ADDING A VOLT/AMP METER TO YOUR CONTROLLER

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

[@glleon80517]

Very well done George! Your explanation is accurate, I am an Electrical Engineer. For the curious, a load draws current (amperage) based on its resistance, measured in Ohms. The lower the resistance across the leads of the load, the higher the current flow. Ohms Law states that voltage and amps are proportional. V=IR, where V is volts, I is Amps, and R is resistance. For a load rated in Watts, the equation is W=VI. So a 2000 watt element operating at 120 volts draws 16.6 amps.

[@timflynn3218]

George, it's been wonderful watching your videos. I really do enjoy all of them. I have learned what I want for a still, what I don't want for a still, and alternate ways to "drive" the still with PID's PWD's, and packing columns as well as loading columns (balancing them). I know some about electric, but I have to say, you are a wonderful instructor. You relay what is important, what can be good to know but isn't mandatory to understand, and why to use what is being applied. The application is our bottom line, but understanding how it works gives us the ability to think for ourselves and find alternate uses, applications, or components. I have a lot of components around that are not identical to what you use, but I can use them because of your explanations. Thank you very much. I admire your interest and enthusiasm and really appreciate the effort it takes to produce videos.

[@jamessoave7812]

Thank you. After all the dust settled I think this is the best approach for me to have a "constant" heat source. I do appreciate the level of detail you go to in order to 'splain the complex.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rhafaelcabuenos4422]

thank you for informative and simple lecture sir George more power

[@williamarmstrong7199]

Electricity 101 for people who are starting from the beginning. Brilliant stuff.

[@kevinbreaux6769]

Excellent presentation, just what I needed to understand.

[@countryboycharlie9793]

George and u have learned something priceless. ALWAYS MAKE SURE ITS UNPLUGGED BEFORE U TOUCH ANYTHING, THIS COULD KILL YOU LOL!!! 😂🤣😂I just couldn’t pass this up my friend. Great Video ❤️Stay Safe 👍

[@DerikStillPasinthrough]

Thanks for taking one for the team George! You made me chuckle so today is not a total loss! lmao

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Any time!

[@petercatto9795]

Hello George always enjoy your videos very informative

[@mohamedjassimalebrahim7659]

Thank you so much - God bless you

[@allenhyde8424]

Thank you sir , valuable knowledge

[@Wingeezer]

I do have a clamp meter, but for ease of use in monitoring operation of an air still that has a voltage controller, I like to use a simple plug in "Electricity use meter." Available on Amazon for around $20, it can monitor watts, kwh, amps, volts and even has a handy built in timer. It seems quite accurate - I have checked it against other meters I own.

[@MrMrsH5]

Do you have a link to your meter I'm in need of one?

[@ryandelfin3362]

How are u I have a question I did a run of rye whiskey and when it came out it had a sulpher smell it tasted good but it had that smell what could cause it and how can I fix it thanks love ur content

[@MrMrsH5]

Hello great videos, do you have a link to your meter you are using in this video? I need a meter which reads the lower voltages too.

[@andrewludwig9238]

Great addition George, there is no such thing as getting too much information while distilling. But while you are on the topic of potentiometers please explain the problem with using them as speed controls with some types of AC motors.

[@rocketsroc]

Nice informative vid.

[@scottbonner8910]

So on a 220v without a neutral do you just hook the wires from the volt/ amp meter to both legs of the 220

[@timg2776]

Interesting. Looking to go to reflux and this is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks George.

[@charlesdean1542]

Hello George Happy distilling

[@robertserumgard2344]

Thanks for the video, if I used the digital meter on a American 240 setup I would connect the positive to post two on the ssr and the negative to the ground correct?

[@jamesaubrey1965]

Great job on educational videos.. anything on using a check valve in reverse to allow vaccum pressure during cool down to prevent collapse. I'm thinking about installing one. Thanks

[@OpenSourceDistilling]

Great video George. Very informative and simple to understand. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated.

[@vruychev]

Best video tutorials evaaa

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Thank you so much 🙂

[@gulag_inmate69]

So for controlling a heater element what are the differences between an ssr and a pwm controller

[@jamessoave7812]

And scr

[@mikedany4030]

I miss my teacher when you coming back to your educating slow folks like me

[@artmclellen4611]

if the load requires 16 amps and the relay will withstand 40 amps and you were to short out the load....will that not cause a fire????

[@mattwettig8023]

Is there a way to make this read the 240 volt circuit and the amp for a 240 PID controller. I had it working on a 120 PID but I cant figure out how to make it work with the 240 PID. Thanks.

[@mattwettig8023]

Nevermind. I figured it out. Duh. That was to simple. Thanks again George for posting these videos.

[@macEboy]

Thank you George for yet another great basic teaching video. I really appreciate it. My question in, do you have a good source for a suitable electronics project box? A link maybe? Thank you Sir, I really appreciate it. Cheers!

