Note: the following is an unbiased review of a product I purchased myself. This is not a sponsored review.
At the heart of any electric brewing system is the control panel. Whether you use a single-vessel brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) system, or a multi-vessel system such as a HERMS (heat exchange recirculating mash system) or RIMS (recirculating infusion mash system), the electric control panel powers any pumps, fires the heating element(s), and generally allows for precise temperature control.
In this review, I'll cover my experience with the 30a PID Control Panel from Electric Brewing Supply in a three-vessel HERMS setup. It should be noted that my experience with this panel is strictly as a hobbyist. I am not a qualified electrician. When brewing with electricity, be safe and speak with an electrician to ensure you have adequate GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) protection.
When it comes to purchasing an electric control panel for a multi-vessel brewing system, there are a number of manufacturers to choose from. Typically, panels are pre-assembled and arrive ready to brew on. However, Electric Brewing Supply and The Electric Brewery are two companies who each offer the ability to purchase parts, whether individually or in a kit, to assemble the panel yourself at a discount.
The functionality of the two panels is similar; however, they look different and come in at different price points. It is worth noting that Spike Brewing includes a pre-assembled version of Electric Brewing Supply's panels in each of their complete brewing systems.
I brew on a 10-gallon HERMS system and chose the 30a PID Control Panel, which is suitable for producing single batch sizes of 5 to 30 gallons and is capable of controlling two heating elements, one at a time. Electric Brewing Supply also sells a beefier 50a PID Control Panel, capable of producing 5 to 90 gallon batches.
I chose to build my 30a panel using the parts provided in the complete control panel kit. As such, this review will be divided into two parts: a review of the panel itself and a review of the experience building it.
30a PID Control Panel Product Review
Ease of Use: 4/5
The panel is powered on by turning a key in the ignition switch. This is a nice touch that ensures the unit isn't turned on accidentally by children, or during cleaning.
Once on, the panel is operated primarily through the use of four switches. One switch selects and powers a heating element (either the element in the hot liquor tank or in the boil kettle), one switch powers the water pump, one switch powers the wort pump, and the final switch turns on an audible alarm for the timer.
The unit also has two buttons: a green button used to start a timer and a red emergency stop button that will kill all power to the heating elements and pumps. The e-stop button is an important feature that lets you quickly cut power in the event something goes wrong. Power remains off until the e-stop is disengaged and all switches are returned to the off position.
There are three PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controllers and one timer controller. The displays on the PIDs and timer are crisp and easy to read, with set temperature values displayed in green and current temperature readings displayed in large white numbers. The menus themselves are not at all intuitive; however, the PID documentation provided by Electric Brewing Supply is easy to understand. Just don't lose the product manual!
Rounding out the face of the control panel are a number of lights that easily allow the brewer to determine the status of the panel and various brewing components. A green light indicates that the unit is powered on, a red light indicates when the emergency stop has been engaged, a yellow light signifies power has been directed to a particular element while a white light indicates that element is actively firing, and the pump switches light up blue to indicate they are on.
Quality: 5/5
I am very impressed with the quality. In my experience, the unit accurately measures temperature via the PIDs and RTD temperature probes. It also controls the heating elements well.
All of the buttons and switches have a nice, tactile feel and are simple to use. The alarm is loud enough to do the job, without being too shrill.
The case is made of stainless steel and feels very rugged. The unit is quite large at 16 in (W) x 18 in (H) x 8.5 in (D) and weighs a few dozen pounds.
Electric Brewing Supply also offers laser etching if you would like your brewery logo on the case. Pre-assembled models have etched labels for the buttons/switches too, whereas the DIY kits come with panel tags that can be stuck to the case.
Effectiveness: 5/5
It does exactly what it is meant to do: precisely monitor and adjust the temperature of the mash and boil kettles. The buttons, switches, and lights all work as intended and the PIDs are easy to read.
Unlike some other models on the market, the panel does its job with only one 30a L14-30 power cord. No additional power source is needed.
Cost: 3/5
Pricing varies depending on options, but the complete 30a DIY kit starts at $1,100. The pre-assembled version starts at $1,454. This equates to almost a 25% cost savings if you build the unit yourself.
For comparison, The Electric Brewery sells their 30a DIY kits for $1,495 and pre-assembled units for $2,295.
Ss Brewtech offers a couple models of multi-vessel capable pre-assembled controllers starting at $1,099 for the eController 2V and $1,299 for the eController 3V (requires two 30a 240v GFCI circuits).
Another interesting option is the Wort Hog EBC-330 by High Gravity. This comes in at $699 for a pre-assembled controller.
Overall: 4/5
I am very happy with this unit. It is easy to operate, works well, and the stainless steel finish complements the other components in my home brewery.
The cost is right in the middle of the road as far as electric brewery controllers go, especially considering I saved some money by building the unit myself.
All of the functionality comes at the expense of compactness. The unit is rather large and heavy. I have mine mounted to a tabletop TV stand, which takes up a fair bit of table space. Mounting it to the wall would be a different option for those looking to free up more workspace.
While it is a great and unique touch that Electric Brewing Supply offers custom logo etching, it would be awesome if they offered the ability to etch the button/switch labels on as well, even if it were an additional fee.
30a PID Control Panel Assembly/DIY Review
See the video below for a time lapse of the wiring process.
