For 2 years I nurtured the idea of ​​making a beer brewing machine: I bought a 50-liter pot, a heating element and filters – what happened in the end

Two years ago I got the idea to brew my own beer. The thought haunts me to this day. I dream of opening my own brewery. I have no experience in brewing beer yet, but I have an idea how to make a semi-automatic brewery.

I don’t want to buy ready-made. I would like to create this project with my own hands.

Yesterday I bought a 50 liter stainless steel pot and a 4500 W heating element for 6 rubles. If my wife finds out what I spent the last money on, then I definitely won’t live to see the first brewing of beer.

It remains to make a false bottom, a filter system, a chiller, and budget automation. The only disadvantage of semi-automatic control of the brewery is that each pause will have to be set manually.

This story was sent by my friend Nikolay.

Brewery Control Assembly Accessories

So, all this “music” cost me a pretty penny:

1. Thermostat W 3002 for 12 Volts – 250 rubles.
2. Step-down transformer 12 volts – 200 rubles.
3. 12 Volt pump – 1 rubles.
4. Solid state relay 50 A to control the heating element – 350 rubles.
5. Relay for pump control – 300 rubles.
6. Three-core wire with a cross section of at least four squares (check the price in the shops of your city)
7. Solid state relay cooling radiator – 350 rubles.
8. Fan from a computer 12 volts – 100 rubles.

In total, I plan to spend 15 thousand rubles on the project. In stores, you can buy exactly the same brewery for 30-40 thousand rubles.

Important! In order to calculate the load that a solid state relay can withstand, you need to divide the heating element power by the mains voltage.

In my case: 4500/220 = 20,5 A. So I need a 20 A relay, to which I will attach a cooling radiator and a fan. But I made sure and ordered a 50 amp relay.

The thermostat will work from a step-down transformer. I will connect the pump relay to the solid state relay. The pump will turn on and off along with the heating element. The main thing during assembly is to assemble everything correctly, without confusing the connection of wires to the automation nodes.

The plans are to make automation based on Arduino Uno, but then I will have to learn programming. Without these skills, automation will not work. There will be no problems with assembly. Some parts will fit from a semi-automatic control unit.

The brewery will be universal. On it, I will brew not only beer, but also distill mash for strong alcoholic drinks.

Important! If you order a solid state relay in China, it is better to buy for 50-100 amperes. Be sure to install a cooling radiator and cooler.

Even a beginner can handle the assembly of a semi-automatic control system. There is nothing difficult. LEDs can be connected to the heating element and the pump and displayed on the control panel. They will signal the heating and pumping of the wort.

On Chinese sites, you can look for thermostats with a different marking. I ordered W3002. It is easy to use and set up. I think that it will serve me for a very long time and will not burn out at the first cooking.

A little about Arduino

With Arduino automation, beer brewing is simplified. When the beep sounded, then you need to fill in the malt.

All pauses automatic will withstand itself. For assembly, you will need a 3,5-inch touch screen, Arduino board, shield, relays and wires.

The cost of parts is about 4-5 thousand rubles. When the automation is assembled, you need to install the firmware. This is where programming skills are needed.

Important! It is better to install the automation unit on the wall. In most factory breweries, the automation is bottom mounted. If, God forbid, for any reason, the block is flooded with wort or water, then the equipment will fail.

Brewery sterilization

When brewing, sterility must be observed so that the beer does not “infect” and subsequently does not turn sour. As a sterilizer, I want to use a quartz lamp. Its length is 30 cm. You need to look in electrical stores for a housing from a G 5 lamp.

With the help of an ultraviolet lamp, I will process a 40 liter fermentation tank and the brewery itself. In order for the lamp to work, it must be powered from a 220 volt network through a capacitor. It’s good that it is soldered on my lamp.

The dishes themselves can be treated with weak solutions of iodine or alcohol. The last antiseptic is universal, but quite expensive.

Cheap filter system

Brewing beer is half the trouble. An important process is the filtering of the wort. When making a filter system, you will need a ¾ tee with an internal thread, two filters from a well pump, a silicone hose and a plug.

A through hole is drilled in the plug, into which a copper tube is soldered.

Such a filter to cope with its duties by 100%. It is also suitable for those who brew beer on the stove and maintain temperature pauses in manual mode. In this case, you do not need to cut the tap into the pan and use a false bottom.

Like he expressed all his thoughts and shared his ideas with you. Brew delicious beer! What filter system do you use?