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Electric Heat Stick Brew Kettle Plan

Posted January 28, 2014 By Landis V

20140104_223859I mentioned in a recent post that I had come into the opportunity to use a nice size stainless steel (formerly steam jacketed) pot as a brew kettle.  My initial thought was that I needed to purchase a considerably larger propane burner with a much higher BTU output, but a friend who has recently completed an electric setup in a converted 15 gallon keg brought up the possibility of crafting a heat stick.

I was somewhat familiar with electric systems from hearing his progress as he went through the build process, but was unfamiliar with electric heat sticks.  The gist of the idea is using a heating element from an electric water heater  as the heat source for a boil kettle.  Perfect for a setup with a borrowed kettle that I don’t want to modify!

There are a number of reference articles, posts, and threads for building full electric systems with kettle-mounted elements, but brewing with heat sticks seems to be a somewhat newer trend.  Even so, there are a number of designs in existence.  The latest generally seem to use an ultra low watt density element, though there are many reports that the regular elements are perfectly suitable and don’t impact even very light lagers.  I’ve already found an element that I think will be suitable assuming I have sufficient watt output.

This post is another of my evolving “project in progress” posts, so it will change and evolve as the project moves from research, planning, and design through the build, test, and finalization phases.

Project potential part/price/location list

Stainless build options/discussion threads

Electrical and Wiring

Abandoned Ideas

2″ Copper Endcap Threaded Into 2″ Stainless Steel Female Cap

20140128_194050 20140128_194035 20140128_194017 2" copper endcap, next to a quarter for thickness comparison.

One of my thoughts was to thread (NPT) the outside of a 2″ copper endcap, apply teflon tape, and thread it into a 2″ stainless steel endcap.  I would bore a centered hole in both caps, and the copper cap would be threaded onto the heating element, flat side toward the element.  An elbow would be threaded into the stainless steel cap and attached to a piece of stainless steel pipe through which wiring for the element would have been run.

I believe I have a threader which would have allowed me to thread the copper endcap, but I had several concerns about the longevity of the design in addition to the questionable cost-effectiveness.  Even Chinese stainless steel 2″ endcaps are north of $20, and that would not include any boring/threading/machining.  I was also concerned about the durability of the union between the relatively thin copper endcap (shown with a quarter standing beside it in the picture above for comparison) and the threaded fitting of the element.

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Reconfiguring a DD-WRT/OpenWRT/Tomato device for VLAN Trunking

Posted January 27, 2014 By Landis V

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Default_internal_device_networks
http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/asus/rt-n16#specific.configuration
http://www.christopherkois.com/?p=497

I had looked this (or something like it) up not that long ago as I wanted to do some VLAN trunking through my Asus RT-N16, and I managed to lose it before getting it implemented.  It took a little bit of digging, but I think this got me back to a good starting point at least.

My plan is to trunk several networks from my basement up to a manged switch upstairs, from which I will support a second WAN router for a test network as well as an internal 5GHz wireless network , and possibly some additional internal segmented networks.  I have quite some distance to go to accomplish this yet, but at least now I have the base reference to the physical/internal port mappings again.  That’s an hour and a half I won’t have to spend next time.

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DIY Pin Lock Socket – Mr.Beer® Fans Forum

Posted January 25, 2014 By Landis V

http://www.mrbeerfans.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/276496/DIY_Pin_Lock_Socket.html

DIY post/pin socket for pin lock kegs.

DIY post/pin socket for pin lock kegs.

I was at Menards the other day and it crossed my mind that I needed make one of these so I could place the o-rings on my pin lock dip tubes.  I picked up a Mastercraft deep well 13/16″ socket, finally got around to cutting the slots in it today, and it works great.  My socket as it came out appears to the left, it took about 15 minutes with some very flimsy/lightweight cutoff wheels in my Dremel-like tool.

As I was looking at the picture, it occurred to me that it might save someone some time in the future if they could simply mark and cut rather than line up and mark the pins.  Pretty straightforward to do with either a six point or twelve point socket.  I’ve attached a couple of pictures below that show which of the points you’d need to cut for both a six and twelve point socket.

12pointsocketpinlock hexpinsocket

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DIY Stir Plate Build

Posted January 25, 2014 By Landis V

I recently posted a link to a DIY stir plate build and needed to get started on my own list to keep track of supplies I have, supplies I need, and where I’m at in that task.  (Note:  As of 2/5, I completed this mostly with equipment I had on hand.)

Part List

List of parts and prices for the build.

