Consecutive Double Barrel Process

Last week, I posted diagrams of the Double Barrel Process I dreamed up, which is just brewing two 1bbl batches simultaneously. The Double Barrel Process was described in three stages:

• Stage 1 - Mash/Recirculate
• Stage 2 - Sparge/Run Off
• Stage 3 - Whirlpool/Chill/to Fermentor

There were a total of 16 steps described in these 3 stages, and the BCS-462 controls much of the process, with the manual part being limited to things like loading grain, pressing or clicking buttons, watching, turning valves, removing grain and cleaning.

The Consecutive Double Barrel Process starts the same way and adds a new double barrel process as soon as the mash tuns from the first process are free. I get really excited thinking about brewing four different 1bbl batches of beer in a single brew day, but until I actually do it, I gotta issue a caveat. Can't wait until I can come back here and strike that sentence out. The Consecutive Double Barrel brewday process can be described in five stages (a total of 31 steps).

• Stage 1 - Mash/Recirculate
• Stage 2 - Sparge/Run Off
• Stage 3 - Boil/WP/Chill/to FV & Re-Mash
• Stage 4 - Sparge/Run Off
• Stage 5 - Whirlpool/Chill/to Fermentor

Stage 1 and 2 are exactly the same for the Double Barrel and Consecutive Double Barrel.

 

Stage 3 is the most complicated, but again the BCS-462 is controlling to a large extent. Because the step numbers for Double Barrel and Consecutive Double Barrel diverge at Stage 3, I'll describe stages 3 through 5 in detail below. However, you might want to note that Stage 4 is a repeat of Stage 2, and Stage 5 is the same as Stage 3 of the Double Barrel process.

Note that as you enter the third stage, the state of the system is that:

• K1 and K3 have pre-boil wort and close to a boil
• K5 is full of sparge water at 170F (re: Step 07), is recirculating (re: Step 02) and is in "K5 HLT Fill/Heat State"
• K2 and K4 are full of spent grains

Step 13 - press "Process Pause" button on Main Enclosure (or click Win0 in BCS-462 interface) to stop "K5 HLT Fill/Heat" state; K5 pump remains on; Set new temperature in BCS-462 interface; press "Process Continue" button on Main Enclosure (or click Win0 in BCS-462 interface) to re-enter "K5 HLT Fill/Heat" state (since K5 is full, and the water temperature higher than desired, you are now just waiting for the water temp to drop to strike temp; Use this time to clean out the spent grains from K2 and K4)

Step 14 - After HLT water is at desired temperature, press "Process Pause" button on Main Enclosure (or click Win0 in BCS-462 interface) to stop "K5 HLT Fill/Heat" state; K5 pump remains on; open valves at K5 pump exit and K4 main port; watch K5 sight glass; when Level 1 minus Level 2 equals desired quantity of strike water, close valves and stir mash.

Step 15 - This step can begin anytime after K5 pump exit valve is closed in Step 14; press "Process Continue" button on Main Enclosure (or click Win0 in BCS-462 interface) to fill/heat entering "K5 HLT Fill/Heat" state; BCS-462 controller opens TWH solenoid valve to send 160F water to HLT; Controller closes TWH solenoid valve on K5 float switch signal; Controller turns on K5 burner as necessary to raise the water temperature up from 160F to precise strike temperature desired.

Step 16 - After stirring mash in K4, open valves to prime K4 pump and permit recirculation; Enable BCS-462's "Kettle4" process; click Win0 in BCS-462 interface to start mash steps; Controller turns on K4 pump and K4 burner as necessary to maintain or step up mash temperature; when mash is complete, controller stops K4 pump and K4 burner activity.

Step 17 - After HLT water is at desired temperature, press "Process Pause" button on Main Enclosure (or click Win0 in BCS-462 interface) to stop "K5 HLT Fill/Heat" state; K5 pump remains on; open valves at K5 pump exit and K2 main port; watch K5 sight glass; when Level 1 minus Level 2 equals desired quantity of strike water, close valves and stir mash.

Step 18 - This step can begin anytime after K5 pump exit valve is closed in Step 17; press "Process Continue" button on Main Enclosure (or click Win0 in BCS-462 interface) to fill/heat entering "K5 HLT Fill/Heat" state; BCS-462 controller opens TWH solenoid valve to send 160F water to HLT; Controller closes TWH solenoid valve on K5 float switch signal; Controller turns on K5 burner as necessary to raise the water temperature up from 160F to precise sparge water temperature desired.

