Hobby Horse Brewery Evolution

[pjbiker]

New phase IV system used for the first time on Friday night. Brew went well, pump primes much more easily and addition of a drain cock (the yellow one) is useful. The 1m flexible tap connector outflow to recirculate wort through the grain before collection is useful too. This hose I also used to 'sanitise' the counterflow chiller with boiling wort prior to use as I can attach it and circulate back into the boiler for a few minutes at the end of the boil, as you would an immersion chiller. Note (I flushed out with cold water&chlorine based sterilizer before and after too).

Downside is that cleaning of vessels in situ is a no go, they dont drain sufficiently with flat bottoms and a tank connector sitting in the bottom. It's not too much trouble to drain and dig out the mash tun while the boiler is on then detach it from the plumbing for cleaning during the boil. The same is true for the boiler. I shouldn't really need to clean the HLT too vigorously as it only holds water.

Already thinking about PID's and RIMS system........

Experimented with some dry hopping for the first time, added 30g of hops to one of the FV's

Rough IPA, 14Jan11
Grain
10Kg MOPM, 300g torrified wheat

Hops
75 min Aurora (8.1% AA) 85g 39.2EBU
0 min Motueka (7.2% AA)73g
dry hops Motueka 30g in FV! (23L)

Yeast, Danstar Nottingham x2 packets

Final Brewlength, 45L @1.055 OG, (81% efficency)

 

[Sean_Mc]

That's a very clever yet simple design.
Nice idea about the drain to prime the pump :thumb:

 

[pjbiker]

I chatted up the proprietor of my local Indian restaurant and obtained this 40kg barrel from the Mango Chutney he uses. Should be a regular supply and is perfect for fermenter or even a boiler, just neet to fit a tap. Holds about 32L to the brim. Has a screw fit lid with a rubber seal but doesn't seem to seal water (when hand tight at least).

Testing the new temperature controller I made from one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Digital-Temp ... and a few old bits of electricals. Note, I had to butcher the twin socket to separate into two 'live' feeds, one from heating, one from cooling. It would be easier to use 2 single sockets, but its what I had spare.

Fitted up the temp controller to my 'kegerator' currently too cold in my garage to maintain cellar temperatures using the cooling circuit so planning to add some kind of heater, energy saver light bulb? I plan to use the same controller on my HLT on brew days, with a timer switch and this I can guarantee I have the required strike temperature liquor at the right time, rather than guessing the timer settings.

Bottled CO2 rigged up as per Jim's (evanvine) advice using bottle and regulator from 'Norm'. Hole drilled through side of fridge to accept gas pipe. Just need some heating now.

 

[pjbiker]

Completed the Kegerator with a few bits of 3/8" pipe and John Guest Fittings and 'Dalex' tap from Barley Bottom. The pain is the tap is 5/16 inlet so had to buy bits to reduce down from 3/8" ie. 3/8 stem to 5/16 John Guest female push fit, short piece of 5/16 OD copper pipe pushed into tap inlet.

Tools, used a 22mm Q-max cutter to punch a hole in the fridge door.

Had to unscrew the plastic on the inside of door and scrape out a bit of insulating foam.

Nice smooth head with a sparkler fitted to to tap. Maybe need to turn gas pressure down a tad. It is clear, just still settling, honest.

 

[homebrewstu]

nice kit. where can I get me hands on one of the little Co2 bottles?

 

[pjbiker]

A Chap called Norman who lives in Sutton Coldfield. They are refilled by a Fire Extinguisher company.

Getting them exchanged is the issue unless you are local to him. Drop him an email

[email protected]

 

[robsan77]

See if you have any local hydroponics shops. I get my co2 there and its dirt cheap. :thumb:

 

[homebrewstu]

is that aquarium related things? is the CO2 food grade?

 

[pjbiker]

After the demise of the solar project pump, (presumed burnt out due to running against throttled outlet without a balance valve). I have fitted a Totton GP 28/11 pump offof ebay for about £50. to help with priming I have put it right at the bottom of the system with flexible hoses connected and with a balance valve (15mm) gate valve. I can prime it by running some clean water from my tap, through the pump and out of a drain valve without affecting the brewing vessels.
Used it for the first time brewing on Saturday. All was going well until it stopped and the mash tun started to fill up about 30mins into the sparge. Examination showed that the pump body was 'hot as hell'. The cooling fins were obviously insufficient for running full voltage for that long. I cooled with a wet towel and it coped OK for the rest of the day. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem, or a solution to it. (voltage regulation?). I only need it to pump 0.9L/min during sparge and collection and have the balance valve fully open.

