"Future proof" eBIAB controller

[volatileant]

I'm looking for a bit of a sanity check, as I have been going around in circles simultaneously trying to cobble together an eBIAB system on the cheap for now (scored a new BruGear 15 gallon kettle with TC ports and fittings for $45!), while planning out the controller to eventually power the mash/boil kettle while simultaneously heating/holding sparge water in another kettle. This future mash/boil kettle would have a grain basket a-la Spike Solo/Grainfather/etc to facilitate sparge. Further down the road, I would like this controller to power a still in manual mode on the PIDs to fuel a motorcycle converted for ethanol.

Iteration 1 would be built to power a single 5500w element, essentially Doug's design from here in an oversized enclosure, swapping the 30a main power contactor with 50a part and 6ga input.
Iteration 2 would basically double everything up to separately control two 5500w elements.

Even Iteration 1 is probably overkill for the 15 gallon kettle, but would rather spend a bit more up front rather than start from scratch in a year or two.

Any flaws in that plan? Is it even worth doing? What better options am I missing?

 

[doug293cz]

Sounds like a solid plan. If you want to drop down to 10AWG wire after the main power contactor, you will need to add a couple of two pole, 30A breakers where the wire size drops down.

Brew on

 

[RufusBrewer]

If your budget is tight and you wish to save buying some relays, PIDs, and other hardware, consider installing the wiring for those items during Phase 1.

When you are ready to upgrade, buy the hardware you need and the cables will be in place, ready to go.

Digging into a design that is up and running and adding to it is a pain. It will also get you to plan out the project as a complete design instead of discovering some durign Phase 2 when it is a bad time of an "Oh Sh*t" realization. At the very least have a completed schematic showing Phase 1 and Phase 2 as a complete design.

 

[volatileant]

Doug, good catch on the 30 amp breakers, will definitely be incorporating them. Do you have a good source on 1a breakers? Would be nice to have matching face-mounted breakers for safe-start and the 10a+30a circuits. I'm really digging the Carling Type-A flush-rockers, but nobody seems to stock anything less than 10a, and nobody wants to order a single part (even Carling wouldn't sell me one). But may have to settle for DIN-mounted breakers and inline fuse for the little guys.

Rufus, definitely agree with getting as much infrastructure in place on the first pass as possible, and a detailed fully-built plan. The box is filling up fast!

On that note, does anybody have dimensions for Auber's 40/50a contactors? I've reached out, but no response yet. I'm hoping so, as the first spec sheets I found after a 30 second google search are huge (the two white boxes on the back).

 

[doug293cz]

Doug, good catch on the 30 amp breakers, will definitely be incorporating them. Do you have a good source on 1a breakers? Would be nice to have matching face-mounted breakers for safe-start and the 10a+30a circuits. I'm really digging the Carling Type-A flush-rockers, but nobody seems to stock anything less than 10a, and nobody wants to order a single part (even Carling wouldn't sell me one). But may have to settle for DIN-mounted breakers and inline fuse for the little guys.

Rufus, definitely agree with getting as much infrastructure in place on the first pass as possible, and a detailed fully-built plan. The box is filling up fast!

On that note, does anybody have dimensions for Auber's 40/50a contactors? I've reached out, but no response yet. I'm hoping so, as the first spec sheets I found after a 30 second google search are huge (the two white boxes on the back).

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/pbcircuitbrkr3.phphttps://www.aircraftspruce.com/categories/aircraft_parts/ap/menus/el/circuitbreakers_tyco.html
Are far as I can tell, these are all single pole, so won't work for the two hots of a 240V circuit.

Brew on

 

[doug293cz]

Yuco YC-CN-PBC402-2 2P DP Contactor 40A 120V Coil

Brew on

 

[RedRyderr]

I'm looking for a bit of a sanity check, as I have been going around in circles simultaneously trying to cobble together an eBIAB system on the cheap for now (scored a new BruGear 15 gallon kettle with TC ports and fittings for $45!), while planning out the controller to eventually power the mash/boil kettle while simultaneously heating/holding sparge water in another kettle. This future mash/boil kettle would have a grain basket a-la Spike Solo/Grainfather/etc to facilitate sparge. Further down the road, I would like this controller to power a still in manual mode on the PIDs to fuel a motorcycle converted for ethanol.

Iteration 1 would be built to power a single 5500w element, essentially Doug's design from here in an oversized enclosure, swapping the 30a main power contactor with 50a part and 6ga input.
Iteration 2 would basically double everything up to separately control two 5500w elements.

Even Iteration 1 is probably overkill for the 15 gallon kettle, but would rather spend a bit more up front rather than start from scratch in a year or two.

Any flaws in that plan? Is it even worth doing? What better options am I missing?

This is pretty much what I did. Currently only running one element, one pump, but built the control panel with "future-proof" in mind. I used the diagram for a 50 amp two element two pump panel (50 amp main contactor, 6 gauge wires where needed, breakers where needed, etc), but left out the parts not needed for my current configuration. I laid out the front panel and the inside of the box leaving spaces where the additional components would go. If/when I upgrade to two elements it should be a reasonably easy task.

 

[volatileant]

Killer, thanks Doug. The contactors being much smaller frees up a lot of space. Also thanks for the breakers. Unless I want to custom order hundreds from somewhere, looks like mix-n-match is the way to go. Oh well.

Took a shot at a wiring diagram for the final configuration (and just noticed the wrong size wire in to the 10a fuses and pump grounds, but out of play time for today). Not as clean and condensed, but hopefully gets the point across. All the Phase 2 tie-ins would be provided slots in bus bars, so shouldn't be too much of a headache down the road. One thing I'm not sure about is the safe-start. How does it prevent the panel from being turned on? Do the 1a fuse(s) blow and kick the main power switch back open? Is the 1a downstream of the main contact in the right spot, or does there need to be one downstream of each 30a breaker?

Also just found out Auber no longer does custom enclosures, which is a bummer.