I entered into this project knowing that it would take me out of my comfort zone, but I was excited to build the panel myself and have a sense of ownership in the process. It was a good project during coronavirus quarantine as I had plenty of extra time.
My electrical knowledge was somewhat limited, though I'd certainly had experience in the past cutting and stripping wire. I was looking forward to learning more about wiring and how the panel actually worked.
Ordering and Delivery: 1/5
I placed my order at the end of April, which was well after most businesses in the country were locked down due to the coronavirus. As such, it was very understandable that this caused a delay in order fulfillment.
After ordering, I emailed the company to ask about engraving options for my logo and they were very forthcoming about some of the challenges they were experiencing obtaining parts for the DIY kits. This transparency was appreciated and I was happy to wait.
The order was placed on April 30 and shipped on June 4, arriving June 10. I opened the package three days later and it was immediately apparent that the front of the case was not engraved with my logo as we had discussed. I emailed the company that same day (Saturday) and was pleasantly surprised to have an email from them the next morning (Sunday). There was no apology for the mix-up, but I was told an engraved door would be sent the following day (Monday).
I didn't receive any further communication or shipping notification over the next few days, so I emailed Electric Brewing Supply on Thursday night to ask about a tracking number. I received an email back on Friday morning with an apology, then it shipped that same day. My sense was that they had forgotten to send it.
The replacement door arrived and I began to attempt assembly on June 27. Unfortunately, as I began to put the pieces together, it became apparent that I was missing the three XLR connectors for the temperature probes. Upon discovering this, I did a careful inventory of all the components, which took about an hour. This was rather difficult because not all the parts in the kit are labeled. It was particularly frustrating that the XLR connectors were missing because they were not checked off on the included packing list. It seemed it should have been obvious to the individual packing the kit that they were missing.
I emailed them that same Saturday and received an email Sunday morning again. I was told that not everyone uses the packing lists when packing and that the parts would be in the mail the next day (Monday). Once again, I did not hear anything else for a few days and sent a follow-up email on Thursday (June 2) to inquire about whether there was a tracking number. This time, I never received a reply back at all. Instead, I received an automated email that my order had shipped four days later on July 6, after the holiday. It was sent with overnight delivery.
Documentation: 2/5
The DIY kit comes with an 87 page Wiring Guide Book, which I incorrectly assumed would walk me through the wiring process.
In some ways, the guide book is very comprehensive, even talking about how to design and punch holes in the case if you do not purchase the pre-punched version (as I had). However, when it comes to the actual wiring, there is almost no guidance for the 30a panel that I had purchased.
Most of the included wiring guides were for the single-vessel BIAB control panel. Instead, I had to locate this page, via a link at the bottom of their site in order to find wiring guides for the panel I was building. Their site also included some pictures of the panel assembly, which were very helpful; however, they were sometimes incomplete. Another issue was that they interchanged between the 30a and 50a designs, which are wired differently.
I emailed the company with a couple questions, which they answered. I also inquired if they were able to provide any additional photos of the build, which they did not respond to.
Build photos are extremely helpful as an additional resource to the wiring guides. They not only provide a means to check your work, but are really enlightening when it comes to the overall layout and neatness of the wiring. One hallmark of an experienced electrician is not only doing a job well, but wiring it in a manner that looks neat and organized. Seeing the completed work of a professional was really helpful for me. But again, the wiring photos that were available were limited.
After having some issues with the heat sink, I emailed a couple more questions and never received a response back. Eventually, I had to guess what to do and press on by myself.
When the panel was ultimately built and I went to test it, I had a couple issues that required troubleshooting. After going through all pages of the wiring guide again and all of the pictures, I was able to determine that the wiring guide itself was actually incorrect. Without the pictures to check the work, I would never have known. This again just shows how valuable they can be.
I let the company know that it appeared there was an error. They responded to ask me to provide specifics regarding the issue, which I did. Then there was no further communication. The guide still appears to be incorrect online. The issue has to do with the wiring of the timer. The wiring guide shows two extra wires leading to the green start button from the timer. They aren't shown in the photos.
The Build: 3/5
The build itself was not too bad once I found the wiring guides and photos on their site. I estimate it took roughly 10 hours to complete, which I spread out over a week and a half during nights and weekends.
One build feature that drew me to this product over the one offered by The Electric Brewery is that this panel requires no soldering. The required tools for pre-punched panel DIY kit assembly are simply:
wire cutters
wire strippers
crimping tools for spade and ring connectors
phillips screw driver(s)
flat head screw driver(s)
cable ties and cable tie anchor bases (optional)
Overall Score for Assembly: 2/5
It was certainly a challenge at times, but I am glad that I did it. It is a point of pride to have assembled such a complex and important part of my home brewery.
Final Thoughts
I am very happy with the product itself that Electric Brewing Supply offers. If the additional cost is not a concern, I would highly recommend the purchase of a pre-built panel. Buyers get some great and unique features, such as logo engraving that you won't find from other providers. The completed panel should come pre-tested and ready to brew on, for a relatively headache-free experience.
Experienced electricians will likely have an easier assembly time than I did. The slightly incorrect wiring guides and limited picture availability will make for a challenge. Do not expect to have reliable support from the company if you run into snags. While some of the support issues could again be chalked up to the pandemic, some type of improvement needs to be made.
The work is long and at times arduous; however, given an opportunity to choose a controller again, I would pick this model from Electric Brewing Supply and build it myself. The various struggles just enhance the sense of pride I feel with the unit complete.
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