110v Recirculating eBIAB 2.5 gallon batches

ekjohns said:

I am assuming the low boil off is cause the pot has a small diameter? How would you describe your boil? hard soft rolling violent?

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Yeah I get a pretty hard boil and the narrow pot keeps it down

Well I have finally gotten the bugs worked out of my wiring job :rockin: and was able to get a brew in yesterday on the new rig!! I brewed up a SMaSH with Marris Otter and Citra, can't wait for this thing to get done !!

I opted to leave out the pump and found myself needing to stir the mash occasionally to keep the temps. even. Maybe once tax returns come back I can negotiate with the wife to allow me to add a pump to the system . Overall I think the brew day went well and will see how the beer turns out in a couple of weeks.

The first pic is of heating the strike water and the second is a pic of the mash sitting at mash temp.

Looks great, congrats!

So first, big shout out to jrb, PJ, and everyone for this awesome thread. You guys really should go into business together and sell these setups.

I have just finished wiring up my controller, following PJ's diagram for one element. I finally worked up the courage to plug it in and turn it on. Everything seems fine, save for when I turn the element switch on, my contactor makes some crazy rattling noise. I do have it mounted super solid and tight. I haven't found much info online as to the problem. Any insight would help.

(I really should just go find an electrician, but thought I would try here first.)

Somebody else has reported the same problem with 1 of their contactors and it happened after they dropped it. I order 2 contactors and 1 of them is very quiet the other 1 has a very slight buzz to it. I think that they are just cheap and the quality control is not the best. You could always just try to return it for a new 1 if you purchased on Amazon. I thought about returning mine but it still seems to work fine just been too lazy to do it

KatCowMan said:

So first, big shout out to jrb, PJ, and everyone for this awesome thread. You guys really should go into business together and sell these setups.

I have just finished wiring up my controller, following PJ's diagram for one element. I finally worked up the courage to plug it in and turn it on. Everything seems fine, save for when I turn the element switch on, my contactor makes some crazy rattling noise. I do have it mounted super solid and tight. I haven't found much info online as to the problem. Any insight would help.

(I really should just go find an electrician, but thought I would try here first.)

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Get a new contractor. It's fried... Trust me, I learned the hard way haha

Thanks much guys!

I think this is going to be my exact setup, except with a 25 gallon pot and basket, and two elements for ten gallon batches.

Great thread!

Great thread and write up! I am venturing into e-brewing, can't wait.

I am a noob when it comes to electrical, and need a quick bit of help.

1. For the e-stop (purchased from Auber), there are 4 terminals. What terminal should I wire the hot, and which should I wire the ground? I currently have the hot on terminal 3 (can obviously be moved).

Also, looking at the wiring diagram an page one, I just don't see how the e-stop works. It looks to me like everything is wired around it. If anyone is bored and cares to educate me, that would be great!

Thanks again to all, especially P-J and jrb for taking the time to help the rest of us!

P-J said:

jrb03,

I see that you have been a member here for several years and I'm honored to be able to answer your first post.

I spent a few hours this morning drawing a diagram that should fit your needs.
The entire build should fit in the Auber Instruments Project Box.

I suggest that you also order their External Mount Heat Sink for the SSR.
The RTD temp probe could be the Deluxe version of Liquid Tight RTD Sensor. It is well worth the extra $9 for it.

I'm not sure how you plan on supplying the 12V power to your pump. I show a 120V outlet that can be used to plug in a transformer. (Edit: I did a search on greatbreweh and found their pumps. They ship with a 12V plug in transformer so the diagram is good to go for that as well.)

I hope this is of some help to you.


As always - Click on the image to see a full scale diagram printable on Tabloid paper (11" x 17")



Wishing you the best.

P-J

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jrb03 said:

Wow P-J, I am truly grateful that you took the time to draw that for me. I have studied many of your drawings trying to figure out how to convert them to 110v and auber switches. This is absolutely perfect. I have studied your drawing and have everything ordered from Auber now! I will make a trip to the hardware store this weekend to pickup the wire and terminals. What size wire do I need to use? Does it all need to be low gauge?

