3 Tier Beer Brewing Stand Update #5

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on July 25, 2011 at 9:06 pm {4 comments}

My new beer brewing stand is getting so close I can almost taste the home brew.

All of the hard plumbing of the gas lines has been completed and tested. The gas valve and pilot light works as expected. After I tightened the pilot light compression fitting the brewing stand seems leak free!

I have completed the based for the top tier and secured it in place.

So… What’s left?  I need to complete the design for the easy dump top tier.  I am developing something a bit different than the tipsy dump. If all goes well, it will function a bit smoother.

I need to mount the pump and also intend on adding a longer propane “in” hose.

 

 

 

3 Tier Beer Brewing stand Update #4

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on July 11, 2011 at 10:40 pm {no comments}

The propane banjo burner and propane jet burner have been plumbed. The main vertical tube is assembled using 1/2″ steel black pipe.  The Banjo burner has a 1/4″ ball valve assembled in-line.

This system is designed for 10 (or less) psi propane to enter the main black pipe assembly. From there, the propane will flow to the Banjo Burner and the Jet Burner. The Jet Burner has a 1/2 psi regulator prior to propane entering the gas valve. (Since the gas valve functions at 1/2 psi) The gas valve is part of the automation system.

It’s getting really close to being completed.

 

 

 

Beer Brewing Temperature Control using Johnson Controls

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on July 9, 2011 at 10:08 pm {one comment}

A friend of mine wanted me to assemble a temperature control box for his gas valve. He chose the Johnson Control A419 to be the heart of his system. The controller has a digital display with adjustable differential. It can be used to heat or cool and features a wide setpoint temperature range (-30° F to 220° F) and differential adjustment (1° F to 3° F). The temperature sensor is a 1.94 inch thermistor on an 8 foot cable. The purpose of this build is to control the gas valve which fires the burner for the hot liquor tank.

The challenges I faced building this control box was different voltages. The A419 he purchased runs on 120 or 240 volts but the gas valve functions on 24 volts. This means that I needed to power the A419 with 120 volts and power the switched side with 24 volts.

This system was also designed for future additions. The goal was to make any future upgrades as easy to complete as possible. The plan for this box will be to add an additional controller, switches, and LED lights to the front of the panel. The lower portion of the control box will someday house two separate outlets which will run brewing pumps.

This control box consists of the box, a 24 volt transformer, a Johnson Controls A419 120/240 volt controller, two terminal blocks, and wire. Cost of materials is estimated at around $120.

 

3 Tier Brewing Stand Update #3

Filed under Brewing Hardware, General Beer Brewing by on July 3, 2011 at 3:51 pm {no comments}

One of the main components of my mash process is the Tri Clover RIMS tube which I purchased from Brewers Hardware. The RIMS tube contains an electric water heater element and temperature sensor.  Liquid wort will be circulated through the RIMS tube. The BCS 460 will turn the heating element on and off based on input from the temperature sensor.

I have now completed the mounting of the RIMS Tube on my new brewing stand. The RIMS tube is mounted vertically using two electrical pipe clamps. Removal of RIMS Tube for cleaning only requires turning two wing nuts.

The water heater element will be mounted at the bottom of the RIMS Tube.

I also completed the brackets for the Hot Liquor Tank gas valve. The burner and gas valve have their own individual brackets to support their weight. The gas valve is protected by a heat and liquid drip shield.

Stay tuned for the results of the gas line and component plumbing.

 

RIMS Tube for Brewing Beer

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on October 13, 2010 at 8:54 pm {2 comments}

My newly added RIMS Tube for brewing beer makes provides another notch in my “gadgetry” belt. In fact, I think I enjoy gadgets just as much as I like the results (beer).

A few months back, I purchased the RIMS Tube for brewing beer from brewershardware.com. I’ve finally had a chance to brew a few batches of beer using this RIMS Tube.

The first challenge was finding a way to mount the rims tube to my current brew stand. I wanted easy access to the RIMS tube but didn’t want it to be in my way. It also needed to be out of the way of my propane burners and pumps. So, I created a horizontal bracket and mounted it just above the pumps. (See Picture)

The second challenge I had was determining what I was going to do for a power source. My home is newer but does not have a 220 volt circuit wired in the garage. My garage circuits are all 15 amps. I decided to use a 120v water heater element with the brewing Rims Tube.  This also forced me to purchase a heavier gauge extension cord. During my first test with water, I discovered that a 16 gauge cord didn’t handle the current very well. The extension cord was warm to the touch. I changed this out a 12 gauge cord and eliminated the issue.

