Working on building a cheap self contained CIP pump / heater / storage cart (as well as functioning keg washer). It should be under $350 all total, as opposed to $6,000 like the one at the left, since it it mostly made out of PVC and plastic buckets. The most expensive part on here is the 1.6 hp lawn pump and the 240v RIMs heater and SS triclamp parts. Much thanks to the posts and DIY projects at HomebrewTalk Forums.
Got the new SS Brewtech 31 gallon brew kettle in and started working on adding the new triclamp fittings I wanted. I didn't get the 20 gallon eBrew, because, well, it cost more, didn't really need the heating element (it probably would work with my system) and was ONLY 20 gallons (they don't offer a 30 gallon one). But I needed to add some TC's for thermometers and the 5500W heating element. I had already done this on my converted kegs a couple months ago, so, shouldn't be too bad...
I have been using my HLT or BK to heat PBW cleaner for the fermenter clean up (5-7 gallons of water needed) with CIP spray ball. Normally, this would be perfect to clean just with all my brew setup, but it is less and less convenient to do then. I normally clean all the brew day stuff with scrub pad and bar keeps friend and hot water. The fermenter is 2-3 weeks later and it really screams that it wants just 3 gallons of 180'F PBW. Well, that is close to the minimum volume I can heat in my HLT and it is not great at getting all the liquid out of the vessel (it still has a dip tube and misses about 1/2 gallon on pickup).
Right. I had basically convinced myself that I really didn't need an elaborate $2500 50 amp control panel. After all, I had my two Ranco temp controllers controlling automatic HLT coil by-pass and gas solenoid for HLT temp burner and that all worked smashing. All I wanted out of electric backup was a little faster HLT temp ramp (for large step mashes) and being able to sustain a boil in the cold winter months on a full 14 gallons. That really only needed a simple 30A switch box and I could move the cord from the HLT to the BK easily once that transition was ready...
With the completion of the upgrades to the kettles to have 240v electric elements in the HLT and BK, I now needed to just put in a 30A GFCI breaker and an L14-30R 4 prong outlet (I needed neutral to be able to supply the 120v break out for my Ranco controllers and the pumps). This would then wire via a typical L14-30 generator cord to a breakout/switch box on the brew frame (with proper ground) that would allow me to switch on a 3 prong L6-30 cord that I would plug into either the HLT or the BK, depending on need.
