Electric Brewery's

[Scott H]

We spoke about creating a discussion so people who have or people who are thinking about and/or building can share pic's info and pitfalls to avoid.

Just about finished building my bench and hopefully will have a chance to start wiring it up this weekend. Pics to follow shortly.

[John H]

I am converting a cheap Urn to digital for use as a HLT using a STC-1000. The element is a 2500W element putting it right on the 10A limit of the STC-1000 relay. Has anybody had experience with this - I am  trying to avoid getting an additional higher current rated relay if I can.

[Barry]

Personally I'd use a relay. Get one from Jaycar, they aren't that costly.

[Richard Jack]

I used one with a 2.5kw and it was fine. 3kW and surprise surprise it melted.

[John H]

[John H]

Looks good from this side. The previous mechanical thermostat was clamped to the underside of the urn and the accuracy was shocking. The replacement digital temp probe was not really much better, even though I used thermal paste. There seemed to be a really long lag between the temperature of the water transferring to the base of the urn and the temperature probe.

My solution in the end was to immerse the waterproof digital temp probe inside the urn and it is now really accurate. This part (that you can't see in the pic) looks a bit ghetto. I guess a thermowell would look more professional - maybe one day eh.

Are there any other tricks with sensor locations?

[Richard Jack]

Weldless thermowells are a thing. Pretty cheap too, this one's $20-ish landed. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2-5-L-Kettle-Thermowell-Kit-Stainles... 

[John H]

Me Like!!!! Beats my heavy duty cable tie, tied onto the handle and poking into the urn holding the temp probe :)

[Richard Jack]

When I used to use an STC for my HLT, I just chucked the probe in the pot. Turns out they're waterproof... enough. So, your cable tie beats that hands down.

[John H]

Ghetto cam...

[Adam Sparks]

definitely don't keep that cable tie in the liquor, when I was building my panel I spent a fair amount of time with the odd cable tie in my mouth, they have a horrid acrid taste that leeches out

[John H]

Mmmm.

[mattd2]

Could also use something like this 10K NTC sensor - just need a couple of O-rings and a M8 stainless nut to complete it. It doesn't stick to far into the pot though, but that could be a good thing for BIAB setups.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-2M-NTC-10k-Thermistor-Temperature-Senso...

Aliexpress had some nicer looking ones, but all I cold find were 100 piece lots for US$100+