Ezboil help

[EyeofdaHawk]

Hi all

I'm truly stuck with my Ezboil units. Great units but you seem to need a degree in electrical engineering to understand them, and the instructions are simply unhelpful.

I have managed to get my boil Ezboil DSPR320 into mash mode and i cannot get it out of it. I've followed the instructions (specifically below) and end up in a circular route, which puts me back at mash mode.

I've entered power and time and even an end into the boil cycle, but i can't get it to activate.

Equally, pushing 'run' as indicated does nothing. Please help!

 

[Happy Tails Brewing]

It sounds like you were setting mash setting, and now want to run them. Once you have entered the mash programs you want, you need to do nothing and let the controller go back to the main menu any input and the controller will think you are not done yet, and then you should be able to click run. If you are trying to do something else let me know, and I will try to help you out.

 

[Deadalus]

From the manual,

4.4. Select Mash or Boil Mode

There are two program modes: MASH and BOIL. By default, the controller is at MASH mode. If you want to run the program in Boil mode, please press the knob to bring up the Quick Access Menu. Next, rotate the knob clock-wise till you see “MODE” in the top display and “BOIL” in the lower display. Then, press the knob again to confirm the selection. The MASH indicator will light up if the controller is in MASH mode, and it should turn off if the controller is in BOIL mode.

Then it would run your boil program steps.

 

[EyeofdaHawk]

Sorry lads, neither of these work. I select the boil mode, it gives me the figure 7 side of things. Issue is i can't actually get it to start the boil program. I can scroll through all the steps (like 9 of them). I am unable to run it (clicking, or holding run button does nothing), and then it just go back to mash mode.

 

[EyeofdaHawk]

Like i can get it to here but no further. I'm quite sure it's a user issue, but damn these things are complex.

 

[doug293cz]

@Bobby_M can you offer any hints or tips?

Brew on

 

[Bobby_M]

I know this is an obvious thing to say but there's a learning curve that can be overcome in time. The module is more complex than it needs to be but that's my opinion. I'm sure there are users that appreciate every bit of extra programmability. Here's the thing. Auber built a great module here but they don't explain its functionality in an intuitive way for the average brewer.

1. In order for the DSPR320 to operate INTUITIVELY, you must set a few parameters (or verify they are already set this way). Under the mSET menu, make sure TSP is set to "1". This just means when in temperature target mode the timer will start when the measured temp is within one degree of the set point. Next, set both bTSP and bAST to "0" in the bSET menu. I won't get into why for this one but trust me. DO NOT SKIP THIS.
2. Keep the DSPR320 in "MASH" mode on both your HLT and BK, which just means you'll be operating in the first bank of NINE schedule slots or "STEPS". You can set temps and boils here.
3. The NINE schedule slots/STEPS can be EITHER a TEMP TARGET or a BOIL POWER SETTING.
4. Each schedule slot, regardless of whether it is a temp or a power setting, gets set for a T or "time". The two times that are useful are minutes and HOLD. Minutes count down as you'd expect and hold just holds it until you intervene by pressing RUN.

NOW YOU PROGRAM A SCHEDULE:

ON YOUR HLT MODULE:
Press the knob for 3 seconds. Select mPRG.

m1 = 160F (strike temp target)
t1 = HOLD (no time, waits for you to continue via RUN button press)

m2 = 152F (mash temp target)
t2 = 45 mins (when 151, 152 or 153F is achieved, the timer starts)

m3 = 175F (mash out temp target)
t3 = HOLD (no time, waits for you to continue via RUN button press)

m4 = 175F (This last step is just to end the program. I repeat the previous target)
t4 = END (the program is immediately ended and this setting also kicks you out of mPRG mode because it realizes you have no more steps to program.


ON YOUR BK MODULE:

m1 = 210F (temp target, get me close to a boil but not quite. This gets me an audible alarm that boil is happening soon)
t4 = 1 (time for 1 minute or you can also set HOLD here.... either works)

m2 = P80 (This is now the first POWER mode that ignores temperature. You get here by rotating the knob counterclockwise just past the 0 degrees setting, it will fist say "BO" and then you're in the 0 to 100% output ranges...
t5 = 65 (boil for 65 minutes)

*side note. It's completely up to you if you want to program your hop addition time increments into the DSPR. I personally just set my boil duration plus another 5 minutes so it does shut me off unexpectedly. I run my hop schedule using brewfather.

m3 = P80 (This last step is just to end the program. I repeat the previous target)
t3 = END (the program is immediately ended and this setting also kicks you out of mPRG mode because it realizes you have no more steps to program.

Whenever you reach your "END" in the mPRG mode, make a habit of short pressing the knob, rotate to "RESET Y" and press again. Now you have loaded the most recent program into the front end. You're ready to run the program from STEP 1 by pressing RUN.



