Modified Blichmann BrewEasy for Canada

xpapax · Joined: 07 Nov 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Ottawa, ON

I've only done extract brewing up till now, and when I joined the military I sold off my kettle. But it's time for me to start getting back into brewing and want to upgrade to be able to do All Grain.

Being in Canada I want to go electric because of the length of winters, and the fact that being military there is a chance I will end up in a home (owned or rented) that does not easily allow for the use of gas, but a dryer outlet (240v/30a) is a safe bet.

Currently real estate in the basement is a premium so when I started doing some research and came across the Blichmann BrewEasy I thought it was an amazing idea. I know it will not allow me to hit the same numbers as a 3 vessel system, but I'm okay with that if I can limit the floor footprint.

It was not until after I became "sold" on a BrewEasy that I found out they aren't sold in Canada anymore due to CSA approval issues. I also started doing more reading on this site about the pros / cons of the BoilCoil vs other heating elements, and am now torn between ordering a system from the US knowing the CSA issues, or possibly the more preferred route would be to buy and build in stages but create the system using Camco heating elements. This would allow me to purchase a BK now and at least make an extract batch on the stove while gathering the required materials, and also allow the cost to be spread out a little.

My questions to all of you are:

Has anyone built a "BrewEasy" / K-RIMS system using traditional heating elements? I don't see any issues as it's really only changing the element, and controller, but would love some feedback.

Is there a better option? I'm trying to avoid BIAB as I want to go 10 Gallon.

Is ordering from the US the best option? Even with the exchange rate, shipping (their online quote), and duty it is a reasonable price.

Thank you,

**kal** · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2017 8:39 pm Post subject:

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I don't see why you couldn't use our Camco elements made for brewing instead of the Blichmann coils - at the end of the day heat is heat.

Good luck with the build!

Kal

Genuine · Joined: 31 May 2018 Posts: 8 Location: Putnam/Dayville, CT

I'm using a similiar system to the BrewEasy - Essentially a 2 Vessel Full Volume no sparge brew system:

And I'm using a 5500w Element that's mounted in BrewHardware's HotRod Heat Stick. Using a JayBird False bottom in the mash tun, it gravity drains to the brew kettle, it gets 83% efficiency which I'm plenty happy with.

That is a system I built with a buddy and I'm making a replica of it at my house so I can brew when I have a day off, etc.

I'll edit and post a link to my control panel build shortly.

xpapax · Joined: 07 Nov 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Ottawa, ON

Very nice!

Im starting to think I should of built a custom stand like yours for my build. I opted for the Blichmann pots, and easybrew colar for putting the 15g on top of the 20g. I'm going with a Brewtronix controller (got delivered yesterday), and a Camco element with Still Dragon weldless fitting.

The only thing I need to do now is wire it all up and figure out where im going to pu the pump. In the standard Blichmann setup its on a stand with the controller. but since I dont have a controller like that it doesnt make sense for me to have a stand (hence where your build would of been better).

I'll post a picture once i get everything set up

xpapax · Joined: 07 Nov 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Ottawa, ON

So have bought / built 90% to date, still need a hop filter and to punch a hole for the auto sparge arm. Been a long build due to the local store only doing blichmann orders every 4 months.

I'm just at the airport but when I'm back I'll post an update with pictures.

I put the element in last weekend and plugged in everything, got the water to a boil, and stopped there.

Only thing I haven't fully figured out yet is temperature probes. The stock Breweasy uses 1 probe in the output of the pump, the online feedback is that you need to set the temps a little higher than your target temp because of the heat loss between. Well I went with a hose head controller so can use multiple temp probes if I want so I was thinking of adding 2 more, one to each kettle to monitor the temps a bit better and since the system records the temps I can review how well I did hitting targets.

xpapax · Joined: 07 Nov 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Ottawa, ON

Here are a few pictures and me doing some testing with the system yesterday. It still needs a hop stopper, I want to put a whirlpool return for use with the chiller, and a hood vent.

Because I didn't go with the blichmann tower I have no good way of mounting the pump. My plan was to mount it to my little cart I have the controller on but it is at the same height as the output of the kettle so I'm not sure I will get enough gravity feed.

http://imgur.com/a/QbEwmgN

Dave821 · Joined: 20 Jan 2020 Posts: 1 Location: Pickering, Ontario

Hi Everyone, I'm new. I've been all over the internet and back and have a variety of questions, but this thread seems like the right place. If I'm wrong or should start a new one, please tell me.

Here is where I'm at:

1. I live in Pickering, Ontario. My basement is furnished, and I don’t want to brew down there as I don’t really have room to dedicate to a brewery with a hood vent, plumbing and drainage.

2. As a result, I have been brewing in my garage for about 6 months on a cheaply built propane BIAB. No-name kettle with a ball valve, a lobster tank to keep the bag off the bottom to avoid scorching. We use a small pully attached to a ladder to get the bag out. We have a cheep amazon pump to do ad-hoc sparging during the mash.

3. We hit the occasional winter night at -20 C in the garage. Not comfortable to brew in the winter. To avoid going into the basement, I’ve paid (more than I care to confirm, because a vent hood would have been cheaper) to repair a radiant heater that the previous owners had in the garage.

4. I want to brew in the winter, with the garage door closed, so I want to go electric!

5. The internet has convinced me that the Blichmann EasyBrew set up is best for what I’m looking for. I’m still not that good at brewing and I like the small footprint it will have in my garage. I’m not married to the idea of 2V RIMS, but it’s cheeper and won’t anger my wife as much. I can set the whole thing up on some cinderblocks (I don’t need the stand…) and then pump into the fermentation tank. Unfortunately, I can’t get this in Canada.

6. My biggest concern about using the set-up on this site is that I don’t trust myself or my lack of tools to do a lot of this work. I’m particularly concerned about drilling a hole into a brand new Blichmann kettle. I don’t have access to a drill press or a punch unit and wouldn’t know how to use them if I did.

7. I’m also not building my own controller, so the $2,295 price tag has me very intimidated when compared to $534 for a boilcoil and tower of power, or $395 for the Wort Hog EBC. It can’t be that hard to skirt the delivery issues for smaller parts by getting it from a delivery relay in Buffalo.

8. Help.

a. Should I care that the Blichmann stuff is not CSA approved, given that I’m doing 10gal batches to give to my friends?

b. Did I miss something about how to get the HLT/BK drilled without doing your own drilling?

**kal** · Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:02 am Post subject:

Welcome to the forum Dave821! If it's any consolation everyone has the jitters when it comes to punching holes in kettles, but if you use the punches I recommend in the build instructions it's dead simple to do and you seriously can't screw up. No drill press needed. Good luck!

Kal