My Concept of a curing chamber - Where I am at now.

markjass
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My Concept of a curing chamber - Where I am at now.

Post by markjass » Sun Jun 16, 2013 10:25

Where I am at. Nothing is set in concrete yet. Background: the most advanced electrical thing I have done in my life is replace an electric light bulb. Unfortunately I do not have any mates who could help me assemble electrical components. I am stuck with either paying for someone to do this or sourcing `boxed parts`.

Use a use a Plug-n-play Temperature and Humidity Controler as the control unit (http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_ ... cts_id=265) . This plug-n-play temperature and humidity controller can be used for sausage curing, green house and incubator applications. It can control both temperature (heating or cooling) and humidity (humidifying or dehumidifying) at the same time. It can display the temperature unit in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. I chatted with the US manufacturer consumer help desk via skype. It can be used in Australia and NZ without adaptations. Anyone else seen anything else that would work?

Finding a reasonable priced humidifier is an issue. The cheapest available NZ sourced humidifier costs $180 that will probably be able to do the job is the UltraSonic Beurer LB44. It only uses 20 watts (http://www.beurerproducts.co.nz/Air_Hum ... _LB44.html).

When I checked with importers of other products most said they doubted that their products would last long with continual use. I know that I could buy online products. However, the cost of postage (I know some say free postage, but not to NZ). Then there are issues on parallel importing and sole importer rights. Any thoughts?

For my first try I will place a 300 watt aquarium heater (I have a couple of these. They survived the earthquake, but my aquariums and fish did not) in a Pyrex dish full of water to generate the humidity. I read that if you add salt to the water you discourage algi growth (do not know how true this is). Any thoughts on this?

I should be able to pick up a reasonable priced fridge no bother. All I need to work on is the fan and air exchange. I do not understand what Redzed and Tom 3 are talking about concerning a built in vacuum receptacle. Is anyone able to supply a picture or a link that would help me?

Thanks
Mark
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Post by Gulyás » Sun Jun 16, 2013 12:26

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
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Post by Gulyás » Sun Jun 16, 2013 19:53

Hey Mark,

Lots of good information here too.

http://www.wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewforum.php?f=25
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
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Post by markjass » Mon Jun 17, 2013 13:44

Thanks Gulyás, Great links. I had not seen three of them. I mull over my ideas and other peoples ideas and sugestions for a few more days before doing anything. Seeing as I have an unemployed aquarium heater I will give it a trial run. Everything else will be up for grabs. I may be able to get hold of a newish 270 L fridge for zip. However I will not hold my breath on that.

Mark
Do no harm. Margerine is the biggest food crime
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Post by rbanks123 » Mon Jun 17, 2013 17:09

markjass wrote:Finding a reasonable priced humidifier is an issue. The cheapest available NZ sourced humidifier costs $180 that will probably be able to do the job is the UltraSonic Beurer LB44. It only uses 20 watts (http://www.beurerproducts.co.nz/Air_Hum ... _LB44.html).
Hi Mark,
I have been using a humidifier that I got on Amazon and it has been working very well. If you have a "Prime" account then you save on shipping costs. Anyway, this unit gets the humidity of your chamber up to a target level and then turns off. I have found that if we turn it on once or twice a day it works quite well (and saves on electricity). I have a link to the one that I am using here: http://artisanbros.blogspot.com/2013/04 ... amber.html
Good Luck!

Russ
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Post by Gulyás » Tue Jun 18, 2013 04:14

Also remember to use distilled water in the humidifier.
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Post by markjass » Tue Jun 18, 2013 04:29

In Christchurch our water is untreated, contains no flouride (raging polictical health going on about this) or chlorine. The water suply comes from artesian wells. I get no lime buildup in my jug (kettle). So I do not know if I need to use distilled water. Any thoughts?

A typical average chemical (naturally occurring) analysis of Christchurch water (these figures mean nothing to me)

pH
7.8
pH after aeration
8.2
Acidity to pH 8.3 (as CO3)
1 g/mm3
Total alkalinity to pH 4.5 as HCO3
52 g/mm3
Turbidity (NTU)
Less than 1
Nitrate Nitrogen
1 g/mm3
Sulphate
5.0 g/mm3
Chloride
5.0 g/mm3
Calcium
12.0 g/mm3
Fluoride
Less than 0.1 g/mm3
Magnesium
1.5 g/mm3
Potassium
1 g/mm3
Sodium
6.1 g/mm3
Reactive silica (as SO2)
16.0 g/mm3
Total hardness (as CaCO3)
45 g/mm3
Conductivity at 20?C (mS/m)
10
Note: Grams per cubic meter (g/mm3) is equivalent to milligrams per litre (mg/l).

