Automation - Pid Capabilities

[niceshoes]

The auber instrument you mentioned will easily perform any of those tasks. I have rigged one up in a box and use it to control my brew fridge and HLT, I just have to change two parameter settings to use it on either. Get the solid state relay option. I got a 25amp SSR from auber and it is more than enough for my needs, however auber instruments also sell a 45amp SSR that is combatable to the controller.
Here is a copy of my auber order (in US dollars)

1 x 25A SSR (RS1A23D25) = $15.00
1 x 1/16 DIN PID Temperature Controller (for SSR Output) (SYL-2352) = $44.50

You can get more advanced models for more money from auber but you wont need it. I think mine was the base model and still has plenty of features you will never use.

Hi Snagler,

Did you buy a thermocouple from Auber as well or did you purchase locally?


Ian...

 

[nabs478]

Ant,

Sounds like this set up is the goods. I'm currently scaling up my operation, and once done, automating is going to be the next step.

I am curious to ask a few more questions about your set up to help me out a bit....some might call this hi-jacking your thread, if it is I hope you don't mind.

When you originally pump the water from the HLT to MLT, is the grain all dry? I suppose it would be if you are still asleep? I am wondering if you havn't doughed it in, and you havent talked about any stirring/agitating equipment, how all the water is evenly distributed with the grain? This is one of my major concerns.

I was of the opinoin that if I doughed it in manually then when the water goes in the MLT, I could stirr it with one of those fittings that go into a drill for stirring up paint, render or small quantites of cement. They are about 20cm long and about 20cm wide, I was thinking that if this were in the center of a 120L MLT then this would cause a flowing motion, moving grains up through the centre of the MLT and then down around the sides. But I am also a little concerned about what this type of stirring may do to the grain husks? Although it would be very easy to set up for automation if it worked well.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

Pip

 

[ant]

Ant,

Sounds like this set up is the goods. I'm currently scaling up my operation, and once done, automating is going to be the next step.

I am curious to ask a few more questions about your set up to help me out a bit....some might call this hi-jacking your thread, if it is I hope you don't mind.

When you originally pump the water from the HLT to MLT, is the grain all dry? I suppose it would be if you are still asleep? I am wondering if you havn't doughed it in, and you havent talked about any stirring/agitating equipment, how all the water is evenly distributed with the grain? This is one of my major concerns.

I was of the opinoin that if I doughed it in manually then when the water goes in the MLT, I could stirr it with one of those fittings that go into a drill for stirring up paint, render or small quantites of cement. They are about 20cm long and about 20cm wide, I was thinking that if this were in the center of a 120L MLT then this would cause a flowing motion, moving grains up through the centre of the MLT and then down around the sides. But I am also a little concerned about what this type of stirring may do to the grain husks? Although it would be very easy to set up for automation if it worked well.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

Pip

No probs about the hijack - I did the same to Zizzle not too many weeks back! Besides it resurrects the thread so hopefully someone will have some PLC feedback for me

Yep, when I pump from the HLT to the MLT, the grain will be dry. I tossed up whether to mount a solenoid valve below the false bottom so I could underlet, but I was concerned about the potential for grain to enter the solenoid valve. Instead I've opted to try a welded socket at the top of the MLT, with a QD on the inside of the tun, attached to which is a length of silicone hose which curls around the bottom of the tun on the false bottom. Thinking about maybe drilling plenty of holes longe the coiled section, but will first see how I go
without it. If the setup doesn't work as well as I hoped, I'll weld another socket into the base and try underletting, maybe with an inline filter to be on the safe side.

Wrt stirring equipment, I was thinking about a lid mounted one, probably using an inboard propeller. I'm going to take the advice given in that thread and mount if offcentre (cheers MHB!). I think as long as the tip speed is relatively low, there shouldn't be too much impact on the grain. I'm also thinking of fabricating a mash stirrer that will double as a sparge arm (ie rakes at the base, and hollow holed pipe at the top).

 

[Solsv]

Hey Ant, hows the automation going? Has the brewery expanded much since your move over to the US?

Sol

 

[ant]

Brewery has certainly expanded - almost got all the bits and pieces I need! SWMBO just rolls her eyes when packages keep arriving on the doorstep.

Wrt automation, with some massively valuable advice from the pros on board here, I picked up a Siemens S7-200 224 PLC, and have got myself a cable to communicate direct to a PC for it. Am keeping an eye out for additional I/O units that might be handy too. Main items that are holding me up at the moment:
A. Waiting on an order of wire from Omega to come in - taking them ages to fabricate, then I can wire stuff up (and hopefully not stuff up), and
B. Lack of knowledge on what to do wrt programming the PLC. Will be a bit of a trial and error thing I think.

Hoping should have some real progress within the month.

 

[Yorg]

Hi Snagler,

Did you buy a thermocouple from Auber as well or did you purchase locally?
Ian...

Looks like this thread is moving again.
My two bob on thermocouples.
After going to all this trouble, it would be a shame to have errors in your mash temp of +- 2 Celcius.
I tested my thermocouple (atttached to my PID) in a lab.
They are not that accurate - as indeed advertised.
I have purchased a couple of cheap RTDs from Auber Instruments in the US.
Just need to wire the RTD to different terminals on the PID.
Accurate to .4 Celcius.
I'm going to some trouble with my setup - though not so automated as here - in order to get repeatable results. Thus the RTD. Otherwise may as well do it low tech in a bucket "relax don't worry" style.

Cheers.

 

[ant]

Ended up going the RTD direction too - it came down to wanting to control my mash temps pretty tight, and although a little more exxy, in conjunction with a properly tuned PID, they should allow this to happen. All of which means inconsistent mash temps is one variable I can strike off the list in my quest to improve my beer

 

[niceshoes]

Finally got my HLT together only to find out that the 'stainless steel' thermocouples from Auber are rusting.

Time to scale up to some RTD's and thermowells.


Ian...