eBIAB - Single Vessel Electric Brewing System

The High Gravity eBIAB Single Vessel Brewing System is a real game changer for the homebrewer who loves to brew indoors. This is one powerful, precision controlled brewing solution in a compact format that is incredibly easy to use. The EBC-SV electric brewery controller delivers unparalleled temperature control throughout the entire brewing process, from dough in to mash out. Keeping up with the demands of a busy brewing schedule was a very positive experience this year, thanks to the High Gravity single vessel brewing system. Brewing on this system will easily turn your most productive brew days into your most enjoyable brew days ever.

Electric Brewery Controller- Single Vessel [EBC-SV]

At the heart of the EBC-SV controller is the ubiquitous Auber PID Temperature Controller. The Auber PID is a high precision controller with features that include 0.02% accuracy, enhanced fuzzy logic stability control and a bright LED display that is easy to see. Programming the temperature could not be any easier to do, just press the up or down arrow buttons to set the target temperature on the lower green LED display. The readout from the temperature probe is then displayed on the upper red LED display. Once setup the PID controller does the rest, it energizes the heating element inside the kettle as needed to accurately maintain the target temperature.

The Auber PID Temperature Controller

The EBC-SV comes in both 110 volt and 220 volt models, making it the perfect brewing solution for every home brewer. Whether you install a new 220 volt 30 amp circuit, or use an existing one, you will have enough power to brew 10 gallon batches with ease. Built from high quality, readily available components, you can expect this eBIAB system to provide you with years of reliable operation. The temperature controller display comes preset to display in degrees Fahrenheit and using the controller to accurately maintain mash temperature is simple. Just press the up and down buttons to set your target temperature, add your mash water to the kettle and then turn on the Chugger pump.

Wort Going To Spray Nozzle And Temperature Probe

The wort is pumped from the bottom of the kettle, where the electric heating element is located, up to the spray nozzle mounted underneath the kettle lid. The threaded end of the spray nozzle screws into a tee fitting where the temperature probe is mounted. As liquid flows around the probe on it's way to the spray nozzle, the temperature data is fed back to and monitored by the controller. The controller then energizes the heating element as needed in order to maintain the mash set point temperature. 

The Round Knob Is Used To Regulate The Power Going To The Heating Element

The round knob on the side of the controller adjusts the power output to the heating element. When turned fully clockwise the heating element receives the most power, this setting is used to quickly raise the temperature of the liquid in the kettle. Once the liquid reaches a boil turning the knob counter clockwise reduces the amount of power sent to the heating element. To prevent boil overs it is a good practice to reduce the power to the heating element, by turning the knob counter-clockwise, until the wort maintains a steady rolling boil.

Gravity Primed Chugger Pump Setup

The Chugger pump is not self-priming, instead the pump uses gravity to prime itself, as long as the inlet to the pump is positioned lower than the kettle valve. The orientation of the pump head can be changed by removing the four screws that mount the front of the pump head to the pump body. With the screws removed, the pump head can then be rotated as needed to position the inlet below the center line of the pump. To use the pump open the kettle valve then turn on the pump switch, the pump will prime and begin pumping almost immediately.  

Disassembling And Cleaning The Pump Impeller Shaft

Chugger pump impellers rotate around a stationary shaft that is mounted to the pump body. The design uses very close tolerances between the shaft and the impeller bushing, for both maximum performance and quiet operation. If too much sticky wort builds up between the shaft and the impeller, the impeller will bind on the shaft stopping the pump. The magnetic drive on the pump motor turns the impeller. The magnetism used is also strong enough to stop the motor from turning when the impeller binds to the shaft. More detailed instructions on how to disassemble and clean a stuck Chugger pump impeller can be found here.

Cleaning The Heating Element Maximizes Efficiency And Life

At the end of the brewday the kettle, tubing, pump, chiller and spray nozzle is easily cleaned by mixing a spoonful of Oxi-Clean Free in 2 gallons of water and heating it to 140F. Add the water to the kettle then mix in the Oxi-Clean Free and run the pump with the controller set point temperature set to 140F. Use a bristle brush and sponge to clean any heavier buildup from the kettle and then empty the kettle and repeat the process using clean water. It is important to remove all debris from the system before it has time to dry and to then flush the system with clean water until it runs clear. Thoroughly clean the system after each use, to prevent the pump impeller from sticking, and to make sure it is always ready to go.   

