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Yeh, but the hot lines in to the contactor from the service are exposed in any event, so you could get yourself zapped no matter how you wire the coils. Bottom line: unplug the panel when it's open. Problem solved!

Hi jeffmeh, thanks for articulating my issue so well. I was worried that there was something about contactors that I didn't understand. IMHO, the "loose wire" scenario plays out about the same, whether you run Line 2 through the switch or not. Right now I'm just happy because I can use my...

Great story. Makes me glad I live in MN! (Is it just a coincidence that everyone else posting on this thread is from NC?) As I recall, you and I were working on our original control panels at the same time, a couple of years ago. Glad to see neither of us was zapped by our efforts.

Yeah, that's kind of the way I'm looking at it. But since I'm not an EE or anything close, I'm going to go with the "conservative" approach and run both hot leads through the master switch (already ordered another NO block for it!). To me, though, from a purely logical point of view, it seems...

I guess what I'm trying to understand is why it's less safe to run Line 2 direct to the coil, since Line 1 (on the other side of the coil) is open when the switch is off, so there is no completed circuit for the power to run through? Is it because if Line 1 shorts out somewhere along the way it...

Thanks AllanMar. Interesting diagrams! In the end, I decided to go with Kal's solution, since it turns out I'm going to have to send 240v to the front panel anyway (understand the voltage isn't the real safety issue). I guess the whole diode thing is just a bit above my pay grade. : )

Thanks P-J (and jeffmeh). I think I'd need another block for my main panel switch to run Line 2 through it (I'm using an Auber SW8). But does it really make things "safer" to run it through the switch? If the Line 2 jumper is just going to the main switch contactor coil, the rest of the panel...

I just fired up the newly-minted Mark II version of my control panel and found that I had made the same mistake as the OP: 240V coil instead of 120V. Duh! Anyway, I'm planning to use what I have rather than replace, so I'll be leading Line 2 to the side of the coil that had the neutral...

Okay, this is for all of you EE's out there. I posted a couple of days ago about a wiring variation I'm considering for my panel based on Kal's design. To summarize, instead of powering the element indicator lights off of Hot A&B (downstream of a contactor between the power source and the...

Yeah, that's the other solution I was thinking of. Already cut the wires though!

You mean like a barrel diode? What's the best way to install one of these in line? I assume you just shrink tube it, put connectors at both ends and put it in-line with the neutral lead?

I'm working on the 2.0 version of my control panel, which is generally based on Kal's design. I've made a few minor tweaks, one of which is using the 110V versions of the boil element on indicator lights instead of the 220V's he uses (for one thing, that's what I ordered; for the other, this...

My darling wife often reminds me that: 1) brewing is a hobby; 2) all hobbies cost money; 3) at least this hobby results in something we can drink! I am just embarking on the Mark II version of my control box, after happily using the Mark I version for a couple of years. What the other posters...

I've done that too, but ended up with a very dry cider. If you want to keep a bit of sweet to offset the acid, you have to do something to keep the yeasties from eating all the sugar. There are various ways to end up with a sweet, sparkling cider. This just happens to be the noisiest.:D

A couple of weeks ago, I posted that I was planning to try the pasteurization process in my eHERMS. It was a great idea, but in the meantime my bottles had, apparently, warmed up a bit (I was keeping them well chilled in the fridge, but needed the fridge for other purposes), resumed fermenting...

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but why would you bring both legs into your PID? The PIDs used for homebrewing typically run on 120v, so they only need one leg. There are some excellent wiring tutorials here. Most folks run the inbound 240v through a distribution block, which lets you step down to...

Never say never, but I tried to save my sorbated batch with a lot of yeast (having also read that sorbate only prevents yeast reproduction) with no luck. Gave it plenty of time and yeast, but no go. Hope you have better luck!

Pasteurized cider should work, but you won't get anywhere with cider that's been treated with sorbate. Trust me, I know from sad experience (5 gal down the drain:()

I built a 3-keggle eHERMS system in my basement last winter. It was a fun and interesting project in itself, and the end result has been far better beer at much greater convenience, and no more frost-bitten toes. My old gas system is collecting dust in the garage. One thing to keep in mind...

A few posts ago I said I was going to try this pasteurization method on some cider. The holidays got too busy, so after bottling I just tossed the whole batch in the fridge at low temp and left it there (except the ones I drank, which were delicious!). Anyway, the problem is that I can't give...