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A while ago we built a $50 dollar sous vide machine to start messing around with sous vide cooking. We loved it, and it has been precise and stable over a long period of time.
However, we thought it'd be awesome to create a brain that could control anything based on the thermocouple output. Something that would work with a rice cooker, bucket heater, or even a smoker. We could've gone out and bought a $160 Sous Vide Magic, but we built our own controller for $70! And now we'll show you how to DIY.
Again we've avoided soldering anything, which simplifies the construction considerably.
You can check out some recipes and more DIY sous vide advice at our blog. The details in this instructible are posted there as well.
Warning: do not embark on this if you are not comfortable with electronics, including high voltages. AC power direct from the wall goes through some connections, which can lead to personal injury or death.
Parts:
However, we thought it'd be awesome to create a brain that could control anything based on the thermocouple output. Something that would work with a rice cooker, bucket heater, or even a smoker. We could've gone out and bought a $160 Sous Vide Magic, but we built our own controller for $70! And now we'll show you how to DIY.
Again we've avoided soldering anything, which simplifies the construction considerably.
You can check out some recipes and more DIY sous vide advice at our blog. The details in this instructible are posted there as well.
Warning: do not embark on this if you are not comfortable with electronics, including high voltages. AC power direct from the wall goes through some connections, which can lead to personal injury or death.
Parts:
- PID Temperature controller JLD612 (Lightobject)
- Pt-100 RTD sensor (ebay or Lightobject)
- 25A Solid State Relay (Lightobject)
- SSR heat sink (Auber Instruments)
- Wire crimping tool and spade/ring/butt terminals (Amazon)
- 2 foot air conditioner extension cord
- 2 foot 12 gauge wire
- 1 foot double stranded 18 gauge wire
- Scissors
- Electrical tape
- Duct tape
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Like the $50 DIY immersion heater, the most complicated step here will be providing power to the PID controller and output. We will use both ends of the air conditioner extension cord separately: the male end will provide power to the PID and heater, and the female end will be our output socket.
Main power cord and output socket: Use scissors to cut six inches of extension cord from the female end (output socket). You should be left with 18 inches of wire on the male end (the main power cord). For each end, carefully cut along the cord to separate the three wires: the two power lines and the ground. Now, strip the three wires on both ends by carefully squeezing the scissors at different angles on the cord until the insulator is detached, less than ½ inch should be bare.
PID power cord: In order to pull out power for the PID controller we will cut our double-stranded wire in half (the other half will be used for the relay control cord). Now split the wire in half by a half inch. Strip the ends to expose the copper wire. Choose ring terminals that will fit on the screws on the back of the PID controller then use the crimper to attach the ring terminals to the ends of the wire. Separate and strip the wires on the other end of the cord just as before--- we later crimp this end and attach it to the main power cord.
Power relay wires: Cut the 12 gauge wire into three wires of equal length. Strip both ends of each wire so ½ inch of copper is exposed.
Main power cord and output socket: Use scissors to cut six inches of extension cord from the female end (output socket). You should be left with 18 inches of wire on the male end (the main power cord). For each end, carefully cut along the cord to separate the three wires: the two power lines and the ground. Now, strip the three wires on both ends by carefully squeezing the scissors at different angles on the cord until the insulator is detached, less than ½ inch should be bare.
PID power cord: In order to pull out power for the PID controller we will cut our double-stranded wire in half (the other half will be used for the relay control cord). Now split the wire in half by a half inch. Strip the ends to expose the copper wire. Choose ring terminals that will fit on the screws on the back of the PID controller then use the crimper to attach the ring terminals to the ends of the wire. Separate and strip the wires on the other end of the cord just as before--- we later crimp this end and attach it to the main power cord.
Power relay wires: Cut the 12 gauge wire into three wires of equal length. Strip both ends of each wire so ½ inch of copper is exposed.
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Bucket heaters are not designed for food use so personally I would not use one.
Ouch!? :c}
If your multimeter results are ambiguous, I would get a fresh 9 V battery and a 9V battery header, and attach the two outputs to 3 and 4 (black to 4, red to 3). If that doesn't light up the LED, the SSR is broken.
Good luck!
Abe