Auberins Distilling Controller

jbierling

Yep, here's a vid of what I have. Crimson communicates ok and I can hit the unit's web site, but the red/green blinking lights would seem to indicate something is wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr5etIK6Iqs

CothermanDistilling

I think we need a redlion thread..

stainlessbrewer

Where would one place the temp probe? Boiler or top of tower?

frodo

top of tower, what the boiler is doing makes no difference.

you would make adjustments base on what the vapor is doing.

so i am told

jacksonbrown

Told wrong. It's just for start up and shut down so goes off liquid temp.
To adjust power through the run you just play with your knob. (or another knob that is hooked up the vapour).

CothermanDistilling

I used it in the boiler for my gin run without a hitch

meatheadinc

@frodo said: top of tower, what the boiler is doing makes no difference.

you would make adjustments base on what the vapor is doing.

so i am told

@frodo. You cannot control the temp of the boiler although you can use the temp for feed back and control triggers
Eg. Run full power(desired power) till boil temp. When set temp is reached the controller will drop power input to set value.. say 50%. When temp rises as abv depletes to the high temp value. Boiler power is switch off.
This controller still wont control boil temp. The abv of the wash will still do that.
The power incresse/decrease will only effect the rate of boil/vapour production.
Hope that makes it clearer for you.

frodo

I hear you....What I have been doing is running power at 100% till boil is achieved, then cutting back from 15 amps to 9 amps
on the controler. maintaining a vapor temp of aprox 179--190 degrees at top of column

when I see the temp creep up. it is an indication the alcohol is depleting the rest is tails. when it hits around 200.I shut it down..its done

sounds like what your saying

comments please,

mtnspirits

To follow up on @frodo question/request for comments- is there a preferred location for the main temp sensor? Perhaps between the defleg and the last plate? Perhaps in the column below the first plate? Somewhere else? Could someone comment on the pros/cons of the location choices?

Also what are your preferred temp sensor type (thermistor, thermocouple, or RTD) and why?

grim

Above the dephlegmator is where you want to measure vapor temp, not the top plate, where it would be nearly impossible to get a good measurement due to the possible confounding that could be caused by subcooled reflux.

Class A RTD beats the others. But, if you don't or can't calibrate, it don't matter much.

mtnspirits

@grim How does it work with the probe above the dephleg in the beginning of the run while you are heating up and compressing heads if no vapor is getting past the dephleg due to the full reflux? Won't the probe always read just under your set point and thus continue to heat up the boiler? What am I missing?

jacksonbrown

@mtnspirits said: What am I missing?

A few things I think. In this instance the vapour temp is just for monitoring I think, not control.
Sounds like a few concepts are getting mixed up. What are you wanting to control?

jacksonbrown

I should add, the controller in the OP is using boiler (liquid) temp and only for start up and shut down.
Boiler temp (in conjunction with wash BP info) will indicate when the still will start to flow and also when the alcohol is depleted. The controller will give it the berries on heat up then reduce the power for the run and finally cut it at the end.
Pretty sure that has all been mentioned. Go through the thread again perhaps, it's all in here.

grim

Yeah my comment had nothing to do with the boil controller, only the measurement location if you want vapor temperature.

I thought we'd all already agreed that it is measuring wash temp in the boiler. They shouldn't even call it a distilling controller.

CothermanDistilling

You can call it a pot still controller, that is what it is great for... you can have the probe in liquid or vapor, build your system with a thermo well for both...

mtnspirits

Apologies for being green. I do really appreciate your attempts at helping me figure this out, but dont want to ask more of your time explaining it if someone can point me to a better description elsewhere.

I've reread this thread several times over and the instruction manual for the unit. I guess I am still unclear on what role vapor temp has in the whole process if what we are measuring is boiler temp?

It is explained above by @meatheadinc that "This controller still wont control boil temp. The abv of the wash will still do that. The power incresse/decrease will only effect the rate of boil/vapour production."

So in distilling mode on this unit you can adjust the % of heating element activity only and thus the amount of vapor produced not the vapor temperature, as abv does that. Once the set point is reached, the vapor production (% of heating element activity) equates to the take-off L/min (affected by the reflux amount) and thus purity of spirits?

But manually controlling the % of heating element seems pretty subjective and that % will probably need to change over the course of the run. But perhaps that is one of the arts of distilling ;)

Just for clarity and perhaps elucidating why I'm confused about probe location @CothermanDistilling has posted two videos in this thread. The first has the temp probe in the boiler (I think at element level). The second video has the temp probe at the base the column and not in the boiler (vapor?).

