deadboy

Recipes 

I was thinking about some input I've gotten from several people in various threads and was thinking that if I were to not connect my Boil Kettle element to a PID would it be safe to wire it up to an appropriately sized contactor and then just hook up the coil on the contactor to a switch to allow me to turn it on and off at the appropriate times? That should negate the need for an SSR for the element, correct?

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On Tap: Bigfoot's Barleywine Ale, Boulevard Tank 7, California Steam
Waiting: Hard Cider, Pumpkin Ale, Black Hills Porter
Ready to brew: Autumn Amber Ale, Smooth Nut Brown Ale, Black Hills Porter
Primaries: Peppercorn Rye
Carboy:
Bottled: Beaujolais, Cabernet

DustBow

Recipes 

It would work, just not "fine control" - you're either 100% on or 100% off.
People do that a lot with smaller 120 elements

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"Brewers make wort, yeast make beer."

"Brewing beer is neither complicated nor expensive. It's the responsibility of the brewer to make it as complicated and expensive as their spouse & budget will allow."

deadboy

Recipes 

It's been put to me that with the boil element you pretty much are boiling or your cooling and there's no real need for fine control. I actually have the equipment to hook it to a PID. I just figured why wire up the extra kit if it's not nesc. If you disagree I would LOVE to hear your reasoning before I start filling up the control box.

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On Tap: Bigfoot's Barleywine Ale, Boulevard Tank 7, California Steam
Waiting: Hard Cider, Pumpkin Ale, Black Hills Porter
Ready to brew: Autumn Amber Ale, Smooth Nut Brown Ale, Black Hills Porter
Primaries: Peppercorn Rye
Carboy:
Bottled: Beaujolais, Cabernet

tre9er

Recipes 

I have no controllers on either my HLT or BK and both are electric. I simply watch the temperature and turn it off accordingly. Worst case scenario is my strike is a little hot and I stir down for 5 minutes or my sparge is a little hot and I mash a little longer or run off slower.

In the BK it doesn't matter. The only time I cut power to an element is if the boil is ferocious and I'm near the top..which doesn't happen much in my new keggle.

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Skal!
Den Faaborg Bryggeri

deadboy

Recipes 

This is the advice I'm mostly getting. I'd love opposing/alternate viewpoints. I had considered initially hooking up the boil element to a PID in order to have a little less vigorous boil.

EDIT: I take it back. It has not been suggested that I let the HLT element run. I'll probably go ahead and keep that one hooked to the PID as I'd hate to mess that about and the mash get too hot/cool.

__________________
On Tap: Bigfoot's Barleywine Ale, Boulevard Tank 7, California Steam
Waiting: Hard Cider, Pumpkin Ale, Black Hills Porter
Ready to brew: Autumn Amber Ale, Smooth Nut Brown Ale, Black Hills Porter
Primaries: Peppercorn Rye
Carboy:
Bottled: Beaujolais, Cabernet

tre9er

Recipes 

Depends on how attentive you are during brew days. I have an idea how long things will take to heat and such, so I can run off for a minute here and there, but I mostly watch everything like a hawk. If you want completely care-free brewing...get PIDs.

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Skal!
Den Faaborg Bryggeri

tre9er

Recipes 

Are you using Herms or something? If you're using a seperate MLT then strike water is all you're heating for the mash, and if that's too hot...turn element off and wait a minute or two. No biggie. Again, if you want to take a nap and have an alarm tell you when everything is ready...get controllers. Otherwise running upstairs to get a cup of coffee won't take your strike water 50* over. It takes a lot of time to heat water.

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Skal!
Den Faaborg Bryggeri

deadboy

Recipes 

Yes, it will be HERMS. When I say too hot/cold I just mean if I leave the HLT element on/off too long then that would adversely effect the mash temp as it runs thru the heat exchanger. I'm not a total absentee brewer but if something comes up with the kid or door or whatever and I come back I'd rather the temp on the fiddlier stuff, like the HLT and mash temp, was being watched by me AND the system. Currently I brew on the stove so as long as I am watching the time I can just adjust the burner.

__________________
On Tap: Bigfoot's Barleywine Ale, Boulevard Tank 7, California Steam
Waiting: Hard Cider, Pumpkin Ale, Black Hills Porter
Ready to brew: Autumn Amber Ale, Smooth Nut Brown Ale, Black Hills Porter
Primaries: Peppercorn Rye
Carboy:
Bottled: Beaujolais, Cabernet

tre9er

Recipes 

Well HERMS is a totally different story. You should mention that next time! Yeah, I'd want the HLT element run on PID. For people with insulated, traditional mash-tuns...it's not necessary. The BK definitely doesn't need control unless you plan on a very full boil.

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Skal!
Den Faaborg Bryggeri

deadboy

Recipes 

Haha! Sorry about that. I'm actually transitioning from stove top 5-6 gallon batches to HERMS electric using two half barrel 15 gallon kegs for HLT and boil kettle and a 10gallon igloo for my MT. I forget that all electric isn't the same because I'm an idiot

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On Tap: Bigfoot's Barleywine Ale, Boulevard Tank 7, California Steam
Waiting: Hard Cider, Pumpkin Ale, Black Hills Porter
Ready to brew: Autumn Amber Ale, Smooth Nut Brown Ale, Black Hills Porter
Primaries: Peppercorn Rye
Carboy:
Bottled: Beaujolais, Cabernet