It's going to be a busy day today!!

[hughjamton]

My plan is to brew tomorrow, but first there's a bit of work to do.
1st job is make a couple of holes in what's going to be my mash tun/boil kettle, one for a 50mm tri-clamp, and the other for a thermowell.
Bit worried because it's a bit thicker than the q-max cutters say they can handle.
Got to cut a 16mm hole first to take the bolt of the 48mm cutter.
Next job is cut an 18mm by 70mm slot to take a 2100w washing machine element in what will be my hlt.
In my head, none of that should be too difficult, but I'm not so sure about the next bit, there seems to be an awful lot of bits!!

 

[MmmBeer]

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[hughjamton]

What could possibly go wrong?

My partner has suggested that when I start to do the electrics, I stick a lightbulb up my bum as an indicator that it's time for her to call an ambulance!

 

[hughjamton]

Well the 16mm Q-max didn't survive the thick stainless but managed to cut the hole.
I'm now even more worried about cutting the bigger hole.

 

[hughjamton]

Needed some extra leverage, but the big holes done now.
And the Q-max survived!

 

[hughjamton]

Elements fitted, thermowell fitted, that was easier, just started with a 4mm bit and went up 1mm a time until I reached 13mm.

 

[hughjamton]

Forgot the picture

 

[hughjamton]

Another part of the plan has arrived!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Fab, fab, fab - more power to your elbow!! Please keep the progress reports coming :-)

 

[Clint]

I like elephants!
Looks like you've got it under control..When's the leak test?

 

[hughjamton]

I like elephants!
Looks like you've got it under control..When's the leak test?

Done a cold water leak test, and only just above the element, so far okay, big test at the end.
Cut the slot and fitted the washing machine element to the HLT, no leak there either.
Now to start the poopy pants bit.
Already built the box to contain the electrics whilst waiting for the last bits to arrive.
Built it out of a couple of bits of leftover laminate flooring and some ply out of a skip.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Now to start the poopy pants bit.
Already built the box to contain the electrics whilst waiting for the last bits to arrive.
Built it out of a couple of bits of leftover laminate flooring and some ply out of a skip.

Just make sure you get enough fresh air flow across that variable controller - and stick it on a bigger heatsink if you can...

 

[hughjamton]

Just make sure you get enough fresh air flow across that variable controller - and stick it on a bigger heatsink if you can...

The variable controller is only going to control an extractor fan, although that wasn't the original intention.
It was going to control one of the three 1k elements, but I'm now running them as one element and putting my faith in a PID to control it.
I'd already bought the controller so had to use it somewhere, lol.
I don't need it on the extractor, and I might see how it works with a 12v solar pump I'm going to use for the sparge instead.
Originally I had a simple plan, but I keep changing my mind and things are getting more complicated.lol

 

[hughjamton]

Finished!!!!
Not really.
No wiring done yet.

 

[hughjamton]

Well all the wiring is done, well mostly, I'm short of a metre of cable to wire up my hlt.
So for tomorrow I'll use my fv plastic boiler as the hlt.
Another slight snag, I didn't realise the fittings to the solar pump were different to the mag pump, so I'll just be using the mag tomorrow.
Going to have a cup of coffee before I throw the switch.

 

[hughjamton]

Amazingly it's not blown up yet.

 

[hughjamton]

Getting there.
I'm not auto tuning it yet, I'm just happy it's working.

 

[MmmBeer]

Well all the wiring is done, well mostly, I'm short of a metre of cable to wire up my hlt.
So for tomorrow I'll use my fv plastic boiler as the hlt.
Another slight snag, I didn't realise the fittings to the solar pump were different to the mag pump, so I'll just be using the mag tomorrow.
Going to have a cup of coffee before I throw the switch.

Now I see why you were dreading the wiring.

 

[hughjamton]

Grand kids have arrived and stopped play for the day.
Still, I'm happy with what I've done, would have been happier if I hadn't run out of cable and I'd had the correct fittings for the solar pump.
However, I've done enough to get a brew on tomorrow, as long as it all behaves itself.

 

[cushyno]

Very productive day indeed. I'm impressed you got all that done in one day.