Utilize Herms On a Budget?

[heckels]

Hi All,

Well, my Stout tanks are just about ready for shipment but in the last 4+ months we've spent far more moving into our new house, taking care of several projects and buying a 4-wheeler to move snow and I don't feel comfortable dropping over $2500 on the brewmaster controls system I was dreaming of.

That's still my end state, so in the interim I need to figure out how to , as cheaply as possible, utilize my new 15 gallon kettle setup.

Here are my requirements:
-I'm fine with kicking pumps on/off manually for now so just basic switches should do.
-be able to throttle the element in the BK once I hit boil (prefer not to use a PID if possible for simplicity's sake)
-utilize my new HERMS set up (this will likely require a PID).

I'd really like to keep this below $300 if at all possible. I will have a 50a GFCI circuit available for my use.

What do you all suggest aside from sucking it up and buying the BMC system?

 

[kchomebrew]

Highgravity brewing (search google) makes some basic controllers that could get you going for about $300.

 

[mbobhat]

new to HERMS, I have a small ammo can one recently built, but wondering if you can't use 1 PID that plugs and unplugs into whatever element you are using for Mash or BK? Then you can dial down boil, as well as control mash. With a thermocouple that is movable, you may have to stir mash yourself, then just plop into boil kettle.

 

[BadNewsBrewery]

If you're going really cheap, get a PWM - some people have had mixed success with various eBay models.

 

[heckels]

Thanks all. I'll take a look at those suggested. I like the idea of a PID that can control whichever element is plugged in.

All of the kettles will have a 1/2 npt thermowell so I could actually get by with a single thermocouple as well.