210 replies to this topic

[positiveContact]

IIRC there is a spec in NEC about outlets being X distance from water or possibility of grounding (wet cement floor). I would suggest using this as a guide for panel placement.

 

thanks, I'll check that out when I have a chance.

[positiveContact]

just a more complete picture (as best I can with cars in garage).  red and blue boxes are approximate possible locations for a sub panel.  purple arrow shows existing wall outlet.  blue arrow point to general area where heating and mashing currently happens.  I already took a pic of this that I'll put below.

 

 

Edited by Mando, 05 April 2020 - 04:36 AM.

[positiveContact]

Article 230 in the NEC. 230.12 will tell where/what you cant do.

 

I can't seem to find 230.12.  Looks like it goes from 230.10 to 230.22 (not sure why).

 

https://www.academia..._Handbook_2005_

[matt6150]

Can you put the panel where that horse is on the wall above your burner?

[positiveContact]

Can you put the panel where that horse is on the wall above your burner?

 

the only thing wrong with that spot is I'd need to stand on a small ladder to reach the breaker which I'm guessing is no bueno.  just to give a sense of height I have to climb up a couple of feet to look down into that kettle.

one "good" thing is that there is space between the back of that counter and the wall b/c there is a small cement footing on the floor that prevented me from pushing the cabinets all the way up to the wall.  this would make running wiring in that space up from the basement pretty easy.

Edited by Mando, 05 April 2020 - 06:12 AM.

[positiveContact]

for some reason I keep thinking about going BIAB and just using my 20 gallon kettle.  never having to move the kettle would be nice.  but then again that adds a whole bunch of things I'd need to change.  as it is I could just put the kettle on the propane burner but not use propane.

 

ugh!

 

I should probably just stick with something similar to what I do now.

Edited by Mando, 05 April 2020 - 06:26 AM.

[matt6150]

You shouldn't be turning any breakers on and off, they are not designed to be a switch. I don't think I've turned mine off since I finished it.

[positiveContact]

You shouldn't be turning any breakers on and off, they are not designed to be a switch. I don't think I've turned mine off since I finished it.

 

might I need to do that in an emergency?  I thought there were rules about having space clear in front of electrical panels.  maybe that's just commercial.

[matt6150]

No more than any "emergency" that pops up around your home. How often do you go running to your electrical panel in your home? Any on/off or emergency switch you should need while brewing should be mounted on your panel.

[positiveContact]

No more than any "emergency" that pops up around your home. How often do you go running to your electrical panel in your home? Any on/off or emergency switch you should need while brewing should be mounted on your panel.

 

LOL - before I bought my new stove, a handful of times a year when the element wouldn't turn off.

[matt6150]

LOL - before I bought my new stove, a handful of times a year when the element wouldn't turn off.

Well that's interesting.

[positiveContact]

Yeah, kind of scary.

[strangebrewer]

Been considering going Electric for years and I think this is going to be the year to take the plug.  

 

I'm installing a 100A sub panel in my garage so I'll have 240V to work with.  I primarily brew 5 gallon batches with the occasional 10 gallon.  I'll be retro fitting my 3-keggle system with a 5500w element in the HLT and BK.  I have a march pump today as well that I'll incorporate in.  

 

Process wise I batch sparge today and get around 75% efficiency.  Considering moving to fly sparging and a HERMS system as part of the move to pick up a little more temp control and efficiency.  I could always do this as a phase 2 after getting it running.

 

For elements I'm not finding 5500w elements with 2" TC's out there only 1.5" TC's.  I like the idea of using TC's as opposed to threaded fittings but other than the 1/2" I presume the 1.5" TC's work as well as the 2"?

 

For controls I'm looking at either the Auber EZboil DSPR120 or 200 Series PID from Electric Brewing.  Anybody have experience with these units and know if one is any better than the other?  

 

Next control box wiring.  Thinking I'll only ever need to have 1 element on at a time so do I wire up a 2nd SSR to the controller, isolate which one has power (BK or HLT) with switches, and switch the controller from mashing to boiling when it's time or do I just use the controller for the MT/HLT/HERMS rig and wire up the BK element with a SSVR and dial like this one.  Leaning towards the SSVR route for simplicity even if I'm underutilizing the PID.  