******************************************************************************************
This is the first schedule I wrote out before I realized you were a 3-vessel brewer with the Brew Buddy controller.. If anyone happens upon this thread and is an eBIAB single vessel brewer, the following is a typical program. In other words, it jumps from mash temp steps into boiling steps on the same controller:

NOW YOU PROGRAM A SCHEDULE:

Press the knob for 3 seconds. Select mPRG.

m1 = 160F (temp target)
t1 = HOLD (no time, waits for you to continue via RUN button press)

m2 = 152F (temp target)
t2 = 45 mins (when 151, 152 or 153F is achieved, the timer starts)

m3 = 172F (temp target)
t3 = HOLD (no time, waits for you to continue via RUN button press)

m4 = 210F (temp target, get me close to a boil but not quite. This gets me an audible alarm that boil is happening soon)
t4 = 1 (time for 1 minute or you can also set HOLD here.... either works)

m5 = P80 (This is now the first POWER mode that ignores temperature. You get here by rotating the knob counterclockwise just past the 0 degrees setting, it will fist say "BO" and then you're in the 0 to 100% output ranges...
t5 = 65 (boil for 65 minutes)

m6 = P80 (This last step is just to end the program. I repeat the previous target)
t6 = END (the program is immediately ended and this setting also kicks you out of mPRG mode because it realizes you have no more steps to program.

Whenever you reach your "END" in the mPRG mode, make a habit of short pressing the knob, rotate to "RESET Y" and press again. Now you have loaded the most recent program into the front end. You're ready to run the program from STEP 1 by pressing RUN.

 

[Deadalus]

Like i can get it to here but no further. I'm quite sure it's a user issue, but damn these things are complex.

Without having provided a complete snapshot of all settings, which I am not asking for yet, your picture shows the Mash light on. Left side of the EZBoil, there are 4 leds, AL1, AL2, MASH, & OUT. Your pics in this post show the beginning boil program steps, b1-s setting the power at 100 and b1-t setting the time for 1 hour. But since you hadn't changed to boil mode (mash light on), you were running the mash program.

What you cited in your first post is how you set the steps for the Mash or Boil programs.

Don't feel bad about it, I have 3 vessels and 2 EZBoils and I too forgot about how to get it into Boil mode on my BK the second time I used it! And you might think that the Mash light is for alarm 2 but the labels are under the lights.

Now you may have cycled back to Mash mode after successfully changing to Boil mode, in which case perhaps you have other settings out of whack as Bobby_M mentioned.

 

[Happy Tails Brewing]

Here is a short video of setting boil parameter and getting the controller to run in boil mode. I didn't change any just went through the menu.

1 Long press rotate to boil Program (or as Bobby said you can do the same program in mash Mode)

2 short press to enter mode. Make changes and short press until you enter a stop mode, or simply do nothing util it returns to the start screen.

3 From start screen short press then rotate to boil mode short press

4 press Run.

If you are in mash mode, you will have a yellow light boil mode will not have a yellow light. Once running you will have a green light to show the controller is trying to send power to your element.

Of course, test with either your element off, disconnected, or covered in water.

If this doesn't help maybe a picture of what the screen looks like when you click run.

 

[EyeofdaHawk]

Here is a short video of setting boil parameter and getting the controller to run in boil mode. I didn't change any just went through the menu.

1 Long press rotate to boil Program (or as Bobby said you can do the same program in mash Mode)

2 short press to enter mode. Make changes and short press until you enter a stop mode, or simply do nothing util it returns to the start screen.

3 From start screen short press then rotate to boil mode short press

4 press Run.

If you are in mash mode, you will have a yellow light boil mode will not have a yellow light. Once running you will have a green light to show the controller is trying to send power to your element.

Of course, test with either your element off, disconnected, or covered in water.

If this doesn't help maybe a picture of what the screen looks like when you click run.

Thank you! Finally got it switched to boil, complete with the P indicator!

Appreciated the vid as that solved it.

Hawk

 

[EyeofdaHawk]

Apologies for bring up an old(ish) thread.

I did a brew yesterday, yet this ezboil still had issues. In boil mode, it would not reduce power. It'd be at 100% all the time, even when i put the percent down to 0% or anything else. Ended up having to switch it to mash mode, as it would otherwise boil over.

Even did a reset. Going to retry it now, but anyone know what could be causing this? Kind of wondering if it's me, or i have a misfunctioning PID.

 

[EyeofdaHawk]

Ugh, after my quick trial (clean) problem remains. Looks like it's still in mash mode, despite showing the P value. So confused.

Here is a vid of my process. Clearly i'm doing it wrong.

 

[Dland]

Perhaps you're doing it wrong, perhaps not.

