Boil Kettle element question

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deadboy

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I was thinking about some input I've gotten from several people in various threads and was thinking that if I were to not connect my Boil Kettle element to a PID would it be safe to wire it up to an appropriately sized contactor and then just hook up the coil on the contactor to a switch to allow me to turn it on and off at the appropriate times? That should negate the need for an SSR for the element, correct?
 
It would work, just not "fine control" - you're either 100% on or 100% off.
People do that a lot with smaller 120 elements
 
It's been put to me that with the boil element you pretty much are boiling or your cooling and there's no real need for fine control. I actually have the equipment to hook it to a PID. I just figured why wire up the extra kit if it's not nesc. If you disagree I would LOVE to hear your reasoning before I start filling up the control box.
 
It's been put to me that with the boil element you pretty much are boiling or your cooling and there's no real need for fine control. I actually have the equipment to hook it to a PID. I just figured why wire up the extra kit if it's not nesc. If you disagree I would LOVE to hear your reasoning before I start filling up the control box.

I have no controllers on either my HLT or BK and both are electric. I simply watch the temperature and turn it off accordingly. Worst case scenario is my strike is a little hot and I stir down for 5 minutes or my sparge is a little hot and I mash a little longer or run off slower.

In the BK it doesn't matter. The only time I cut power to an element is if the boil is ferocious and I'm near the top..which doesn't happen much in my new keggle.
 
I have no controllers on either my HLT or BK and both are electric. I simply watch the temperature and turn it off accordingly. Worst case scenario is my strike is a little hot and I stir down for 5 minutes or my sparge is a little hot and I mash a little longer or run off slower.

In the BK it doesn't matter. The only time I cut power to an element is if the boil is ferocious and I'm near the top..which doesn't happen much in my new keggle.

This is the advice I'm mostly getting. I'd love opposing/alternate viewpoints. I had considered initially hooking up the boil element to a PID in order to have a little less vigorous boil.

EDIT: I take it back. It has not been suggested that I let the HLT element run. I'll probably go ahead and keep that one hooked to the PID as I'd hate to mess that about and the mash get too hot/cool.
 
This is the advice I'm mostly getting. I'd love opposing/alternate viewpoints. I had considered initially hooking up the boil element to a PID in order to have a little less vigorous boil.

Depends on how attentive you are during brew days. I have an idea how long things will take to heat and such, so I can run off for a minute here and there, but I mostly watch everything like a hawk. If you want completely care-free brewing...get PIDs.
 
This is the advice I'm mostly getting. I'd love opposing/alternate viewpoints. I had considered initially hooking up the boil element to a PID in order to have a little less vigorous boil.

EDIT: I take it back. It has not been suggested that I let the HLT element run. I'll probably go ahead and keep that one hooked to the PID as I'd hate to mess that about and the mash get too hot/cool.

Are you using Herms or something? If you're using a seperate MLT then strike water is all you're heating for the mash, and if that's too hot...turn element off and wait a minute or two. No biggie. Again, if you want to take a nap and have an alarm tell you when everything is ready...get controllers. Otherwise running upstairs to get a cup of coffee won't take your strike water 50* over. It takes a lot of time to heat water.
 
Yes, it will be HERMS. When I say too hot/cold I just mean if I leave the HLT element on/off too long then that would adversely effect the mash temp as it runs thru the heat exchanger. I'm not a total absentee brewer but if something comes up with the kid or door or whatever and I come back I'd rather the temp on the fiddlier stuff, like the HLT and mash temp, was being watched by me AND the system. Currently I brew on the stove so as long as I am watching the time I can just adjust the burner.
 
Well HERMS is a totally different story. You should mention that next time! :D Yeah, I'd want the HLT element run on PID. For people with insulated, traditional mash-tuns...it's not necessary. The BK definitely doesn't need control unless you plan on a very full boil.
 
Haha! Sorry about that. I'm actually transitioning from stove top 5-6 gallon batches to HERMS electric using two half barrel 15 gallon kegs for HLT and boil kettle and a 10gallon igloo for my MT. I forget that all electric isn't the same because I'm an idiot :)
 
Haha! Sorry about that. I'm actually transitioning from stove top 5-6 gallon batches to HERMS electric using two half barrel 15 gallon kegs for HLT and boil kettle and a 10gallon igloo for my MT. I forget that all electric isn't the same because I'm an idiot :)

No worries. Around here your setup is more "electric" than mine, even though I use two all-electric vessels and no gas or stove whatsoever. It seems unless you have a full-scale Kal-clone you're not "really" electric...or there just aren't many of us.

My thing was to brew indoors but without being limited by a stove. So I put the stove(s) inside the kettles. I still have a cooler and still don't have pumps or any automation/controllers. Just a few light switches, ball valves, hose braid, and a bunch of pallets stacked in a ghetto 3-tier config.
 
See. Ghetto, but electric. (the stove isn't even wired)

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Hey, if it works then it works. My thing was more that I WON'T brew outside and I can only brew in the kitchen when no one else is at home. So rather than fight the Mrs. for more brew time I thought I'd just set up a full on rig in my man cave. And if I don't have a set up that is relatively stable then I'll drag this piece to one corner of the room and a hose will wind up on top of the cabinet and god knows what would happen to the rest of the kit. Just made more sense to have something that only the kegs would be removable for cleaning purposes. Less clutter.
 
I'm in the basement, not even using 1/4 of the space down there (need moar!) Stove was free but cost of copper to wire it (panel on opposite end of basement) kaiboshed that plan. Of course, I spent that much on my current stuff...but it would have never fit on the stove.

Id put a PID on the HERMS setup and leave the boiling "free" if you want to save money and don't plan on boiling within inches of the top. Fermcap-S is greeeaaaatttt stuff for controlling boilovers though!
 
Nah, shouldn't be an issue. I plan on limiting myself to 10g batches. So even with the extra water to cover what will boil off in that stage I should be fine.
 
deadboy said:
Nah, shouldn't be an issue. I plan on limiting myself to 10g batches. So even with the extra water to cover what will boil off in that stage I should be fine.

Yep. See no need to limit a 12g or so boil in a 15g keggle
 
I've got a 16 Gal BK and a 9.5 Gal HLT(cooler MLT) each with pigtails and use one panel for both and just kick it up to 222 for boiling.So,yeah I could
absolutely get by without even the one controller but I already had the Love controller and the contactor.
 
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