Clogged Shut Off Type Disconnect (On Right)

The HFC 35 Polysulfide High Flow Quick Disconnects that shipped with the system are easy to use and make connection changes a snap. Unlike metal disconnects that transfer heat quickly after hot wort has been run through them, polysulfide disconnects will not burn your hand when changing connections. The HFC 35s are rated for safe operation with liquid temperatures up to 280F. Their large easy to press thumb latches make them perfect for use in brewing systems, especially when used with high quality 1/2" ID food grade silicone tubing.

Replace Shut Off Connectors With Straight Thru Connectors

The shut off type connectors that came with the system are prone to clogging whenever a large enough piece of grain enters the tubing. With brew in a bag brewing grain can escape through a hole in the grain bag and then get sucked up by the pump. Once enough grain gets lodged inside the shut off valve the tubing will become blocked and wort circulation will stop. Replacing the shut off type connectors with straight thru type connectors will prevent the connectors from becoming blocked. To eliminate any chance of blockage the connectors can be positioned so the interior cross bars are aligned, providing the largest open area inside the connectors.    

High Gravity eBIAB Brewroom Build

Almost a year ago I started researching all the electric brewing system options that were available at the time and a few that were soon to be released. The Braumeister Electric All-Grain Brewing System looked like a quality product but there were a few things that I didn't like right off the bat. A 20 liter unit cost two thousand dollars, a bit too pricy for my budget, and the unit while very compact was imported and probably would cost a lot of money and downtime to have repaired. The unit's proprietary digital temperature readout was in centigrade only and the controller required a European 220 volt connector, I would have to hire an electrician to make the necessary changes to adapt to the North American 220 volt line I already had run.

My hopes faded for buying the new Blichmann electric K-RIMS brewing system too, it was really nice but again a little to expensive for my budget. There were also several rounds of delays as the availability dates for the electric K-RIMS system kept getting pushed out, although it may be available now it's been over a month since I checked. Finally I decided on the High Gravity BIAB Electric Brewing System from High Gravity Homebrewing And Winemaking in Tulsa, OK. I liked the price of this unit because it didn't wipe out my entire budget, I'd still have enough money left over to pay for the remaining items the brew room would need.

The entire system shipped in a single Bayou Classic box and was delivered about two weeks after I ordered it. It's a very compact one kettle brewing system that came with a Chugger pump, the High Gravity custom built EBC-SV digital temperature controller and a stainless steel probe. Some assembly was required like screwing the heating element into the pre-drilled hole in the kettle, assembling the quick connects and stainless steel couplings and reorienting the stainless steel pump head to a vertical position.

High Gravity 62 Quart BIAB Electric Brewing System

I bought the 62 quart version that uses a 220 volt 30 amp GFIC line to power a single 4500 watt ultra low watt density stainless steel heating element. The only upgraded option was substituting the half inch reinforced PVC with high temperature silicon tubing for a few extra dollars. Other than that everything needed to get the system up an running was included in the base price. Referring to the directions that came with the unit I screwed the fittings together and placed the kettle, pump and controller in a configuration that worked best and then cut the tubing to length as needed to connect them together. It's a good idea to fill the kettle half way with water and let it sit overnight to check for leaks when connecting the heating element. Use Teflon tape on all of the connections making sure to tighten them enough and then run a test batch of water through the pump and kettle to check every connection for leaks before brewday.

Movable Ventilation Hood And Grain Hoist

It wasn't too long after the electric BIAB system arrived that I started reading on home brewing forums like HomeBrewTalk and the BeerBorg just how awkward and challenging it was to lift the hot wort soaked grain bag out of the kettle to drain after the mash. The twenty pounds of dry grain in a recipe translated to sixty pounds when wet, which is way too much for a person to handle unassisted. An indoor brew room also requires enough ventilation to remove about two gallons of boil vapors on a typical brewday to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. The best placement for the ventilation hood to remove the vapors, and an overhead pulley to help lift and hold the wet grain bag, is directly over the kettle. Clearly something had to give so I used an articulating, swivel and tilt TV wall mount to hang the ventilation hood and a flexible exhaust duct to connect the air discharge to the wall vent.