I'm not an expert on these, and your unit is set up a little different, but I've been running an Auber Cube with an EZ boil for a while. At some point, the EZ boil suffered an intermittent failure, and went to full boil, sometimes. It turned out the unit had gone blinky after many batches, and being dropped at least once. Put an new one in for about $50, and have been good since then.

 

[Happy Tails Brewing]

On the left hand side you have a yellow light. This is showing that you are in mash mode. Short press the wheel, and then rotate. If will go through reseat the mash steps and then will show mash mode and boil mode. Once on boil short press again, and the yellow light will go out. Then when you press run you will be running the boil program. If you have trouble let me know, and I will upload a video

 

[EyeofdaHawk]

Sorry, again no go. I tried following your instructions. Not possible as the system takes a different route.

Honestly i'm debating replacing the damn thing with a boil only PID which i had in my old controller (not that i want to play with the wiring).

 

[Happy Tails Brewing]

You need to rotate the knob further. It will say mode on top and then you have two choices boil, and mash. You will notice in my video I have the yellow light on, and then after I change modes it goes out.

 

[Deadalus]

Quote

Sorry, again no go. I tried following your instructions. Not possible as the system takes a different route.

Honestly i'm debating replacing the damn thing with a boil only PID which i had in my old controller (not that i want to play with the wiring).

I watched your video. Short press knob, turn knob clockwise.

 

[Bobby_M]

Do you have any idea how frustrating it is that I typed up the exact things you need to know and do to fix your problem but you disregarded the post completely?

Apologies for bring up an old(ish) thread.

I did a brew yesterday, yet this ezboil still had issues. In boil mode, it would not reduce power. It'd be at 100% all the time, even when i put the percent down to 0% or anything else.

This is because you still have Boil Acceleration enabled.

In post #7 I wrote:

1. In order for the DSPR320 to operate INTUITIVELY, you must set a few parameters (or verify they are already set this way). Under the mSET menu, make sure TSP is set to "1". This just means when in temperature target mode the timer will start when the measured temp is within one degree of the set point. Next, set both bTSP and bAST to "0" in the bSET menu. I won't get into why for this one but trust me. DO NOT SKIP THIS.

Back up and understand a few things also. Don't learn how to use these controllers on brew day. Make sure you can navigate these menus and work in the modes with some water first.

The MASH MODE and BOIL MODE are just two separate banks of target temps or boil intensities. There is no actual difference between the mode...

Mash Mode is targets 1-9.. Then the Boil mode has another 1-9 targets (for a total of 18 possible targets).

Each target can either be a termperature or boil power (denoted by a P number number instead of a temp).

You program the first 9 targets in the "mash mode" in the mSET menu. You program the second 9 targets in the bSET menu.

You ENTER either of the modes by short pressing (tapping the knob in) and rotating until it says MASH or BOIL and then pressing it in again. Of course there are also selections for RESET and which STEP you want to jump to (within the mode you're already in).

If it makes you more comfortable running the boil controller in BOIL MODE, fine... in that case that module should always be left in boil mode.

 

[EyeofdaHawk]

Ok, turned the bAST to 0, and TSP was already at 1.

And i now got it to boil mode, without the mash light on. Finally. I think what threw me the most is the rest step after the reset, has what 10 points, thus you need to scroll past them all. I didn't know there was anything past that!

So i'll do another test next weekend, and hopefully not have to repost here.

Thanks all!
Hawk

 

[Bobby_M]

For people that want to simplify the behavior of this module on the boil side:

Long press the knob, rotate to BSET, press.
Rotate counter clockwise until it says "BO" and then set it to P50. Then set the time to 2 hours. Set the next slot to the same P50 and time "END".

Now you'll be back at the front screen again. Make sure the module's MASH orange light isn't on, which indicates you're in boil mode. Short press the knob, RESET, Y.

Hit the run button. Now you can manually control the boil by just turning the knob anytime you see the power listed. You can change the time remaining anytime you see the time listed.


My opinion is that the boil module is more optimally run by programming TWO steps. The first one gets you CLOSE to a boil and the second one manages the actual boil. This is a simple procedure that adds a ton of value to the use of these modules.

B1 = Temperature 208F (at my elevation, that's just before actual boil but right about where hot break starts forming on the top). YMMV
B1 Time = HOLD
[PURPOSE] Ramp up to a boil and hold it there. The alarm with sound telling me it's time to do something.

B2 = BO P55 (My boil is gently rolling at this power) YMMV
B2 Time = 65 minutes
[PURPOSE] Hold the boil

B3 = P55
B3 time = END
[PURPOSE] End the boil. Alarm will sound.


This program is really all you need for the boil module. You can use it over and over and just manually set the timer if you need a longer boil.