Ace electric boilers?

[Bigcol49]

Still contemplating drilling a hole in the lid to put the hose through to minimise heat loss.

Hi!
That's something that I've also considered. I've even thought about fitting the lid with a male quick disconnect with a hose barb, but that's possibly overthinking the problem.
In case you haven't investigated yet, there's an outer and inner lid but there's no insulation in the void. It was easy to take apart and a bit of a bu**er to put back together. I had thought about putting some insulation material in the void, but that could be overegging the pudding, especially reading @donchiquon's post.
One further point about the system overall. I've tried it with the hoses pushed onto the hose barbs and was getting tiny bubbles recirculating. Since I added jubilee clips to each hose barb the bubbles are gone.

 

[Fingathing]

I agree with @Bigcol. Sounds like an error. I use that Inkbird without issue on my 1600w ACE as an HLT.

The only way I can replicate the error is disconnecting the probe. I'll need to give it a good test tomorrow and heat some water. Hopefully it's all good.

 

[BeerCat]

The only way I can replicate the error is disconnecting the probe. I'll need to give it a good test tomorrow and heat some water. Hopefully it's all good.

Sounds like a bad connection. On the STC they make a noise and display EE when the probe is not hooked up.

 

[BeerCat]

Hi!
That's something that I've also considered. I've even thought about fitting the lid with a male quick disconnect with a hose barb, but that's possibly overthinking the problem.
In case you haven't investigated yet, there's an outer and inner lid but there's no insulation in the void. It was easy to take apart and a bit of a bu**er to put back together. I had thought about putting some insulation material in the void, but that could be overegging the pudding, especially reading @donchiquon's post.
One further point about the system overall. I've tried it with the hoses pushed onto the hose barbs and was getting tiny bubbles recirculating. Since I added jubilee clips to each hose barb the bubbles are gone.

Very interesting about the bubbles. makes sense they should be connected with something more airtight. I have noticed the build and squeezed the pipe to get rid of them. Not taken the skins apart yet so i probably wont know you have said that.

@donchiquon Great idea let us know how you get on with the large grainbill. I reckon it will handle it well as i tried a 10l batch and the temps were all over the place. The more grain and water the better it will hold temps. I might try doing a small batch barley wine and a hoppy pale ale with the 2nd runnings. Should be easy enough with a large grain bill. The Lids don't fit well at all, dont really use mine much anymore.

 

[Bigcol49]

I tried a 10l batch and the temps were all over the place.

Hi!
Just a thought - do you need to re-tune the PID for a lower grain bill?
Colin

 

[Jcdonnan]

I done a brew last week with a 9kg grain bill with 21l mash water, it was very close to to overflowing, had to pour the in grain gradually!

 

[BeerCat]

Hi!
Just a thought - do you need to re-tune the PID for a lower grain bill?
Colin

To be honest i dont really know. I think its got to be worth trying setting it to manual to reduce the output but as my PID does not seem to turn off not been able to test it. Last few times i have brewed i have tried to heat it up manually which is a nightmare if like me your easily distracted. I tried using the STC with my new SS probe but it wildly overshoots. Will be doing some experiments over the weekend with the inkbird and will report back.
Do you get much overshoot with your system?

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Owing to illness I've not run my new system with grain yet, but the "wet" run with water it hit the temperature spot on.

 

[donchiquon]

I done a brew last week with a 9kg grain bill with 21l mash water, it was very close to to overflowing, had to pour the in grain gradually!

Blimey! I thought I was Scott of the Antarctic but you've already been there [emoji1]

9kg....that's enough for 40L of something reasonable. Good to know.

 

[donchiquon]

To be honest i dont really know. I think its got to be worth trying setting it to manual to reduce the output but as my PID does not seem to turn off not been able to test it. Last few times i have brewed i have tried to heat it up manually which is a nightmare if like me your easily distracted. I tried using the STC with my new SS probe but it wildly overshoots. Will be doing some experiments over the weekend with the inkbird and will report back.
Do you get much overshoot with your system?

Keep trying with the PID. Mine holds to within +/- .2 degrees. A huge improvement over the Inkbird I was using before. Once you get it tuned you can just forget it.

 

[Jcdonnan]

Blimey! I thought I was Scott of the Antarctic but you've already been there [emoji1]

9kg....that's enough for 40L of something reasonable. Good to know.

It was only 9kg cause my efficiency is still crap, only got 55% with this one again! Thing it's my sparge! Got 22l in fermenter at 1075 so it's costing me in grain! Gonna make some changes to brew day to hopefully improve.

Ordered 11kg grain from geterbrewed custom grain kit for an imperial stout, now no I can't use the ace for it so need a bigger mash tun.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
First all-grain brew today in the ACE mash tun/boiler. Everything's gone pretty well until the boil. I'm only getting what you might call a strong simmer rather than a rolling boil. The 1600W element seems to be struggling. Is it possible to extend the length of the boil (hops are in a spider so can be removed at any time).

 

[BeerCat]

Hi!
First all-grain brew today in the ACE mash tun/boiler. Everything's gone pretty well until the boil. I'm only getting what you might call a strong simmer rather than a rolling boil. The 1600W element seems to be struggling. Is it possible to extend the length of the boil (hops are in a spider so can be removed at any time).

I often do a 90minute boil. Used to on the ace and now do it out of habit as i probably sparge too much. Best of luck with your brew Col.

 

[Bigcol49]

I often do a 90minute boil. Used to on the ace and now do it out of habit as i probably sparge too much. Best of luck with your brew Col.

