BrewskiBroski

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Hello all - I could use some help on this one. I am in the planning stages of going all electric. I am not an electrical engineer or a computer engineer. I work in finance, which means I am good with excel, which is not helpful unless trying to source all the necessary parts.

I do not know how to write code or read schematics. I have done a lot of research, but I still have not been able to find a schematic to fit what I want to do. The schematics that I have found, I definitely do not completely understand. Can anyone point me in the correct direction or maybe walk me through what a schematic would look like for the below setup.

Setup will be similar to Kal's electric brewery:
3 - 20 gal kettles
HLT and BK both have 5500W heating elements
HERMS system with the heat exchange coils in the HLT
2 march pumps
BCS 460 to maintain temps and on/off for pumps
At any given time, I need to run 1 element and 2 pumps (never running both elements at the same time)

What i'd like:
A panel with switches for manual/auto(BCS 460)/off for each element and both pumps as well as an e-switch

I have a very basic understanding of electricals, so please dumb it down.

Thanks in advance for any help and please ask if more data is required.

rp5brew

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Is the one element requirement due to current limitations?

I would start by writing up a basic sequence of operation; detail what you want to happen during each stage of the process, mash, sparge and boil. Identify any safety interlocks, like pump must run before heater energizes, stuff like that. The first step in engineering process control is a detailed sequence.

BrewskiBroski

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The plan is to plug in using an unused drying outlet in my house that is about 15 feet from the brewing location, I assumed it would be too much power required to run both elements and both pumps at once.

Here is the sequence:
1. Heat Strike Water in HLT
2. Transfer Strike water to MLT
3. Re-Fill HLT to cover HERMS coils as well as reach sparge water quantity
4. Heat HLT to Strike Temp while running both pumps to circulate both HLT water (to maintain temp evenly) and circulate MLT threw herms coils to maintain Temp
5. Mash in - increase or decreasing temp in HLT as necessary (should be held constant by BCS 460)
6. Increase temp of Mash by increasing HLT water to mash out temp
7. Sparge - 2 pumps running - 1 to pump sparge water to mash out and 1 to pump out wort from beneath a false bottom in the MLT
8. Switch heating elements to raise BK to boil
9. Pump from BK through Plate chiller into fermenter


So at any given time, I'll need 1 element and both pumps going at once. Let me know if more detail is required.

rp5brew

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Ok that is the physical sequence. I mean the control sequence.

Example:

The hlt will be controlled by the bcs460 discrete or pwm output with and adjustable set point who's controlled variable will be a bcs460 temperature input.

That is the rough idea for heating strike water and maintaining temp during recirculation.

The discrete or pwm option will be whether or not you want to modulate the heating element output (dimmer) or you want to turn it on and off like a light switch.

Bsquared

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This is the digram I followed from PJ. I did not incorporate having the ability to run it with out the BCS. I just brewed my first batch this weekend with this system. It was a really east build following PJ schematic.

P-J

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Thank you for that. It really pleases me that you found my drawing effort useful for you in setting up your brewery.

Thanks.

day_trippr

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I gotta say, that is one totally awesome diagram...

Cheers!

P-J

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Wow... Thanks.

Oh: An after thought - If you want to see the fullscale diagram, Click this link:
BCS-460-wiring-2-4.jpg

(I just right clicked on day_trippr's image and then removed the "-s" at the end of the name for my full scale image.
(just trying to help)

Bsquared

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One thing I did, that is not In PJs diagram, but I found really helpful if you are planing on using a router/bridge with your BCS to go wireless, is to add two switches. One for the power to the router, and one to the BCS.

This is nice because when the BCS frist powers up, it sends out a message asking for an IP address, if it does not find one it uses its default. Buy powering up the router first you are sure it will be available to assign the BCS an IP address by the router.

I guess one way around this is just to assign a static IP address to the BCS... but last time I tired that it did not work out so well...

PS

Thanks again PJ.

P-J

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No. Thanks go to you - for posting your success in your build.

That little bit gives me some incentive to continue on. It is a brilliant flash of light for me!

(Some of the BS being posted lately had me reconsidering my efforts in helping brewers with the mission of going electric. Some of the threads have become very combative.)

(I really have to think this through as I spend a huge amount of time trying to design specific drawings for the community. My PM list is endless with no chance of responding to all of them with drawings.)

Thanks again goes to you with your success.!

P-J