PID for boil????

[PleasantValleyHops]

so as i think a few of you know on here im in the process of biulding my e setup. ive ordered my pid and my thermocouples and pump and im about to order some random fittings and such for herms setup.

Now my question is w use of the pid. y cant or why doesnt anyone use it for boil. cant it just be set to lets say 215 degrees or so and let it eat that way.. everyone talks about to harsh of a boil but i guess since i havent used one yet i dont know.. and if i do and should order a pwm for my 5500 w element wheres the best place to find one. i will start hopefully posting some pics of the biuld soon! i hope.

thanks for the help!

 

[Squeeky]

A lot of us use PID for boil though it needs a manual mode. Setting at 212 would have element running much more then needed. I use a single pid for both hlt and boil. Though even in manual mode you have to have a probe connected.

 

[passedpawn]

What PID do you have on order?

 

[pvtschultz]

Boiling water will be 212 degrees whether it is a full-on boil or barely boiling depending on how much power is being applied; that is where the manual control comes in.

The Auber unit and Sestos units have manual control, the Mypin unit on ebay does not and will require a separate PWM. This additional feature makes it more expensive than the Auber unit (trust me).

 

[kal]

Boiling water never goes above 212F so setting the PID to 212F or higher would result in the element firing continuously which may result in a too vigorous boil. Instead, you run the PID in manual mode at 100% until boil is reached and then turn it down to maintain the boil.

Even though most of the time someone uses the PID in manual mode to boil, automatic mode can be useful too: It helps us minimize the chance of 'boil overs'. When wort first starts to boil it foams up considerably. If left unattended (brewers are easily distracted), it will result in messy boil-overs. To avoid this, run the PID in automatic mode with the temperature set to just below boiling (like 208F). Most PIDs have alarms built in and you can then set the alarm to sound once that temperature reached too. The wort is then automatically heated to just below boiling without going any higher, and the alarm is sounds. Then switch over to manual mode and continue heating while watching and stirring to avoid the initial boil over.

Kal

 

[PleasantValleyHops]

Boiling water never goes above 212F so setting the PID to 212F or higher would result in the element firing continuously which may result in a too vigorous boil. Instead, you run the PID in manual mode at 100% until boil is reached and then turn it down to maintain the boil.

Even though most of the time someone uses the PID in manual mode to boil, automatic mode can be useful too: It helps us minimize the chance of 'boil overs'. When wort first starts to boil it foams up considerably. If left unattended (brewers are easily distracted), it will result in messy boil-overs. To avoid this, run the PID in automatic mode with the temperature set to just below boiling (like 208F). Most PIDs have alarms built in and you can then set the alarm to sound once that temperature reached too. The wort is then automatically heated to just below boiling without going any higher, and the alarm is sounds. Then switch over to manual mode and continue heating while watching and stirring to avoid the initial boil over.

Kal

so, i did order the mypin controller, so as far as it looks now it doesnt have manual mode. i ordered two, one for hlt and one for the mlt(mainly as a temp gauge). i was going to go with a pwm for my bk but starting to lean toward the pid from sestos unit or similar w a m mode.. since this is still in the open, any thoughts on which is truely better. and best way to accomplish the overall final product.

 

[kal]

There's no 'better or worse'.

A PID run in manual mode or a PWM setup will both cycle the element on/off based on the duty cycle you set.

A PID will cost you about $40 and is ready to go. You need to use a temp probe (or you could use a 2 cent resistor instead but then you don't see the temp). A PWM setup will cost you maybe half but you need to know a thing about electronics and build it yourself. Most PIDs provide a water resistant seal. With PWM you'd have to get a sealed potentiometer of some sort if you want the same moisture control.

For the (about) $20 difference I went with a PID since it also gives me other advantages like alarming, temperature monitoring, etc. I like having 3 identical PIDs too (for backup reasons).

YMMV.

Kal

 

[PleasantValleyHops]

Thanks kal

Everything noted. So other than the wholw back up thing. Since i do have 2 mypin ones on the way. I will have 1 different one. I guess no biggie.