Thanks again for the great drawing. I will make sure to document my build here in case it can be of help to someone in the future.

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P-J said:

It pleases me a great deal that I could help you in your adventure.

Regarding the wire: You will need #12 wire for the power being delivered to the SSR and the heating element. The pump outlet wire should be #14. All of the balance of the wiring can done with much smaller wire gauge as the current draw is very small.

Please feel free to ask any questions that you might have.

Oh: Another benefit of this set up is that it can very easily be converted to a 240V BIAB setup. Think about that and if you would like a plan for that for your future adventures, Please let me know.

Wishing you great success.

P-J

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P-J and jrb03
Thank you jrb03 and P-J for this thread and wiring diagram. I am planning the same as your OP with a 2000 Watt.
I wish to see if I have a grasp of the wiring gauge to use for the various switches etc. Here is my understanding:
1. 12 gauge for Line in-->SSR-->Contactor-->Element
2. 14 gauge for Line in-->Element Switch-->Contactor Coil
3. 14 gauge for Line in-->Pump Switch-->Pump Outlet
4. ? gauge for Line in-->PID Switch-->PID #10
5. ? gauge for Line in -->PID # 1 & 14
6. ? gauge for PID #13--> selector switch and alarm

If I am correct then what smaller gauge should be appropriate for 4-6 ? You had asked this same question in your post#3 and P-J said you could use smaller gauge in his post#4. however I could not find where anyone else has made this clear. I know you used solid wire so smaller gauge would have been much easier for you. I just could not tell from the pictures what you used.

jbnla said:

P-J and jrb03
Thank you jrb03 and P-J for this thread and wiring diagram. I am planning the same as your OP with a 2000 Watt.
I wish to see if I have a grasp of the wiring gauge to use for the various switches etc. Here is my understanding:
1. 12 gauge for Line in-->SSR-->Contactor-->Element
2. 14 gauge for Line in-->Element Switch-->Contactor Coil
3. 14 gauge for Line in-->Pump Switch-->Pump Outlet
4. ? gauge for Line in-->PID Switch-->PID #10
5. ? gauge for Line in -->PID # 1 & 14
6. ? gauge for PID #13--> selector switch and alarm

If I am correct then what smaller gauge should be appropriate for 4-6 ? You had asked this same question in your post#3 and P-J said you could use smaller gauge in his post#4. however I could not find where anyone else has made this clear. I know you used solid wire so smaller gauge would have been much easier for you. I just could not tell from the pictures what you used.

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I used 14 gauge for everything except the 12 g stuff you listed. Was just easier to buy a spool than buying 3 different sizes. I would think you could go down to 18 or smaller for the low draw PID stuff.

squidbait said:

Great thread and write up! I am venturing into e-brewing, can't wait.

I am a noob when it comes to electrical, and need a quick bit of help.

1. For the e-stop (purchased from Auber), there are 4 terminals. What terminal should I wire the hot, and which should I wire the ground? I currently have the hot on terminal 3 (can obviously be moved).

Also, looking at the wiring diagram an page one, I just don't see how the e-stop works. It looks to me like everything is wired around it. If anyone is bored and cares to educate me, that would be great!

Thanks again to all, especially P-J and jrb for taking the time to help the rest of us!

Click to expand...

It's been awhile and I don't have access to my rig right now. There should be only 2 connections to the e-stop, a ground and a hot that is fused and resistored before the e-stop connection. They should be wired in the normally open position. When you push the e-stop and close the loop, it sends a small electric current through the ground wire which trips your gfci and de-energizes the controller. Hope this helps.

If I have missed anyone's questions I apologize, please repost. I have been crazy busy traveling for work and life in general. Haven't brewed or been on the forums much the last few months. It's great to see more people are building this rig, let's see what your brewing!

