theQ

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Browsing http://www.auberins.com I just realize that 2 PID + 2 Pt100 RTD = $160

Is there any good food grade alternative ... ?

Thanks,
Q

aquenne

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Alot are using stuff off ebay from China.
You can get RTD's for around $20 and PID around $30.

Quality isnt top notch, but certainly acceptable.

inhousebrew

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After doing some research on this I found that it was best to just spend the money on a good PID and RTD so I went with auberins and tried to cut some corners elsewhere. They have good quality products and a great reputation for customer service if you need it. Since I didn't really know what I was doing when I jumped in I just spent the money to make sure I did it right.

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hot_carl

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Amazon has some watertight rtd probes off and on:
http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Waterproof-Thermistor-Sensor-Temperature/dp/B008YP1D04/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358262280&sr=8-2&keywords=rtd+waterproof
The problem is that they appear to be regular straight machine thread and not pipe thread, so getting them to seal with be more difficult. The other caveat is that they dont come with any disconnects, so you have a fragile wire hanging off of your brew vessel(s) and will likely be damaged. You could solder in some fittings like XLR connectors or something similar, but you still have to deal with odd threads(thread pitch/size isnt even mentioned in the listing). As far as PID's go, auberins is worth the extra few bucks. Their support along with the fact that they are widely used here will help you figure things out if you arent a control theory expert. Also, some models from ebay or amazon only display Celcius and do not have manual control override like you would want on a boil kettle.

theQ

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Thanks a lot. That's a good find for a 2" RTD probe.

Can't believe I didn't see it. $10/each with s&h vs. $45 plus has that steel mesh on each wire. Just need to find a good silicone o-ring for it since it doesn't say.

Ordered 2. Will see. I will get the controllers from Auberins.

biertourist

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I bought one of these and because of the afore mentioned issues, I ended up buying the Auber deluxe ones to actually use; I have no idea what you're actually supposed to screw these Amazon ones into -they don't fit into anything that I own. The way I look at it, I'm just using it as a backup RTD in case one of my existing one fails...



Adam

theQ

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What do you mean they dont fit into anything you own, is it not 1/2" ?

It comes with a nut, I don't see a high temperature silicone ring. The $70 difference is worth a little scramble. at least so I hope.

hot_carl

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No, the threads look WAY to coarse to be NPT, and they arent tapered, as I mentioned above. If it comes with a nut, you can insert them weldless style with a gasket or o-ring, but they wont thread into any NPT fittings or bulkheads. But for the price, its worth a try if you are looking to save some money. you can but silicone gasket material in sheets and use tube or anything round with an edge to make custom gaskets that are a bit more robust than o-rings. using a stainless washer will also help make things a but more stable when mounting. Just make sure you use a magnet to test the nut that comes with the probe to make sure its stainless...you dont want zinc plated stuff in your brew!

theQ

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I will definetely check them with a magnet. Would be insane not too. Thansk for input idea of custom gasket. Where did you see sheets of food grade silicone ?

I did a quick search on amazon "sheet food grade silicone" but pulls cookware.

aquenne

Recipes 

yes that looks like a 1/4-20 thread. So basically you will need to make the seal using a gasket/oring, or silver solder into a pipe fitting.