Brew Stand Design

[AnimalDoc]

Hey Forum

I've been brewing for awhile and want to up my game. I want to build a automated system to take care of the heavy lifting but I honestly don't know where to start. Can anyone refer me to a good reasource so I can learn the components required to start understanding/designing a stand? I've combed the forum but it's so large that I still can't find good intro info on how to even begin.

Thanks in advance and sorry for a newbie question.

 

[joebob296]

What equipment do you use to brew? Single vessel? 3 vessel? Do you want a horizontal or vertical stand?

 

[AnimalDoc]

What equipment do you use to brew? Single vessel? 3 vessel? Do you want a horizontal or vertical stand?

I want to build a horizontal stand with 3 vessels. Currently I have a large boil pot and a beverage cooler that I use. One thing I don't understand is the differences between all of the automated systems and can't seem to wrap my head around them. With all of the pumps, control panels and heating options available I can't seem to grasp it. Does any one have a beginning DIY page started to be able to get background info on brew stands/systems?

 

[beskone]

Are you looking for gas fired, or electric? HERMS or RIMS? Do you want to be able to clean in place??

Fully automated systems can be expensive. I started out wanting to build a Kal clone from theelectricbrewery.com but ended up with a 2 tier 1 pump system that was gas fired because of cost concerns.

You need to do a lot more research and figure out at least what type of system you want and then you can proceed from there.

I want to build a horizontal stand with 3 vessels. Currently I have a large boil pot and a beverage cooler that I use. One thing I don't understand is the differences between all of the automated systems and can't seem to wrap my head around them. With all of the pumps, control panels and heating options available I can't seem to grasp it. Does any one have a beginning DIY page started to be able to get background info on brew stands/systems?

 

[jrcrilly]

You will first have to choose between gas and electric heating. Then you need to decide whether you will recirculate the wort. If you recirculate, you will have to make up the heat lost in that process by incorporating either HERMS (Heat Exchanger Recirculating Mash System) or RIMS (Recirculating Infusion Mash System - directly heated wort). If you choose RIMS you will have to choose between an external RIMS heater or direct heat under the mash tun. The last two links in my sigline discuss those options.

 

[day_trippr]

Might pour a beer and look at what hbters have done in the brew stand show 'n' tell thread.
And you could do worse than peruse other threads in the Brew Stand forum.
As for automation, there's a forum for that here, too.

Finally, if that's still a daunting proposition, you may find a good short cut at The Electric Brewery.
Between their web site http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/ and perhaps their book you should get a leg-up in a hurry...

Cheers!

 

[AnimalDoc]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate all of the questions and info. You guys hit it on the head. I know I want to do a electric build but as far as HERMS or RIMs I have no idea, but, you guys did give me great places to start and a BIG THANKS to you all!

I was hoping to find resources to be able to learn about the different systems and you guys delivered.

Cheers

 

[microbusbrewery]

Might pour a beer and look at what hbters have done in the brew stand show 'n' tell thread.
And you could do worse than peruse other threads in the Brew Stand forum.
As for automation, there's a forum for that here, too.

Finally, if that's still a daunting proposition, you may find a good short cut at The Electric Brewery.
Between their web site http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/ and perhaps their book you should get a leg-up in a hurry...

Cheers!

+1 for The Electric Brewery. The info is very detailed and you can't get much more step by step than that. Here's another one that I looked at back when I built mine, just to give you another option. It uses Ranco controllers, something you don't see very often nowadays with the other controller options out there:
http://powersbrewery.com

Here are a couple links to mine. It's not a Kal clone, but I borrowed a lot of ideas from The Electric Brewery. The first one is the original incarnation and the others are after I moved away from cooler-based vessels to stainless steel. A couple things that make mine different from a lot of others are I use a standalone HEX and it's a hybrid electric/gas in that I use gas for the boil but everything pre-boil is electric and controller by a BCS460. Mine isn't documented as well as The Electric Brewery though, so definitely check that one out.

http://www.microbusbrewery.org/2011/10/finished-brew-stand.html?m=1
Heat exchanger - http://www.microbusbrewery.org/2013/03/heat-exchanger-redesign.html?m=1
Other vessels - http://www.microbusbrewery.org/2013/03/hlt-and-mlt-upgrade.html?m=1