EZBoil modification

[RUSHMAN]

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Decided to go EZBoil 120 for my HTL and Boil controllers. Since I can't use my alarm on/off switches with the EZBoil, was thinking of replacing them with white LEDs which light under the EZBoil that is "hot". I should be able to add a 14G wire to the 3 way switch terminal wired to the respective contactor, and running it to a 120 LED, with a common Neutral to the Neutral bus . . . Right ?

Thanks in Advance

[RUSHMAN]

Wow. Thanks.

[kal]

Not sure who your original comment or follow on comment were directed at. We (TheElectricBrewery) don't do free worldwide support for all things related to electric brewing.

If you have wiring questions about a product we don't sell or support through our website or feature in our build instructions, it's probably best to ask the manufacturer. That said, they do make a version that offers alarming. Use that and no changes are required.

That said, I can explain why you probably haven't gotten any responses posting in our discussion forum:

We get asked once and a while when building control panels for customers or supplying control panel kits if we can replace the PIDs with EZBoil PIDs. We're happy to use an EZBoil control (the more advanced model with alarming) instead our regular PIDs are used if someone prefers. Once we explain the differences however, we've never had anyone take us up on the offer. Here's why:

If using the regular EZBoil for the boil PID and you do things like hop stands, it's more clicks to switch between auto and manual modes with the EZBoil PID than the PIDs we normally include in our control panels, though this is a fairly minor issue. Hop Stands are used a lot in newer style IPAs like NEIPAs where temperature is held after the boil at a very specific temperature for extended duration. See my Electric Hop Candy (NEIPA) recipe for more information: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pages/electric-hop-candy-new-england-ipa-neipa

Some people want to be able to turn the dial up/down quickly but that ease is completely lost on me as I don't find myself ever wanting to turn the power dial up and down as I boil. I run at 100% until I hit boil then turn it down to 85%. If I need to turn it off quickly, it's better to just turn the ELEMENT ON/OFF switch to OFF to cut power completely without changing the PID setting so that it's quick to get back to where you want after (you just turn the ELEMENT ON/OFF switch to ON instead of having to re-enter the boil % to where you were before). If a brewer finds themselves having to turn the boil power up and down a lot while boiling for the 60+ minutes, I would argue that something broken with the process. You shouldn't have to do that. It will also screw up your boil off rate resulting in inconsistent beer. Best to use one boil rate all the time. See my BREW DAY STEP BY STEP for the process I use: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/brew-day-step-by-step

Constantly playing with the boil rate will also produce inconsistent beers because your boil off rate will be different every time, resulting in different strength beers. Best to leave it alone to produce the most consistent beers.

There is another more expensive EZBoil model too that can be used in the HLT to automate your mash steps but again, I don't understand the point. Unless you only brew one beer ever, every beer will require a different mash temp and/or steps so you need to reprogram all these steps every time before you start brewing. Reprogramming these steps takes longer than simply hitting the temperature "up" button on brew day given the lack of an easy to use screen interface on the PID. This also makes it prone to error. If you entered times or temperatures incorrectly and walk away, you won't know. This can't happen if you manually turn up the temperature as you're there to react to the issue immediately. Step mashes are also not overly timing sensitive, so there's no need for precision timing. It makes no difference if you sit an extra few seconds or even minutes at a specific temperature before moving up to the next temperature, so automating brewing step mashes is of little value to me. We're not curing rubber molds or similar at very specific temperatures (another popular use for PIDs) for very specific times where only a few seconds more can cause disaster.

There's a newer model that claims to simplify LODO (low oxygen brewing) by simplifying some automated steps in the same way. I don't really see how that's helping make LODO easier really. I think it's a bit of a stretch, trying to get in on the latest marketing term. That said, I've been practicing many aspects of LODO myself in my BREW DAY STEP BY STEP process for more than 10 years now. You don't need a special PID to do this.

Using the same PIDs across all 3 units also simplifies the setup as the programming steps are the same and you have identical backup equipment across all 3 kettles.

Again, we're happy to use an EZBoil control anywhere if you prefer in our kits or pre-assembled control panels. That said, we've only had a few people ask, and so far we've actually never built any panels with it after we explain that our panels are probably easier to use and more standard with a regular PID. The choice is yours of course.

Good luck!

Kal

[kal]

Not sure who your original comment or follow on comment were directed at. We (TheElectricBrewery) don't do free worldwide support for all things related to electric brewing.

If you have wiring questions about a product we don't sell or support through our website or feature in our build instructions, it's probably best to ask the manufacturer. That said, they do make a version that offers alarming. Use that and no changes are required.

