Yoopers New Control Panel

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lschiavo

This space for rent.
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Yooper is on vacation so I have been renovating her control panel while she is away. The main reason for the project is the HLT element was too small. I haven't decided yet if I will go with 4500 or 5500 for the elements. The HLT will also now be a keg. It was a 10gallon cooler before.

There are six cords. 50A power, 2 elements, 2 low level floats and the temp probe. I built a 555 PWM circuit to control the boil.

Well, here is the panel. Sorry a little blurry. I will update with more when I get the kegs set up.

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Um, where are the instructions for me? I need "Yooper's Control Panel for Dummies (Yooper)" next to it!

Seriously- GREAT job. You went far above and beyond what I ever expected!
 
Nice job! One comment. I don't think it is kosher to switch or fuse a neutral. Your definite purpose contactor appears to be switching the neutral coming into the box from the main power cord. You also appear to fuse the neutral. I am not an expert - maybe someone else will chime in.
 
Nice job! One comment. I don't think it is kosher to switch or fuse a neutral. Your definite purpose contactor appears to be switching the neutral coming into the box from the main power cord. You also appear to fuse the neutral. I am not an expert - maybe someone else will chime in.

Thanks. I dont believe there is anything wrong with switching a neutral. It is actually required in some applications and they make neutral switching circuit breakers. I do not have any neutrals fused. Maybe you are confusing the terminal block in the upper right with fuses? You did make me realize a mistake however. I need to pull the coil power off the line side of the contactor:drunk:
 
Holy Crap Yoop! I wish my friends would help me out like that! all my friends ever do is drink my beer!

Excellent job Ischiavo! if I ever get set up for electric brewing I'm flying you out here to wire it....
 
I might understand, I spent like 27 years in Eagle River, with much time spent in the UP. Recently I guess I started speaking yooper in a drunken tizzy, or so they say.
 
Could you two brewcast the first run? If anything goes amiss I would love to hear some quality northwoods yooper-style cursing live on the Internet!

We're putting this together tomorrow and brewing together in my laundry room. I'll try to webcast, if I can figure it out while lschiavo hooks it all up.

My laundry room is small, the rig is pretty big, and lschiavo is not tiny. We should be nice and cozy in there!

:mug:

Hopefully, we can get started around 9AM or so. Since it's early, we shouldn't even be drunk yet.
 
Holy Crap Yoop! I wish my friends would help me out like that! all my friends ever do is drink my beer!

Excellent job Ischiavo! if I ever get set up for electric brewing I'm flying you out here to wire it....

I tease him all the time about being a geek, but he really has a great engineer brain that amazes me. I only understand about 75% of what he says when he talks about electricity.

I told him he should build control panels to make $$$. He does a great job, and seems to like it.

The cool thing is that I've been a terrible influence on him, as has this forum! He's built a cool rig for himself, he's built a smoker, and he has all the best toys! He's got a pH meter, and he was talking about an RO system. He also has every tool I could ever want to borrow. Not only that, he's very funny. I'm lucky to have such a cool friend, and his wife is awesome, too.

He even let me "drive" the bucket truck last fall.
 
What size element did you go with? My hlt is a 5500w, 40 to 170 in 40-45 minutes, and thats topped up @ 15 gallons. You will love it.

_
 
Thanks Yoop. I'm blushing. You know I really do enjoy working on this stuff. I haven't gotten around to posting any more pics. Maybe we can do that tomorrow.

I went with a 5500 in the HLT and a 4500 in the BK. I can't wait to give it a run.
 
Could you post a schematic of the 555 pwm circuit? Is the pwm controlling a SSR or are you using a different type of switch like a triac?
 
Yeah I'm interested to see you guys brew on this thing. Is the MLT still a 10gallon cooler? I believe that's what it use to be.
 
Great Job on this, I just built my new brew rig. Its a Electric/gas system so no real need to go with a power panel, but one of these days I'll have my garage wired with 220 and go all electric, when that day comes I will be asking you for one of these. BTW I lived in Houghton for 3 years and never saw a Tirdy Point Buck. LOL
 
EricT said:
Great Job on this, I just built my new brew rig. Its a Electric/gas system so no real need to go with a power panel, but one of these days I'll have my garage wired with 220 and go all electric, when that day comes I will be asking you for one of these. BTW I lived in Houghton for 3 years and never saw a Tirdy Point Buck. LOL

Thanks. I spent 5 years in Houghton myself. Great town but I don't miss the snow. My sysem is a hybrid too. I need to get more power to my shop.
 
We miss Houghton. Talk about going back up this year if Kim wants to attend that Engineering Camp again. But we talked about staying the week and looking around. Notice this will be happening during the summer!

If we come up I'll make it a requirement to stop by and say hi! Maybe bring up two tree beers, eh!
 
Homercidal said:
We miss Houghton. Talk about going back up this year if Kim wants to attend that Engineering Camp again. But we talked about staying the week and looking around. Notice this will be happening during the summer!

If we come up I'll make it a requirement to stop by and say hi! Maybe bring up two tree beers, eh!

Don't forget the second annual Yooper brew day!
 
You are yoopers, who are you kidding? Don't you guys drink schnapps with breakfast?

Schnapps? No of course not. Homemade wine, for sure but not schnapps. Cripes der hey!


So the same size, just more power?

Not the HLT- I had a cooler HLT but now have a keggle HLT. That will give me extra space in the HLT for 10 gallon brews, plus allow me to do most of my water treatment right in the HLT. Tomorrow's brew needs 16 gallons of water total, but otherwise I'll be using a bit less. It means I won't have to refill the HLT, and can do all of my water additions to the entire batch of water.

Don't forget the second annual Yooper brew day!

Yep- let's talk about that! Homer, you HAVE to come again. You and Xiang and HenryHill made it so much fun! Free pontoon boat rides for everyone!
 
Yooper said:
Ok, that's it! You're being relegated to the jon boat and oars. Just make the sound "brrrrrrrm" with your lips to pretend you have a motor as you row along behind us.

Carefully Homer. I'm shutting up now. The boat rides are...refreshing.
 
So, that's Yooper's control panel? I always knew she was really an android. What do the buttons make her do? :D
 

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