My brew controller box

[QldKev]

When do you plan on launching the first QLD satellite ? :lol:

It would never get off the ground, too heavy

 

[QldKev]

Jaysus thats awesome, when are you guys going to build a controller for a meth lab?

shhh!, I'm telling everyone it's just for brewing beer.

 

[jaypes]

hahaha!

 

[Truman42]

Jaysus thats awesome, when are you guys going to build a controller for a meth lab?

Who says we havent already.... Dont need all that just for brewing....

 

[QldKev]

If Truman and I both turn them on at the same time all the East coast lights dim :huh:

 

[Camo6]

Do you guys have a rough estimate of costs for this build? This will be one of my next projects and I'll probably have to start squirelling some funds from the watchful eyes of THE OVERLORD!

I saw some nice stainless cabinets at the local bargain centre the other day that would make a perfect housing. This threads providing some good motivation. I may be shooting you guys a PM in the near future. Cheers.

 

[Jono_w]

10amp max each. The Active and Neutrals are 1.5mm2 (ok for 15amp), and earths are 2.5mm2 (ok for 20amp). So plenty in reserve. I think it looks strange in the pic, but the box is half a meter tall to give you an idea of perspective. Those orange cables coming into the box are extra heavy duty 15amp cables, so about twice as thick as a cheap 10amp extension cord.

To give you an idea here's a pic with a normal extension cord

Cool makes more sense now you have multiple feeds too.

 

[QldKev]

Cool makes more sense now you have multiple feeds too.

Probably should have mentioned that, 4 x 10amp lines in. Each being routed so they can only see a max of 1 element each at a time. Also that white extension cord was only there for a test, all will be fed using the heavy duty cables.

 

[QldKev]

Do you guys have a rough estimate of costs for this build? This will be one of my next projects and I'll probably have to start squirelling some funds from the watchful eyes of THE OVERLORD!

I saw some nice stainless cabinets at the local bargain centre the other day that would make a perfect housing. This threads providing some good motivation. I may be shooting you guys a PM in the near future. Cheers.

What ever you think it will cost, add an extra digit :lol:

 

[QldKev]

If I had to buy everything retail it would have been a bit over $1100. This includes about 120 in tools. A mate helped out with parts and some were from my old controller. Also I have rcds that could be excluded to save money. I could have left out the pid for the kettle as its not really needed to. I just wanted to include them now.

Depending on how many elements you have you could possibly need a lot less gear.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Yep, no need for a PID in the Kettle and the HLT, neither are crucial.
Nev

 

[QldKev]

Yep, no need for a PID in the Kettle and the HLT, neither are crucial.
Nev

That's it, I just want them all the same shape for bling factor
STC for HLT and nothing on the kettle is a lot cheaper.

 

[Camo6]

That's it, I just want them all the same shape for bling factor

Please explain? For what other reason would I want PIDs for?

Currently using an stc for hlt and herms and find the herms temp never varies by more than .6 C. But my current control setup is two power boards running two stc's, two elements and two pumps so is a bit messy with extension leads everywhere. If I'm going to build a controller I might as well go the full hog with PIDs for HLT and HERMS and the room to expand if I move to an electric kettle or add another HLT element.

$1100? Looks like I better start holding onto my nuts for next winter. And this time I won't be storing them in my wife's purse......sorry dear? Just a wrong number dear....yes dear...coming dear...

 

[Truman42]

I have allowed for an extra element in my HLT and an extra element in my kettle even though I don't have either just yet. I've used a pid for my HLT just so I have everything together in my brew controller. Mine didn't cost nowhere near as much as Kevs but I don't have as many pids, ssr's wiring etc. Also I scored a lot of the wiring, sockets, the rcds and some other bits and pieces from work.

At a guess with two pids mine was only around $300 all up.

 

[tanukibrewer]

What size brews will you be doing with these controllers,40L,60L,80L or is the sky the limit??

 

[QldKev]

On mine I run anywhere from a 69l to a 112l batch (beer into cubes). My system has been in use for quite a while, this is just giving me a nice control panel for it.

 

[seamad]

With the auber pids you can run 5X SSR per pid, so yes pretty well any size system. I have 3 X 10A elements running off my boil pid that i can set at any output % i want to control the boil.

 

[QldKev]

With the auber pids you can run 5X SSR per pid, so yes pretty well any size system. I have 3 X 10A elements running off my boil pid that i can set at any output % i want to control the boil.

Between the lights and ssr load in our enclosures we exceeded the potential of the pid output.(30ma)
With the help of edak and a little bit of electronics you can run as many as you want.

 

[seamad]

should snap up that dirty big pot for sale then, how many over the side elements to get 400l boiling ?

 

[QldKev]

should snap up that dirty big pot for sale then, how many over the side elements to get 400l boiling ?

Now that would be a serious kettle