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07871XT6F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@macEboy]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing thanks George I really appreciate that perfect!

[@charlesdean1542]

Thank you

[@bobostu5468]

How can i get to show on my meter 240v, and real power not halved if i get the donut around one leg of the circuit?

[@scottforsythe2024]

Way would you you want to measure amps instead of watts?

[@valueduser2084]

Watts = Volts * Amps. Therefore to calculate amps, divide your watts by your voltage. Also, with AC it is technically called VA, not watts. Watts are DC only, strictly speaking.

[@brettmcconnell8040]

Which is better fractionating reflux with tower extension or turbo500 still. Have both.

[@todd8146]

I’m using a PWM in my circuit and can not read output voltage with the multimeter. It gives a funky reading and I believe I let a little magic smoke out of the meter in doing so. I had to switch the connection to the input voltage. I am thinking that the volt meter does not like the “dirty” output voltage from the PWM? Does the SSR work differently than the PWM with regard to controlling output?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

The SSR operates by phase control as opposed to Pulse width with the PWM. Both results are equal.

[@tomchristensen2914]

What about adding a thermometer to it

[@wormytom]

should this have a fuse? would 20A fuse be enough ?

[@falsehood3314]

Good explain, but why do u allow shocks? lol

[@MAGnetICus_Attractus]

Run them in parallel the amperage increases. But run that heat gun in series with the light bulb, only 1.3 maps will flow.

[@robertfontaine3650]

So assuming a 30 Amp circuit at 240 , I could use a pair of 3000 watt elements with a 20% buffer or my single 5500 is just fine.

[@findingfreeblade]

in the ssr-40 va is the 40 the amps it works at? if so do those of us who are using less amps for our still need to get a lower number? Edit: I should have finished the video before asking a question be answers very well

[@vtbn53]

That's it's maximum rating - it can handle any value of current less than that.

[@findingfreeblade]

@@vtbn53 thank you

[@vtbn53]

@@findingfreeblade Welcome, but I should also point out, because, for some reason George didn't (unless I am greatly mistaken) that the SSR needs to sit on a whopping big heat sink to handle anything like 40 amps. You can make it out under the SSR in the video if you know what you are looking for. I am not sure why George didn't mention it, I can only assume that his SSR came with the heat sink attached. They don't normally.

[@danssv8]

Oh no George it sure made you jump lol

[@johnmagnusson9289]

Good information but your safety protocol needs a lot of work. Thanks George.

[@shaknit]

What if you want to read less than the required voltage like 0-120v

[@MrMrsH5]

I'm looking for the same, did you ever find a meter for this voltage?

[@marcusj6519]

👍

[@quarlow1215]

I ordered one of those "donuts" the other day. Who knew Crispy cream delivered. I guess I ordered the wrong thing but no one seems to know what it is called.

[@Dbracedean]

they are called current transformers

[@lojwa.animals.runitrats]

i called but u mail box full ,,,itwas about that still from china ,wa it on an what was the name ,i been looking in the veido ,is it ok

[@j1952d]

I wish that SSR had finger-proof terminals!

[@andrewludwig9238]

There are covers available on Ebay.

[@j1952d]

George - get some! (and ALWAYS TURN THE POWER OFF BEFORE POKING ABOUT!). 120V may just give you a belt, but it can kill! 230V is obviously worse! (Remember 120Vrms is about 170Vpeak).

[@andrewludwig9238]

@@j1952d Agreed! George is far too valuable to our community.

[@belo2999]

Those power meters should be connected to the incoming voltage and not the load otherwise they don't read properly at low voltage and your readings will be inaccurate.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

So true. The meter has a threshold before it will operate. I think I did demonstrate that. I also covered the topic of wiring it on the fore end as opposed to the aft end. Thanks for pointing this out.

[@belo2999]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing Sorry George, didn't mean to imply that you hadn't. I think that the power display is more accurate when measuring the input as it is presumably based on the RMS voltage of a standard sine wave which is what the supply voltage is and it's not always guaranteed what the output of these gizmos will look like. Also the bonus is that you can run the controller down to zero or very low and the meter doesn't switch off or start flashing.

[@charlesdean1542]

I need you George

[@ShinerShane]

#moonshinemessiah

[@chrischris2886]

OMG, DANGER !!, George, you zapped yourself twice on this video. Do NOT drink and do electric wiring of LIVE high voltage circuits. I really want to see the info from this video series, but the gods will yank these videos unless you have adequate safety warnings and follow safer procedures.

[@MAGnetICus_Attractus]

Thanks Karen. Voltage can be deadly. How many house fires caused by electricity each year? We better ban electrical systems.

[@MrTarek1946]

With due respect to you do you honestly think the average person needs all this info and really understands it??????