Kill-A-Watt Brewery Build Compilation

SSBrew - 728
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Dog House Brew said:
Snow is everywhere. We had 8" here with another 1" today. Not that many flights come into Louisville. Will be looking for the pics tonight.
Click to expand...

By the way, that kettle is CRAAZZYY.

Yah, Louisville (SDF) exists for UPS alone, really...
 
Work is progressing well today. Mounting the SSRs and dist. block... then I can start some wiring! Waiting on the mail man to drop off my bridge... taking plenty of pics as I go.:ban:
 
Some pics:

Underside Power Connection:
P1030787.JPG


Top Level (Control Level): Wireless Bridge NOT pictured...
P1030788.JPG


Lower Level (Power Distribution Level): Doesnt look "square" but it is, the photo makes it look funky!
P1030790.JPG
 
Pol,

thanks for all the help earlier....

I am getting a little different opinions on the SSR's needed to run a 5500 heating element with my OMRAN PID's. Any suggestions on where to look for good information on types and costs? Most of what I am finding suggests SSR's in the $150 range, but that seems a lot higher than what you an others are spending.

I am also getting a lot of conflicting information on thermocouples....

thanks!
 
Until now I didn't realise how classy the stand is going to look. I knew the pots, fittings, and all were pretty, but the stand too? Wow, very neat.

I think I speak for nearly everyone when I say pictures of everything are very appreciated. Very cool seeing this build come together.
 
Brocster said:
Pol,

thanks for all the help earlier....

I am getting a little different opinions on the SSR's needed to run a 5500 heating element with my OMRAN PID's. Any suggestions on where to look for good information on types and costs? Most of what I am finding suggests SSR's in the $150 range, but that seems a lot higher than what you an others are spending.

I am also getting a lot of conflicting information on thermocouples....

thanks!
Click to expand...


$150 for an SSR? What are people telling you that you "need"? Can you point to a thread? An SSR should cost between $15 and $20, period! What do you want to know about thermocouples? RTDs are probably best, but you can get away with "K" type thermocouples easy. What are you using it to control? A boil?
 
cford1 said:
Until now I didn't realise how classy the stand is going to look. I knew the pots, fittings, and all were pretty, but the stand too? Wow, very neat.

I think I speak for nearly everyone when I say pictures of everything are very appreciated. Very cool seeing this build come together.
Click to expand...

It is coming together nicely, cleanly, that is the hard part. So easy to bolt things to a stand and have it WORK mechanically. It is harder to get it to work mechanically and aesthetically.

Thanks, I appreciate the comment. I am having fun with it, but there is plenty of cursing too, that is pretty typical when I build anything!
 
The Pol said:
$150 for an SSR? What are people telling you that you "need"? Can you point to a thread? An SSR should cost between $15 and $20, period! What do you want to know about thermocouples? RTDs are probably best, but you can get away with "K" type thermocouples easy. What are you using it to control? A boil?
Click to expand...

Double line break SSR's?
 
The Pol said:
$150 for an SSR? What are people telling you that you "need"? Can you point to a thread? An SSR should cost between $15 and $20, period! What do you want to know about thermocouples? RTDs are probably best, but you can get away with "K" type thermocouples easy. What are you using it to control? A boil?
Click to expand...

I am asking some stuff of a guy I work with. He deals with a bunch of panel shops, integrators and Electrical Distribution companies and works on all kinds of automation projects. I think he is looking at my questions from an industrial viewpoint versus home based. Also, I might not be explaining myself too well either. I also got online and accessed some configurators on various websites, and they pointed me to some higher end stuff.

Basically, I am looking at a 5500w element in the Liquor Tun and Boil Kettle, PID controlled and using pumps to move everything. So I need to control boils and strike temps.

As far as thermocouples, that is what the person I asked said to look into, but I am not locked into that at all.

also, any idea if an OMRAN PID (E5CJ) is a good fit for my build out? I have a few of these that I got for free....
 
Brocster said:
I am asking some stuff of a guy I work with. He deals with a bunch of panel shops, integrators and Electrical Distribution companies and works on all kinds of automation projects. I think he is looking at my questions from an industrial viewpoint versus home based. Also, I might not be explaining myself too well either. I also got online and accessed some configurators on various websites, and they pointed me to some higher end stuff.

Basically, I am looking at a 5500w element in the Liquor Tun and Boil Kettle, PID controlled and using pumps to move everything. So I need to control boils and strike temps.

As far as thermocouples, that is what the person I asked said to look into, but I am not locked into that at all.

also, any idea if an OMRAN PID (E5CJ) is a good fit for my build out? I have a few of these that I got for free....
Click to expand...


I will have to look up that PID, unless someone else wants to (time is a little limited here). Um, as for SSRs, you can get DP SSRs for like $60 if you want to go that route to cut BOTH legs of power. OR you can spend $30 and get (2) SP SSRs like I did to cut both legs of power. $150 is insane.

Go to Auberins.com and you can find RTD probes for the temp. probes that are liquid tight and will work perfectly for you. I think they are $20-$30 each. You can get "k" type thermocouples for less, but you will probably have to make them liquid tight (which is easy if you use JB putty on the OUTside).

Anyway, hope that helps, I can look up the PIDs later...
 
The Pol said:
I will have to look up that PID, unless someone else wants to (time is a little limited here). Um, as for SSRs, you can get DP SSRs for like $60 if you want to go that route to cut BOTH legs of power. OR you can spend $30 and get (2) SP SSRs like I did to cut both legs of power. $150 is insane.

