Brew Magic to electric

[jtkratzer]

Another round of PB Blaster and the sander on the rust spots on the stand. I'll get there. I want to keep working on it in the event powder coating is more than I want to spend.

 

[jtkratzer]

Painted. The rest of the panel is still drying. Might get a third coat.

Hoping to be ready for a water-only run an evening this week and if all goes well, inaugural brew this weekend. If not, it's on like Donkey Kong somewhere between the 25-27th as I have a conference the 18-20th.

 

[jtkratzer]

Got a ballpark figure of $100-$150 to blast and powder coat the stand. That seems reasonable.

Probably not going to do much with the panel for another day or two. Humidity has been high and the paint feels a bit tacky this morning. I'd like it to be fully dry before I start putting the outlets and wiring in.

 

[jtkratzer]

There not perfectly square, but I can live with it. Paint looks pretty good. It's now flawless, but it's a piece of equipment, not a display piece.

$100 to blast and powder coat the stand. I'm going to have that done while I'm gone for a couple weeks in June.

 

[jtkratzer]

Pump outlets and RTD connectors are in.

 

[jtkratzer]

SSRs are greased and mounted to their heat sinks and mounted to the panel. I think that's it for tonight.

My wife has some stuff going on the next two evenings and I doubt I'm going to get much done with my two year old running around, but we'll see. Keep saying it, but just need to drill the back plate and mount the internals and then it's wiring time.

 

[kpr121]

Looking good. You might be ready for a dry (wet?) run in the next week or so!

Outlet covers dont look all that bad on there (if they were level..... jk)

 

[jtkratzer]

Looking good. You might be ready for a dry (wet?) run in the next week or so!

Outlet covers dont look all that bad on there (if they were level..... jk)

They're pretty close, closer than the picture looks, but not as good as the PIDs.

I'm hoping for a test this weekend. Out of town the following weekend. Hoping to brew the 26th or 27th as I leave the following Friday for two weeks.

 

[jtkratzer]

Also, we were discussing whether or not it mattered or the pros/cons of which order to place the SSR and contactor between the PID and the element. I was thinking if the contactor came first and the PID had power, and the power switch to the element was off, it would save on/off cycles on the SSR if you just wanted to monitor the temp as nothing would pass through the contactor. That brought up discussion of incorporating indicator lights on the control panel a live feedback of when the elements were firing and when they were not. If the contactor was first, then the SSR, and you had an indicator light, it would allow you to see if your SSR had failed in the open position in that your element would be firing constantly when maybe it was supposed to maintain a temp or run at a manual percentage to maintain a boil.

As I start wiring things up, it does matter which order the SSR and contactors are wired as the SSR output of the PID needs to cycle the SSR to open/close the contacts of one of the 120V legs going to my element.

Probably not the first person to wonder about it, but it was kind of a stupid question now that I see how it works.

 

[jtkratzer]

I don't have all the internal stuff I'm going to use yet, so I started wiring what I could. I used cat5 wire, the blue with solid insulation and blue with a white strip to go from the SSR output on the PID to the SSRs.

Went from the #3 terminal on the NO block of my SW2 switches for each PID to terminal #9 on the PIDs.

For the pump outlets and their SW1 switches, I jumped a hot from #24 to X2 to light the switch when it's depressed, and then from 24 to the hot terminal on my outlets.

Jumped a ground wire between the terminals on the element outlets with 10 gauge and another jump between the two pump outlets with 14 gauge. The two sets of outlets are not wired together.

Also need to cut the fork terminals off the wires from the RTD connects as they're not long enough to reach the PIDs. Figured I would twist the copper together, solder, and shrink tube it.

What gauge wire is recommended to go from the hots on each element outlet to the indicator lights to show when the elements are firing? I would think more cat5 wire would work.

 

[P-J]

Justin,

I finished the latest diagram for you and I hope I addressed all of your concerns and changes with the plan.

Here is the new diagram (It has a different file name):

As always, click on the image for a full scale diagram printable on Tabloid paper (11" x 17")



Please let me know.

