Cheap temp controllers

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Permalink Reply by hayden on July 9, 2011 at 7:13pm

Thanks for the reply

 

I've found the following sensor for 27nzd, will use that for the HLT, and use the supplied one for something else, maybe fermentor, or fridge.

will they handle a 2000 watt element alright, or is it better to run it via a relay?

http://newzealand.rs-online.com/web/0461159.html

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Permalink Reply by Paul Wicksteed - another1 on July 9, 2011 at 7:34pm

I would add a relay for the HLT, the controllers handle 10amps so it would be a good idea to add a relay for that extra protection, or a circuit breaker

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Permalink Reply by Paul Wicksteed - another1 on July 9, 2011 at 7:40pm

Would pull 8.4amps so maybe just a circuit breaker would be okay

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Permalink Reply by hayden on July 9, 2011 at 7:45pm

Awesome, thanks for that...

 

Was wondering about the longevity of the temp controller. Guess it will come down to the cost, considering the controller only cost 33nzd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Paul Wicksteed - another1 on July 9, 2011 at 8:17pm

Don't know about that, mine are constructed in a well sealed box, to eliminate the chance of corrosion in a brewing environment. So they should last for a while.

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Permalink Reply by hayden on July 9, 2011 at 8:23pm

Yeh, was more to do with the amps nearing the upper limits recommended. Thought the contacts might fry. Will go with the relay idea, should get many years that way. Great units for the price

Permalink Reply by mattd2 on July 11, 2011 at 12:37pm

You shouldn't have to worry about the amps getting up to (as long as not over) the limit. They relays are usually rated for 100,000 operations (mech I think but don't have any specific info on me) at their rated load - 10 Amps / 250 VAC in this case. You'll have to see how quickly the element turns on and off for a given differential value but the minimum compressor delay is 1 minute so, if you are controlling the MLT from heating the strike water to end of the sparge lets assume it will be cycling for 2 hours (I think this is generous for a 1 hour mash given while the water is heating up it will not be cycling). With the comp delay set at 1 minute and it actually cycling this fast you'l have 120 operations per brewday so you should see (100,000/120 =) around 800+ brewdays before it goes. Thats 16 years brewing 1 batch a week.

Also they use pretty standard parts (probably the same relay you would buy for your external one) so if/when it did go you could take the cover off, desolder the old relay, and replace with a brand new (standard) one.

Also this way you might be able to uprate your unit to take more than 2400 W but you'd have to check if the connection to the unit could take the load you want to put on them.

Permalink Reply by Richard Jack on July 10, 2011 at 3:30pm

I'm not using them on my HLT (at the moment anyway), just a set of fridges. If I wanted to use one in an HLT I would use a bit of copper pipe and make a poor man's thermowell. I'm looking at cheapy PID controllers for HLT at the moment.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Anderson on August 9, 2011 at 8:25pm

Thanks for the info on the temp controllers!  What are the probes like? Or, can any one recommend some "probes" to hook up to them, that go into the fermeter / hlt to do the temp measurement?

 

Cheers

 

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Permalink Reply by Paul Wicksteed - another1 on August 9, 2011 at 9:13pm

I just use the default probes that come with the STC-1000, and put them into a thermowell. I have looked at all of the other probes available, but to ensure no contamination they need to go into a thermowell anyway, so might as well go with the default.

 

You can by SS304 probes with 1/2" NPT thread, that can replace the thermowell, and are therefore a fixed feature of the fermentor / HLT, but then you need plugs to contact and disconnect the probe from the controllers when moving it all around etc.

 

Another option is to place the probe in a plastic cup of water, in the "environmentally controlled fermentation chamber" (fridge) along with the fermentor, then you actually get a reading of the water temp, which should be the same as the wort. Without any probing into the wort at all.

 

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Permalink Reply by Sam Anderson on August 9, 2011 at 9:21pm

Hey cheers Paul!

thats sounds good. you say SS304 probes - i think this sounds the best idea, with the disconnecting contacts. Would you have any idea where i can pick these up from ? ebay?

 

The cup of water sounds a little distorted to my mind, for fermenting?, as the mass of the fermentor would hold longer? than the cup? (all questions as ive not had experience with it)

 

Cheers again

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Permalink Reply by Paul Wicksteed - another1 on August 9, 2011 at 9:41pm

Hi Sam, have a look at this www.craftbrewer.com.au but it is for heating or cooling only, i.e. not like the STC-1000 that has 2 outputs one for heat and one for cooling. You still have to wire it all up etc, but you would be doing that for your setup anyway. Make sure you pick the right Amp though, or run it through another relay. eBay will also have heaps of stuff, as with aliexpress

 

Yeah I was surprised at the water in a glass solution, and tried it for one brew and it seemed to run alright.

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