There are a total of 38 routine chemical tests carried out on Christchurch water. 22 of these tests establish the presence of the specific chemical tested for, in order to be below measurable limits.
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Post by Gulyás » Tue Jun 18, 2013 04:45

I think that water has many minerals in it.
If you see white dust nearby, try distilled water, but by then, the ultrasonic humidifier might be clogged up.
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Post by rbanks123 » Tue Jun 18, 2013 04:55

Gulyás wrote:I think that water has many minerals in it.
If you see white dust nearby, try distilled water, but by then, the ultrasonic humidifier might be plugged up.
ours is also untreated... but we still use distilled water. Better safe than sorry and we want our humidifier to last.

russ
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Post by markjass » Tue Jun 18, 2013 05:11

I agree about not taking risks with health. I have found this product and sopken with the NZ importer. The cost is about $NZ115 which is about $US90. The cost of the humidifer that rbanks mentions plus postage is about the same.

Beurer Mini/Travel Air Humidifier LB12

http://www.beurerproducts.co.nz/Air_Hum ... _LB12.html

It has a 3 year warranty. Anyone know of this product or company?

Mark
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Post by ssorllih » Tue Jun 18, 2013 05:15

Of course water has desolved solids in it. Those are harmless in the quantities involved. When you see them as a white substance dried on a surface taste them. Don't be fearful they are in the water that you drink. They make the water taste as you are familar. Pure distilled water doesn't taste very good
Ross- tightwad home cook
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Post by Gulyás » Tue Jun 18, 2013 05:21

For drinking we want/need those minerals.
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
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Post by crustyo44 » Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:35

Hi Mark,
I have seen similar humidifiers used in converted refrigerators, they work very satisfactory if you combine it with a controller.
The NZ $115.00 seems very expensive, I bet it is manufactured in China and has an expensive sounding name, the same style sells here for about AU $ 15.00- 20.00
Good Luck Mate,
Jan.
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Post by markjass » Sun Jun 30, 2013 02:46

I have been messing arround with an old aquarium heater. The heater is 300 watt output max (used the minimal setting of 20 degrees, can go upto 35 degrees). I placed it in a large pyrex dish with saline water at a mix of 360 grams per 1L of water (I just decided to go with the maxium amount of salt that I could disolve in a liter of water. I have managed to get hold of a temperature and humidity data logger. I have found that with the fridge not on and the heater set to 20 degrees I can get my chamber up to 98% humidity and an internal temperature of 14 degrees. Tomorrow I am going to get a USA?NZ adaptor plug. What I am going to do is plug the fridge in the temperature controler and the heater in the humidity controler and see what happens. I have tried the data logger in my own fridge, in the garden etc and found some interesting graphs. I have managed to explane to myself by using existing theory why these plots have occured.

Ultimatly the humidity part will come down to the almighty $. If I went with an ultrasonic humidifer, the one I am thinking of going with uses 20 watts. It will cost me about NZ$180. I have the aquarium heater and pyrex dish, however it is a 300 watt heater. I need to do some maths (get help with this). I have a feeling that a higher innital outlay and less energy using humidifer may be more cost effective thatn using a aqaurium heater in a saline water bath.

I plan to use a fan to move air about. I have read about placing a fan in the chamber to move air aroundMy chamber will be in a roonm of the garage and so car exhaust will not be an issue. Does anyone have any thoughts about daving a hole in the lower side of the fridge to allow air in and on the opposit side at the top of the fridge having a larger hole and placing the computer fan over this to extract air from the fridge? I would attach the fan to a dimmer switch.

If I go with the humidifer the project will have cost me about NZ$400. A tad over US$300.

Mark
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Costings with some Gross asumptions and my maths

Post by markjass » Mon Jul 01, 2013 13:42

Some gross assumptions:
- Number of days used a year = 250
- The heater uses 300 watts for 24 hrs a day even though it is at its lowest setting would use less power and may switch off.
- The heat pad and humidifier are used for 250 days for 24 hrs a day(?? would be used when ambient temperature is = lower than say 12 degrees)
- My maths is correct

The heat pad is needed for
300 watt heater
300/1000 = 0.3 K watt per hour
Cost of power 0.26 cents per K watt
0.26 x 0.3 = 0.078 cents per hour
0.078 x 24 = $1.872 a day
1.872 x 250 days = $486 dollars

20 Watt heater + 17 watt heat pad = 37 watts
37/1000 = 0.037 K watt per hour
0.26 cents per K watt
0.26 x 0.037 = 0.00962 cents per hour
0.00962 x 24 = $0.23088 a day
0.23088 x 250 days = $57.72 dollars
Humidifier Costs $115
Heat Mat costs $55
Humidifier and Heat Mat = $170
Total Cost for 250 days = $227.72

Conclusion even with a wild guess of the amount of power used by the 300 watt heater over a 24 hour period buying a heat pad and humidifier + cost of power is a much cheaper option.
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