Lastly, I had to create the BCS-460 connections. The connections were for the temperature probe and relay for the heater element. I purchased an additional relay and heatsink. Since I had already wired several other relays and probes to the system this was an easy process. I created a separate outlet box specifically for plugging in the water heater element (brewing RIMS Tube). It’s as simple as it gets.

The old – Prior to the RIMS Tube used for brewing, I recirculated during the entire mash process. My temperature probe was installed in the area nearest the “mash return” to the kettle. Temperature was regulated by means of a burner which received propane from a  Honeywell  brand gas valve.  My mash kettle has a false bottom and I don’t worry about scorching the grain. With this process, I am/was able to control the temperature of the mash +- 1 degree.

The new – Wort is drained from the mash tun under the false bottom into the pump. The pump pushes the wort into the RIMS Tube and past the temperature probe and heating element. Wort is passed back into the mash tun nearest the top of the kettle where it passes by another temperature probe.

After brewing several batches of beer using the RIMS Tube, I feel like I still need to tweak “something”. I am not sure exactly what “something”  is but the temperature stability is not as consistent as it was on my propane system. During my last batch of beer, I was wanting to maintain a temperature of 154 degrees during mash.  The BCS460 was set for +- 2 degrees of this setting but I saw swings as high as 158 degrees and as low as 150 degrees. It also took a bit longer to “Ramp” the temperature to 168 degrees for mash out. Perhaps this is being caused by my using a 120 volt water heater element instead of making this a 220 volt system. I will continue to work out my issues for precision temperature control.

Cleaning of the RIMS Tube after brewing beer is simple. I use a carboy brush on the main tube and a line cleaning brush on the ports. It is easy to rinse and disassemble. The water heater element usually is coated with proteins and such. A simple scrub or soak on the element and all seems to be well.

Overall, I am enjoying the RIMS Tube for brewing beer and will continue to tweak my system settings until it gives me the precision that I am after.

Home Brewers RIMS Tube

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on July 30, 2010 at 7:52 pm {2 comments}

Today I received my RIMS Tube from Derrin over at Brewers Hardware. The item was shipped via USPS priority mail. Needless to say, I opened the package and was excited about all the sparkle from the stainless steel.  The items inside the package matched exactly what was described on Derrin’s website.

For those who may not know what a RIMS Tube is…. R.I.M.S. stands for Recirculating Infusion Mash System. Simply put, during the mash process,  the wort is recirculated through the RIMS Tube to maintain the temperature of the wort. Inside the RIMS Tube is a hot water heater element. The heater element is usually controlled (on and off) by some sort of PID and temperature probe which would be installed in the RIMS Tube.

The RIMS Tube from  brewershardware.com includes the following:

  • 1 – 1.5″ Tri Clover 2-piece RIMS Tube
  • 4 – Silicone Gaskets
  • 1 – PTFE Center Gasket
  • 5 – Tri Clover Clamps
  • 1 – 3″ Tri Clover Thermowell is standard, other fittings or built sensors are optional.
  • 1 – 1.5″ Tri Clover X 1″ NPS adapter

A water heater element and temperature controller are required but not included. Your system will also require a pump.

This well designed RIMS Tube is 16 inches in overall length and is designed as two pieces.  The two piece design allows you to rotate the inlet and outlet tubes into a most favorable position.

I am looking forward to using the RIMS Tube for the first time. Check back soon for updates!

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Beer Brewing Temperature Control

Filed under General Beer Brewing by on April 15, 2010 at 1:40 pm {no comments}

Like many others, I started home beer brewing using the extract method. I had a boil kettle, a burner, and a thermometer.  It really was as simple as it gets. After brewing for several years using this method, I became bored with the recipes. I wanted somthing more challenging and wanted to move into all grain. As I moved into All Grain, I relized the importance of temperature control. It is important with extracts, too, but very important in the all grain process.  After all, mash temperature can control the outcome of your beer by making it dry and thing or less fermentable and sweeter.

This article covers how to regulate your mash through temperature control. I have broken this article down into four sections. Chosing your Controller, Electricity, Gas Valve, and Temperature probe.  Controlling your tempature will take, at a minimum, a gas valve, controller, and temperature probe.

