New Brewery Build

Comment by Vesku on October 19, 2012 at 2:48pm

In my case, the temperature measured inside the hose was showing too low values and was slow to react on changes. No jumping, just lagging enough to make the system unnecessary inaccurate.  Herms and 2.5L/min flow.

Comment by Vesku on October 19, 2012 at 3:56pm

Thanks Guy, great info. I'm still surprised of the amount of effect it has for the temp. I thought that, if you but metal sensor in the hose it would be the same temperature as the liquid, but no. Lesson learned!  When I tried copper tee to host  the sensor, the effect was stronger than with a plastic tee. I guess that the copper conducts the heat and cools the air bubbles/non moving liquid.

I'm happy to measure from the end of the hose. I don't have to worry about blocking the flow with the sensor and collecting sediment etc..

Comment by Nick T on October 19, 2012 at 4:06pm

I will try and take a photo when I get home from work but in the meantime have attached a sketch of the concept. Its not jumping around for me, it is just 1.5 - 2deg off the as-supplied probe calibration, so I just make an adjustment in the PID menu to offset the offset. But before I changed the location of the probe to face the flow, I would get a different calibration curve each time I tested the system and then one time it went way off so that is when I rethought it all. (I was measuring the temperatures using two other different digital thermometers and a mashmaster over a range of temperatures).

Comment by Nick T on October 19, 2012 at 5:15pm

Ok, photo below, Matt. Wort is coming in from the elbow to the right, from the heat exchanger coil below. To the left is the Pt probe, mounted in a camlock fitting so I can remove it for cleaning etc. (Probe extends past the tee intersection, almost to the elbow on the RHS.) Wort then flows up through the top elbow and on to the mash tun. As noted, it is a Pt probe. (If I had the headroom I would have mounted the probe vertically, rather than use the lower elbow.)

Comment by mattd2 on October 20, 2012 at 12:26am

OK photos of the work done for tomorrow:

Control box finished and labeled, pump mounted, TC installed, HLT/BK ready to go.

Close up of pump and control panel

TC soldered into barrel nipple

Comment by mattd2 on October 21, 2012 at 12:26am

Just finished up a brew with the new setup. By far the easiest batch I have do so far due to the new setup and an extra pair of hands.

16 litres of best bitter with NZ Fuggles @ 1.047 / 32 IBU / 9.4 SRM

I'll update with some photos later.

Comment by mattd2 on November 7, 2012 at 10:30pm

I had to rearrange the pipework on my pump and I think clamping the barrel nipple in the vice to get things screwed together caused the solder to crack and it looks like it is now leaking through at that point. Haven't confirmed it but I just ordered a 1/2 BSP sealed probe last night and that will sort the probe issue 100%. It would of been nice to DIY something but I think I will admit defeat on this one!

On another note I brewed a IPA with Nelson Sauvin and Pacifica a couple of weeks ago, just waiting to get some more NS to dry hop and then keg. The Best Bitter is coming alone nicely, in the keg now so should hopefully be drinking that within a week or two! Finally some more beer in the house!

Comment by mattd2 on January 19, 2013 at 6:07pm

So the best bitters is all but gone, FIL has the last few bottles. IPA gone! So I thought it best to brew some more. On the equipment I got a few more camlocks so my 30 plate chiller had it's maiden run last night, I must admit I was scared of cloging it but no issues when using ahop sock to contain the pellets.
Mash went smooth, hit temps pretty good. Now I have 21 litres of APA fermenting away.
I will update with pics soon.
Cheers!

Comment by mattd2 on February 21, 2013 at 12:35pm

So a few beers have been made on the Ghetto setup, only using the PID in manual mode for the boil strength and a thermometer to check water/mash temps.

Just got a bit more stuff to progress this though. I finally sorted out some fittings so I can mount the probe back inline and start using the PID properly again. Went with your guys sugestions, it will be mounted in the leg of a tee mounted on the pump output and the tee branch will go to the ball valve, i.e. the probe will point into the flow.

I also got some 40 & 50 angle iron to start fabricating a frame for everything, plus a better frame for my grain mill (getting away from the MDF!)

Also on the cards is to add the "router speed controller" I bought of ebay to the control panel so I can just plug the drill into that when I am grinding grain. I have also found an error in the Sestos PID that if you reduce the control period under 10 seconds the period is actually set at 8 seconds (or 70 seconds for Ctrl = 1-2), which is very anoying but the speed controller can double as a boil strenth controller on one of the 2kW elements

Again I am running low on homebrew, going to brew a brown porter this weekend though. I can't wait to get this sorted to reduce the effort on brewday/night to setup gear.

Comment by mattd2 on February 24, 2013 at 3:09pm

Got the pump rearanged now, with the new 1/2" BSP thermocouple. Last night's brew went so much better - even got to start it while finishing putting the kids to bed!

I think next up will be to fabricate my DIY grain mill's frame - the current MDF one is not going so good and the bushes are starting to fall out after 4+ kg of grain goes through it. This one will be designed to retain the bushes.

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