Effin femtobrewery construction

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Vossy1 said:
Very tidy work A, looking great :clap:
Would make for a nice 'how to' also :thumb:

'How to' spend a year collecting shiny stuff. :rofl: Your a bit of a magpie Aleman aren't you. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Bit of a clever bugger too :cool:
 
Ok just for those that asked for more :lol:

ThermoboxBottom.jpg


The bottom of the TB has two gaping holes that will get covered over . . . I'll probably rivet or JB Weld a couple of pieces of shiny steel over the holes once I'm satisfied everything is working.

CableEntry.jpg


This cable is pretty much the maximum diameter for this grommet . . . but I still think I had better seal everything . . . after a few successful uses first.

FittedGland.jpg


This is the gland in place and being used to secure a 200mm long PT100 sensor. I am not using the two piece SS grommet, but a short length of silicone airline hose from a fish tank as this means I can reposition the sensor . . . the compression type SS O Rings are fixed once tightened up . . . I wanted a bit more flexibility.

My day job doesn't give me a lot of ability to create things, and I really love working with my hands, whether its bricklaying, decorating, or building a brewery / fence / computer. I get a lot of satisfaction actually making things. . . . I also have the stated desire to never brew beer on the same kit twice in succession :lol:
 
Had a bit of fun this afternoon . . . While BES are a great supplier of reasonable price SS Fittings, I am not particularly impressed with the quality . . The 1/2" 150lb fittings and the 1/2" BSP half nuts that I am using in particular are a real PITA to use.

The first issue is the 1/2" nuts you simply cannot screw them onto 1/2" nipples then are incredibly tight . . . and on brass they actually cut new threads and cross thread. :evil: . The 1/2" Right Angled Fittings were ok, but on one of them the thread was just too short to allow the JG fittings to screw in and seal :nono: :nono: . . . . . . . So I visited Chronos, and got myself a 1/2BSPP Bottoming Tap and a Second Tap and recut the threads. . . . As I discovered though its quite difficult and I ended up with a Nut stuck on the Second Tap . . . So off to Screwfix and purchased an engineers vice . . . and I managed to free it off . . . although it did make altering all the nuts fairly easily. . . . and now they all thread easily onto a 1/2" nipple. Should make assembling the ball valves and sight tubes easier.
 
Gald to hear you got it sorted Aleman :thumb:
I've had the same problem with BES fittings, ruddy aweful some of them, in fact I've sent quite a few back! I had some custom stainless nipples made at an engineering shop 1/2 BSP, would 1/2 of the BES nuts fit :evil: I too had to fight a nut in a vice to get it off a fitting in both brass and steel :evil: I also had problems with female 1/2 ss ports, looked inside and the thread was all cracked and in some places missing completely :shock:
I started asking them to check the parts would screw together on picking the order as they were so ****!
In the end I gave up and started ordering items from dmstainless on e-bay, though more expensive, well worth the costs :cool:
 
Well its getting there

Femtobrewery01.jpg


From Left to right Fermenter , Boiler , Mash Tun , HLT

Leak Tests in Progress - Just false bottom and Hop stopper to be made, although I do need a 3mm SS Compression Gland with a 10mm Parallel Lock Nut . . . Shame Watch hill isn't around :cry:
 
Aleman, that's a cracking idea using those ladders.

Hat off to You!

BZ

/edit

It kinda reminds Me of the 69 moonlanding.
 
Cussword said:
:clap: Superb, when will you be brewing with the masterpiece? :cheers: :drink:
Soon. Very Soon. :pray: :pray: :pray:
Boiler is currently undrgoing high temperature leak testing right now. . . . Leak on the Mash Tun Ball Valve to fix (good olde PTFE Tape :lol:) and the sight gauge on the HLT, then fix the PT100 probes to teh connectors for the Brewery control panel. . . . . I think I can sort out hop stoppers and manifolds to do a semi complete brew day soon.
 

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