Controller - I discuss temperature controllers first simply because it will outline what type of electricty you end up with.

Will you be designing a 24 volt system with relays or a straight 120 volt system.  Two of the easist to operate controllers are the LOVE Control and Ranco Digital Temperature Controller.  Out of the two controllers, I prefer the LOVE because the digital readout is large and  bright. The downside is that you most likely will need to build some sort of enclosure.  I built a simple enclosure for a fermentation control (see link – http://www.gbrewing.com/2009/10/14/fermentation-temperature-control/ )  The Ranco is self enclosed and easy to operate. If it had a larger digital display, I would prefer the Ranco.

If you want a more advanced system, you can look towards the BCS-460 Temperature Control System by Embedded Control Concepts. I have written numerous topics about this system scattered throughout this website.  Based on a web based user interface, this system allows you to control the temperature as a PID (proportional–integral–derivative), turns pumps on and off, etc.  As a stock unit, you can have up to four seperature temperature inputs, six outputs to control items such as gas valves and pumps, and four DIN inputs such as push button or float switches.   I would consider this to be a higher end controller for people who want to create an extreme brewing system. It takes a higher level of knowledge , time, and money to create a system using the BCS-460.

The BrewTroller is also an option. BrewTroller is an open source standalone brewing control system based on the Sanquino Platform.  The BrewTroller is for the extreme DIY’er. You would be  “building” your own brew controller using electronic components from the ground up.

Here’s quick overview of BrewTroller features:

  • (4) PID or On/Off controlled heat outputs (HLT, Mash, Kettle and Steam Heat for support of steam infusion mashes)
  • (32) Pump and Valve On/Off outputs (Using up to 4 optional MUX boards providing 8 outputs each)
  • (8) Temperature sensors (HLT, Mash, Kettle, CFC H2O IN, CFC H2O Out, CFC Beer Out, AUX1 and AUX2)
  • (3) Optional Volume sensors (pressure transducers) used to measure HLT, Mash and Kettle volume (currently being tested)
  • (1) Optional Steam Pressure sensor for controlling steam heat
  • Simple encoder input providing iPod like controls (rotate left, rotate right, click for enter, click and hold for cancel)
  • 20 column, 4 row backlit LCD character display

In closing the “controller section” I recommend the LOVE control for easy use and visiability and the BCS-460 for a more advanced user who wants more control.

Electricity: Based on how you brew, you may need 12, 24, 120, or 240 volts depending.  If you are using an electrical heating element, you may need a 240 volt power source. These are considerations you need to make prior to ordering your temperature control.   The Love and Ranco both offer different voltage options and function as their own relay.

The BCS-460 and Brewtroller use relays. A relay can be thought of as an automatic wall switch. You flip the switch up to turn the light on, you flip the switch down to turn it off. The only different is, the relay does the “flipping” by way of a low voltage input. An example would be the BCS-460. My BCS-460 sends a 5volt signal to the relay by way of CAT5 network cable. The other side of the relay circuit can be 24v, 120v, or 230v. I use 24v on my system to control two seperate Honeywell Gas Valves. When the 5volts flows to the switch, the circuit is closed allowing the gas valve to be turned on.  With the BCS-460 and BrewTroller, every output needs to have a relay. (Again, an output could be your heater element, gas valve, or pump)

Gas Valve – I am using the term “gas valve” loosely because the ASCO I will discuss is not really a gas valve, it is a solenoid.  There seems to be numerous options available for controlling the flow of gas to the burner.

Those who have built a Brutus Ten are most likely familiar with the ASCO Valve. Think of the ASCO valve as a switch which sits in the middle of a gas pipe. There are different voltage options available to use with the Asco Valve and they can be wired with a relay. I started out with ASCO valves but quickly changed them out after safety concerns. Using the ASCO method, I created my own pilot burner (flame near the burner). The pilot burner is supposed to stay lit during the entire brew process so when gas is allowed to pass throught he ASCO valve to the burner,  it ignites. The pilot burner is completely independant of the ASCO valve. What this means is gas flows through your burner when heat is called for regardless of  the pilot being  lit or not.  This means that if the pilot burner blows out, gas can flow through your burner without being ignited creating a safety hazard.

