Pre-planning stages of BCS based homebrewery
Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:42 pm
So, I'm starting to plan the next phase of my homebrewing build. I've read through all of Kal's stuff on electricbrewery, and the information over at ebrewsupply based on the BCS systems. I think the BCS-460 will more than suffice for my needs.
My intended configuration is a single tier electric HERMS system, with dual pumps, based around 20 gallon containers for typical 10 gallon batches. I don't plan to automate the pumps, etc, but I do want reliable temperature control for strike water and mash (including automated stepped mashes eventually), etc.
I've pieced together a system with dual control - BCS and manual. It's pretty pricey. Everything I've read is that the current firmware revisions are stable enough that manual backup isn't really necessary. I know user JonW mentions a fairly minimal setup, but I haven't been able to figure out what exactly minimal is. So, what do I actually need? As I understand, the bare minimum is:
1 watertight enclosure large enough to contain components + connections
1 appropriately rated SSR per element + heatsink
1 temp sensor per vessel (HLT, Mash, Boil) + cooler output if desired
1 fuse/circuit breaker appropriately sized for the whole kit
1 fuse/circuit breaker per element
appropriate connnectors for the elements, pumps, inputs, sensors, etc.
I tried to search the forums but, "minimum" "minimal" "barebones" and other searches attempting to ascertain what the bare minimum system one can configure are kept coming up empty. Does this seem viable? Perhaps a mod could see fit to sticky an appropriate thread pertaining to what the minimum configuration is? I'm sure I'm not the only one contemplating a BCS system that wonders if he has to spend $1000+ to actually get it running properly.
My intended configuration is a single tier electric HERMS system, with dual pumps, based around 20 gallon containers for typical 10 gallon batches. I don't plan to automate the pumps, etc, but I do want reliable temperature control for strike water and mash (including automated stepped mashes eventually), etc.
I've pieced together a system with dual control - BCS and manual. It's pretty pricey. Everything I've read is that the current firmware revisions are stable enough that manual backup isn't really necessary. I know user JonW mentions a fairly minimal setup, but I haven't been able to figure out what exactly minimal is. So, what do I actually need? As I understand, the bare minimum is:
1 watertight enclosure large enough to contain components + connections
1 appropriately rated SSR per element + heatsink
1 temp sensor per vessel (HLT, Mash, Boil) + cooler output if desired
1 fuse/circuit breaker appropriately sized for the whole kit
1 fuse/circuit breaker per element
appropriate connnectors for the elements, pumps, inputs, sensors, etc.
I tried to search the forums but, "minimum" "minimal" "barebones" and other searches attempting to ascertain what the bare minimum system one can configure are kept coming up empty. Does this seem viable? Perhaps a mod could see fit to sticky an appropriate thread pertaining to what the minimum configuration is? I'm sure I'm not the only one contemplating a BCS system that wonders if he has to spend $1000+ to actually get it running properly.