Finally tested the electric boiler using a Partlow 1160+ on loan from a friend until I can pick up a Auber Instruments solution. During my earlier boil test, I’ve noticed when adjusting the manual mode that I was only able to stabilize a vigorous boil at around 14% power. If I adjusted any lower, I would lose and boil. Unlike gas burners that generate a constant direct heat source, which seems to be easy to adjust, an immersed heating source doesn’t appear to maintain a rolling boil that brewer’s attempt to achieve.

I’m almost certain that it has to do with a setting on the PID. The output type is set to SSR and the DCV output range settings on the PID was set to 4~20 DCV. The SSR is rated at 240V output, 2~24 DCV input.

Using the system to maintain HLT Strike Temps was flawless. The HLT thermalcouple sensor read the temperature settings pretty accurately according to the analog gauge on the HLT. Only issue I see is getting an accurate temperature reading from the output of the water. I’m almost certain I’m losing 10-15° from the valve and when it hit the grain bed on mash out. I’m using a 1/2″ ID silicone tube about 3′ long, so I’m sure there is a great deal of temperature loss as the water travels between the HLT and MLT. There is no way to really know without a thermostat on the output. All I can do is guess.

I did two batches of American Wheat Beer. This recipe could be considered a Hefewiezen, but I have intentions of putting strawberries and honey.

Batch 1 Mash

I did a fly-sparging mash. Mashed at 152° for a 60 minute rest and fly-sparged with the silicone hose resting on the grain bed. It took nearly an hour to fly-sparge. I had a fly-sparge arm configured, but had some issues with it so I will have to redesign it for the next brew. I ended up measuring a 1.040 OG. Much lower than I expected and what BrewToad provided, but getting a second opinion from a fellow brewer using a different tool, I probably wouldn’t have gotten more than a 1.045.

Batch 1 Boil

During the boil I didn’t start my boil counter, so the boil time was uncertain. I’m guessing from phone log events the boil time was 70 minutes. The boil evaporation rate was really high, it was losing 2.25 gallons per hour. I had to top off to make volume during the boil.

Batch 2 Mash

I did a batch sparge. Mashed at 155° for a 60 minute rest. By the end of the mash rest, it dropped 3°. I lautered and vorlouf the first runnings into the BK and did another 30 minute mash rest to rinse the grains and hit pre-boil volume for the second runnings. I got a 1.040 OG reading on this one as well. I feel this batch will be similar to the first batch.

Batch 2 Boil

Since there was no change to the evaporation rate, I decided to add 2.25 gallons of water to the wort volume due to high evaporation rate. Pre-boil was 8.25 gallons of wort. I didn’t measure the pre-boil OG.

Fermentation

Over night had a major blow out. A 12 ounce jar was not enough to hold out the high flocculation from an American Hefeweizen yeast. Created a huge mess in the fermenation chamber. I switched the 12 ounce jar to a 1/2 filled 1 gallon jug.

Overall Assessment

Two batch brewing made it a very long day. It didn’t help that I was still trying to learn my electric system at the same time. I wasn’t satisfied of the boil sessions as I anticipated because I expected the PID to maintain what I understand is a rolling boil, but appeared to be a very vigorous boil. I’d have to make an attempt to visit one of my other electric brewer friends during their boil session and see how their BK performs. I’m certain that there is something wrong with the settings, because of the evaporate rate.

Mashing was okay, I wished I knew the water output temperature. I could have been lautering at high or low, I wasn’t sure. The HLT measured 180°F, assuming that I was getting at least a 10° loss, again I’m not sure. It didn’t seem like there was a difference in the sparging technique.

I will go back to an IPA recipe that I am more familiar with to see the difference in the system.

The beer in the carboy looked really cloudy. I didn’t use any Irish Moss this time around. I might end up cold crashing the beers before racking to secondary for the fruit additions.

Start time was 8:00am to 9:00pm final clean up. The BK had quite the mess and was hard to clean now there was a lot more inside to wash. I just filled it with 4-5 gallons of water and soaked it with Oxyclean for a few hours to help break up the trub mess. Sponge wiped and rinsed.