P-J

 

[jtkratzer]

Getting started:

 

[jtkratzer]

Justin,

I finished the latest diagram for you and I hope I addressed all of your concerns and changes with the plan.

Please let me know.

P-J

Looks great! I'm starting to get a better grip on this stuff as it seems most of what I added is wired the way I had visualized between other builds and some things on Kal's site. Except the alarm - I was way off.

Just curious on your opinion on this wiring for the alarm:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/auber-2352-alarm-question-315717/#post3931066

And based on the back of my door, I can start at the alarm with the neutral and pick up each of the PIDs and switches working to the bottom of the door and then cross over the hinge, pick up each of the pump outlets, and then back to the neutral bus, all on one wire, right? Probably do the hots the same way to supply each of the switches and PIDs.

 

[P-J]

You could certainly set up your alarms as picrured in the referenced link. All you would need to do is wire PID terminals1 & 14 together on each PID.

Regarding the wiring. You certainly could do it that way. The only wires that you need to do point to point are the high current lines for the elements.

 

[jtkratzer]

You could certainly set up your alarms as picrured in the referenced link. All you would need to do is wire PID terminals1 & 14 together on each PID.

Regarding the wiring. You certainly could do it that way. The only wires that you need to do point to point are the high current lines for the elements.

What's the best/preferred way to do it? I don't want to do something just because I can. If there's a recommended way, I'm all ears. I've heard you say there's some room for creativity when it comes to turning your diagram on paper into wire and terminals, but I still want to do it right.

Contactors will be here tomorrow. I'll get a length of DIN rail cut for those and then drill the back plate and wrap this up.

Might be overkill, but I was thinking about getting the nut from the weldless RTD kit from Auber welded to the keg and keeping that o-ring on there to seal it.

 

[P-J]

...
Regarding the wiring. You certainly could do it that way. The only wires that you need to do point to point are the high current lines for the elements.

What's the best/preferred way to do it? I don't want to do something just because I can. If there's a recommended way, I'm all ears. I've heard you say there's some room for creativity when it comes to turning your diagram on paper into wire and terminals, but I still want to do it right.

Post # 180 describes how I'd do it.

Contactors will be here tomorrow. I'll get a length of DIN rail cut for those and then drill the back plate and wrap this up.

Might be overkill, but I was thinking about getting the nut from the weldless RTD kit from Auber welded to the keg and keeping that o-ring on there to seal it.

Just solder the nut in place. (Harris Stay-Brite solder & Harris Stay-Clean liquid flux.) A small kit is fairly cheap.
Electric Solder Stay-Brite Kit with Flux

Hope this helps.

 

[jtkratzer]

Post # 180 describes how I'd do it.

Right, yeah I'm tracking on how to make the connections, just didn't know if you had something else in mind about the number of wire runs from the bus for things that share common wiring, like the neutral.

Just solder the nut in place. (Harris Stay-Brite solder & Harris Stay-Clean liquid flux.) A small kit is fairly cheap.
Electric Solder Stay-Brite Kit with Flux

Hope this helps.

Always helpful. I'll check out the soldering kit. The temp probe won't be taken out very often or have a lot of force or weight on them like the element housings.

 

[P-J]

Right, yeah I'm tracking on how to make the connections, just didn't know if you had something else in mind about the number of wire runs from the bus for things that share common wiring, like the neutral.

Always helpful. I'll check out the soldering kit. The temp probe won't be taken out very often or have a lot of force or weight on them like the element housings.

The common wiring is no problem as the current involved in any 120V circuit run will be less than 15A. The only circuits that have a higher current flow are for the element power circuits.

Re: The solder is extremely strong and bonds SS very well as long as there is a reasonable solder contact area. The flux is very specific for this application & there is no substitute. With any of my builds, I always solder every fitting involved and have never had a joint failure.

Just saying.

 

[jtkratzer]

Found the source of my leaky pump:

 

[jtkratzer]

Thinks this can be repaired with a glue and silicone sealant?