Grain Basket Attached To Overhead Pulley

Up until now I've seen and read a lot of different ways home brewers have come up with for lifting these hot, wet, heavy grain bags and to me mostly all of them are scarey. I've watched videos of folks hanging their grain bags to drain into their kettles from kitchen cabinet doors, two by fours held in both hands as they struggled to keep a tight grip and ladders rigged with rope and pulleys. To me the scariest method of all was lifting a basket full of wet grains by hand and then trying to tip the basket on an angle so it would sit on the top rim of the kettle without falling into the hot wort and making a splash. Clearly having a fixed pulley directly over the center of the kettle was the best way to go. A rope threaded through the pulley overhead, with a latched hook for the basket handle on one end, could then be used to safely lift the heavy grains out of the wort and the other end of the rope tied off to a wall cleat to hold the basket of grains up until they drained.

Adjustable Hood Mount Grain Hoist And Wall Vent

Obviously the exhaust hood had to be mounted so that it could be moved out of the way in order to drop the grain hoist down and use it to lift the wet grains. After a little research for an affordable swivel mount I found one that met all the requirements for my installation, an articulated swivel and tilt TV wall mount capable of supporting up to sixty pounds was just what I needed. After a quick look in a couple of local big box appliance stores I was able to buy one and use it to mount the exhaust hood to the wall exactly how I had envisioned it. Since every good design begins with a scale drawing as the parts for the brew room were delivered I started taking measurements of the components and writing them down in a notebook. Once all the component dimensions were recorded on a rough sketch I created a detailed scale drawing showing plan, elevation and end views of the brewing area, table, kettle, basket, hoist and ventilation hood. The time that went into planning everything on paper this way before actually doing the installation was well worth the effort and actually saved time in the long run.

Planning On Paper First Saves Time

Once everything started to look good on paper I was ready to take out the electric drill, bits, saw and start the installation. I used a three speed exhaust hood with a fan rated at 780 cfm that was capable of changing all the air in the brewroom once every eight minutes. For maximum performance the manufacturer recommended hanging the hood centered over the kettle with the bottom of the hood between 30 and 48 inches above the top of the kettle. The bottom of my exhaust hood ended up being closer to 30 inches from the top of the kettle, the smaller distance from the kettle will make exhausting the heat and boil vapors outside easier to do. There is also a formula for calculating the cfm size of the exhaust fan based on the number of watts the heating element is rated at. Where a 4500 watt heating element divided by 17.6 equals a 255 cfm fan size. But again the distance from the exhaust hood to the kettle and the location of the hood, whether it's wall mounted or free standing, will all weigh into the final calculations.

Chugger Pump With Stainless Steel Head

The Chugger pump isn't self priming so the orientation of the pump head had to be changed to point the inlet down below the table top. You do this by removing the four screws that hold the stainless steel pump head onto the magnetic drive that is in turn mounted to the motor. Remove the four screws and turn the pump head a quarter turn until the inlet is pointing down, then securely tighten the four screws again. Doing this will allow liquid to drain from the kettle filling up the tubing leading to the pump inlet so the pump doesn't become air bound. It's a good idea to put a quarter inch silicone trivet or potholder underneath the kettle to prevent heat from kettle bottom from dissipating into the table top. A small piece of similar material bolted between the pump base and table will prevent noise transfer during operation although these pumps are very quite when the run.

Get To Know Your Water

Now that all of the brewing hardware is in place it's time to start thinking about using the new BIAB brewing process. I've been a single infusion mash fly sparger ever since first moving to all grain brewing, now I'll have to adapt to the changes involved with brewing on an automated system. The Electric Brewery Controller - Single Vessel (EBC-SV) will take the work out of maintaining temperatures and in time with a little practice will be ideal for doing stepped mash recipes opening the door to a whole new world of brewing possibilities. The BIAB brewing process itself requires almost all of the brewing water to be added at the start of the mash, which makes for a pretty thin mash thickness. The thinner mash thickness during the mash, makes maintaining the correct pH range of the brewing water at the start, even more important. After all the prospect of brewing with the BIAB method instead of infusion mashing was what led me to research brewing water properties in the first place.