Coil Test Results

Getting the coil connections leak free was much more difficult than I thought it would be.  Twice I tried to tighten up the top compression fitting to stop a drip and just couldn't get enough leverage on the wrenches to turn the nut more than 1/16th of an inch.  I finally removed the coil and did the tightening outside the kettle.  After finally getting it all put back together, no leaks!  The performance of the coil was similar with respect to temperature transfer.  The maximum gain in temperature I could coax out was 3 degrees and I will still need to keep my HLT approximately 3 degrees above my mash temperature.  One big advantage of the upgrade is that due to the low position of the coil I only have to add a small amount of cold water to cool the HLT after dough-in instead of adding 4 gallons to cover the coils then raising the temperature again.  Another is that I have better control of the temperature of the wort as it leaves the coil by using the output ball valve of the pump.  With the old small diameter coil tubing the flow was very restricted which is why I nearly always got a 3 degree gain.  Now with the flow wide open the gain is only about one degree.  By closing the valve I can increase the gain! 

I also did a mash-out test.  I increased the temperature of the thermo-controler to 175 and adjusted the ball valve to about 15%.  With this combination I was able to bring 6.5 gallons of water in the mash tun from 153 to 168 in approximately 10 minutes.  My plan during an actual brew would be to lower the controller to 170 when the MLT reaches 166 and open the valve to full with the lid off the HLT.  I would then let mash-out recirculate for another 5 minutes before rigging the system of sparging.  The temperature in the HLT should continue to rise up to about 170.

New Coil Installed!

As you can see, the HERMS coil is installed and ready to test!  I placed the coil as low as possible while leaving 2 inches between the bottom ring and the element.  The thermowell is about 1.5 inches above the top coil.  I also modified the recirculation inlet tube at the bottom of the picture so that the water is forced between the two HERMS bulkheads.  With this setup I only need 7 gallons in the vessel for there to be 1/2 inch of water over the thermowell.  Bringing the temp up for mash out should take only a couple of minutes and the only water I will need to add during the brew process will be cold water to bring the HLT temp down after dough in.

In the picture above you can see the changes I made to the MLT.  I put a return bulkhead in the top edge.  I am now reading the temperature of the recirculating wort just as it passes back into the MLT.  Between this temperature and the reading from the MLT body thermometer I should be able to manage the process much better and with greater accuracy.  You can also see that I made up a couple of new 18 inch quick connect hoses specifically for use during HERMS.  I was able to eliminate over 3 feet of hose which should help lessen temperature loss.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I plan to put two layers of insulation on the new MLT lid.  Another plan I have which is strictly for looks, is to curve and attach a 12 by 18 inch sheet of thin polished aluminum to the front of the MLT and put a vinyl cut-out of my logo on it.

This is a picture of the new HERMS plumbing layout.  I can't wait to give this thing a test run and gather some data on the new coil!

New Coil Has Arrived!!! ....and other updates

Well last night my parts and HERMS coil from Stainless Brewing arrived!  I managed to get the holes marked and drilled in the HLT and did a test fitting to make sure everything lined up.  Now I have to clean up the holes and mount it permanently.  I also got the inlet bulkhead installed in the MLT and checked the fit of the aluminum lid I bought.  It fit perfectly!  I can already tell that these updates are going to make mashing SO much easier.  The old lid was very cumbersome to screw on and off without disturbing the hose laying on the grain bed.  If you are using a rubber maid 10 gallon cooler you should pick one up.  To help it hold the heat I plan to cut a couple of circles out of some reflectix insulation and fit them on top using the handle to hold them in place.  This order also contained a few cam-lock connectors that will allow me to reorganize my hose lay out and have 2 - 18" ones to lower heat loss.  I will post some pictures tomorrow.

My first Brew using the electric system has been kegged and is being forced carbonated!  I am trying to slow carbonate this time in a effort to eliminate a slight metallic taste in the finish of some of my previous brews.  I found a chart on-line that I am using to ensure I do not over carbonate. The beer smelled great and the taste I took from the hydrometer tube was pretty good.  I got really good attenuation and wound up with an FG of 1.005 putting the ABV at about 3.5.  I think the kit called for 4.5......  I know the reason for the problem is that I misread the site glass on the boil kettle and wound up with too much volume.  Then I made the mistake of not taking an FG reading until after I drained into the fermenter.   Still can't believe I goofed this up!  Basic stuff!    I should have known when I came up with 6 gallons of wort after a 70 minute boil instead of 5.5.   From now on I am going to base my boil time on gravity readings and not time.

Pump Plumbing Change and Updates

Well I finally got a photo to post of one the pumps with the new plumbing setup.  The input is now located on top and the priming and output valves are on the bottom.  A lot of people seem to think it is necessary to put the input on the bottom but my testing proves otherwise.  I have no problem priming and this layout actually seems more logical.  I put the elbow in just to shorten the the width.  I also switched the full size priming valve with a mini-valve that I had been using on the old HERMS coil.  I didn't realize it but these mini-valves restrict the flow down to 3/8".   This was just not acceptable for the new 1/2" coil.

I also got the thermometer installed in the MLT and both the hose barb and elbow fitting for the false bottom installed.  I am still waiting for my new coil, its bulkhead fittings, the inlet bulkhead for the MLT and a few female quick connect fittings.  Once these things are all installed my entire system will be 1/2" ID plumbing through out!

Due to a delay in getting the coil, I am considering moving the brew day back a week.... This will give me time to not only install the new gear but also hook up the ventilation hose and do some much needed testing.  The new brew date should be 4/4!   I am planning to brew a 5 gallon batch of American style wheat beer!

