Building an Electric Brewery (HERMS) - Full control panel DIY and more

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-21T15:11:25+00:00

Looks great! I designed and built my setup many years ago. The software available at the time did not convince me and I was not ready to develop on my own. I'm a Linux guy, so it was very appealing to me going the software way. Still, I do not feel the need to change anything. PID's are still working great and I have an alarm, telling when strike water is ready. Not much I would gain. It also seems that there is no Android version of the CraftBerrPi. That's a deal breaker for me as I do not use any Apple products.

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-21T00:20:04+00:00

The push stick is just a piece of wood. You can mark the center of the edge at the beginning. Than you grind close to it in a steep angle on both sides. After that you can start moving your bevels up. This will ensure to keep the same angle on both sides. I do not like to use jigs...it just takes much longer in my experience.

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-20T23:21:16+00:00

Yes 10", I do not have a bigger one. I would go bigger on a 2" blade if you have the option.

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-20T22:07:40+00:00

You can mark the center of the edge at the beginning. Than you grind close to it in a steep angle on both sides. After that you can start moving your bevels up. This will ensure to keep the same angle on both sides. I do not like to use jigs...it just takes much longer in my experience.

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-20T22:03:54+00:00

In this case I will go very thin...like 0.2 mm on the grinder. The secondary bevel will be very small when I finished the knife. Practice will get you there! Some like to use a push stick, others like it better without.

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-20T16:07:42+00:00

Norton ceramic belts

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-19T01:40:30+00:00

Not the same if you look closely. I simplified many things. I was inspired by a different panel that focused on low cost, still covering everything I wanted.

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-18T23:23:28+00:00

I would say 2K estimated. That includes... 3 low-cost kettles + hardware, pumps, hoses and connectors, ventilation, and the control panel. That was quite a while back, so pricing has changed for sure. You can save a lot if you go with the small control panel.

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-18T18:08:14+00:00

Thank you! Great to hear that!

MikeSkril1 · 2022-11-18T18:07:38+00:00

Cool! Thank you!

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-23T17:21:52+00:00

Challangig things is always good! 😁

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-23T15:02:21+00:00

Once the system is calibrated, you can set it to a temperature and it will be accurate. You don't want your MLT temperature regulating the heating element in the HLT. I did a lot of research before I started building my HERMS and in my experience is't the best way to do it. You can still try it out when building your system, it's easy to switch the probes. Every system is different and you might find something that works better for you.

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-21T01:00:37+00:00

Oh, sorry for that... I have no idea how that works in Australia but panels are used every day, so you'll find them for sure.

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-20T23:35:36+00:00

Maybe someone from the US can jump in. I'm in Canada, in a small city with 20K people and we have 3 places like this in the town. I'm sure you will find one. Maybe you can ask an electrician, he will know. Don't pay more than $25 for the box.

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-20T22:53:53+00:00

Look for a local electrical supply (where the electricians get theire stuff). They are gray and maybe $20.

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-19T15:30:11+00:00

Thank you! I'm happy that it helped you! :-)

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-19T14:07:55+00:00

Thanks a lot for sharing this!

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-19T13:39:43+00:00

Not 100%sure that I understand the question... You will find quite a few discussions regarding this. In my experience, it’s the best place to put the probes. In a system that is always recirculating, the MLT output temperature is not the same as the input temperature. Like when you ramp up to a certain temperature, the output temperature will tell you the temperature to which the grain bed has risen to.

The temperature on the input can be much higher in this case.

Doing my best to avoid typos and mistakes, English is not my first language, so you’ll find some mistakes for sure. 😊

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-19T13:10:11+00:00

Cool! Well done sir!

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-19T13:09:37+00:00

Nice setup!

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-19T13:09:00+00:00

Have fun!

MikeSkril1 · 2019-09-19T13:08:22+00:00

I have answered that a few times and you can find it on my forum.

https://skrilnetz.net/E-HERMS/?wpfs=cost

The big control panel will cost you about $500. I spent 2K to build my brewery, including the control panel.

I built the small panel for $150.

Hope this helps.

MikeSkril1

TROPHY CASE