Like many others, I started home beer brewing using the extract method. I had a boil kettle, a burner, and a thermometer.  It really was as simple as it gets. After brewing for several years using this method, I became bored with the recipes. I wanted somthing more challenging and wanted to move into all grain. As I moved into All Grain, I relized the importance of temperature control. It is important with extracts, too, but very important in the all grain process.  After all, mash temperature can control the outcome of your beer by making it dry and thing or less fermentable and sweeter. 

This article covers how to regulate your mash through temperature control. I have broken this article down into four sections. Chosing your Controller, Electricity, Gas Valve, and Temperature probe.  Controlling your tempature will take, at a minimum, a gas valve, controller, and temperature probe.

Controller - I discuss temperature controllers first simply because it will outline what type of electricty you end up with.

Ranco

 Will you be designing a 24 volt system with relays or a straight 120 volt system.  Two of the easist to operate controllers are the LOVE Control and Ranco Digital Temperature Controller.  Out of the two controllers, I prefer the LOVE because the digital readout is large and  bright. The downside is that you most likely will need to build some sort of enclosure.  I built a simple enclosure for a fermentation control (see link – http://www.gbrewing.com/2009/10/14/fermentation-temperature-control/ )  The Ranco is self enclosed and easy to operate. If it had a larger digital display, I would prefer the Ranco.

BCS 460 Screen

If you want a more advanced system, you can look towards the BCS-460 Temperature Control System by Embedded Control Concepts. I have written numerous topics about this system scattered throughout this website.  Based on a web based user interface, this system allows you to control the temperature as a PID (proportional–integral–derivative), turns pumps on and off, etc.  As a stock unit, you can have up to four seperature temperature inputs, six outputs to control items such as gas valves and pumps, and four DIN inputs such as push button or float switches.   I would consider this to be a higher end controller for people who want to create an extreme brewing system. It takes a higher level of knowledge , time, and money to create a system using the BCS-460.

BrewTroller

The BrewTroller is also an option. BrewTroller is an open source standalone brewing control system based on the Sanquino Platform.  The BrewTroller is for the extreme DIY’er. You would be  “building” your own brew controller using electronic components from the ground up.

Here’s quick overview of BrewTroller features:

• (4) PID or On/Off controlled heat outputs (HLT, Mash, Kettle and Steam Heat for support of steam infusion mashes)
• (32) Pump and Valve On/Off outputs (Using up to 4 optional MUX boards providing 8 outputs each)
• (8) Temperature sensors (HLT, Mash, Kettle, CFC H2O IN, CFC H2O Out, CFC Beer Out, AUX1 and AUX2)
• (3) Optional Volume sensors (pressure transducers) used to measure HLT, Mash and Kettle volume (currently being tested)
• (1) Optional Steam Pressure sensor for controlling steam heat
• Simple encoder input providing iPod like controls (rotate left, rotate right, click for enter, click and hold for cancel)
• 20 column, 4 row backlit LCD character display

In closing the “controller section” I recommend the LOVE control for easy use and visiability and the BCS-460 for a more advanced user who wants more control.

Electricity: Based on how you brew, you may need 12, 24, 120, or 240 volts depending.  If you are using an electrical heating element, you may need a 240 volt power source. These are considerations you need to make prior to ordering your temperature control.   The Love and Ranco both offer different voltage options and function as their own relay.

 The BCS-460 and Brewtroller use relays. A relay can be thought of as an automatic wall switch. You flip the switch up to turn the light on, you flip the switch down to turn it off. The only different is, the relay does the “flipping” by way of a low voltage input. An example would be the BCS-460. My BCS-460 sends a 5volt signal to the relay by way of CAT5 network cable. The other side of the relay circuit can be 24v, 120v, or 230v. I use 24v on my system to control two seperate Honeywell Gas Valves. When the 5volts flows to the switch, the circuit is closed allowing the gas valve to be turned on.  With the BCS-460 and BrewTroller, every output needs to have a relay. (Again, an output could be your heater element, gas valve, or pump)

Gas Valve – I am using the term “gas valve” loosely because the ASCO I will discuss is not really a gas valve, it is a solenoid.  There seems to be numerous options available for controlling the flow of gas to the burner. 

Asco Valve

Those who have built a Brutus Ten are most likely familiar with the ASCO Valve. Think of the ASCO valve as a switch which sits in the middle of a gas pipe. There are different voltage options available to use with the Asco Valve and they can be wired with a relay. I started out with ASCO valves but quickly changed them out after safety concerns. Using the ASCO method, I created my own pilot burner (flame near the burner). The pilot burner is supposed to stay lit during the entire brew process so when gas is allowed to pass throught he ASCO valve to the burner,  it ignites. The pilot burner is completely independant of the ASCO valve. What this means is gas flows through your burner when heat is called for regardless of  the pilot being  lit or not.  This means that if the pilot burner blows out, gas can flow through your burner without being ignited creating a safety hazard.

