Electric Home Brewery, Electrical Assistance Request

MAGICMAGIC Doot DootFurniture City, Michigan Icrontian
edited July 2013 in Food & Drink
I am not an electrical engineer or a certified electrician so I'm looking for some input. I have a good knowledge of AC and DC but aside from doing general home wiring repairs and PC wiring I don't have a lot of experience.

The project I am working on now is an electric home brewery. This isn't a new concept, and there are a lot of people that have built very similar setups. I didn't want to fallow a guide/plan and not really know what I was doing, so I did a lot of reading on electrical circuits and components to determine what I need based on what I'm trying to do. Here's a description of what I'm trying to do.


- 62qt stainless steel kettle heated by a 5500w heating element.

- The heating element will be controlled by a Solid State Relay and PID controller .

- 1/20hp pump for recirculating liquid in the kettle and draining.

- LED indicator push button switches for Main Power, Heating Element, and Pump

- Pump is also on on a Rheostat to control flow.

In summary, the element should be drawing 23A (5500w/240v), pump (37.29/115v) image

Primary Goal: don't die. Secondary, build this as safely and efficiently as possible. This is the diagram I came up with.

I'm looking for some feedback, suggestions, improvements, confirmation that I did this correctly or not. Thanks!
mertesnPirateNinjaGHoosdum
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Comments

  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    Pics once you've started building plz
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    Paging @J
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited February 2013
    mertesn said:

    Pics once you've started building plz

    Yeah, once I get some feedback I'll hopefully be ordering the control box components by Friday.

    And, my primary question is should I go with a 40A contactor relay for the Main Power switch? I wasn't sure if the 27A total was too close to the 30A max on that main contactor.
  • RyanFodderRyanFodder Detroit, MI Icrontian
    Its going to be pretty easy to get start up spikes in current draw in your pump, would go with 40A in my opinion.
    MAGICmidga
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    Get a good multimeter and check continuities before hooking up any power. Then check voltages before hooking up anything expensive.

    I don't have any AC power experience to add, but it looks reasonable to me. Also make sure you get AC relays.
    RyanFodder
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    Okay, I am going to upgrade both of the relays to 40a (only a couple more dollars) and order the parts.
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    make sure you ground the case
    primesuspect
  • NiGHTSNiGHTS San Diego Icrontian
    This is really badass
    primesuspect
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    shwaip said:

    make sure you ground the case

    Yes sir, the main case and the top panel are both grounded.
    shwaipprimesuspect
  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian
    What sort of thermal probe are you using?
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    image

    A stainless steel threaded probe, like this.
  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian
    Thermistor?
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    Yes, it is.
  • RyanFodderRyanFodder Detroit, MI Icrontian
    This is amazing. Please continue.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    I was talking with some dudes on Reddit, and concluded that the pump will probably burn out the resistor. So, I am just going to use a ball valve to control the flow from the pump.
    midga
  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian
    I would recommend a needle valve for better control. If you're worried about being able to open it quickly for pump safety, build in a ball-valve bypass.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited February 2013
    midga said:

    I would recommend a needle valve for better control. If you're worried about being able to open it quickly for pump safety, build in a ball-valve bypass.

    True, but stainless steel needle valves are expensive as all hell. I don't need precise flow control, just half or full on. I think a ball valve should work.
  • RyanFodderRyanFodder Detroit, MI Icrontian
    Good thing you went with the larger amp relays... Going to be stressing your pump more that way.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited February 2013

    Good thing you went with the larger amp relays... Going to be stressing your pump more that way.

    Yeah, its only a 0.26 amp pump. How much do you think the amperage could swing under start-up/stress?
  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian
    MAGIC said:

    midga said:

    I would recommend a needle valve for better control. If you're worried about being able to open it quickly for pump safety, build in a ball-valve bypass.

    True, but stainless steel needle valves are expensive as all hell. I don't need precise flow control, just half or full on. I think a ball valve should work.
    Oh, alrighty then :)
  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian
    Hey, nice M-Audios.

    Also, this is really freaking sweet. Once this has proven itself, I think I just might have to build a one.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    midga said:

    Hey, nice M-Audios.

    Also, this is really freaking sweet. Once this has proven itself, I think I just might have to build a one.

    Thanks. When I'm all done I'll post of video of using it for the first time. Or, you will know to look at my iPhone for my last minutes.
    midga
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    MAGIC said:

    midga said:

    Hey, nice M-Audios.

    Also, this is really freaking sweet. Once this has proven itself, I think I just might have to build a one.

    Thanks. When I'm all done I'll post of video of using it for the first time. Or, you will know to look at my iPhone for my last minutes.
    I read that as "look for my iPhone" as in, lost in the first brew. iBeer, with only a hint of glass and plastic.
  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    Tushon said:

    MAGIC said:

    midga said:

    Hey, nice M-Audios.

    Also, this is really freaking sweet. Once this has proven itself, I think I just might have to build a one.

    Thanks. When I'm all done I'll post of video of using it for the first time. Or, you will know to look at my iPhone for my last minutes.
    I read that as "look for my iPhone" as in, lost in the first brew. iBeer, with only a hint of glass and plastic.
    More along the lines of a "found footage" horror movie.
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    This thread gives me a beerboner.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    I think I would've gone with a variac instead of a rheostat for the pump throttle. If it's based on a universal motor then you could also use a triac or SCR-based dimmer circuit.
    midga
  • RyanFodderRyanFodder Detroit, MI Icrontian
    MAGIC said:

    Good thing you went with the larger amp relays... Going to be stressing your pump more that way.

    Yeah, its only a 0.26 amp pump. How much do you think the amperage could swing under start-up/stress?
    Maybe 2-3x that.
    midga
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