rtd option that fits my cheap side

[bucfanmike]

So im not afraid to do some diy. I would like a 2.5 inch rtd with 1/2" npt to put in stainless T. I would like to have plugs at both the rtd and control box. The auberin deluxe option is exactly what i want.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?m...ducts_id=261:05c09f6e05f51083910d74bc3bc19306

but 2 of these in the cart is $84.70. Im kinda cheap, are there some options without giving up much quality?

 

[Double-R]

Two..
1 for MLt and 1 for ????????

 

[bucfanmike]

I will be running two pids. HLT and MT. This gives me the ability to heat strike water in the MT and also direct fire when i want to do steps faster than the herms coil can do alone.

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

Simple answer:

Buy the 100 ohm RTD element from Omega or on eBay. Wire it up (be sure to insulate it well) with high temperature shielded wire. Get a probe body from the usual brew hardware outfits. Pot the RTD in the probe body. Dig up the connectors on the Mouser site, wire them up.

Not clear how much that all will save you. The stainless steel probe bodies aren't all that cheap.

Bob

 

[bucfanmike]

well im giving these a shot. they took an offer of $10 with 12 shipping. So these were $22. Ill add the xlr plugs at the panel and ill connect these to a 'T' with a camlock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130708619010?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

same seller has a lot of 3, same as the ones I bought, so you know they would take an offer of $15 for the set of 3

 

[bucfanmike]

Just noticed these have 4 wires and they are not the standard 2 red 2 white. Maybe someone can give me some insight. I'm guessing they will still work. Will post pics once I get them next week.

 

[carlisle_bob]

Just noticed these have 4 wires and they are not the standard 2 red 2 white. Maybe someone can give me some insight. I'm guessing they will still work. Will post pics once I get them next week.

Hi

My guess is that they are three wire RTD's. They are a pretty common item.

Bob

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

A little pricey but a far more elegant solution than what Auber offers for a similar price.

 

[bucfanmike]

well hoppy, the ones i linked to I already bought, so going to try to get them to work for me.

 

[JRems]

They should work fine, if they have 4 wires it's probably 2 white and 2 red. Just twist both white wires together.

 

[bucfanmike]

They should work fine, if they have 4 wires it's probably 2 white and 2 red. Just twist both white wires together.

Ill have to open the head up when i get them, I have read about the 2 red, 2 white, but as I posted earlier these have 4 different color wires. Im sure once I get them someone here will help me figure them out

 

[JRems]

Also if you need one I have an extra rtd with 1/2" threads, I think it's about 5" long probe. It's got a terminal head like the ones you bought. I got an extra from china when I bought 3 others just incase one came doa. but they all worked.

 

[bucfanmike]

Thanks I'll keep that in mind when I start wiring mine. Hopefully no doa's

 

[cranium213]

well im giving these a shot. they took an offer of $10 with 12 shipping. So these were $22. Ill add the xlr plugs at the panel and ill connect these to a 'T' with a camlock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130708619010?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

same seller has a lot of 3, same as the ones I bought, so you know they would take an offer of $15 for the set of 3

I too was looking for an inexpensive RTD probe & thermowell option and followed your lead, and after asking a bunch of questions to confirm they were stainless and 1/2" threaded I decided to put in an offer on the lot of 3 and got it for $18. Looking forward to putting those to use, $30 for 3 liquid tight SS RTD probes is a great deal (assuming they're not DOA, but if they are at least the thermowells are still worth more than what I ended up paying).

Thanks for sharing bucfan!

 

[summerofgeorge]

well im giving these a shot. they took an offer of $10 with 12 shipping. So these were $22. Ill add the xlr plugs at the panel and ill connect these to a 'T' with a camlock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130708619010?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

same seller has a lot of 3, same as the ones I bought, so you know they would take an offer of $15 for the set of 3

Any idea where to find the xlr connectors for the T instead of using camlocks? I think I'm going to go a similar route as you with the probes but would rather not have the additional camlocks.

 

[cranium213]

The probes themselves have 1/2 MPT so they will be threaded into the T, and then you'd have a camplock on on the other output from the T. The XLR plugs are strictly for wiring the RTD probe to your PID controller, these are the plugs I'll be using Plug Eng on the wires and Panel Mount Connector on the box the PID controller will be installed in.

 

[summerofgeorge]

The way the OP posted, I thought he was using the camlocks as a way to disconnect the probe from the kettle. Attach the probe to a D camlock and then put an F camlock on the T. The probe would go through the center of both and be removable.

Are you planning on just hardwiring the probe to the kettle? I'd rather build one with the disconnect like the auberins ones but I'm not sure what the connectors are called. It looks similar to the panel mount you linked but with another piece that attaches it to the probe.

 

[bucfanmike]

my original plan is/was camlocks so that I can easily remove them for when i move/clean kegs. But now im thinking permanent mount into a T, then camlock the other 2 ends of the T to attack to the keg and then the hose. Ill use xlr plugs and panel mounts like cranium linked to for the control panel end of the wire

 

[cranium213]

My mistake SummeofGeorge, I wasn't reading that clearly. Now that you mention it I think I will likely get 3 of these disconnects and figure out how to attach them to the probe body for easily disconnecting the cable from the so I don't have to leave it attached when I'm done brewing.

 

[summerofgeorge]

My mistake SummeofGeorge, I wasn't reading that clearly. Now that you mention it I think I will likely get 3 of these disconnects and figure out how to attach them to the probe body for easily disconnecting the cable from the so I don't have to leave it attached when I'm done brewing.

This is the million dollar question! Please report back if you figure something out. I'm surprised no one else has chimed in on this though.

 

[cranium213]

I received my probes last yesterday and tested all 3 out and they worked perfect. They are only 3 wire, what appears to be a 4th wire is just heat shrink that they used to keep the stainless braiding that's in between the outer wire cover and the inner 3 wires. They aren't the standard colors of 2 red and 1 white that Auberins mentions in their PID wiring instructions, these have brown, green and white but they work the same regardless of whether you put brown or green on pin numbers 9/10, just make sure white is on number and 8 and everything should work fine.

It looks like these elbow/body where the wires enter are close to or the same size threads as the panel mount connectors from Auberins (I hope) so I am planning to order those and see if they'll thread in, if not the thermowell can be removed from the elbow but the threads connecting it to the elbow appear to be 1/4" MPT so a 1/2 x 1/4" coupling or combination of coupling and bushing are probably going to be required to make that work. I'm still searching for another quick-disconnect option that can be married to the probe elbow (which I think may be 3/8 MPT), so if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.

bucfanmike - I'll be interested to hear your experience with the probes you ordered and how you end up mounting them and connecting the wiring using the quick disconnects.

 

[cranium213]

I believe this is the manual to these probes, it's at least the brand even if the model is slightly different.

 

[bucfanmike]

got mine yesterday as well, i am still a couple weeks away from assembling everything. These look very substantial and im very happy i found them for this price.