72 replies to this topic

[3rd party JKor]

I also have a standard range receptacle from the outlet on the wall to the control box. The twist-locks connect to the kettle and hlt.I JB welded a ceiling fan box to my keggle, but I share your concern (won't be surprised if it fails someday, but it's not really a safety concern as the kettle sits directly on the deck and it wouldn't put any strain on the wires if the box fell off); could you find someone to weld some tabs or something near the element you could bolt to?

Ah ha. I see. I'm going to run wire straight from the box to the element. What was the reason for connecting the elements to the control box with twist-locks?I think a have a waterproof box kicking around somewhere. I'll just have to play with it until I get it how I want it.

[dondewey]

Only reason is because I move all my stuff around and it's nice not to have wires hanging off.

[HVB]

I JB welded a ceiling fan box to my keggle, but I share your concern (won't be surprised if it fails someday, but it's not really a safety concern as the kettle sits directly on the deck and it wouldn't put any strain on the wires if the box fell off); could you find someone to weld some tabs or something near the element you could bolt to?

I had such a hard time JB welding my boxes to my kegs. They would stay on for a few batches then fall off. Scuffed the box and the keg mixed it properly. I still say it was operator error. I ended up brazing to boxes to the keg. No more worries of them coming off.

[3rd party JKor]

If my kettle wasn't aluminum, I would tack it on. I'll jerry rig something up.Ima swing by HD on the way home to pick up the electrical stuff. Maybe by tonight I can have all the 50A stuff in place.

[stangbat]

I JB welded boxes to my HLT and keggle. They're still on there just fine after 2.5 years, even with me banging and rolling the keggle around during cleaning. I used my angle grinder to shape the box so that I got the most area I could in contact with the keg. JB Weld is strong stuff if you use it correctly. There's other ways to skin a cat for sure, but this method is easy and seems to work fine IMHO. Yeah, it could get knocked off or fall off, but I've not seen any indication that it is going to. And if I do knock it off, I'll call myself a dumbass and JB Weld it back on. :cheers:Edit: The FAQ at JB Weld's site says it can withstand a constant temperature of 500 degrees F.

Edited by stangbat, 06 October 2009 - 08:56 AM.

[3rd party JKor]

Ah, I see. You actually cut the back off the box and shaped it to the kettle. Sounds like a lot of work. I'm looking for something a step up from duct tape.On the power front, I picked up all my 240V breakers, wire, etc. Total came to ~$135 for 15ft of 6-3 romex, 50A GFI spa panel, 50A range plug, 50A range receptacle and 50A breaker. I got the spa panel wired up and installed, tomorrow night I'll put in the receptacle, then probably spend a few nights getting the control box worked out. That's all I really need to do for the first brew, but hopefully I'll have time to get my automated sparge and HERMs coil together over the weekend. I have an IIPA recipe burning a hole in my pocket.

[HVB]

Ah, I see. You actually cut the back off the box and shaped it to the kettle. Sounds like a lot of work. I'm looking for something a step up from duct tape.

Did you look at my first electric system? Because That is how the box was held on for the first batch. Not proud of that .. but it worked and I made beer!

[stangbat]

Ah, I see. You actually cut the back off the box and shaped it to the kettle. Sounds like a lot of work. I'm looking for something a step up from duct tape.

It is a plastic outdoor outlet box. It is less than a 5 minute job with an angle grinder. I also modified a steel box but I didn't use it because it was larger than I liked. But it was also <5 minutes work with the angle grinder. I'm not a glutton for punishment, this was easy. You'll probably spend more time and effort trying to figure out another method.

Edited by stangbat, 07 October 2009 - 06:54 AM.

[3rd party JKor]

Maybe I'll just encapsulate the entire connection in a big wad of silicone.

[3rd party JKor]

Did you look at my first electric system? Because That is how the box was held on for the first batch. Not proud of that .. but it worked and I made beer!

It's sounding better by the minute.

[stangbat]

You've probably seen this before, but I'll post pics anyway. As you can see, there is a lot of area on the box that is JB Welded to the keg.

