highland_brewer
Short Circuited Brewers
After quite a while brewing on my 3 vessel HERMS (20 gallon vessels) system and having ok results with doing smaller batches. I had thought about doing some sort of smaller system.
I got a ROBOBREW and liked the simplicity of it, BUT I am concerned about the longevity of it and you really can't do true no sparge BIAB with it due to the size limitations of the vessel.
So I decided to build a multi-purpose E-BIAB system.
My goal is to upgrade my current boil kettle in the process of the build as well. I have been wanting to ditch the non-stainless steel element for a long time now, but never pulled the trigger.
So here is my plan. I am going with a smaller Bayou Classic kettle (1144 W/Basket) some might say it is small for a BIAB system, and I might tend to agree with them if I did not have a larger system to do bigger beers with. I want a system that is small enough to take with me to a Homebrew club group brew day and be able to plug into any 15 amp wall outlet and brew with the rest of the club.
So here is what I have so far.
You will notice a few things. First off I am using a Inkbird IPB-16 for the 120V configuration. I did the pump modification to it.
In order to accomplish the "convertible" part of the system I am going with TC elements from Brewhardware. This will allow me to swap the 1650 Watt element out with a 5500 Watt element at will.
I am also attempting to keep the 120V configuration cost down for anyone that is interested in a similar system. In keeping with the low cost theme I am using a $24 Amazon solar pond pump. Don't know how long it will last... We will find out.
I wanted to experiment with both options options for the TC element connection so I got both a weldless and a Solder version. I wanted to see how difficult the solder version is and based on the curvature of the kettle side, I will be installing this in my big system kettle. Which is ok because I wanted to build the smaller system with minimal tools and make it a more approachable system for beginners.
You might have noticed the "lid and ladle" in the initial photo, they too have a purpose in this build. I have looked at most of the systems out there and I am not really enthused about the options available. Most are mounted really high in the kettle through the top lid and produce a fine spray. I don't want to start a whole HSA discussion!! Lets just say I did not like the design of those for multiple reasons.
My first project on the build was to set about building a recirculating assembly for the system. Don't ask me why I started there, but that is where I started.
I came up with what I think is a pretty good design that will minimize any aeration and prevent channeling.
So that is where the progress stops for now. Please feel free to comment with any suggestions or questions.
OH almost forgot... The 5500 watt element is a monstrosity!! After getting it I found out there is no way I am going to get it to fit in the kettle. So here is the solution I came up with for that. A TC extension from brewers hardware! will give me just enough room (at least I am pretty sure it will) to fit the 5500 Watt element in the 11 gallon kettle.
More to come!!!!!
I got a ROBOBREW and liked the simplicity of it, BUT I am concerned about the longevity of it and you really can't do true no sparge BIAB with it due to the size limitations of the vessel.
So I decided to build a multi-purpose E-BIAB system.
My goal is to upgrade my current boil kettle in the process of the build as well. I have been wanting to ditch the non-stainless steel element for a long time now, but never pulled the trigger.
So here is my plan. I am going with a smaller Bayou Classic kettle (1144 W/Basket) some might say it is small for a BIAB system, and I might tend to agree with them if I did not have a larger system to do bigger beers with. I want a system that is small enough to take with me to a Homebrew club group brew day and be able to plug into any 15 amp wall outlet and brew with the rest of the club.
So here is what I have so far.
You will notice a few things. First off I am using a Inkbird IPB-16 for the 120V configuration. I did the pump modification to it.
In order to accomplish the "convertible" part of the system I am going with TC elements from Brewhardware. This will allow me to swap the 1650 Watt element out with a 5500 Watt element at will.
I am also attempting to keep the 120V configuration cost down for anyone that is interested in a similar system. In keeping with the low cost theme I am using a $24 Amazon solar pond pump. Don't know how long it will last... We will find out.
I wanted to experiment with both options options for the TC element connection so I got both a weldless and a Solder version. I wanted to see how difficult the solder version is and based on the curvature of the kettle side, I will be installing this in my big system kettle. Which is ok because I wanted to build the smaller system with minimal tools and make it a more approachable system for beginners.
You might have noticed the "lid and ladle" in the initial photo, they too have a purpose in this build. I have looked at most of the systems out there and I am not really enthused about the options available. Most are mounted really high in the kettle through the top lid and produce a fine spray. I don't want to start a whole HSA discussion!! Lets just say I did not like the design of those for multiple reasons.
My first project on the build was to set about building a recirculating assembly for the system. Don't ask me why I started there, but that is where I started.
I came up with what I think is a pretty good design that will minimize any aeration and prevent channeling.
So that is where the progress stops for now. Please feel free to comment with any suggestions or questions.
OH almost forgot... The 5500 watt element is a monstrosity!! After getting it I found out there is no way I am going to get it to fit in the kettle. So here is the solution I came up with for that. A TC extension from brewers hardware! will give me just enough room (at least I am pretty sure it will) to fit the 5500 Watt element in the 11 gallon kettle.
More to come!!!!!