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.

[Adam Sparks]

Just a quick update on my combo volt and amp meter. It works perfectly! I was sent a 4500 watt element instead of a 5500 watt. Fortunately I got the diy kit from the electric brewery site so they are just sending me over the correct element.

But something to note a) if your doing 40L batches then a 4500 watt will be just fine, I was getting a good boil with mine. and b) if you have overhead lines coming into your home expect some voltage drop while under load, this will translate into less current draw, I was getting 16amps with a 4500 watt element at 226 volts which effectively makes it a 3500 watt element. Something to consider when purchasing your gear!

[DMAC]

Although, 226v only explains about 500 of the missing watts from what I can tell. You must have some of those power gremilins that attached to the millennium falcon in that giant worm/cave seen in star wars.

[DMAC]

This raises an interesting point. Seems you never get the rated wattage. I want 2400w but they are a bit rare in the US. Maybe I should buy 3500w camco and I'll apparently get closer to 2500w in use.

[Scott H]

There are so many factors that effect or cause voltage drop that make it like that over rating has a lot of benefits.

[Peter Church]

On the scrounge, anyone got a diagram on how best to run one pump cirvuit using a pid in auto/manual. Bout to try google but thought I would start here. Got 3 pos switch, auber pid, 40amp ssr, 25amp panel plug, appreciate any guidance thats available

[Adam Sparks]

You want to run a pump at the same time as firing an element based on the pid output?

[Barry]

Yeah I kinda don't get the question either.

Do you want the element firing and the pump to somehow be wired together, or are you asking how to wire your control panel to supply a single PID/element and also (separately) a pump?

[Peter Church]

Sorry for confusion, I have a pump circuit in my setup that I thought I would have some use for when linked through an auber pid/timer, at other times though the pid would just be a glorified temp guage and the outpump would be in full manual and jndependant of the pid. This may be a stupid idea, womt be my first if it is, So to this end in my head atleast i have a three way switch, off, on, auto. Inthe on position the pump circuit operates as normal, in auto the pid autoput would passthrough the three way switch to the ssr. Concenr is that current would loop back through the ssr to the switch when in the on position, Do I need a mechanical relay though.that the switch controls, relay in normally closed leads to manual circuit working, open on relay leads to auto working.all this is so I can add a seperate hex at some future point, use the timerpid to whirlpool

Thoughts? Hopefully making myself  bit clearer but probably not

[Barry]

Yeah that's kinda much more clear thanks Peter.

The problem with automating a pump is that you also need to automate the valves and hoses that feed the pump, and automate the priming of the pump. Without that there would be significant risk of running the pump dry and wrecking it.

Also you don't want your pump ever to be controlled by the pulsing of the PID. Not sure if that's what you meant but do not do that.

Personally I would keep my pump and PID absolutely separate.

Electrically, unless your switch is rated for a large current you need a mechanical relay, in fact I'll go so far as to say for an electric brewery setup you should always switch a relay rather than the direct load.

[Adam Sparks]

Anyone know where to get panel tags in New Zealand? I ordered mine form the guy in Canada that Kal recommends but now I need one more and It would be handy if I could get it locally

[DMAC]

I think any trophy and engraving shop can make them. I had something like this made up a long time ago at an engraver shop on two layer black and white plastic which was machined to make white letters on a black background.

[Adam Sparks]

Ive got my pumps mounted on their side and they recently started making less than happy noises, must have lost some oil  or something, I see on the homebretalk forums that people recommend 3 in one sae 20 oil but I can't find it in NZ, anyone know of a supplier or a suitable alternative? I think as long as it doesn't have any detergents then its all good for our use?