That said, I can explain why you probably haven't gotten any responses posting in our discussion forum:

We get asked once and a while when building control panels for customers or supplying control panel kits if we can replace the PIDs with EZBoil PIDs. We're happy to use an EZBoil control (the more advanced model with alarming) instead our regular PIDs are used if someone prefers. Once we explain the differences however, we've never had anyone take us up on the offer. Here's why:

If using the regular EZBoil for the boil PID and you do things like hop stands, it's more clicks to switch between auto and manual modes with the EZBoil PID than the PIDs we normally include in our control panels, though this is a fairly minor issue. Hop Stands are used a lot in newer style IPAs like NEIPAs where temperature is held after the boil at a very specific temperature for extended duration. See my Electric Hop Candy (NEIPA) recipe for more information: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pages/electric-hop-candy-new-england-ipa-neipa

Some people want to be able to turn the dial up/down quickly but that ease is completely lost on me as I don't find myself ever wanting to turn the power dial up and down as I boil. I run at 100% until I hit boil then turn it down to 85%. If I need to turn it off quickly, it's better to just turn the ELEMENT ON/OFF switch to OFF to cut power completely without changing the PID setting so that it's quick to get back to where you want after (you just turn the ELEMENT ON/OFF switch to ON instead of having to re-enter the boil % to where you were before). If a brewer finds themselves having to turn the boil power up and down a lot while boiling for the 60+ minutes, I would argue that something broken with the process. You shouldn't have to do that. It will also screw up your boil off rate resulting in inconsistent beer. Best to use one boil rate all the time. See my BREW DAY STEP BY STEP for the process I use: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/brew-day-step-by-step

Constantly playing with the boil rate will also produce inconsistent beers because your boil off rate will be different every time, resulting in different strength beers. Best to leave it alone to produce the most consistent beers.

There is another more expensive EZBoil model too that can be used in the HLT to automate your mash steps but again, I don't understand the point. Unless you only brew one beer ever, every beer will require a different mash temp and/or steps so you need to reprogram all these steps every time before you start brewing. Reprogramming these steps takes longer than simply hitting the temperature "up" button on brew day given the lack of an easy to use screen interface on the PID. This also makes it prone to error. If you entered times or temperatures incorrectly and walk away, you won't know. This can't happen if you manually turn up the temperature as you're there to react to the issue immediately. Step mashes are also not overly timing sensitive, so there's no need for precision timing. It makes no difference if you sit an extra few seconds or even minutes at a specific temperature before moving up to the next temperature, so automating brewing step mashes is of little value to me. We're not curing rubber molds or similar at very specific temperatures (another popular use for PIDs) for very specific times where only a few seconds more can cause disaster.

There's a newer model that claims to simplify LODO (low oxygen brewing) by simplifying some automated steps in the same way. I don't really see how that's helping make LODO easier really. I think it's a bit of a stretch, trying to get in on the latest marketing term. That said, I've been practicing many aspects of LODO myself in my BREW DAY STEP BY STEP process for more than 10 years now. You don't need a special PID to do this.

Using the same PIDs across all 3 units also simplifies the setup as the programming steps are the same and you have identical backup equipment across all 3 kettles.

Again, we're happy to use an EZBoil control anywhere if you prefer in our kits or pre-assembled control panels. That said, we've only had a few people ask, and so far we've actually never built any panels with it after we explain that our panels are probably easier to use and more standard with a regular PID. The choice is yours of course.

Good luck!

Kal

[RUSHMAN]

No wiring question was asked to the device you don't sell. Question was if I wanted a 120 LED to highlight the circuit that is active from the selected switch you did sell, to a 120 led light you also sell. The On/Off portion of the alarm systems for HTL and Boil are not active, as EZBoils do not have alarm terminals. I was looking for a way to fill the panel holes with having some kind of useful function. A solid white LED seemed logical under the EZboil that was actively controlling an element.

I purchased a partially completed panel of yours that the original purchaser never completed. I purchased your complete guide online to finish the project. I rewired much of what he had already wired and finished installing the components he had not installed. I am 99 percent completed with the panel. The wiring for the EZboils was easy to identify from the manual. I also had to research the timer, as it appears you made a model change to the timer between the original model and what is in the instructions now.

No "Free" support needed. I am very sorry to have bothered you.

[kal]

Sorry, it wasn't clear from your "EZBoil modification" subject line what you wanted to do. I assumed you were looking for some modification to the design related to the EZBoil and we don't read every post in our discussion forum in detail so I skipped over it. In the future for hands on support best to email sales@TheElectricBrewery.com if you're looking for direct help from us at TheElectricBrewery.com.

[kal]

Sorry, it wasn't clear from your "EZBoil modification" subject line what you wanted to do. I assumed you were looking for some modification to the design related to the EZBoil and we don't read every post in our discussion forum in detail so I skipped over it. In the future for hands on support best to email sales@TheElectricBrewery.com if you're looking for direct help from us at TheElectricBrewery.com.

[Ozarks Mountain Brew]

I use the EZBoil for both HLT and Boil, the power and ssr wiring is easy, it does have an internal alarm, I don't use it but I'm sure there is an external alarm post, it's all in the instructions, it can be a bit hard to understand at first on their sheet but you'll get it

[dp Brewing Company]

I'll never understand why some people just come to forums to troll. Kal has done nothing but provide so much good information to the electric brewing community. Mind you all that information is available and FREE online!. If he purchased the manual like he said he did surely he would of found his answer while reading it.

[Ozarks Mountain Brew]

yup it's at the bottom of this page
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=53&products_id=560