 

[jtkratzer]

And is a 2.875" x 0.0625" o-ring ($2.75 for a 5 pack) close enough to seal when Little Giant's $10 single o-ring is 2.864" x .070"?

 

[jtkratzer]

I think I finally have everything. Going drill the back plate at some point today, probably this afternoon/evening, get the rest of the components mounted, and wrap up the wiring.

Welder got called out of town to do some work, so I doubt I'm going to get my water only run in this weekend, but hopefully sometime next week. I'd really like to brew the last weekend in May.

Gotta tap into the fridge wiring and put the PID in there for my fermentation chamber as well. Always something to do...

 

[P-J]

Thinks this can be repaired with a glue and silicone sealant?

IMHO - The same silver solder kit would make an excellent repair on that. Just apply the flux & solder on the outside of the assembly.

 

[jtkratzer]

IMHO - The same silver solder kit would make an excellent repair on that. Just apply the flux & solder on the outside of the assembly.

Didn't know that stuff worked on non-metallic materials. I'll have to get some tomorrow when I'm out for a pocket door for my remodeling project.

Here's the panel with everything mounted. Let the wiring begin.

 

[P-J]

Didn't know that stuff worked on non-metallic materials. I'll have to get some tomorrow when I'm out for a pocket door for my remodeling project.
...

Wait - Wait.!
I had NO idea that the pieces were plastic.

Solder is absolutely out of the question. No Way.!

Plastic? Your solution of using glue is spot on. See if you can find one that is compatable with the plastic that the assembly is made with.

Or use an Epoxy glue similar to this one: Super Glue Plastic Fusion Epoxy Adhesive

I hope I caught you in time before you go on a disaster mission.

Soooo Sorry.

P-J

 

[jtkratzer]

Wait - Wait.!
I had NO idea that the pieces were plastic.

Solder is absolutely out of the question. No Way.!

Plastic? Your solution of using glue is spot on. See if you can find one that is compatable with the plastic that the assembly is made with.

Or use an Epoxy glue similar to this one: Super Glue Plastic Fusion Epoxy Adhesive

I hope I caught you in time before you go on a disaster mission.

Soooo Sorry.

P-J

No worries. I was hoping to spend a few minutes looking for something that might even be food grade.

 

[jtkratzer]

This is as far as I'm going tonight.

 

[jtkratzer]

Working on P-J's e-stop wiring...any reason to not put heat shrink tubing over the two resistors after soldering the leads to the copper wire? Maybe it's overkill or wasted time/material, just didn't seem like a bad idea.

 

[P-J]

Working on P-J's e-stop wiring...any reason to not put heat shrink tubing over the two resistors after soldering the leads to the copper wire? Maybe it's overkill or wasted time/material, just didn't seem like a bad idea.

That is Exactly what you should do.

You can also trim the resistor leads (no need for them to be really long) before twisting them and soldering. Slide the heat shrink onto the wire before you set up the solder job (you already knew that).

P-J

 

[jtkratzer]

That is Exactly what you should do.

You can also trim the resistor leads (no need for them to be really long) before twisting them and soldering. Slide the heat shrink onto the wire before you set up the solder job (you already knew that).

P-J

I didn't trim the leads, just wound them tightly around the copper, then used my ratcheting crimp tool to snug them down. The soldering pen is in my car, which my wife has right now, so that's on hold now.

Done with all the neutral wiring. All the load side of the switches are wired to my outlets (pumps and elements) and to the coils.

To do:
- wire the indicator lights for when the elements are firing to the fuse block and then to the lights. I wired them up the other night forgetting I was going to fuse them so I could replace the fuse and not the indicators.
- a ground from my pump outlets to the terminal.
- solder legs to go from the RTD panel connectors to the PID as the included wiring is too short.
- wire the alarm switch back to the PIDs.
- run all the line side of the power to the switches
- find a step bit to open the hole for the 50A power cord. The opening is big enough for the cord, but the clamp doesn't fit through. :facepalm:

Hoping to be done tomorrow.