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alexe said:
After over three years of researching, designing, testing and building my new brewery is finished! I set out with the following principles:
It had to be shiney
Brew-length approx. 30litres (3 crates, a crate and a corney, or a big and a small corney)
Easy to use and clean
Computer control where it matters, ie to improve accuracy and consistency (no gratuitous computer control and automation)
As much as possible to be homemade

I used Bergland type stock pots and used an arduino to provide the temperature control. The HLT is 70l, the mash tun is 33l, the boiler is 50l and the fermenter has a capacity of 48l. I use a HERMS to control mash temperature. The arduino is linked to computer which enables a nicer display.

The finished brewery
12158666135_ce0fbb00e1.jpg


The HLT
12158666095_1f77cb7a88.jpg

12158912703_9b5799c9fc.jpg


Short leads to make cleaning easier
12158665835_ebd51f2c6c.jpg


The mash tun
12158912053_7cf67773bd.jpg

12159339246_bc84ea8fd3.jpg

12158911203_ce9ed260b6.jpg



The heat exchanger
12159075734_998382866d.jpg


Sparging (sample tap for measuring samples of first and last runnings)
12158911493_acc9e38718.jpg

12159074874_e44f5e90e7.jpg


The boiler
12158663865_36ff958338.jpg

12158663635_e285454d68.jpg


The control box and PC screen
12158663305_c6bd6d439b.jpg


The fermenting fridge
12159337026_81846dd960.jpg


The controller has two parts, the arduino which does the actual control bit and the software which is used to manage the settings in the arduino and provide a nice display. The temperature probes are the DS18B20 type and there are 5 (HLT, heat exchanger, 2 in the mash tun and the boiler). There is a float switch in the HLT to stop the it running dry while sparking (done that before...). The pump is a 12V one from MrLard, and the plan is to add speed control using a transistor (I couldn't get this working so I left it off for the moment so I can brew some beer and rebuild stock...). Two SSRs control power to the elements. Additional switches on the control box control power to the SSRs as an additional level of control over power to them. The pot is to control pump speed.

Because I live in a rented house it had to be able to run off standard mains sockets so there are two power leads which provide power and can be plugged into different sockets in the house. One powers the elements, the other everything else. The arduino software is written in such a way that only one element can run at a time, with the heat exchanger getting priority. There is a silly little display to monitor voltage and current consumption of the elements.

There are a number of different control modes:
Temperature display only
HLT. Prep. used to bring the liquor up to temp.
Heat Exchanger Prep. to get the HERMS ready for use
Mashing which controls mash and heat changer temp. And maintains HLT temp
Sparking, similar to above but showing different temps on the control box display
Boil which only displays boiler temp. on the control box display

The control mode and temperatures are all set from the PC software, which is written in C++. It can import beerxml files (saved from beersmith) with all the recipe data and communicates with the arduino via USB. Temperature data is written to a CSV file for later use if needed.

12209325123_8ea9e08641.jpg


12209513204_1e17b34c7e.jpg


12209726936_a52d605741.jpg


This is the PC screen
12209426783_c97e3cf0f2.jpg


Think I've discovered a new medical condition Inferiorbrewery disorder.
 
I think I've got the same condition Dennis, here's mine in all its glory :D you can just see the clipboard at the top, which is my control system

 
I have only just started collecting bits to sort out an AG set up. Looking at this topic has now made me want a lottery win to make anything half as nice as some examples.
 
dennisking said:
alexe said:
After over three years of researching, designing, testing and building my new brewery is finished! I set out with the following principles:
It had to be shiney
Brew-length approx. 30litres (3 crates, a crate and a corney, or a big and a small corney)
Easy to use and clean
Computer control where it matters, ie to improve accuracy and consistency (no gratuitous computer control and automation)
As much as possible to be homemade

I used Bergland type stock pots and used an arduino to provide the temperature control. The HLT is 70l, the mash tun is 33l, the boiler is 50l and the fermenter has a capacity of 48l. I use a HERMS to control mash temperature. The arduino is linked to computer which enables a nicer display.

