National Homebrew Club Ireland

I'm running behind on my main brewing rig so rather than delay any further, I decided to stick a BIAB Ardbir controlled Keggle together. I've cut the bottom out of the keg and inverted it, so that the spear is at the bottom. I had a 1\2" socket welded into the chime of the keg, as a bottom drain and this is positioned at the edge of the keggle, so that the whirlpool should settle the trub in the well in the centre. After a lot of fluting around I eventually bought a 3" Sanitary Ferrule, a 3" sanitary blank disk and gasket and a 3" clamp. I had this welded over spear fitting. The original idea was to use a 2 1\2" clamp and blank disk but I couldn't get to to seal properly over the spear.. This gives me a centre bottom drain to hold the trub and is easily opened by removing the sanitary clamp for cleaning.
I drilled the keg for two kettle elements and had another 1\2" socket welded into the side of the keggle about half way up to accommodate the whirlpool return.
We changed sofas lately and I removed the legs which were made of aluminium before dumping the old sofas. I used three of these legs on the keggle, and attached them by fixing a 6 mm bolt through the rim of the keg and through each leg. The legs are pulled tight against the chime of the keg and can't move. This gives me plenty of clearance for the bottom drain.
I connected a 32 amp commando type socket on the outside wall of the house directly behind the cooker switch unit in the kitchen, and replaced the original circuit breaker with a 32 amp RCBO breaker which gives the cooker circuit earth leakage protection.
I bought an electrical control panel and cut out the front to accommodate the 3d printed Ardbir cover
I mounted 3 double pole switches, one for each element and another for the pump plus three indicator lights. I used a couple of meters of Sil Flex in 3 x 6 Sq to connect the panel to the 32 amp commando plug-top
http://www.edlireland.ie/iopen24/control-cables-silflex-cables-c-0_1403_1415.html
I used Din rail to mount the connectors along with fuses, a 12v dc relay for the pump and a heat sink for the 40 amp SSR. I also mounted a trailing type flex within the panel to take the 13amp plug-top type power supply, this has a seperate 5 amp fuse. The pump is fed by another trailing 13amp socket, which is controlled by the ardbir via a 12v dc relay and isolated via a two pole switch. this circuit also has its own 5 amp fuse. I will monitor the temperature of the control panel and if necessary fit a small cooling fan.
The main 6 square supply is connected directly to the SSR and the output is fed via 2 x 2.5 sq cables through two more fuses one for each heater element.Each heater circuit is then fed through a double pole switch and a neon is connected in parallel to each heater output.
I used a cable drum as a stand and had some Unistrut lying aroundwhich I used to made a tee piece to mount the control panel. I used some Unistrut inserts (I believe they are called this but everyone calls them Zebidees after the magic roundabout due to the spring stuck to back of them)
https://app.nventree.co.uk/media/img/66006c8bb590449f9deef2cb35c60ad9/5e8200b9fa6041d1ac3e31427f81aec2/Custom800.jpg
with a couple of 6mm gutter bolts to secure the panel. It can be slid on and off for easy removal. I also mounted a thermowell to take the DS1820 thermometer. I mounted this at the same height as the elements so that it wont foul  the BIAB bag. Ill pop up some photos from my phone

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Lovely job

Looking good, great build

Very good build, what you reckon it cost ya?

Looks great.

Difficult to get much done today between the showers, I've borrowed some shiny toys from my main build project, I ran out of ptfe tape so it's off to woodies
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That looks great.

Very tidy. How are the camlock fittings attached to the counterflow?

How much are you expecting the project to cost.  Look great. That box is tidy. 

@Gazz not sure of cost of electrical items as I put them in my account in the electrical wholesalers. The cable drum was free, I bought the wheels a few months ago in the lidl centre isle. The Ardbir cost about 100 plus 20 for the 3rd printing. The 3" ferrule blank plate seal and clamp cost €30 in Total Stainless, welding cost €60. I had ordered the stainless fittings for my main 3 vessel build from Aliexpress, I had the chugger already I think it was about $130 in the states.
IMARK The Counterflow Chiller comes with 1/2" male threads

Detailed look at the Banana plug and socket earthing arrangement
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Images of SWA Shrouds on the kettle connectors

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I'll update the cost of the control box when the wholesalers reopens after Easter

Yeah when it comes to cost on these things, a grainfather comes in very close if not cheaper. You go the DIY route because you want/enjoy building something special for yourself, not to save money. The pumps especially are a big expense, as least for chuggers.

I worked out my own build was close to €1500, but based on €3 for a bottle of craft, you've made that back in about 15 brewdays, assuming 20L batches. That's just over a year's brewing, so after that its guilt free brewing. :)

+100% on that, I'm in the process of a 3 vessel build, but got bogged down on the shed wiring and plumbing, I'm almost there but can't seem to get any free time to sort it, so I decided to build a quick biab rig to get back brewing, if you don't watch it you can get lost in the engineering and get no brewing done.
It can seem an expensive hobby at first but on the other hand a new car would depreciate a lot more than the price of a Grainfather in 6 months 

Easy to get bogged down alright. I'm in the last stages of my build and it feels like I've done nothing in weeks. Last bits and pieces on the way so nearly there.

