Few Questions (Just General Brewing Questions)

[Hoppkins]

Very sorry if my questions get annoying but...

1) My first kit is almost ready. It's had 6 days fermenting and 2 weeks in the barrell.. I tasted it, it's ok I was wondering though. I added a large tablespoon of sugar when it went in. The beer is not very bitter, would adding a bit more sugar a few days before it was going to be drank (E.g Friday change anything?)

2) Why do some kits not require sugar? I realise that the malt already has all the sugars it needs in it. But what makes them so different to kits? I understand the advantage of an all malt kit is the flavour has more body etc but what do they remove from the kits that the 2 can ones have to require the sugar?

Its like an essay!

Thanks in advance

[Hoppkins]

Ok i understand. What exactly is "Spray Malt". I understand what malt is..

I see lots of additives out there...

I would love to leave it for a month but my engagment/house warming party is nigh and we need booze

Another question:

In extract brewing i see you put a cloth bag with hops into water and heat it to extract the sugars. Once this is done what is left? Im guessing its not the sticky gack you get from the cans?

I can agree with what you say about the sugar. I am an avid real ale drinker and can say although my beer tastes ok it is very thin, it lacks the body of a real microbrewed ale.

Next kit is going to be a 2 can job anyway. But i will bear your advise in mind should i choose to do a 1 can.

Thanks!

[Hoppkins]

Ah could "Beer Enhancer" be spray malt. It was a creamy coloured powder not unlike the consistancy of flour which replaces sugar.

[Orfy]

Like Daab Says.

Beer enhancer is dried malt and dextrose (sugar) malt.
It's designed to add fermentables and body to the brew. It's better than sugar but not as good as malt. (My opinion any way).
If you are using kits and not quite sure how to modify the recipe then it's a better option than sugar.

[eskimobob]

Hi Orfy,

Great looking website you have there. I'll be interested to hear how your AG Hobgoblin turns out - I recently did this recently (link) however I am not convinced it is exactly like Hobgoblin...

[Orfy]

Eskimo, Thanks

It turns out near enough for me. It's in the ball park and tastes wonderful.

You're land rover is going to be a bit clean when it's done. I run a Delica

[eskimobob]

You're land rover is going to be a bit clean when it's done.

Well if I ever get it finished it probably won't stay clean long

[Orfy]

Eskimo,

Your pid set up looks good.
Would you have time to give advice to some one with a soldering iron and not much knowledge who wants to build one.

The materils I have so far are.

A screwdriver, a soldering Iron and a fridge.

[Andy]

Yeah, nice EB!

Is the mini-din socket a specific one for PT100 thermocouples or doesn't it matter ?


and.....how did you mount the SSR ? Glued to the base ?

[eskimobob]

Thanks Guys - not shiny like Vossy's but it does the job

Orfy - Feel free to quiz away - either on the forum or by PM - up to you.

Andy - PT100s are not like thermocouples at all.

PT100s are passive platinum resistive devices and the measuring circuit passes a known small current through the sensor and then measures the voltage that develops across it. From the voltage and current it can work out the resistance (using Ohms law) and then work out the temperature using a lookup table.

Thermocouples on the other hand are active devices that generate a voltage (relying on the Seebeck effect) themselves that is proportional to the temperature. The measuring circuit just has to measure the voltage rather than drive a current and then measure voltage.

Thermocouples are harder to work with in one way becuase every connection forms a thermocouple junction and can introduce errors which is why it is crucial to minimise the number of connections and if necessary to entend then to use the correct thermocouple cable. TypeK Thermocouples give approximately 41 micro volts per degree C so the measuring circuit has to be very sensitive.

PT100s are driven usually driven with a constant current of 1mA (milli amp) or less and give a larger change in voltage with change in temperature.

Ok, who's nodded off in the back there

Edit: The SSR is mounted to the side of the case with two M4 bolts (heads are countersunk into enclosure).

[Andy]

THanks EB! I've got a PT100 sensor in my "this stuff might be useful" kitbag So basically standard connectors/wiring can be used with PT100 ?

[sparky Paul]

Ok, who's nodded off in the back there

Not me...

I have worked with process control instrumentation for many years, and you've just summed things up quite nicely.

Pt100s, or any PRT (Platinum Resistance Thermometer), are certainly the easiest devices to work with. They are a very robust solution - easy to use and tolerant of suspect wiring, particularly when used in their industry-standard 3-wire configuration with compensation. For the application here, they are ideal.

The main practical advantage of thermocouples is the wide temperature range over which the many types of thermocouple operate, however PRTs are ideal for brewing process temperatures.

THanks EB! I've got a PT100 sensor in my "this stuff might be useful" kitbag So basically standard connectors/wiring can be used with PT100 ?

No problem, PT100s are very tolerant of connections, especially when used in 3-wire mode - a third wire is connected to one of the legs, as close to the PRT element as possible - this third connection provides compensation for any wiring between the PRT and the controller which would affect the reading.

[Vossy1]

Don't use glue for holding the SSR's as they get hot enough to loosen hot glue....I know..... and my control box has the shorting mark to prove it

Screw/Bolts all the way

[sparky Paul]

If a SSR is switching enough load often enough to get hot, it's a good idea to bolt it to a metal casing, or a bit of aluminium plate for an improvised heatsink - and a bit of heatsink compound between the two will help too.

This will extend the life of the SSR considerably.