The Draymans' Brewery Build

[thedrayman]

Yes, NobbyIPA, it works well and it was another idea pinched from BarnsleyBrewer. :-)

I'll have to do the same to the lid when I get the 200L pot from MrLard.

 

[thedrayman]

Just another small update for the new year.

The sink unit is now installed (thanks Ralph) and, over the Christmas holiday I put in the separator 'wall' between the end of the brew table and the sink. Awaiting delivery of a 200L copper to replace current 100L one (shown with extractor hose) then I can brew an 18 gallon test batch. Getting-there...slowly.

 

[thedrayman]

'Big Bertha', the 200L copper from Mr Lard @ Homebrewbuilder, is now on the brewing table and has been 'lagged' with twin layers of loft insulation foil with a foil-backed camping mat sandwiched in-between. I'm in the process of calibrating the sight-glass and wiring-up the two 3Kw elements. I'll lag the lid after my engineer friend has cut and made an opening hatch in it (for viewing the boil and adding additional hops) - it will be impossible to lift the lily-pad-like lid during a full boil, so an inspection hatch will be essential.

I've also realised that I've now got to get a work platform so that I can reach inside of BB and be able to touch the bottom when cleaning out the spent hops (a chair just isn't high enough)! It's certainly a Big MUTHA!

 

[djcorbetto]

Wow! I want one of those. I'm going to visit mrlard this week and collect a 100l pot

 

[thedrayman]

Have temporarily rigged-up the steam outlet and am now bringing-up 100litres of Adams' Ale to the Test boil to see how long two 3Kw elements will take to get 'steam-up'.

 

[Diggerg]

Looking good. What did you use to stick your insulation onto your pots?

 

[thedrayman]

I used a foil-backed foam camping mat wrapped around the pots first (silver-side towards the pot) then wrapped loft insulation foil from B & Q around the outside and it was all taped together using self-adhesive aluminium heat reflective tape like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25mm-x-40...Heat-Reflecting-Insulation-Tape-/261070610536

 

[thedrayman]

Another update. Owing to the lack of funds I decided against the all-singing-all-dancing control panel A-La 'Electric Brewery'. I looked at what I currently had (an STC-1000 with solar pump for recirculating the HLT) and what I needed (an easy way to control two 3Kw elements in the boil) and decided just to build a control panel for the boil.

The idea is much like that used by others on the forum, two elements bring the wort to the boil and then one is switched off. As I would be concentrating on cleaning out the mash tun as the copper comes to the boil I'd be needing an alarm to tell me when the boil had been reached, so I included one of those in the plans. Today my friendly engineer mate brought back my enclosure with all the holes cut and pieces fitted as per the plans I gave him (see below). One thing he did forget, though, was to drill some vent holes in the top to let out the heat from the two SSRs so I'll be popping out to get a stepped drill bit later.

The power to the panel for the two elements comes from two separate sockets on a ring main (so as not to over heat a double-socket) and the panel will be attached to the brewery wall just behind the HLT (see below). So my task for this week is to wire it all up then calibrate the PT100 with the PID and do a test boil to try it out.

 

[kev]

How are your elements hooked up?

If I run 2 at once it trips the garage breaker.


K

 

[thedrayman]

How are your elements hooked up?

If I run 2 at once it trips the garage breaker.


K

kev,

My electrician buddy installed a ringmain in the brewery with eight double sockets. The brewery is in a lean-to attached to the house and the ringmain goes directly back to the main house fuse box.

When I was using two 2.75Kw kettle elements in the 100L copper I just ensured they where each plugged into a different socket (ie: NOT two in one double socket) and this worked fine with no overheating or breaker flip-outs. Before I upgraded to the two 3Kw elements I checked with my buddy, he sat and did some math and said using the larger elements wouldn't adversely affect things as they are only a little more powerful than the kettle elements. He did recommend plugging each one into a different socket, though (like the kettle elements). I conducted a test boil of 100L of adams ale the other day with the two 3Kw beauties and all was well, no breaker flip-outs and no overheated sockets or plugs. So all seems okay. Hope this helps.

 

[kev]

I would have thought plugging into different sockets would make no difference as they're all connected on the same circuit.

Suppose I just need to try it.

K

 

[thedrayman]

I would have thought plugging into different sockets would make no difference as they're all connected on the same circuit.

Suppose I just need to try it.

K

I'm not fully eau-fait as to the reasons why my sparkie suggested it or the technical reasons behind it, however I do know that at my previous house, if I ran both 2.75Kw kettle elements in the same double socket, by the end of the boil the plugs would be very hot to the touch and the pins excessively-so. When I split the plugs to different sockets, no problem with heat at all.

So, as you say kev, you just need to try it and see if it works for you.

 

[kev]

Worst comes to it and the breaker will trip.

Fancy giving electric a go. I use gas just now and have 2 spare elements.

K