I prefer a standing pilot gas valve. In fact, I own two of the Honeywell Standing Pilot Gas Valves. One for my Hot Liquor Tank and One for my Mash Tun. This system consists of a standing pilot gas valve, a thermocouple, and pilot burner.  It is very similar to the gas valves used in hot water heaters. This system has safety built into it. The thermocouple senses heat from the pilot burner. If the pilot burner is not “burning”, the thermocouple does not sense any heat and doesn’t allow gas to flow out the gas valve.  I consider this a much safer system than the ASCO system.

Temperature Probe - Each controller recommends its own temperature probe style. Depending on the style of probe, you may need to purchase a thermowell. A thermowell can be thought of as a stainless (or copper) sleeve which fits inside the mash tun.An important issue witha  Beer Brewing Temperature Control is the placement of the probe.  I recirculate my mash during the entire 60 or 90 minute mash. My temperature probe is place on the return to the top of my mash tune.  I have written a related article regarding temperature probe placement and it can be found here. http://www.gbrewing.com/2009/11/09/mash-tun-temperature-probe-placement/  .

I  hope you are able to using some of this information as considerations when building your new beer brewing temperature control system.

(Disclaimer – I am not training you  in how to wire or assemble any products. I am not teaching you how to become a pipe fitter or plumber.  I am simple stating my opinion. Assemble any of these components at your own risk. Propane and natural gas can be dangerous and can cause serious injury and/or death. Electricity is dangerous and can cause electrocution hazard which can lead to serious injury and/or death – Always consult a qualified professional)

Brutus Ten

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on November 14, 2009 at 1:34 pm {5 comments}

This Brewtus Ten was built completely from 2″x2″ steel square tubing based on Lonie’s original plans. Let’s face it, if we didn’t need it for brewing, we  could always use it as a car stand. This brew stand was built to last.

From left to right, our Brewtus Ten beer brewing system consists of a boil kettle, mash tun, and hot liquor tank. All three of which were created from modified kegs with tig welded fittings.

The boil kettle is quite simple. It consisted of a ball valve, dip tub, and a mash screen. I just toss whole hops into the boil and the mash screen filters them out. (more…)

Mash Tun Temperature Probe Placement

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on November 9, 2009 at 1:34 am {one comment}

There has been lots of discussion as to the proper placement of the temperature probe in the mash tun. In fact, it took me three different placements to find one that works well. I, like you, want my mash temperature to be as stable as possible.

My temperature probe location is at the top of the kettle nearest the actual mash return. I wanted to know the actual temperature of the wort that is being returned into the kettle and not the temperature of the grain bed. With this setup, I have been able to regulate the temperature of my mash within one degree which is confirmed by the lower thermometer.
The heart of my system is the BCS-460 which allows me numerous options. I constantly recirculate the wort through a pump during mash. The mash tun resides above a propane burner which is connected to a Honeywell brand gas valve. I am not a big fan of the ASCO system since it lacks safety features. The gas valve is controlled by the BCS-460 based on the readings from the temperature probe. (more…)

Carboy Thermowell / Love Temperature Probe

Filed under Brewing Hardware by on November 2, 2009 at 2:17 pm {no comments}

This article was written as follow-up to the previous article titled “Fermentation Temperature Control”. If you have any intent on duplicating a tasty beer, you need to have some process controls in place. Simple things can change your beer such as fermentation or mash temperatures. Let’s face it…. Most of us can crush the same amount of grains for the mash and add the same amount of hops to the boil.

If you ferment your beer inside a carboy, (or even a conical) a fermentation temperature control is easy to make. The picture to the left is a caboy with a sixteen inch stainless steel thermowell and an orange colored carboy hood. Two sizes of carboy hoods are available, one for a 6.5 gallon carboy and one for a 5.0 gallon carboy. The carboy hood comes with two attachments. One is used to connect a blow-off tube. Vnyl hoses size 3/8 and 1/2 inch work great. The other attachment port is for the thermowell. Slide the thermowell into the center most port. Make sure to purchase a flared thermowell so it completes the seal and acts as a stopper. It would make a person really unhappy if you pushed your thermowell all the way into the ”soon to be beer” because the end wasn’t flared.

If you are familiar with the love temperature control, you know they come with a temperature probe. The temperature probe has a black rubber-likea coating on it. Depending on what thermowell you decide to purchase, the coating causes the temperature probe to be too thick to fit. To remedy this, I removed the coating from the temperature probe using a razor knife. I have not had any issues with the probe by removing the coating.

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