Steam bottler conversion

[Bricklayer]

I would like to convert my CDL 16"x16" steam bottler to electric.
Steam pan will hold about 4.5 gallons of water. So my thoughts were to have a threaded fitting welded in the side of the steam pan and install a 3500 watt warren heater element. Have a PID unit control the on/of of the element but instead of the PID using the water temperature to control on off I want it to use the syrup temperature to control the element on off. If syrup is let's say 125 F. The unit will power up the element and heat the water under the pan untill the syrup is 180 F. And then maintain 180 f untill bottling is complete. I found a schematic online at a brewing site that I would like to follow for wiring. Has anybody ever tried something like this? Seems like it would work. This diagram has a pump in it but I'm just going by the wiring of the PID and solid state relay and pt100 probe and use 220v instead of 110.

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u495/bottenhof/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-02/37E05680-BFEE-451D-9CBD-2DC448874E17_zpsok3kodni.jpg (http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/bottenhof/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-02/37E05680-BFEE-451D-9CBD-2DC448874E17_zpsok3kodni.jpg.html)

[Super Sapper]

I would control the heating element on the water temp as it may get above your target temp before your syrup gets to 180 or 185 and will keep heating the syrup until they equalize in temp. The water jacketed bottler I have controls the temp of your water jacket and the thermometer in the syrup tells you when it is at the right temp. Once you are at bottling temp it will remain more even this way as the steam pan will loose temp faster than the syrup and you will have that lag time in getting the water up to temp enough to heat the syrup and may go too high before the syrup comes up to temp.

[Bricklayer]

Makes sense. What's a good size element to use for the heater. 3500 watt seems big to me for 4.5 gallons of water. What watts are most bottlers elements?

[wiam]

I have a Kelley Bee water jacket tank. I built my own element set up for it because i did not like their price. Mine has a 5500 watt but it holds 40 gallons. I used a $10 temp control I got on eBay and relay. Temp probe is in water. I think you would be fine with a 3500. No harm in over sizing as long as you have enough power. It will just heat faster.

[Bricklayer]

With the thermostat in the water do you just set it to 180 F ?

[wiam]

With the thermostat in the water do you just set it to 180 F ?
My thermostat is set at 186.