  • 120mm Computer case fan
    • Had on hand, typically available for <$5 if you look (techbargains.com, slickdeals.net)
  • Erlenmeyer 2000ml flask
    • (Purchased) Amazon $14.25 (10-Jan-14)
  • Epoxy
    • JB Weld, had on hand, Menards $4.67/Amazon $6.64/Wal Mart $4.67
      • I was surprised to discover that this stuff apparently does actually contain steel.  While affixing the washer to my fan, I observed a small finger of the blended epoxy creeping out from under the washer and towards my magnet.  I’d suggest marking the position of your magnet(s) and centering based on your marks, and not attempting to assemble with the magnets in place.  Otherwise, you may find them epoxied in place!
  • Misc hardware (nuts/bolts/washers for table attachment/standoff)
    • Had on hand.  Used rubber anti-vibration pads that came with the case fan I replaced with the one I had on hand.  I just set the table on top of the fan on the side with the rubber pads protruding and approximately center it.
  • Neodymium/rare earth magnets
  • Stir bars
  • Table to support Erlenmeyer flask above fan
    • Had on hand/made from a ~10″ square piece of plastic, probably about 1/8″ thick, that came from one of those old lights that uses the heat from the bulb to turn an impeller (propeller? should look this up I guess) to cast a rotating image on walls/ceiling through a cellophane medium.
  • Washer (large)
    • Had on hand; if you don’t, less than a buck at the local hardware.
  • 12V Power supply
    • I had one of these on hand that already had a power switch, and had the quick wiring disconnects so I could just tie it right onto the red and black leads from my fan.
  • Potentiometer
    • I picked up a potentiometer from Radio Shack to allow me to control the speed, but I’m not sure I’m going to need it.

Build Process

The build process is more or less as described in the original article I linked to.  I simply centered the large washer on the hub for my case fan and glued it in place with J-B Weld epoxy.  As I noted, J-B Weld does appear to actually contain some steel, so I recommend mounting the washer without having the magnets stuck to it.  Once the epoxy hardens, gently place the magnets on the washer approximately across from each other, spin the fan, and try to balance it as well as possible.  I found that you can place the stir bar across the magnets directly and it helps to visualize how well it will be centered above the fan hub, and ultimately how efficiently and quietly the stir plate will operate.

Below are a few build/post build pictures.

20140125_150610 20140125_150618 20140125_150701 20140125_150725 20140125_150910 20140125_150943

Video of initial test

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Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

– C. S. Lewis

Bev-Seal Ultra 235 Notes

Posted January 24, 2014 By Landis V

Reason and Purpose

When I first started to consider the process of fabricating my own keezer, there was a great deal I didn’t know and many components with which I was unfamiliar.  I did know that vinyl tubing has a tendency to influence the mediums it transports, and I wanted to get an idea how much influence “beer line” typically has upon its subject.  It was this threadHBT60380 which first introduced me to Accuflex’s Bev-Seal Ultra Series 235, and from there I was off to the races.  I’ve reached the point where the amount of information I’ve accumulated on this product is worthy of its own post, which will hopefully allow me to take a little bit of noise out of some of my other marginally related posts, instead substituting a link back here.

Description and Characteristics

Bev-Seal Ultra Series 235 tubing hoseThomasnet is a flexible barrier tubing manufactured by Accuflex.  They describe it as a truly flushable dual barrier product allowing quick flavor changes, even for pungent flavors.  It utilizes their trademarked Glas-Flex polymer inner barrier liner, which they claim is “flushable, glass-smooth, non-porous, non-absorbent, non-reactive, taste-free, FDA sanctioned, and NSF51/NSF61 accepted.”Accuflex Kal on the Homebrew Talk forums vouches for these characteristics with independent testing of water left sitting in distribution lines. HBT60380 At the time that thread began, this product was unavailable in 3/16″ ID – which tends to be highly suitable for the short runs commonly found in home built distribution systems – and apparently remained that way for several years.

Forum thread discussing/recommending use of 3/16″ Bev-Seal to reduce foaming, especially on shorter runs and recommendations on how to install.

For 3/16″ ID tubing, 2PSI restriction per foot (necessary for balancing the distribution system), and volume of .18oz per foot (nice to know so I can tell how many ounces of flat beer I might get in a pour after a long rest)  per CHI 24-Jan-14.  At least one source indicates this is far higher than the restriction rate they have found, reporting restriction of .45PSI.

Part number for 3/16″ID series is 235-05620-XX, where XX represents line numbering and/or color on the tubing.

A typical Part Number is 235-08620-XX for a 500 ft. spool of 3/8” size tubing, where “XX” indicates the number to be imprinted (use “00” for unnumbered tubing). The color coding is in the form of  colored strips 120° apart, and number and color coding is as follows: XX = 01 – Blue; 02 – Black; 03 – Red; 04 – Green; 05 – Yellow; 06 – Orange; 07 – Brown; 08 – White; 09 – Pink; 10 – Purple; 11 – Blue; 12 – Black; 13 – Red; 14 – Green; etc. Thomasnet

Footnotes

Accuflex:  Accuflex Bev-Seal Ultra product catalog, retrieved 24-Jan-14, LV
HBT60380: Homebrew Talk forum post documenting testing of a variety of tubing types and their impact on flavor, retrieved 24-Jan-14, LV
Thomasnet: Thomasnet spec sheet for Accuflex products, retrieved 24-Jan-14, LV

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About | Alpine Linux

Posted January 22, 2014 By Landis V

http://alpinelinux.org/about

Interesting build.  I have traditionally looked at Devil Linux in the past for firewall applications, but this may be another to check out.

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