I prefer a standing pilot gas valve. In fact, I own two of the Honeywell Standing Pilot Gas Valves. One for my Hot Liquor Tank and One for my Mash Tun. This system consists of a standing pilot gas valve, a thermocouple, and pilot burner.  It is very similar to the gas valves used in hot water heaters. This system has safety built into it. The thermocouple senses heat from the pilot burner. If the pilot burner is not “burning”, the thermocouple does not sense any heat and doesn’t allow gas to flow out the gas valve.  I consider this a much safer system than the ASCO system. 

Temperature Probe - Each controller recommends its own temperature probe style. Depending on the style of probe, you may need to purchase a thermowell. A thermowell can be thought of as a stainless (or copper) sleeve which fits inside the mash tun.An important issue witha  Beer Brewing Temperature Control is the placement of the probe.  I recirculate my mash during the entire 60 or 90 minute mash. My temperature probe is place on the return to the top of my mash tune.  I have written a related article regarding temperature probe placement and it can be found here. http://www.gbrewing.com/2009/11/09/mash-tun-temperature-probe-placement/  . 

I  hope you are able to using some of this information as considerations when building your new beer brewing temperature control system.

(Disclaimer – I am not training you  in how to wire or assemble any products. I am not teaching you how to become a pipe fitter or plumber.  I am simple stating my opinion. Assemble any of these components at your own risk. Propane and natural gas can be dangerous and can cause serious injury and/or death. Electricity is dangerous and can cause electrocution hazard which can lead to serious injury and/or death – Always consult a qualified professional)

Brutus Ten

This Brewtus Ten was built completely from 2″x2″ steel square tubing based on Lonie’s original plans. Let’s face it, if we didn’t need it for brewing, we  could always use it as a car stand. This brew stand was built to last.

From left to right, our Brewtus Ten beer brewing system consists of a boil kettle, mash tun, and hot liquor tank. All three of which were created from modified kegs with tig welded fittings.

The boil kettle is quite simple. It consisted of a ball valve, dip tub, and a mash screen. I just toss whole hops into the boil and the mash screen filters them out. (more…)

Mash Tun Return

There has been lots of discussion as to the proper placement of the temperature probe in the mash tun. In fact, it took me three different placements to find one that works well. I, like you, want my mash temperature to be as stable as possible.

My temperature probe location is at the top of the kettle nearest the actual mash return. I wanted to know the actual temperature of the wort that is being returned into the kettle and not the temperature of the grain bed. With this setup, I have been able to regulate the temperature of my mash within one degree which is confirmed by the lower thermometer.
The heart of my system is the BCS-460 which allows me numerous options. I constantly recirculate the wort through a pump during mash. The mash tun resides above a propane burner which is connected to a Honeywell brand gas valve. I am not a big fan of the ASCO system since it lacks safety features. The gas valve is controlled by the BCS-460 based on the readings from the temperature probe. (more…)

Thermowell in a Carboy

This article was written as follow-up to the previous article titled “Fermentation Temperature Control”. If you have any intent on duplicating a tasty beer, you need to have some process controls in place. Simple things can change your beer such as fermentation or mash temperatures. Let’s face it…. Most of us can crush the same amount of grains for the mash and add the same amount of hops to the boil.

If you ferment your beer inside a carboy, (or even a conical) a fermentation temperature control is easy to make. The picture to the left is a caboy with a sixteen inch stainless steel thermowell and an orange colored carboy hood. Two sizes of carboy hoods are available, one for a 6.5 gallon carboy and one for a 5.0 gallon carboy. The carboy hood comes with two attachments. One is used to connect a blow-off tube. Vnyl hoses size 3/8 and 1/2 inch work great. The other attachment port is for the thermowell. Slide the thermowell into the center most port. Make sure to purchase a flared thermowell so it completes the seal and acts as a stopper. It would make a person really unhappy if you pushed your thermowell all the way into the ”soon to be beer” because the end wasn’t flared.

Love Temperature Sensor

If you are familiar with the love temperature control, you know they come with a temperature probe. The temperature probe has a black rubber-likea coating on it. Depending on what thermowell you decide to purchase, the coating causes the temperature probe to be too thick to fit. To remedy this, I removed the coating from the temperature probe using a razor knife. I have not had any issues with the probe by removing the coating.