Auber 2352; temp setpoint not observed in manual mode?

In automatic mode you can set the temp but not the output % of power.

In manual mode, you can set the output % of power but the temp setpoint isn't followed (that is, if my temp is set to 120°, the element will still fire beyond that).

Why can't I do both....set the output % while keeping the water at the set temp?

Oddly, the manual suggests this is possible. Figure 3 shows the automatic output value (A) at 60%. I've tried tried all three settings for the Automatic-Manual (A-M) status.

In case there's another way around this, my goal is to keep a mash temp setpoint with the element at say, 50%, so when I recirculate and heat my wort during step mashing I minimize risk of scorching.

kevreh said:

Oddly, the manual suggests this is possible. Figure 3 shows the automatic output value (A) at 60%. I've tried tried all three settings for the Automatic-Manual (A-M) status.

Click to expand...

The illustration in the manual is simply a demonstration of the duty cycle that is currently calculated while in automatic mode. It can change in every cycle based in the feedback from the temp probe and what it learned when it was autotuned.

kevreh said:

In case there's another way around this, my goal is to keep a mash temp setpoint with the element at say, 50%, so when I recirculate and heat my wort during step mashing I minimize risk of scorching.

Click to expand...

If you somehow were able to set the power output to the element at something less than it's full potential heating capability, you might never reach your setpoint. It's a much better idea to pick an ultra low watt density element (<50 watts/square inch). This type of an element will minimize the risk of scorching. I use 1 in my BK and 1 in my RIMS and have never scorched a batch in the 3 years I've been using the system.

Yeah I have one of those ULWD elements, the squigly ones that are folded over. Maybe I don't need to worry.

Thanks

OUTH is the parameter for that covered in section 4.12 of the manual. Not sure why the range goes over 100% though

I wanted to do this too but had already ordered the 2362 which doesn't have this ability

Thanks Bill. I'll have to try that tonight.

kevreh said:

In automatic mode you can set the temp but not the output % of power.

In manual mode, you can set the output % of power but the temp setpoint isn't followed (that is, if my temp is set to 120°, the element will still fire beyond that).

Why can't I do both....set the output % while keeping the water at the set temp?

Click to expand...

Seriously?? ..... The percentage of time the element stays on is what directly effects and controls the temp and you want to make this a fixed non varying setpoint ( the constant varying is the whole point of pid to maintain the temp) and still have it maintain a specific temp setpoint? there are way to many variables for this to work... you can make a chart and keep the temps close with predetermined % values but even that changes for me depending on the amount and density of the liquid and the temps in the room...the pid function does just that in a round about way when NOT in manual mode by varying to compensate on the fly....

Point taken. I'm still understanding the world of PIDs. What I'm asking for is what a much simpler Ranco controller does. Reading your post a couple times puts me more in the "mindset" of how PIDs work.

I get what you are trying to do/say, a simple illustration would be maintaining 150F using a 240v 6000w element (which would need to be fired a pid determined 20% for example) or running the same element at 120v, which would be 1/4 the output at 1500w, and would need to be fired by a pid determined 80%. (I am making up numbers here for illustration). The big problem is that pids are not that smart, and don't know when you change the power being input by 1/4 (or vice versa, 4x).

Maybe a solid state voltage regulator (ssvr) is what you are saying should go before the ssr being controlled by the PID, this would allow you to run the element at various voltages, but unfortunately you would have to re tune the pid as when you adjust the voltage coming from the ssvr the parameters from the auto tune would likely not work well at different voltages.

I kinda do this, I have a switch that allows me to go from 120v/240v, when using 240 I'm usually just heating water and don't care about watt density and run in manual mode, and I tune the pid to work at the 120v level.

When do you use 120v....for controlling mash temp? Post a link to your system if there's a thread.

Also, whats your switch configured. Simplest I can think is an on/off for one leg of the two hots. Unless that would throw the gfci.

Thanks

I don't have a thread yet, maybe before too long, but here is a pic to help.



I use one side/leg of a DPDT contactor and a regular house switch to activate the contactor coil. You can see the hot(red) and neutral (white) on the right coming "in", and the"output" red wire on the left of the pic. Then I piggy back on those terminals to provide power to the coil when needed. (The black and other white wire run to the house switch).

You can think of our like I'm using the contactor backward from the way it's illustrated in some diagrams floating around, let me know if you need any more clarification!!

And yes, for controlling mash temp...