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  1. Bill_g

    Build yourself a cheap digital boiler power regulator

    I think I need to unsubscribe from this forum, I can't take any more!
  2. Bill_g

    Build yourself a cheap digital boiler power regulator

    As a retired electronics engineer of 40 years experience I'm utterly speechless. Please no one do this. Appalling advice. And your reason is...? Oh come on, you only have to do a few simple sums to realise that it won't work. Anyhow resistive power limiting went out of fashion when Noah was a...
  3. Bill_g

    Build yourself a cheap digital boiler power regulator

    As an alternative, I’d suggest wiring two or three 100W light bulbs in series with the element - with a switch to bypass them when you want full power. If that doesn‘t reduce the power level enough, try using a 1kW electric heater element (suitably mounted of course). Hope that might give you a...
  4. Bill_g

    Build yourself a cheap digital boiler power regulator

    I notice that fully assembled but unboxed 8kW power controllers are available either on eBay, Amazon or elsewhere. (searcH for '220V AC 8000W controller'. These devices are pretty simple in electronics terms. Rotary or digital controls are available. If I was doing this I'd just buy one & do...
  5. Bill_g

    Build yourself a cheap digital boiler power regulator

    A properly ducted cooling fan of the appropriate size & airflow makes an absolutely tremendous difference to the ability of a heat sink to remove heat from the device being cooled. Loads of good technical info online. However the problem with cheap & nasty electronics is that the device itself...
  6. Bill_g

    Head retention.

    I have all the above problems with head retention. Certainly a good clean glass rinsed before filling helps. Also have used Cara Pils, Torrified Wheat or rolled oats in various brews which helps too. I wonder if it also has a lot to do with the dispensing nozzle. i.e. a real ale is delivered at...
  7. Bill_g

    Pre built pid temperature controller

    Just a technical point on something said above: Controllers like the Inkbird, the STC1000 and similar low cost devices control temperature by switching the mains supply ON/OFF to the heater element. The term PID (Proportional Integral Differential) control refers to the algorithm which is used...
  8. Bill_g

    Where to buy Star San

    Not sure about this but I suspect Charlie Talley has moved on job wise. There's a Charlie Talley on Linked In who is listed as Chief Chemist at ideal Energy Solutions. His profile fits. Most of the StarSan interviews were around a dozen years ago perhaps at a time 5 Star were promoting StarSan...
  9. Bill_g

    Where to buy Star San

    @clib - ok sorry just venting some frustration, I'll accept unfairly. As I have a science & engineering background I put little weight on personal views unless well supported by evidence which I can assess & evaluate for myself. As you correctly point out one needs a pretty powerful mental junk...
  10. Bill_g

    Where to buy Star San

    I read it in a variety of places a few years ago when I was using Starsan and getting infections. I switched back to a bleach solution and the problem was solved. So my main reason for believing it is my own personal experience, but it appeared to be backed up by stuff I read. I was not sure...
  11. Bill_g

    Where to buy Star San

    Starsan doesn't kill wild yeast. What is your source for this assertion? Please give a reference or link to the article/info.
  12. Bill_g

    Beer Line clamp

    I use two ear 'O' clamps. They provide a strong even clamping force and I've never known them to leak. You have to use the right size and a crimping tool makes the job easier. They have to be removed with a Dremel. i.e. this is the engineer's solution. Jubilee clips are worse than useless on...
  13. Bill_g

    Is my fermentation fridge safe?

    I had a look at the Youtube video mentioned above but I coudl not see the point of all the fiddling about with the thermostat wiring, this part is redundant and I wasn't very impressed that it would leave modified wiring etc inside the fridge enclosure. I'd suggest that the best & safest answer...
  14. Bill_g

    Keir Starmer: one year in, Labour leader's popularity has plunged

    Funny enough I was thinking just the same thing ... recovering some future from the wreckage of Brexit, the possiblilty of Scottish devolution, the massive fiscal hole created by the pandemic, the incredible cost we are all going to face to solve decarbonisation, piece of cake really, but I...
  15. Bill_g

    Keir Starmer: one year in, Labour leader's popularity has plunged

    Political movenent is all about the swing vote not the committed party followers.
  16. Bill_g

    Keir Starmer: one year in, Labour leader's popularity has plunged

    It's all about telling the truth, nothing to do with the cost really. Good job Boris is not Pinnochio or he'd never get into the chamber. Boris is a wonderfully entertaining clown but he's rolling around like a pickled onion on a plate, if he sticks around long enough he will get skewered on...
  17. Bill_g

    Ball & keg (level indicator) test - looks good

    As the question of how to keep track of what's left in a corny keg arises from time to time I thought that it might be of interest to post a review of the 'ball and keg' level indicator kit ( see Youtube demo). Having received one today from BrewUK, I've just given it a try using water and...
  18. Bill_g

    New Fridge Fermentation Setup

    I've got mixed feelings about it, at first I was a bit disapointed but I've now got it working a lot better and I think it does provide 'useful' fermentation info, but to be honest it's a brewing gadget rather than an essential tool. The main useful thing is that it provides a graphical log of...
  19. Bill_g

    New Fridge Fermentation Setup

    You might find the images below interesting. The data output is from a PLAATO airlock, so the temperature shown is the temperature of the air at the top of the fridge cabinet, see photo. (The PLAATO airlock is mounted on a reservoir which prevents problems from excess krausen getting into the...
  20. Bill_g

    New Fridge Fermentation Setup

    It would be worth checking whether the fridge and freezer have independent compressors. Low cost fridge freezers frequently do not. Assuming there are independent compressors then the only way that you will be able to use the fridge and freezer sections independently is to re-wire. Your Inkbird...
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