Simple Control Panel wiring help

got my brewstand built finally, and i'm ready to start moving on the control box. i have ZERO wiring/electircal experience, but i know how to plug wires into their intended terminals, but i don't know how to design the wiring, or know where things go.

My stand is 2 tier, with 2 burners. It will have a pump. Since I still have to be out there doing things, and because i like being hands on when I'm brewing, i'm not trying to automate the process.

What I would like it to do:
Turn the control panel on (with a switch and a light)
Display the temp of the HLT and the MLT (2 PIDs i assume)
Turn on the pump (not automatically. flipping a switch)

I'll be intentionally making the control panel bigger than it needs to be, so it can grow as the stand grows. Eventually I'll add a 3rd burner and convert a keg to a MLT. when that happens, i'll add temp to that, and then maybe add more automation.

Any help would be much appreicated.

Without looking at it with you or having a diagram it's pretty hard to make meaningful suggestions. If I understand what you're saying; you want to activate the control box with a switch (leaving it plugged in all the time). Then from the control box you want to turn on the digital temp displays and allow electricity to flow to the pump. Sounds pretty simple - I always work the source to the use. For example, get your cord you'll plug into the wall. First connection will be running it through the switch to activate the control box. Inside the control box, you'll splice the wires to feed into the temp displays and to another switch for the pump. To make everything safe and look better, you should house all the wires in PVC conduit and plug the whole thing into a GFCI outlet.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

P-J would be a great person to talk to. He helped me create my wiring diagram that I angling to use. Plus there are tons o e brewery builds on here. I would look through them and see if there is anything close to why you want or at least they will give you ideas I what you might need

mrwizard0 said:

P-J would be a great person to talk to. He helped me create my wiring diagram that I angling to use. Plus there are tons o e brewery builds on here. I would look through them and see if there is anything close to why you want or at least they will give you ideas I what you might need

Click to expand...

Ive been drooling over the rigs on here for a year. Ive looked at a lot of the builds, but most just show a mess of wires.

Can you link me to PJ's profile?

Have you got your heart set on a control panel? Since all it seems it will be used for is to display temps it might be easier (and cheaper) to use some 1/4" NPT dial thermometers in you HLT & MLT and plug the pump straight into the wall. With the 1/4" NPT themometers when you do come to start automating things it would be a rather easy swap to get some 1/4" NPT (or 1/8" NPT with a 1/8 x 1/4" bush) RTP probes and you can swap staright over.

motleybrews said:

Can you link me to PJ's profile?

Click to expand...

I'm not really sure how to link to his profile, but he has helped in most of the electric builds on this site. If you go to any of them and search through you will find him. He does all the awesome electric diagrams so if you see one of those on a page it's probably posted by him

Do a search in the electric brewing forum for "P-J".

If you were looking to have something that just displayed temps and turned pumps on and off this is what I have come up with... each switch controls the outlet which allowed me to have a mobile control box and also allowed me to keep the plugs on the pumps which was I wanted in case i ever have to take them away from the brewstand... as far as the temperatures go, I have since put in two love controllers above the switches, right now they only show temps but later I plan on automating my burners with... Super easy and cheap. Hope this helps

For your requirements, the above post is the easiest solution. It takes almost no time to wire that up.

I missed this thread and just saw it this morning. I figured I might be able to help.
It sounds like you are just needing a very simple system to monitor temps.

How about this:

That drawing doesn't make sense. You show power going to the PID's but you aren't switching anything with them. The SPDT switches you show will turn the pumps on/off or the PID's on/off and you really don't want to do that.

Edit: I missed where the OP wanted the the pumps switched manualy. I guess that just didn't make sense to me...

That drawing doesn't make sense. You show power going to the PID's but you aren't switching anything with them.

Click to expand...

The OP has a gas fired rig.
He wants 2 PIDs to monitor the temperatures in the HLT and the MLT.
He wants a pump set up with an on/off switch. (I show the circuits for 2 pumps.)
I drew it for him.

thanks PJ. looks like that will be pretty simple.

P-J said:

I missed this thread and just saw it this morning. I figured I might be able to help.
It sounds like you are just needing a very simple system to monitor temps.

How about this:

Click to expand...

hey pj, thanks very much for this. i started thinking, and it'd be nice to have a timer, with a buzzer. http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16&products_id=115 is the timer i was looking at. if its not too much trouble, can you drop one of those into the diagram? along with a buzzer? your diagram inspired me, but i still suck.

edit...i think i have an idea of what needs to happen, just looking for reassurance.

motleybrews.
Did you every get the wiring design done for this monitor box you were designing? I am in the exact same boat right now and am looking for help with my build. All I want is Power on/off temperature readouts from HLT and MLT and on off toggles for two pumps. Nothing will be triggering other systems. This will just give me a "command center" over an otherwise totally manual rig.

[email protected] said:

motleybrews.
Did you every get the wiring design done for this monitor box you were designing? I am in the exact same boat right now and am looking for help with my build. All I want is Power on/off temperature readouts from HLT and MLT and on off toggles for two pumps. Nothing will be triggering other systems. This will just give me a "command center" over an otherwise totally manual rig.

Click to expand...

nope. life took a different direction and that money was spent on beer school. I will do it one day. good luck!