How my PWM is wired

This channel is designed to offer insight and background on the science, art and practice of making alcohol based products at home.

[deborahstclair]

You give me good ideas. I built a PID controller and used it in a single heater 3 gallon boiler and it improved temperature control greatly but lead to an oscillation when it was the only heat source. So I used the stovetop electric element to provide some controlled heat and the still was more stable. Now I want to be able to retrofit the PID with a PWD channel for 2 element heat control and this may be ideal at a reasonable cost and remove dependency on the stovetop. Thanks for taking this hobby to a higher level.

[anthonybarra]

Can’t help but watch a good tutor, you come across great and with a nice plain way of making us understand every time George, great stuff. And although I am an electrician in the uk England I still pick up some real good tips and find your stuff so interesting, I’m applying my knowledge along side yours, and it’s making my distilling at home a proper geek hobby! Love it mate keep em coming 🍺

[dalansingson]

I've been watching your videos and planning my home distilling. Thank you for your videos.

[LPD]

I've got my PWM, the box and the V/A meter. Time to make a trip to Menards for the extras. I presently have a HF router controller that is hard to control. It just keeps heating up my boiler. Thanks George.

[jeffqueen]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Keep them coming.

[jimferguson]

Pulse WIDTH Modulation. Pulse WIDTH Modulation. My system was constructed using standard laboratory glassware. It has a low volume output but it is highly regulated and produces a very high quality end product. I also use a controller to regulate the temperature. I have a temperature probe that extends into a 1000 mL boiling flask that boils my wash. I found the sweet spot to be 90 C. The temp at the top of the reflux column goes to 78 C and sticks there until the ethanol is exhausted from the wash. The chemistry of the entire process is obvious to me as I can see everything that happens - I have the temperatures monitored at critical points in my system. The most critical temperature is that of the wash. If I let that exceed 90 C, the proof goes down and the tails are passed to the collection flask, and the flavor goes to hell in a handbasket.
I am an electrical engineer with a strong chemistry background. I have been designing products using pulse width modulation for over 25 years. Pulse width modulation is used for many, many applications these days for everything from temperature control to audio amplification to RF modulation. Tell you what - Google PWM and see what it says. You won't find the term "wave" in any of the descriptions. Pulse WIDTH Modulation.

[SyBernot]

You could add couple DPDT two position switches to that set up and be able to switch between measuring input and output values (you'd need another current tap too)

[williamlipsit]

George how would you wire the 240v PWM you showed? I have your 120v one built works great.

[dannephew]

Nice video, could I use that to control the speed of a chugged pump when running wort through a chiller plate?

[jimspencer]

Is a PWM same as and SCR controller as sold on Amazon?

[kirtlin]

Hello George. I have been watching all of your videos and when I got to building heat controllers it looked like something I could do and save some money. If I could get a parts list for both PID and PWM it would help a lot. I want to control a 220v 5500w heating element and on the videos some of your info is for 110v and I don't want to fuzz up

[scapegoat]

So what's the advantage over the PID controller? My PID, I simply set my 'waypoints' and let it cruise. This seems to be a more rudimentary control.

[Texasbluecollarsolutions]

Ok I like this set up and want to build one. But what are you going to use to monitor temp? I’m not finding a digital temp that has a k type probe. I would like to use some of the parts I already have.

[cecilmanning]

George I have been trying to locate the 120 v AC / 12v DC transformer to run the 12v DC fan in my PID Box. If you have a part number and make of the transformer so I can order one to complete the assy of my box it would be a lot of help. thanks..

[jamesmediallc]

I assembled one of these a couple of months ago. Works lights years better than the pid box i made. When the pod would get close to temp and cycle on and off. The dripping on the off cycle would completely stop. And wouldn't resume until the pod cycled back on. Then stop again on the next cycle. A bit of a headache. The PWM gives constant power. However reduced when turned down. Much easier to control. However when i purchased it, it wasn't called a PWM. It was called a SCR. Now im not a electronics expert. Is there a difference?

[endysdoodoo]

George I have a pwm with a voltage in voltage out and common. I'm running this at 240 volts and have 12-3 wire. One leg of the hot obviously would go to the input and then back to the out put. I'm wondering what the common would be. Would this be the ground wire?

[thomasedwin]

I asked this question many times before with no answer, what about using a silicone controlled rectifier in concert with a PID controller?

[jimferguson]

What do you use to dechlorinate your water? Is sodium bisulfate acceptable?

[johnfiretrain]

What is the model number of the meter? I can’t find a 0-240 volt meter. A lot of 80-200 but no 0-2??

[quarlow]

Anybody know the name of the "donut" thing.