Step 19 - After stirring mash in K2, open valves to prime K2 pump and permit recirculation; Enable BCS-462's "Kettle2" process; click Win0 in BCS-462 interface to start mash steps; Controller turns on K2 pump and K2 burner as necessary to maintain or step up mash temperature; when mash is complete, controller stops K2 pump and K2 burner activity.

Step 20 - At completion of boil, turn off K3 burner; open valves to permit recirculation from K3 main port to K3 return port; enable "Kettle3" process; click Win3 in BCS-462 interface to start Chill/Whirlpool process; Controller turns on K3 pump to begin wort recirculation whirlpool; Controller opens K3 chiller inlet solenoid valve to allow cold water into chiller coil; when desired temp is reached, process is automatically disabled, turning off valve/pump; allow wort to settle.

Step 21 - At completion of boil, turn off K1 burner; open valves to permit recirculation from K1 main port to K1 return port; enable "Kettle1" process; click Win3 in BCS-462 interface to start Chill/Whirlpool process; Controller turns on K1 pump to begin wort recirculation whirlpool; Controller opens K1 chiller inlet solenoid valve to allow cold water into chiller coil; when desired temp is reached, process is automatically disabled, turning off valve/pump; allow wort to settle.

Step 22 - Turn on K3 pump to send wort to fermenter; turn off K3 pump when complete.

Step 23 - Turn on K1 pump to send wort to fermenter; turn off K1 pump when complete.

Step 24 - set float switch on K4 to desired height; open valve at K5 pump exit to send sparge water to K4 return port; open valve to permit wort to exit K4 main port and prime pump; enable "Kettle4" process; click Win1 in BCS-462 interface to start sparge; Controller turns on K4 pump and opens/closes K4 return port solenoid valve as indicated by K4 float switch signals.

Step 25 - open valve at K3 main port (set butterfly valve position to control runoff speed); set float switch on K3 to desired height; enable "Kettle3" process; click Win2 in BCS-462 interface to start preboil; turn on/off K3 burner manually as necessary to ramp up close to boil; Controller turns off K4 pump when K3 float switch signals that desired volume has been reached; close valves; begin boil.

Step 26 - set float switch on K2 to desired height; open valve at K5 pump exit to send sparge water to K2 return port; open valve to permit wort to exit K2 main port and prime pump; enable "Kettle2" process; click Win1 in BCS-462 interface to start sparge; Controller turns on K2 pump and opens/closes K2 return port solenoid valve as indicated by K2 float switch signals.

Step 27 - open valve at K1 main port (set butterfly valve position to control runoff speed); set float switch on K1 to desired height; enable "Kettle1" process; click Win2 in BCS-462 interface to start preboil; turn on/off K1 burner manually as necessary to ramp up close to boil; Controller turns off K2 pump when K1 float switch signals that desired volume has been reached; close valves; begin boil.

Step 28 - At completion of boil, turn off K3 burner; open valves to permit recirculation from K3 main port to K3 return port; enable "Kettle3" process; click Win3 in BCS-462 interface to start Chill/Whirlpool process; Controller turns on K3 pump to begin wort recirculation whirlpool; Controller opens K3 chiller inlet solenoid valve to allow cold water into chiller coil; when desired temp is reached, process is automatically disabled, turning off valve/pump; allow wort to settle.

Step 29 - At completion of boil, turn off K1 burner; open valves to permit recirculation from K1 main port to K1 return port; enable "Kettle1" process; click Win3 in BCS-462 interface to start Chill/Whirlpool process; Controller turns on K1 pump to begin wort recirculation whirlpool; Controller opens K1 chiller inlet solenoid valve to allow cold water into chiller coil; when desired temp is reached, process is automatically disabled, turning off valve/pump; allow wort to settle.

Step 30 - Turn on K3 pump to send wort to fermenter; turn off K3 pump when complete.

Step 31 - Turn on K1 pump to send wort to fermenter; turn off K1 pump when complete.

Again, this hasn't been tested, and I also may need to tweak the descriptions a bit from what is described above. It's just theory for now, but I'm hoping it will work well and allow for the fairly easy brewing of 4 different 1bbl batches of beer in a single brew day.