Oh, forgot to mention, got the spinning sparger working beautifully til the pump overheated. 8mm compression fittings and 3/8" plastic beer line pierced with a pricker.

 

[leedsbrew]

I've been looking at these GP28/11 pumps and I have a question. What's the bit that connects the two ends with a bit of grey pipe?

Cheers

LB

 

[Cussword]

Is it a shower pump, with two inlets & outlets?

 

[pjbiker]

Yes, I believe they are used in showers. The two inlets and outlets come linked together with 15mm push fit connectors. I can't really see why they're designed with 2 impellers. Technically, you could run them as 2 independent pumps. Maybe one for hot and one for cold water in a shower?

 

[leedsbrew]

cool. thanks for clearing that up chaps :thumb:

 

[unclepumble]

It all looks good apart from this

:?

If that is two back boxes taped together, I would suggest you put the lot in another purpose built enclosure, Its not worth risking an electric shock with wet hands etc, it could be the last one you get :shock:

FAILING THAT, I would at least screw the bottom box to something solid (side/top of the fridge)

UP

 

[Cyclops]

you can get a box for about a tenner, i know my life is worth more than a tenner :)

 

[Vossy1]

I only need it to pump 0.9L/min during sparge and collection and have the balance valve fully open.

Get the March pump, it's really that simple. I bought a few pumps because I was put off by the price of the March, but they weren't worth the agro for slow speed or high temps, wish I'd have got the March first off

 

[pjbiker]

It all looks good apart from this

:?

If that is two back boxes taped together, I would suggest you put the lot in another purpose built enclosure, Its not worth risking an electric shock with wet hands etc, it could be the last one you get :shock:

FAILING THAT, I would at least screw the bottom box to something solid (side/top of the fridge)

UP

Yes, I know :nono: . I'll sort something out. Good news is I've had a new consumer unit fitted (by a professional :geek: ) and all circuits in the house (and brewery) are now RCD'd from every socket. Was quite pleased to find all of my amateur wiring to the brewery passed the required tests.

 

[shocker]

IP66 rating ,the boxes ? Is that right ? Its been a while since I was up on that stuff .But dont think Im knocking it....you have a great set up and its a good thread to follow the evolution and improvements .I have learned a lot ,so thanks for putting in all the effort with the piccies and the notes ,nice one mate !

I note you re-circulate the extracted wort through the grain.....I have just been asking about that in another thread and have had negatives on it ,not the input ,just people told me it wasnt a great idea....maybe just in my case though ? Dont know....how does it work out for you ?

 

[pjbiker]

IP66 rating ,the boxes ? Is that right ? Its been a while since I was up on that stuff .But dont think Im knocking it....you have a great set up and its a good thread to follow the evolution and improvements .I have learned a lot ,so thanks for putting in all the effort with the piccies and the notes ,nice one mate !

Maybe, I've not gone for any fancy boxes but am building a temp controller using 'project box' offof an electronics supplier on ebay.

I note you re-circulate the extracted wort through the grain.....I have just been asking about that in another thread and have had negatives on it ,not the input ,just people told me it wasnt a great idea....maybe just in my case though ? Dont know....how does it work out for you ?

The theory of recirculation as I do it is that it allows the grain bed to act a a quite effective filter, so that when you come to collect wort in the boiler, it is clear rather than containing the 'flour' that you inevitably get from crushing malt. I don't currently recirculate continuously during the mash, just 10 mins at the start and 10 mins at the end. The theory of HERMS (Heat exchange recirculation mash system), allows you to heat the circulating wort to the desired mash temperature. That part of it is still under construction, but is by no means a necessity.

 

[pjbiker]

I've been making a temperarture PID controller box for the forthcoming HERMS upgrade.

Parts largely copied from here
viewtopic.php?p=186265#p186265 about £20
with a REX C100 PID £16(I'd recommend a different one)
40A SSR from ebay China £10
Kettle from Tesco £5

Top tip, don't put the whole PT100 in water, they're not insulated
top tip, don't try and dry it out on in a gas hob. They don't work again.

Some pictures.
Connectors cut out and mounted in box

SSR

PT100+ (turns out they work as a PT100)

PID unit, REX C100

testing, again, don't submerge the probe entirely in water. It worked ok for a bit