Looks class. Even if you were not to brew with you could hire it out as a Dalek in a Doctor Who movie  :)

Quote from: molc on March 27, 2016, 07:43:01 PM
Yeah when it comes to cost on these things, a grainfather comes in very close if not cheaper. You go the DIY route because you want/enjoy building something special for yourself, not to save money. The pumps especially are a big expense, as least for chuggers.

I worked out my own build was close to €1500, but based on €3 for a bottle of craft, you've made that back in about 15 brewdays, assuming 20L batches. That's just over a year's brewing, so after that its guilt free brewing. :)

Im just going to copy and paste that onto the wife's facebook page.  Im sure she will understand  :D :D :D  Im actually saving money!!   :D   

I had originally bought mild steel KM8 locknuts but replaced them with Stainless steel ones due to the mild steel rusting
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I filled the keg with water and PBW and brought it up to 75C then rinsed it out to remove the cutting lube and debris left after grinding etc, then gave it a good belt of Bar Keepers Friend to passivate the stainless and remove any beer stone.
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Nice and shiny.. Are they backer elements?

I'm not sure I picked them up from the Homebrew company a while ago

Silicon hoses hooked up thanks to Damo,
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Having cleaned the keggle already to remove most if not all of the filings or any crud which might upset the pump I ran another wash cycle with Lidl Oxy this time circulating through the pump and chiller. I noticed that the temperature was reading 5C high so adjusted it within the ardbir settings. I've set the PID to 50, 1 and 10 for the moment as advised elsewhere by Molc.
I'll tune the PID loop when I get my other brewing programmer (BCS) working as it has data logging which I can use to tune the loop.

When you measure/calculate it, can you post the new figures?

Cheers.

Of course

You tuned values would be great. I notice it's slow to reach the last 1 or 2 degrees, so I think those values, as originally provided by pob, are a but too cautious.

Also the ardbir is initially set with an incorrect 5C offset for some strange reason.

I've noticed those last few degrees are v slow.

Any advice from a PID tuner out there?

It must be twenty years since I last tuned a pid loop, it's not always necessary to use the derivative component, and it may be easier to tune using just proportional and integral settings. I've ordered the thermocouples for my controller/logger last night but will ship via the cheapest option on Shipitto as they were looking for $60 for postage direct from Brewers hardware. I should add that the settings which I get for my set up may not suit yours as I've got two elements running through the ssr.
That having been said here's a useful link to tuning a brew vessel
http://onbrewing.com/pid-tuning/
Plus he has on online app, here's the Readme;
https://github.com/jangevaare/pidcalculateR/blob/master/README.md
And here's the app
https://jangevaare.shinyapps.io/pidcalculateR/

Cheers.

The app is super easy to use however, I cannot drive the Ardbir to operate manually via pwm only. In manual you can only set a temperature and the ardbir works as a pid controller. It would be very handy if there was an option to operate as a pwm directly from the manual screen to simplify tuning the pid control

Quote from: Sorcerers Apprentice on March 31, 2016, 02:15:39 PM
The app is super easy to use however, I cannot drive the Ardbir to operate manually via pwm only. In manual you can only set a temperature and the ardbir works as a pid controller. It would be very handy if there was an option to operate as a pwm directly from the manual screen to simplify tuning the pid control

You can technically, assuming they haven't put some min and max values in place.

The ArdBir has two modes - temp and PWM. Once you reach your boil temp, as set in the parameters menu, it automatically switches to pwm. I haven't tried it, but you should be able to set it to boil at 0C and then just use PWM as you'd normally expect.

The ArdBir really does miss a data logging mode though. That and a webpage/mobile app and it would be stellar. I think BrewPi will eventually get there in this regard, in about 5 years :P

From memory you're only able to adjust the boil temp to only 3-4°C below 100°C.

If you rewrote the code you could bring figures down to mash levels (should be easy enough to find - although could be in Italian).

Adapted for a Spark type board (built in WiFi, etc), you'd really have a great device.

It's quite limited in that it uses the full 32k on an Arduino.

Plus I don't think you can step past alpha amylase step without heating to a minimum of 60C, you can't jump directly to boil, and it uses pid to reach boil temp then reverts to pwm

I was in Lidl yesterday and picked up one of their patio/balcony parasols for around €14. I drilled 2 x 32mm holes in my Hill Billy brewing table and now have an all weather brewing station 😆
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I may have to change the name from The Dalek to The Caped Crusader 😆

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Make sure its tied down!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu_1qbdy3Ys

Is it not a Dalek disguising itself as a cocktail  :D

Quote from: DEMPSEY on April 25, 2016, 04:45:52 PM
Is it not a Dalek disguising itself as a cocktail  :D

Always the hurtful comments 😢

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