by jvetter
29. December 2008 10:00
This is the third post in a five part series on the updates made to my
beer stand for the Jan 3rd brew. Here are links to the previous post:
Theres just a few things left to talk about.
- Stand power management (Pictures 1-3): this was another main concern of mine, how to properly power the stand. My requirements for power were as follows: the ability to plug in power (no dangling extension cords), panel/pump re-movability, and protection water. Pretty much all of these has been met, except for maybe some more rigorous water protection. Plug-in power will be provided by a standard IEC power entry plug (kind used to power PCs). I attached a water proof outlet box to the bottom of the stand (Picture 1), with an the embedded IEC connector. The back of this connection goes directly into an outdoor GFCI receptacle using a standard AC plug. The GFCI is then goes directly to the panel which connects to another IEC plug. Standard AC plugs were used to connect to the GFCI in case I want to remove it in the future. This maybe necessary if I connect the stand directly to a GFCI circuit. Lastly, picture 3 shows that the power power cord is also connected to the panel using standard plugs so that the pump can be removed for cleaning. See description #3 below.
- Power protection (Picture 2): Some of this was described in description #1 above, but its important so I created a separate bullet. The system uses an outdoor GFCI inline plug to prevent shorts and electric shock if water gets into any of the circuits causing a voltage swing. This should prevent against any inadvertent water splashes or panel malfunctions.
- Pump Management (Picture 4-5): the pump regularly needs to be cleaned to ensure good operation and sanitation. This was relatively easy before, but even easier now because it is removable. I purchased a pump mounting bracket from MoreBeer that allows the pump to slide into place. Thus, when I'm ready for cleaning, I can detach the pump AC wire and slide the pump out.
- Bottle Opener (Picture 6): I'm always running in the house to get one, or looking for the one that I previously brought outside, so this made prefect sense.
- HERMS temperature control (Pictures 7-9): this is a wonderful side affect to having the HLT temperature controlling probe. The HLT kettle also has a coil built in for HERMS and on the outlet a temperature gauge for checking the exit temperature of the wort. By monitoring this temperature we could ensure the mash temperature is maintained by adjusting the gas level to meet the desired heat. To automate this I purchased a screw in 2 inch thermowell that was put in place of the temperature gauge. The cool thing is this thermowell is designed to take the exact same temperature gauge that was removed. Thus, if I want I can screw in the temperature gauge into the thermowell for the same results, OR, I can place the HLT temperature probe into the thermowell for automated control from the panel. w00t!
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Experiences in Beer
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