Brewing with Electricity: The SOLIDWORKS Brewery Video 5 of 7: The Boil Phase

As we move into the next phase of the brewing process, we begin to encounter some new pungent aromas in the room. These delicious smells are coming from the variety of hops we are using in our boil phase. During the boil, our Simcoe, Amarillo, and Centennial hops are dropped into the kettle at varying times – which are actually specific to the recipe we are

using. One interesting note is that if we altered the time that we dropped the hops in (even by a minute or two), we could have changed the overall flavor and aroma of the beer. So this step is pretty critical if we are trying to maintain a specific flavor.

Even with all this talk of aroma and hops, none of this would be possible without all the awesome equipment we are using for our brew day. Take our boil kettle, for example. At first glance, it’s just a big pot, but as we look closer we can see there are a lot components attached to the kettle. We have a heating element, a manual temperature gauge, a temperature probe, a quarter-turn ball valve, a quick disconnect, and let’s not forget all the nuts, bolts, and washers we need to mount all these parts.

Each of these parts may potentially be purchased separately – in which case, as we design our schematic for our brew system, how are we supposed to account for all these parts? Well, we could insert a symbol and then add each part individually to that symbol – which is correct way to do it – but will definitely take some time adding all that data.

So instead, we can create what is known as a Super Part. Essentially it’s an easier, more efficient way to insert all of our manufacturer part information. A Super Part is comprised of all of those smaller parts to make up one larger part. The kettle we are using is a great example, but we can also use Super Parts for other design elements – such as a contactor with an auxiliary block or maybe a connector that is comprised of multiple components.

These new Super Parts are extremely powerful and can help speed up the design process dramatically.

So be sure to check out Episode 5 in our “Brewing with Electricity” mini-series where we dive into the boil phase.

If you are still looking for more great information on SOLIDWORKS Electrical, including topics such as “Understanding Project Macros,” check out our videos on these more detailed topics at my.solidworks.com – simply search for Electric Brewery.

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