Temperature controlled heater?

[bernardsmith]

Is there an inexpensive device that will allow me to control a heating element that will raise the temperature of curds and whey from about 80 F to about 110 F in one or two degree increments or is this really done by adding small amounts of boiling water to a warm water bath? Thanks.

 

[cannman]

Based on your question, I think you have the heating element already, right? Try building an STC-1000. That's the cheap way that I will go. It controls anything, honestly...

 

[bernardsmith]

Thanks cannman. The issue is controlling the SPEED of the rise in temperature - not in controlling the range or the min/max. In cheese making you want to allow the temperature to rise by one or two degrees over about 15 - 20 degrees every couple of minutes.. So the goal is to very slowly raise the temperature. I can do this by simply adding more hot water to a water bath in which the cheese vat is placed but I am looking for something programmable that I can set and walk away from .

 

[cannman]

Well you can do that by adjusting the thermostat as needed. It's all electronic so that's just a couple of buttons ever few minutes to 0.1 degree accuracy

If you're looking for automation, look up Blichmann engineering 's Tower of Power and program a mash schedule that meets the cheese making schedule.

 

[bernardsmith]

aha!I will check this out... Thanks cannman.

 

[passedpawn]

Tower of Power? Haha, might be overkill for cheese. What the OP wants is a controller PID programmed with a very UNDERDAMPED control. Not sure how to set the P-I-D constants to get that, but it's the answer. The ubiquitous Auber 2352, connected to a heating element, would work.

 

[cannman]

Tower of Power? Haha, might be overkill for cheese. What the OP wants is a controller PID programmed with a very UNDERDAMPED control. Not sure how to set the P-I-D constants to get that, but it's the answer. The ubiquitous Auber 2352, connected to a heating element, would work.

When you're serious about your craft, can you really overkill it?? :rockin:

 

[ame]

Could a BrewPi do this, with its beer profile mode?

All I have is a BrewPi, so every problem looks like it could be solved with a BrewPi.

 

[FoxPaw]

bernardsmith,

Try one of these; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=494475

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...words=Inkbird+Digital+Temperature+Controller+

http://www.ohmbrewautomations.com/

One of these look like what you might be looking for.
David.

 

[passedpawn]

When you're serious about your craft, can you really overkill it?? :rockin:

haha, isn't that the truth.

 

[bernardsmith]

Thanks guys - I have an ITC 308 but I guess I am looking for something that is programmable. The ITC 308 is really designed to work with fixed settings and I am looking for a device that would allow the temperature to rise by about 1 or 2 degrees F over a period of about 5 minutes from about 90F to about 125 F (so it would take about 90 minutes to reach 125 F)