Jr,


I finally got it figured out. I am awful with electrical. Thanks for responding. I just need to figure out how to ground my element (another thread) and I hope to brew this weekend. Thanks again!

The element grounding is tricky, but there are several good examples on this forum. One day I will get around to welding a stud to my pot which I recommend if you can.

Firing up the kit for a little Sous Vide action. Doing pork chops and Granny Smith apples. Ill sear them on the hibachi later tonight.

jammin said:

Firing up the kit for a little Sous Vide action. Doing pork chops and Granny Smith apples. Ill sear them on the hibachi later tonight.

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Do you place a screen or basket inside to prevent contact with the element? I'd love to see pics of the results. I've seen comments about using this setup for Sous Vide, and it really is a great idea.

It'll be my first time, but I just left my paint strainer in there to float the vac bags. Recirc'n for 4+ hours. Ill let you know how it turns out.

I'm very interested in your results. Great alternative use for our rigs!

i've sous vide'd in my bk but dont have a vacuum sealer yet. so i left a little air in the bag and floated it on either side of my element.

now that i have a coil in my hlt, i am going to just binder clip food to it, simple.

if i want to do a lot or something big like ribs, i'll put them in my mash tun and circulate that way.

Mid-sear on the hibachi. Glazed everything with the juice from the apples (which were sealed with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar). It came out great and SWMBO loved it.

Looks great! What temp did you hold the chops at while in the water?

Love the hibachi!

Held em' at 136. I've heard 130 - 145 is acceptable

Put this Flat Iron steak in @ 6am this morning. Hoping it will be rare when I pull it out for a quick searing tonight. Supposedly the long sous vide bath makes the flat iron as tender as a ribeye.

Yum! Bet that steak was great!

It came out great, Jrb. I liked it so much I'm throwing another one in for tonight. Can't beat a $7 gourmet steak. I also have a a couple brisket flat steaks going right now. Ill pull them out tomorrow after 48 hours. I am curious so see how they taste after that.

For those of you that have the 2000K stainless steel element. What are these plastic looking near the base. To they cut off or peel off or what?
Just want to make sure I don't screw up my element before I fire it up.
Thanks

I am a complete novice at wiring and electricity and am looking to build a very simple HERMS to be able to plug in a bucket heater to maintain mash temps. I wanted to spend very little and I don't need all of the fancy lights and e-stop options. The following is what I purchased from Auberins.

1 ea. 120V 15A US Socket, Panel Mount, NEMA 5-15R Item #: OUTS11
1 ea. Panel mount connector for RTD sensor Item #: RTDCON
1 ea. Medium Box for Controller and Timer Item #: Mbox16 •Front Panel Option - With 1/16DIN Precut
1 ea. Liquid tight RTD sensor, 1.5 inch, 1/2 NPT Thread Item #: PT100-L401/2NPT •Cable Option - 8 ft Deluxe Cable
1 ea. Power Cord Item #: PCord •Option - NEMA 5-15P to C13 Power Cord
1 ea. PID Temperature Controller w/ Ramp/soak, Kiln (SSR Output) Item #: SYL-2352P
1 ea. 120V 15A Receptacle, Panel Mount, IEC 320-C14 Item #: INR1
1 ea. 40A SSR Item #: MGR-1D4840
1 ea. Heat Sink for Solid State Relay, 40A Item #: HS40
1 ea. Selector Switch, 2-Position Maintained 1NO 1NC, 22mm Item #: SW2

I am looking to create something exactly like the attached pics. Any help with the wiring would be greatly appreciated. Also, any tips on cutting holes in the box to fit the outlets would be appreciated. Thanks!

Just wanted to give this thread a little bump. I do 2.5g batches and this system looks perfect for me.

Thanks to jrb03 for the nice build and thanks to the other contributors. I am sourcing parts for a similar build and wanted to share this link for the kettle. That tall skinny profile is not easy to find in a smaller stockpot. The ebay link posted earlier in this thread seems to be old so here is an Amazon link.

