Ranco for Element Control

Been considering doing 1 gallon BIAB to play with some recipes and not have to worry about have 5 gallons of not-so-great beer sitting around.

Had planned on stovetop, but then I got to thinking about electric. I already have a Ranco single stage temp controller here somewhere I'm not using. I'm sure I could round up an old tea kettle for the element.
Would it be as simple as mounting it in the pot, plug it in and go brewing?

do they make the tea kettle things in a one gallon size? I know thats not what youre saying but that would be worth looking into.

You may be able to find a small water heater element that would be cheaper than you could find a tea kettle element for. Just make sure to check the amp rating on the ranco and stay within that range when finding an element.

Tinga said:

do they make the tea kettle things in a one gallon size? I know thats not what youre saying but that would be worth looking into.

You may be able to find a small water heater element that would be cheaper than you could find a tea kettle element for. Just make sure to check the amp rating on the ranco and stay within that range when finding an element.

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Amp rating for the Ranco is 16 amps. I was thinking about the water heater element as well. Anyone done this?

indeed. thats what most people use to do electric brewing. you can buy water heater elements for less than 10 bucks and wire them up with a cord rated for the amperage.

Tinga said:

indeed. thats what most people use to do electric brewing. you can buy water heater elements for less than 10 bucks and wire them up with a cord rated for the amperage.

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Awesome! This will be my "pilot" system, so for 20-30 bucks I can upgrade to electric! Great!

Are you aware that you may not be able to achieve the same fine control over the temperature as you could with a PID? Something to consider....

jeffmeh said:

Are you aware that you may not be able to achieve the same fine control over the temperature as you could with a PID? Something to consider....

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No I didn't know that. Is the Ranco known to be off by a few degrees or something?

A PID + SSR can pulse width modulate the element when it approaches the process temp to prevent overshoot. The Ranco will have simple ON/OFF control. Both types of controllers are limited by the location of the temp sensor and the consistency of the temp through out the fluid so stir or recirculate when you approach your process temp for better repeatability.

jCOSbrew is correct. If you use a PID like the Auber 2352, it even has software that will "learn" your system characteristics and automatically modulate (pulse on and off to effectively reduce the heating output) the element to prevent overshoot. With the Ranco, the element is 100% on until you hit your setpoint and will likely overshoot, then 100% off until it drops below your differential, then 100% on and likely overshooting again.

jeffmeh said:

jCOSbrew is correct. If you use a PID like the Auber 2352, it even has software that will "learn" your system characteristics and automatically modulate (pulse on and off to effectively reduce the heating output) the element to prevent overshoot. With the Ranco, the element is 100% on until you hit your setpoint and will likely overshoot, then 100% off until it drops below your differential, then 100% on and likely overshooting again.

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So the Ranco is not a good idea? I'm always there stirring during the mash. I figured the Ranco would be an increase over propane burner

Antler said:

So the Ranco is not a good idea? I'm always there stirring during the mash. I figured the Ranco would be an increase over propane burner

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If you want the element to automatically and accurately maintain mash temperature, you would need a PID and some type of recirculation or stirring.

The Ranco would work fine if you set the setpoint a few degrees below your desired mash temp (based upon your "learning" of how much it will overshoot), then turn off the element and insulate. You could manually turn on the element if you need a quick boost of heat, but again it would be up to you to make sure you don't overshoot. In my view that would still be an increase over propane.