Hi!
I think I panicked during the boil - after a night in the no-chill cube and transferring to the FV, it looks loser to 19 litres of wort. The light rolling boil from the 1600W element seems to have worked a treat.
It was breezy during the boil, so that may have affected it; my ACE has a layer of insulation taped to the outside.
Next time, more accurate measuring of the wort coming out of the mash tun and during the boil.
The wort came out at 1065, six points higher than the recipe suggested, probably because of the reduced volume.
One question: I ran cold water through the system to flush it out, but I'm thinking it will need a run through with PBW or Wizz Oxy to clean it, followed by a rinse. Is that how you do it?

 

[BeerCat]

Hi!
I think I panicked during the boil - after a night in the no-chill cube and transferring to the FV, it looks loser to 19 litres of wort. The light rolling boil from the 1600W element seems to have worked a treat.
It was breezy during the boil, so that may have affected it; my ACE has a layer of insulation taped to the outside.
Next time, more accurate measuring of the wort coming out of the mash tun and during the boil.
The wort came out at 1065, six points higher than the recipe suggested, probably because of the reduced volume.
One question: I ran cold water through the system to flush it out, but I'm thinking it will need a run through with PBW or Wizz Oxy to clean it, followed by a rinse. Is that how you do it?

Hi Col, Sounds like it went to plan, more than my first attempts did. I was also worried about the boil off as it does not look very vigorous but always seemed to get there. I struggled to get 23l in the FV if i remember correctly and i would run it within a few inches of the top. Often i had to dilute the wort once cooled as i too ended up with stronger wort than planned.
As you no chill one thing worth trying if you have 0 minute hop additions is to add a couple of litres of cold water at flameout. This should drop it to around 80c then you can steep your hops without adding more bitterness and then put in the no chill.
AS for cleaning i normally just use hot water. On Saturday though i ran some PBW through the pump for an hour at about 50c. Cleaning out the pump after use is probably a good idea as mine was blocked almost solid. Be careful taking it apart though as i mine there is a small washer that's easy to lose and is ridged so has to go in the correct way. Sodium percabonate is good but i have run out of it. Works better when warmed imo. The main problem i found with cleaning the pump is the hoses being attached. I am going to invest in some quick disconnects when i suss out what to buy. Then you can just run warm water through and dry in the airing cupboard.

 

[Bigcol49]

I am going to invest in some quick disconnects when i suss out what to buy. Then you can just run warm water through and dry in the airing cupboard.

Hi!
I bought push-fit quick disconnects - they work really well.
The male threaded fit on the pump and ball valves, the female fit on the hoses.
My pump is bolted to the workbench in my brew shed, although I perhaps should consider taking it out of its "cradle" and storing it indoors.
I'm considering some kind of pump bracket that can be quickly attached to the workbench, and just as quickly removed.

 

[BeerCat]

Finally have my setup running ending months of frustration and head scratching. For anyone with too much spare time who has followed my ramblings my problem was that i it would overshoot strike temp by a lot(5c) and keep turning on and off when and after it hit set temp. I had been told my many that it needed autotuning which i thought i had done. Thanks to the kindness of @BigCol who lent me a PID i spent Saturday tinkering around trying to get it all running smooth. First of all i swapped over the SSR and that made no difference so then i installed his unit and it didn't turn on. Double checked everything and tried again but alas didn't work so i swapped it back for mine.
After that i spent a good time surfing for the cause of the problem and found out you can use a PID in ON/OFF mode like an STC. Tells you how to do it on this thread from another forum. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=526894 Had the same problem with it overshooting in this mode but would be fine for using a heat mat and FV. Finally found the manual for a different brand 9auber) and it finally clicked. My autorun never completed and hence was still running on factory settings. No idea why factory settings would cause the thing to turn on over the set temp but that really threw me. Common sense would think it would be something more helpful.
It heated to 67c and never went above 67.3c and below about 66.6c. After about half an hour autotune turned off and was working.
I checked the temp with an STC100 and a 300mm sensor dipped in the mash and that read approx 1c less.
The Y strainer worked right up until the end when i had to remove it to get the sparge water to drain. Wont use it next time. A much coarser bazooka filter might work better? Or making sure the pump is cleaned after use with hot water. I also rested the lid on top to minimise heat loss. Cant believe its taken me 8 months to suss this out and i did get lots of correct advice. Thanks guys. Something just didn't click. Don't let it put anyone off modding their kit though, also been lots of fun.

 

[Fil]

Great to read that the systems now performing as desired.. Now to get the benefit by brewing

 

[BeerCat]

Great to read that the systems now performing as desired.. Now to get the benefit by brewing

Thanks Fil. Yesterdays brew went really well. PID performed perfectly only going over by 0.2c. I removed the Y strainer and didn't suffer a blockage. And for the first time i used my stc and new probe to heat my sparge water. So little stress this way. A big cheers to everyone. :mrgreen:

 

[BeerCat]

It was only 9kg cause my efficiency is still crap, only got 55% with this one again! Thing it's my sparge! Got 22l in fermenter at 1075 so it's costing me in grain! Gonna make some changes to brew day to hopefully improve.

Ordered 11kg grain from geterbrewed custom grain kit for an imperial stout, now no I can't use the ace for it so need a bigger mash tun.

You probably did well with 9kg as i used to get similar efficiency with 5kg of grain using the bag. My efficiency has gone up to 70% plus now i am using a pump. Get one and you will soon save some money. I found the more you stir the bag the more it blocked up and caused silt to build on the bottom plate which would either burn or cause cut outs. When i have made strong beers i top it up with a tin of liquid malt from the homebrewcompany(£6).