CONCORD 26 QT Stainless Steel Stock Pot w/ Basket
Pot 11.5" Wide x 16" Height. Basket 10.5" Wide x 14" Height

As the Aussie's would say "that's a grouse kettle!"

sammy33 said:

Just wanted to give this thread a little bump. I do 2.5g batches and this system looks perfect for me.

Thanks to jrb03 for the nice build and thanks to the other contributors. I am sourcing parts for a similar build and wanted to share this link for the kettle. That tall skinny profile is not easy to find in a smaller stockpot. The ebay link posted earlier in this thread seems to be old so here is an Amazon link.

CONCORD 26 QT Stainless Steel Stock Pot w/ Basket
Pot 11.5" Wide x 16" Height. Basket 10.5" Wide x 14" Height

As the Aussie's would say "that's a grouse kettle!"

Click to expand...

How far off of the bottom does the basket sit?

Based on the dimensions it looks like at least 2 inches. Maybe a bit more depending on what hardware you install in the kettle. Take a look on the first page of this thread. It shows jrb's original build for more perspectives.

Can anyone tell me what PID setting(s) I need to change to get my mash temp more accurate? I tried my first brew session last night with this setup and I set the SV to 152 but the PV kept on raising up to 155/156. I had the PID, Element, and Pump all on during the mash.

Thanks!

Edit:

Found this post by Kal. I am going to give this a shot in the next few days and will report back after my next brew session if it helped.

"IMHO the best way to do an autotune is slightly below the target temp and to do it in the range where the PID will be working. For example, 154F for mash.

To quote myself:

Quote:
At (auto tuning): The first few times you brew the temperature may rise higher or drop lower than the temperature you set. This is normal. The PID will automatically learn the heating and cooling characteristics of your setup and tune itself over time to provide more precise temperature control. This learning can also be forced by having the PID perform auto tuning. Auto tuning only needs to be performed once. If anything drastic changes about your setup, consider performing it again. To perform auto tuning, do the following:

1. Fill your tank with water and set the PID to a typical mash temperature of around 154F.

2. Once the water is approximately 10 degrees below the 154F set temperature, set the At setting to 2. Auto tuning will automatically start after 10 seconds. For the next 10-20 minutes the PID will automatically turn the heating element on and off multiple times to see how fast temperature rises and drops in order to set the proportinal, integral, and derivative parameters automatically. The A/M light will blink during auto tuning. Once auto tuning is complete the At setting will return to the default value of 3."

Well I followed Kal's advice exactly and the mash temp stayed perfect at 152 F for my last brew on this system. So if your PID is ever over shooting your target temp give this a whirl first.

jrb if you're still following along here...have you ever tried to stick a magnet to the bottom of your kettle? Is it induction ready?

I think this is the closest I have found to your original kettle:
CONCORD 26 QT Stainless Steel Stock Pot w/ Basket

I am prettty sure this is the kettle he is using.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_27721_-1__?N=46887985+10001&Ntt=stainless&Ntk=All

Thanks for that link meshbackhats.

That does look closer to jrb's kettle. Anyone have these kettles that can do the magnet test for induction cookers?

sammy33 said:

Thanks for that link meshbackhats.

That does look closer to jrb's kettle. Anyone have these kettles that can do the magnet test for induction cookers?

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I just recieved that kettle and did the magnet test and it does not stick to it.

Hope this helps

doesnt surprise me, I thought most SS pots are not induction ready only the triclad bottom ones

Sorry everyone life got real crazy for me the last couple months, first time on the forums in a while. I have a brew day planned for tomorrow, really looking forward to it! My pipeline of three 2.5 gallon kegs is gone, last one kicked last weekend! I have a lot of brewing to do! I have been going through the thread and trying to answer all questions and pm's, but please forgive me for the wait and send me another message if I missed anybody.

And no, my pot is not induction ready.

I search the thread but nothing showed up so..... can the STC-1000 be used in this build?