 OOOhhh.... One other thing I decided to do was to put a quick connect female and male on either end of the T fitting I am using for the HERMS output temperature sensor.  This will allow me to connect it in several different places in the system for testing and also connect it directly to the inlet bulkhead for the MLT while mashing.  Having it directly connected to the MLT will give me a much more accurate reading on the temperature of wort entering the MLT after passing through the coil.
I will post a photo as soon as the hardware is installed. 

HERMS upgrade ordered and progress update!

The re-purposed 3/8" wort chiller that I was using for my DIY HERMS coil just didn't cut it on brew day.  The flow rate caused a lot of stress during the sparge process and that was not the only flow choke point in the system.   There is no way I want to face another brew day like this one so I made the decision today to order a new stainless steel 1/2" coil and fittings from Stainless Brewing.  I Hope to have it installed for the brew day I have set for the 28th.

I decided to go with Stainless Brewing because you just can't beat their price and all the online comments I could find were glowing.  Not only can you order the coil in 2 different lengths but you can also select between 6 different diameters and you can even have custom bending done!    My kettle is a little over 15" in diameter and about 18" high so I went with a 25' length and a 10 inch diameter.  The page states that the bent ends that connect to compression fittings on the inside of the kettle should be between 2 and 2.5 inches long so I should be able to center it pretty well.  One thing that I plan to do though is use some short pieces of silicon hose as spacers in 4 places around each coil to separate them.  This should allow better water circulation hence better heat transfer.  I discovered what a difference this can make when experimenting with the old copper wort chiller.  Simply stretching the coils to allow 1/4 inch gaps increased output of the coil by 2 degrees.

I also ordered some parts to convert my MLT over to all 1/2" ID fittings.  This includes a top return bulkhead with inside hose barb and outside male camlock, a 1/2" hose barb for the inside connection from the drain bulkhead to the false bottom and a full flow 1/2" barb elbow replacement for the false bottom itself.

With these upgrades installed my entire system will have 100% 1/2" plumbing!  This should increase the liquid I can move along with giving me more control over the flow with the pump outlet valves.  I also found that when pumping out of the MLT on brew day the pump would get louder.  After reading some on-line forums I found out that it is not a good idea to restrict a chugger pump on the inlet side and that it can cause it to overheat.....

Sorry... Still no photo of the new pump config.... I should be able to post it this weekend.

UPDATE***  The HERMS coil is running behind for shipment due to a backlog at Stainless Brewing.  They say my order should be shipped by the end of the week  3/13.

New pump configuration and other updates

One of the major things I discovered on brew day was that my MLT was too high for me to see the water level from my wheelchair.   Through some experimentation I was able to determine that I needed it lowered by about 3 inches.  With the mess of hose fittings and the pump configuration this was going to be impossible without moving the pumps.  My solution was to mount the pump housings on the shelf instead of in front of it and re-orient the fittings and heads to the configuration you see in the photo above.  As you can see I was able to lower the MLT to an appropriate height and also make the hose routing easier to follow.  The only other change that is coming  to the pumps is the addition of a street elbow off the outlet side of the T-fitting that will be connected to the outlet valve.  This will shorten the outlet stack and point the outlet valve and male quick connect toward the front.  (This is hard to explain... I will post a photo when I get one done.)

I also increased the height of my BK with an inch and a half thick wooden round from Lowes.  The additional height will allow a fermentation bucket to fit under the ball valve so I can drain it without using a pump.  I will also be putting one of the wooden rounds under the HLT.

There are even more changes to come:

• Change out three of the straight female quick connects with 90 degree ones.  This should help prevent hose kinks when the silicone is hot.
• Install the old ball valve thermometer in the front of the MLT at the 4 gallon mark to give me a better idea of the over all MLT temperature.
• Install a permanent 1/2" stainless HERMS coil in the HLT.   This should be more efficient, easier to clean and move the brewery toward a full 1/2" flow. 
• Update the false bottom elbow/hose barb and internal inlet hose and hose barb to 1/2".  This also will increase the liquid flow.
• Install a 1/2" bulkhead at the top edge of the MLT with a male quick connect on the outside and 1/2" hose barb on the inside.  This will increase liquid flow, allow for easier operation of the lid and make things more streamlined on brew day.
•  Add two 18" hoses with straight female quick disconnects.  This will make brew day easier and cut down on heat loss during HERMS.
• Install the outside part of the venting system and the flexible hose.  This can not be done until the outdoor temp is over 70 degrees to prevent damage to the vinyl siding.  The aroma was a bit much and lasted for too many days after brewing.
• Install wire supports on the walls to raise the electrical and sensor wires off the floor.

I am planning my next brew day for Saturday March 28th, and plan to have implemented these changes by then.

WLP200 Yeast Starter!

My yeast starter churning away on the new DIY stir plate!  It went very well except for the fact that I didn't start it soon enough.  I am sure that it did a good job of waking the yeast up a bit but it would have been better if the count would have gone up a bit more.  I didn't really have an an extremely active fermentation by looking at the bubbles in the air lock.... 

First All Electric Brew Day!!!

 

 First brew day complete!

Things went pretty well with one exception.  The boil off rate was no where near what  I got in my tests.  In both the tests a one hour boil reduced by 1.5 gallons per hour and the actual brew was closer to .75 gallons per hour. My best guess is that the difference in density and the amount of humidity played a roll....   As a result this totally threw off my boil schedule and required an extra 30 minutes.

EDIT***
In hind sight.... I think I might have read the sight glass wrong while sparging and pumped 1/2 gallon too much in the boil kettle.....