CothermanDistilling

You can do either probe location, they are similar once you are boiling.. you can put all the power in you want, you will not change the temp of the liquid or vapor at that moment in time.

the Auber is just a simple automating device, it lets you put in a certain amount of power until you hit a certain temp, then goes to another power level until either another temp or a timer lapses

I think it is time for you to get some hands on, and maybe the SD DIY controller would be best to start with, and you can learn by adding probes in various places.... and pick up some books and wear them our reading them over and over... we may be tweaking what was done centuries ago, but not much....

CothermanDistilling

OK, Auber emailed me and let me know the new one is coming out, the DSPR400, it has 2 relays outputs, they are sending me one to test with. I plan on doing two tests..

1. will use one for a 2nd element contactor and one for the cooling water...
2. will use one for PC solenoid and the other to power RC PID contoller..

CothermanDistilling

OK, first video of the new Auber DSPR400 controller in action, making some gin to put in a barrel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35LrsKcuCgU

Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co

So using just one of the two relays for the pump running the pc? Were you able to set that up to start at at a certain time/temp? Any comments regarding element control?

I personally wanna run 3 elements and control at least one of the condensers using one of these

CothermanDistilling

you can do 3 things on/off and the 1st one duty-cycle.... so you could have 100% element #1(up to 5 ssrs) to temp A, then x% thereafter, you can have AL1 relay do contactor for 2nd element(s) until temp B, and have AL2 relay do a cooling water pump at temp C

fusiondust

@CothermanDistilling said: you can do 3 things on/off...

Do you notice a temperature display offset with heat in that box from your SSRs? I've found with all Aubrins PID's that without a fan circulating/venting they go completely out of whack.

Definitely going to order one of these. Their first gen works great... The only thing these units are missing is serial output. (I would love to connect up to arduino for notifications via network)

Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co

I believe a fan should be used anytime your putting 3+ SSRs in the same box, a single one shouldn't require that.

I was considering dual fans for my 6 element system just for safety's sake but if the Aubs have heat issues then definitely will be going that route. Cheers on that info @fusiondust

Also cheers @CothermanDistilling

FloridaCracker

So Cotherman, after using the DSPR400 for a little while, what are your impressions? I'm building a 70 gallon boiler that will have 3 5500 ULWD elements and I control my cooling water via needle valves right now on my 15 gallon boiler. My cooling water pump is a cheap HF submersible in a 275g tote. Unsensible is helping me with some of this electrical and suggested the Auber. What would you suggest?

I'm basically trying to get away from multiple stripping/spirit runs with the larger boiler but don't need a lot of complexity as I am used to running everything manually right now.

CothermanDistilling

I like it... did not seem to have much heat issue like my first one did before they swapped it out... but I am using a box with a single heatsink built in... my other box with heatsinks in the box has fans, but Aubers boxes have a hole in the top with a cover plate or the heatsink, and the ssr is directly attached to the heatsink that is outside the box). I have not had temp problems in the small 1-hole box, but you could insulate around the SSR to stop more heat dissipation inside.

@FloridaCracker - I would get the DSPR400 and:

Wall Mount Box for Two Controllers with Pre-cut 12x10x8" $38.71 +75A heatsink $36.75

3x - MGR-1D4840 40A SSR $15.50

an RTD that fits what you have

you can put in 2 120v coil relays such as Mini Power Relay SPDT 120V 30A Model: R30A $8.97

If you have 3-phase, you could use just 2 phases on 2 SSR's (4 for 6 elements) or 2 of the three phase SSR from auber

FloridaCracker

Sounds good. Thanks for the info. Since that box heatsink only holds two SSRs, I'm guessing that the third is mounted somewhere else in the box?

Unsensibel

Go with 4 controller option and 80A. That one is drilled for 3 SSR's

FloridaCracker

I will, I just wish that it was pre cut for the controllers like the smaller one.

Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co

I understand there are multiple parameters for determining heatsink size. Is there an easier rule of thumb for sizing? Does the overall amps actually used just need to be under what the heat sink is rated for?

CothermanDistilling

many ways to skin the cat... it depends on airflow over the heatsink, ambient temp, etc...

1. drill and tap new holes to put 3 SSR's on it, it is 75A, you are using 3 22.9A circuits.. plenty of capacity
2. put 1 or 2 elements on contactors(relays), triggered by AL1 or AL2

Nothing changes what I said to buy, the big box is nice, but all you need is the 2 PID one with the biggest heatsink, you can probably get away with the next smaller one, but it is a worthwhile $10 upgrade...