Dave that brewing bin you mention is it the type with an electric kettle type element in the bottom and a thermostat on the side? I had a one of that type years ago when I used to mash I think its still up in the loft somewhere, its a plastic bin Brewmaster I think. I dont bother brewing now its cheaper to buy the supermarket rubbish. Not as good though.
Yes wallie, I'm trying to make/recreate one of those, but with a more sophisticated temperature controller so I can use it for other things as well. If you fancied selling me the electrical bits that would really help the project as sourcing old style kettle elements and leads is proving a bit tricky. Or you might want to hang onto it to build your own if I get one working
Dave
Curing is not an exact science... So it's not a sin to bin.
Guess what Dave (no kidding)I retrieved my mash bin from the loft dusted it down and switched on the heater its no longer working! Its been up there about 10year. I thought no problem I will get a new element went to the local electrical repair shop this afternoon and was informed they are no longer available. The guy said they are all covered elements now and are a fixture in the kettle. He had never seen my type for years. I was thinking of going to my local home brew shop to see if they sell the replacements. I will let you know how I come on next week.
For an accurate sensor look into AD590. This comes in different physical forms, and different "sensitivities". The sensitivities are indicated by single letter suffixes to the AD590. You can get extreme accuracy using "trims". See Sheingold, Transducer Interfacing Handbook.
I want to convert a steamer so that I can contol the tempreture accurately. All the units that I have ever seen make use of a timer. I do not like the idea of cooking in a plastic bag unless it is the oven type made for cooking in, as I am afraid of toxins released once the bag is subjected to heat.
Dave I rang the local home brew shop up this morning the replacement elements for the brew bin are �18. On second thoughts I am thinking of going for a rice cooker with wrap around heat.