 

Haven't bought anything yet but probably going to start doing so in the next week or so.  Totally open to opinions, better ways, or points I'm maybe missing.  Free time has gotten harder to come by so the objective of all of this is to make brewing easier, faster, and more efficient overall so I can brew more often.

[HVB]

2" tri-clamp element https://www.amazon.c...e?ie=UTF8&psc=1  out of stock I assume because of Covid.  The 1.5" will work.

 

I had a modified HERMS back in the day.  It was in a little cooler with its own element.  I liked that well enough but never liked the HERMS that were in a HLT.  I did not want to have to keep that filled with warm water.  Personal prefrence.

[strangebrewer]

2" tri-clamp element https://www.amazon.c...e?ie=UTF8&psc=1  out of stock I assume because of Covid.  The 1.5" will work.

 

I had a modified HERMS back in the day.  It was in a little cooler with its own element.  I liked that well enough but never liked the HERMS that were in a HLT.  I did not want to have to keep that filled with warm water.  Personal prefrence.

 

 

That's the element I was looking at.  It would figure that the 5500w elements with 2" TC's are out of stock while the 2" radius faced TC solder flanges are in stock and the 5500w elements with the 1.5" TC's are in stock while the 1.5" radius faced TC solder flanges are out of stock 

 

I agree on the HERMS but was thinking if I kept the coil low in the kettle I could run it half full and then use the majority of that volume for the sparge water.

[HVB]

That's the element I was looking at.  It would figure that the 5500w elements with 2" TC's are out of stock while the 2" radius faced TC solder flanges are in stock and the 5500w elements with the 1.5" TC's are in stock while the 1.5" radius faced TC solder flanges are out of stock 

 

I agree on the HERMS but was thinking if I kept the coil low in the kettle I could run it half full and then use the majority of that volume for the sparge water.

 

Have you thought of the weldless 1.5" triclamp fittings?

[strangebrewer]

Have you thought of the weldless 1.5" triclamp fittings?

 

 

Nope.  But if I want to get this done anytime soon I might have to.  

[HVB]

Nope.  But if I want to get this done anytime soon I might have to.  

 I got one from Amazon for a fermenter and they were nice quality.

 

https://www.amazon.c...e?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edited by HVB, 07 April 2020 - 07:22 AM.

[matt6150]

Been considering going Electric for years and I think this is going to be the year to take the plug.  

 

I'm installing a 100A sub panel in my garage so I'll have 240V to work with.  I primarily brew 5 gallon batches with the occasional 10 gallon.  I'll be retro fitting my 3-keggle system with a 5500w element in the HLT and BK.  I have a march pump today as well that I'll incorporate in.  

 

Process wise I batch sparge today and get around 75% efficiency.  Considering moving to fly sparging and a HERMS system as part of the move to pick up a little more temp control and efficiency.  I could always do this as a phase 2 after getting it running.

 

For elements I'm not finding 5500w elements with 2" TC's out there only 1.5" TC's.  I like the idea of using TC's as opposed to threaded fittings but other than the 1/2" I presume the 1.5" TC's work as well as the 2"?

 

For controls I'm looking at either the Auber EZboil DSPR120 or 200 Series PID from Electric Brewing.  Anybody have experience with these units and know if one is any better than the other?  

 

Next control box wiring.  Thinking I'll only ever need to have 1 element on at a time so do I wire up a 2nd SSR to the controller, isolate which one has power (BK or HLT) with switches, and switch the controller from mashing to boiling when it's time or do I just use the controller for the MT/HLT/HERMS rig and wire up the BK element with a SSVR and dial like this one.  Leaning towards the SSVR route for simplicity even if I'm underutilizing the PID.  

 

Haven't bought anything yet but probably going to start doing so in the next week or so.  Totally open to opinions, better ways, or points I'm maybe missing.  Free time has gotten harder to come by so the objective of all of this is to make brewing easier, faster, and more efficient overall so I can brew more often.

I have an option for you that would save you some free time, but at a cost. If you would like a turn key panel check this one out. I have another half way through the build. https://brews-bros.c...-control-panel/

[Stout_fan]

Roll yer own