A friend asked if I wouldn’t mind posting the parts list for my Sous Vide setup. If you missed my post regarding Sous Vide, check it out here!
The primary controller block is what controls whether or not the heating elements are on or off. It consists of the temperature controller, the temperature probe, a relay for powering the heating element, and an outlet to provide power to the heating element. I enclosed the components in a project box.
- Heating Element Outlet – Leviton 15 Amp, 125 Volt, Snap-In Receptacle
- Temperature Probe – PT100 Thermocouple Temperture Probe (1M)
- Temperature Controller – JLD612 PID Temperature Controller
- Relay – 25A SSR with Heatsink (This isn’t entirely necessary, as the JLD612 has a built in relay; however, it is preferable because the internal relay sucks…)
- Project Enclosure – 8x6x3 Enclosure
- Switch – SPST 16A 125V LED Switch (Used to turn the entire thing on/off. Note necessary, but preferred)
- Source Power Connector – C14 Power Connector (I ripped one from an old computer power supply. It isn’t necessary, but I recommend getting one)
- Wire – 22 Gauge wire? (I pulled wire from the a computer’s power supply, and didn’t note the gauge. I’m guessing that it was 20 or 22…)
I engineered the controller in such a way that allows several different heating elements to be used. The only constraint is that it cannot exceed the amperage of the heating element outlet, the relay, or the wire used to connect them. For instance, I used a 15A power outlet with a 25A relay. In this case the heating element cannot use more than 15A. Just take the lowest number and stay below that. I used 2 immersion heaters connected to a power multi strip. Each heater is loosely mounted to a piece of wood panelling. This is not an ideal fix, but I haven’t had the time to fabricate a more permanent mounting solution. I’m considering using buret clamps.
- Immersion Water Heaters – Bush CH-101 Heaters
For the environment, I contain the water in an Ikea plastic container, which then sits in an Omaha Steaks styrofoam ice-chest. The plastic container is easy to clean, but not very insulated, whereas the ice-chest is very insulated. To circulate the water I’m using an aquarium pump. Because the heating elements are variable (you can use large more powerful heating elements) this also means that the environment is variable. If you use a larger container, you should consider using larger heating elements, and a better pump. Placement of the pump is important, but not extremely detrimental. I advise putting the pump in the center of your heating elements, directly below the water’s surface. The pump pulls cooler water from the bottom portion of the container and pushes it past the heating elements.
- Aquarium Pump – 80 GPH Submersible Pump
Sous Vide requires food to be cooked to be sealed in a bag. Commercial sous vide products typically bundle or at least recommend using a vacuum sealer. I don’t… I use ZipLoc bags with success.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!