also needed to invest in a good quick connect hose system with plenty of shutoff valves.

In my next post I will go through my thought process and what led me to the choices I made.