Go to Auberins.com and you can find RTD probes for the temp. probes that are liquid tight and will work perfectly for you. I think they are $20-$30 each. You can get "k" type thermocouples for less, but you will probably have to make them liquid tight (which is easy if you use JB putty on the OUTside).

Anyway, hope that helps, I can look up the PIDs later...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help!

:mug:
 
Ever felt how hot a 60 second epoxy gets? Hot enough to burn your skin, that is how hot :p
 
I am missing something from this build.
Control of the electrical power to the elements.
Are you planning on running them all out with the On/ Off being driven by the PIDs and the relays?
Or is there a means of regulating how much power you feed the elements?
 
Cliff897 said:
I am missing something from this build.
Control of the electrical power to the elements.
Are you planning on running them all out with the On/ Off being driven by the PIDs and the relays?
Or is there a means of regulating how much power you feed the elements?
Click to expand...

The BCS does the regulating through the SSRs, like on any other electrical system.

Boil is controlled by duty cycle. RIMS is controlled by PID temp. control. You dont regulate the amount of current, you regulate the duty cycle. If you regulate current, youd need a HUGE heatsink for all that resistance/heat. Can you imagine modulating the current going to a 9000W kettle? WOW
 
The Pol said:
The BCS does the regulating through the SSRs, like on any other electrical system.
Boil is controlled by duty cycle.
Click to expand...

Much the same way most AC motor speed controls operate to attenuate the speed then. So the solid state relays must be cycling at speeds that would cause the springs in a mechanical one to float.



If you regulate current, youd need a HUGE heatsink for all that resistance/heat. Can you imagine modulating the current going to a 9000W kettle? WOW
Click to expand...

You'd need prolly 2 or 3 Gen Rad Variarcs.

Electronics was never my strong suit.
 
I am so FREAKING glad to be done drilling and measuring. I can wire all day long, I love it, I love cutting them the right length so that they look nice and stripping them and screwing them down... I love it. I am so glad that I am done drilling holes!

P1030791.JPG


P1030792.JPG
 
Cliff897 said:
Much the same way most AC motor speed controls operate to attenuate the speed then. So the solid state relays must be cycling at speeds that would cause the springs in a mechanical one to float.





You'd need prolly 2 or 3 Gen Rad Variarcs.

Electronics was never my strong suit.
Click to expand...

Yes, the SSR is able to run a 1 second duty cycle with no problems :D
 
The Pol said:
Boil is controlled by duty cycle. RIMS is controlled by PID temp. control.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it make sense to use the same PID (with a manual mode) to control both the HLT and the BK? If you had a switch to divert power from HLT to BK, you could use PID mode (or whatever it's called) for the HLT, then switch the PID to manual, switch the power coming out of the SSR to the BK, and run it.

This would allow you to run with one less PID and two less SSRs. Do people already do this, or am I just brilliant?
 
klyph said:
Wouldn't it make sense to use the same PID (with a manual mode) to control both the HLT and the BK? If you had a switch to divert power from HLT to BK, you could use PID mode (or whatever it's called) for the HLT, then switch the PID to manual, switch the power coming out of the SSR to the BK, and run it.

This would allow you to run with one less PID and two less SSRs. Do people already do this, or am I just brilliant?
Click to expand...

Sure you can, people have explored this.

Doesnt fit my application though. I have no HLT, and the BCS is like (6) PIDs in one wireless web based controller :D I have PID, Duty Cycle, ON/OFF etc... control for all (6) outputs, in one little box the size of a wallet, hidden deep in the bowels of Kill A Watt :D

Do you want to explore my bowels?
 
This is the best thing I have ever seen. Makes me feel better if I ever have to move into an apartment with no yard/deck/garage.
 
The BCS-460 is a computer controlled "Super-PID" that is able to fully automate The Pol's New Brew System.
 
klyph said:
However cool the BCS may be, you still need a computer to run it.

Do they offer a stand alone version?
Click to expand...

No, but I guess if I didnt have a computer, I wouldnt know it existed :D
 
Hey Pol,

So you aren't doing any breakers/fuses on the rig? Just power->distribution->SSR's->load? Just wondering - mine is wired this way. I keep wondering should I have used a breaker/fuse for each element and pump. I've seen DIN mount breakers that should work.
 
My three 4500W elements finally arrived today and lo and behold they are Camcos! They shipped from Toolbox Supply.
 
klyph said:
However cool the BCS may be, you still need a computer to run it.

Do they offer a stand alone version?
Click to expand...

OK, I misspoke. It doesn't need a computer to run, it needs something that can look at it's web page to program it and press the virtual buttons. I could technically run it from my phone. Or any computer in my network.
 
wyzazz said:
OK, I misspoke. It doesn't need a computer to run, it needs something that can look at it's web page to program it and press the virtual buttons. I could technically run it from my phone. Or any computer in my network.
Click to expand...

Right... they have an IPhone app I think
 
bakins said:
Hey Pol,

So you aren't doing any breakers/fuses on the rig? Just power->distribution->SSR's->load? Just wondering - mine is wired this way. I keep wondering should I have used a breaker/fuse for each element and pump. I've seen DIN mount breakers that should work.
Click to expand...

Yeah, just like my last system. No breakers, no fuses. Just my GFCI in the big metal box. I am sure I will die, then again, so will you... :D
 
I really wish I had the money to buy this from you. I would have to sell all my new equipment and still probably owe you.
 

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