The finished brewery
12158666135_ce0fbb00e1.jpg


The HLT
12158666095_1f77cb7a88.jpg

12158912703_9b5799c9fc.jpg


Short leads to make cleaning easier
12158665835_ebd51f2c6c.jpg


The mash tun
12158912053_7cf67773bd.jpg

12159339246_bc84ea8fd3.jpg

12158911203_ce9ed260b6.jpg



The heat exchanger
12159075734_998382866d.jpg


Sparging (sample tap for measuring samples of first and last runnings)
12158911493_acc9e38718.jpg

12159074874_e44f5e90e7.jpg


The boiler
12158663865_36ff958338.jpg

12158663635_e285454d68.jpg


The control box and PC screen
12158663305_c6bd6d439b.jpg


The fermenting fridge
12159337026_81846dd960.jpg


The controller has two parts, the arduino which does the actual control bit and the software which is used to manage the settings in the arduino and provide a nice display. The temperature probes are the DS18B20 type and there are 5 (HLT, heat exchanger, 2 in the mash tun and the boiler). There is a float switch in the HLT to stop the it running dry while sparking (done that before...). The pump is a 12V one from MrLard, and the plan is to add speed control using a transistor (I couldn't get this working so I left it off for the moment so I can brew some beer and rebuild stock...). Two SSRs control power to the elements. Additional switches on the control box control power to the SSRs as an additional level of control over power to them. The pot is to control pump speed.

Because I live in a rented house it had to be able to run off standard mains sockets so there are two power leads which provide power and can be plugged into different sockets in the house. One powers the elements, the other everything else. The arduino software is written in such a way that only one element can run at a time, with the heat exchanger getting priority. There is a silly little display to monitor voltage and current consumption of the elements.

There are a number of different control modes:
Temperature display only
HLT. Prep. used to bring the liquor up to temp.
Heat Exchanger Prep. to get the HERMS ready for use
Mashing which controls mash and heat changer temp. And maintains HLT temp
Sparking, similar to above but showing different temps on the control box display
Boil which only displays boiler temp. on the control box display

The control mode and temperatures are all set from the PC software, which is written in C++. It can import beerxml files (saved from beersmith) with all the recipe data and communicates with the arduino via USB. Temperature data is written to a CSV file for later use if needed.

12209325123_8ea9e08641.jpg


12209513204_1e17b34c7e.jpg


12209726936_a52d605741.jpg


This is the PC screen
12209426783_c97e3cf0f2.jpg


Think I've discovered a new medical condition Inferiorbrewery disorder.

I definitely suffer from that!

Dennis
 
Wow dennisking that is definitely something of beauty. What elements are they in your hlt and boiler?
 
alexe said:
After over three years of researching, designing, testing and building my new brewery is finished! I set out with the following principles:

The finished brewery
12158666135_ce0fbb00e1.jpg

That really is a thing of streamlined beauty! :cool:
 
A 32l stockpot, FVs, 2 sheets of nylon curtain and a few other bits and pieces.




Head brewer looking on and offering advice. The result? The best beer I've ever tasted.
 
:eek: Wow 65 quid for an element. Think I'll stick with a 2750watt backer element for 18 quid.
 
Christ on a stick!

I am about to get started this weekend, these pictures make my little white tub...well seem amateur ish!

The other half is now shaking her head as I show her your set ups. Its all her fault from this point onward as she selected my 1st kit!
 
grandelf said:
Christ on a stick!

I am about to get started this weekend, these pictures make my little white tub...well seem amateur ish!

The other half is now shaking her head as I show her your set ups. Its all her fault from this point onward as she selected my 1st kit!

Don't worry you can still make superb beer on basic equipment.
 
shh dont say that, if the plastic tub works....I can convince the OH it cheaper to splash out on kit rather than cans from the offy!
 
I have an Igloo mash tun a shiny boiler and a plastic bucket, I make great beer and I am convinced I need nothing else. HOWEVER!!!!! When I lay dreaming at night it is always of cellars and sheds filled with pipes and pumps and shiny. Why do I? Same reason car freaks dream of jags (or whatever) and kids dream of X factor You don't NEED it, but ain't it lovely!! Nice set Dennis :thumb:
 
Duxuk said:
A 32l stockpot, FVs, 2 sheets of nylon curtain and a few other bits and pieces.

What on earth is that black vehicle in the background? I can't even figure out if it's a car / bike / trike from that angle.
 
naturals said:
Duxuk said:
A 32l stockpot, FVs, 2 sheets of nylon curtain and a few other bits and pieces.

What on earth is that black vehicle in the background? I can't even figure out if it's a car / bike / trike from that angle.

Was wonder the exact same thing! :wha:
 
stuart180 said:
Was wonder the exact same thing! :wha:

It has Rover alloys but looks like some sort of Locost kit car. That said the cabin looks way too far forward so I'm wondering if that's the back end and it's something completely different altogether (i.e. the back end of a trike).
 

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