[3rd party JKor]

I have to tell you, stang, I'm a bit leery of that install method. It may be unlikely, but if the gasket on your element leaks, it's leaking right into the box. I'm sure you have proper grounding and GFI protection, but that still worries me.

[stangbat]

I have to tell you, stang, I'm a bit leery of that install method. It may be unlikely, but if the gasket on your element leaks, it's leaking right into the box. I'm sure you have proper grounding and GFI protection, but that still worries me.

All I can give you is my personal experience with my two elements mounted this way. I've had zero leaks. And I mean absolutely none. Not even a drip. I set up another keg this way for tjthresh. It also did not leak when I tested it before delivery. I've also replaced the element in my HLT twice because I'm an idiot sometimes and have burnt up two. It has never leaked after doing so.If you are concerned, drill a small hole in the bottom as a drain. Any water can drain out of mine through the hole for the ground wire. There's no perfect method. Anything can leak, even a coupling welded into the keg. I've tried to cover my bases as good as I can when safety is concerned and honestly, I'm very comfortable with this method.No matter what you do, you need to periodically check everything and check your grounds. Brew rigs require maintenance just like cars.

[3rd party JKor]

I'm not saying it's a ticking time bomb, just that it jumped out at me. I probably have a much more critical eye for these things than the average Joe. I'm development/design engineer for a chemical company and I frequently sit in risk assessments of chemical process equipment. It really forces you to review all the minutia of the design, so I see those things whenever I look at someone's brewery design. Clearly, the level of acceptable risk is much higher for someone brewing at home than it is for a multi-billion dollar chemical company.

[stangbat]

I understand and I'm not taking any offense. As an engineer myself, I'm used to looking for possible methods of failure. It is drilled in your head during school. I also was cautious when designing and setting up my system and my setup is probably way over designed, I'll be the first to admit. But often something that may concern you in situations like this turns out to not be as big of a deal once you see it or try it, or mull it over a little more. I know I fretted over things that if there were a second go around I wouldn't worry.I have an extra low density 4500 watt element in my keggle and I use an IM chiller. When I drop the chiller in the boil it contacts the element and pushes against it when I'm getting it in place. It doesn't rest its full weight on the element, but it does make contact. And even during all this, never a leak. If your hole is the right size and you get the element installed correctly, it is very stable and does not move.

[MoreAmmoPlz]

I had such a hard time JB welding my boxes to my kegs. They would stay on for a few batches then fall off. Scuffed the box and the keg mixed it properly. I still say it was operator error. I ended up brazing to boxes to the keg. No more worries of them coming off.

I had the same problem and believe it to be operator error too. The last time I JB Weld'd my boxes on I cleaned all the surfaces with alcohol and made sure I mixed it up good. That was earlier this year and have yet to have one come off since.

[djinkc]

The box I JB welded about 4+ years ago is still on. I noticed a little hairline crack a few years ago in the weld and just covered it with a bunch more. No problems since. And both the kettle and HLT stay dry.

[stangbat]

I had the same problem and believe it to be operator error too. The last time I JB Weld'd my boxes on I cleaned all the surfaces with alcohol and made sure I mixed it up good. That was earlier this year and have yet to have one come off since.

If you read the JB Weld FAQ, it says not to clean surfaces with alcohol. I think the main reason is due to the fact that there is water in isopropyl alcohol. I can't imagine it being a problem if you let the surfaces dry sufficiently, but I figured I'd just point this out.

[MoreAmmoPlz]

If you read the JB Weld FAQ, it says not to clean surfaces with alcohol. I think the main reason is due to the fact that there is water in isopropyl alcohol. I can't imagine it being a problem if you let the surfaces dry sufficiently, but I figured I'd just point this out.

Yeah, I wiped them down with a clean cloth afterward and let them air dry. They say to use soap and water to clean the surface but it would seem that depending on the soap it could leave a film so I just went with the alcohol and a wipe down.

[3rd party JKor]

Anyone have an idea of where I can get a distribution block (preferably with integrated fuse holders) that I can use to split my #6 legs down to two #10 feeds for my heating elements?I was at Lowe's tonight and didn't see anything.