6 replies to this topic

[CaptRon]

So I've been read about a few of you seem to have electric elements in your keggles instead of doing the gas burners. I am interested in this. Do you just use a plain ol water heater element, drill a hole in the bottom of the keggle, put the element through it and tighten it up? I wonder about the sugary wort getting burned on the element, is that a real concern I should have or is it something that I really shouldn't worry about? I've thought about doing this to my second keggle to use as my HLT so it can be direct heated with a thermostat so I can dial in the temp exactly. But I also like the idea of doing this for my kettle too which is a SABCO kettle. Does it work good, does it take longer to get to a boil? Since this is a permanent modification to my keggles, I'd appreciate any pro's and con's to doing this, and if there is a specific type of heating element I need to find that would be cool too.Thanks!

[stangbat]

I'm sure everyone gets tired of my story about this, but I'll repeat it and if you've heard it you can ignore me. :facepalm:I set up my brew rig to be able to use natural gas or electric for the boil (HLT is only electric). Reason being that when I'm outside I could use NG, and when I'm inside during the winter or bad weather, I'd use electric. But the end result is I now only use electric for the boil. If I was doing it over again, I wouldn't even bother to run the NG line and go to the trouble I did to have NG. The reasons are that electric is silent, there is no waste heat going up the sides of the kettle, no messing with refills if you currently use propane, and I can control the intensity of the boil by simply turning a knob and the results are basically instantaneous. Disadvantages are that it takes more work to set it up if your house needs additional wiring. It can also be more expensive to set up initially.Most people use an extra low density hot water heater element. They run about $30, but they greatly increase the surface area you have in contact with the wort. Scorching has never been an issue and I've made the same recipes with NG and electric and any flavor differences cannot be contributed to the electric element. I've also had beer from other brewers that are electric and scorching just isn't an issue if you use the right element.4500 watts is all you need for a keg. Any more may help you get a boil faster, but it will be way too much once you get boiling. I have to turn down my 4500 watt element when I reach a boil otherwise it is a bit too vigorous. As for how long it takes, I don't think it is any slower than using gas. As soon as my element gets submerged during the sparge (I fly sparge), I fire it up and start heating. I'm close to boiling by the time I'm done sparging.To mount the element, I make a hole in the side of the keg just big enough for the element to fit through and then I secure it with a 1" lock nut. The washer that comes with the element seals against the side of the keg. I've set up three kegs this way and none of them leak. To cover the element I then mount a plastic outdoor junction box on the outside of the keg with JB Weld. BTW, electric element's threads are NPST.One thing I've found is that using an aluminum lock nut or an aluminum washer on the inside of a weldless bulkhead will serve as a sacrificial anode and prevent any rust from occuring on the chrome part of your element over time. Just like with a water heater.Here's how my setup looks from the inside and outside.

[nealperkins]

I figure you keep posting this just to tease us non-technical types who'd love to do what you did. I'm pretty sure I'd kill myself and a few neighbors if I tried this. Still . . . I have the itch. It really seems a better way to go . . . now that I have a B3-2050. Who knows, maybe a thirsty electrical type will move into the neighborhood.

[wengared]

or you could just buy one of these, the element and controller come out for cleaning and the drain on the bottom is great.https://www.walmart....uct_id=11030058

[Luppolo]

I'm sure everyone gets tired of my story about this, but I'll repeat it and if you've heard it you can ignore me. :blush:I set up my brew rig to be able to use natural gas or electric for the boil (HLT is only electric). Reason being that when I'm outside I could use NG, and when I'm inside during the winter or bad weather, I'd use electric. But the end result is I now only use electric for the boil. If I was doing it over again, I wouldn't even bother to run the NG line and go to the trouble I did to have NG. The reasons are that electric is silent, there is no waste heat going up the sides of the kettle, no messing with refills if you currently use propane, and I can control the intensity of the boil by simply turning a knob and the results are basically instantaneous. Disadvantages are that it takes more work to set it up if your house needs additional wiring. It can also be more expensive to set up initially.Most people use an extra low density hot water heater element. They run about $30, but they greatly increase the surface area you have in contact with the wort. Scorching has never been an issue and I've made the same recipes with NG and electric and any flavor differences cannot be contributed to the electric element. I've also had beer from other brewers that are electric and scorching just isn't an issue if you use the right element.4500 watts is all you need for a keg. Any more may help you get a boil faster, but it will be way too much once you get boiling. I have to turn down my 4500 watt element when I reach a boil otherwise it is a bit too vigorous. As for how long it takes, I don't think it is any slower than using gas. As soon as my element gets submerged during the sparge (I fly sparge), I fire it up and start heating. I'm close to boiling by the time I'm done sparging.To mount the element, I make a hole in the side of the keg just big enough for the element to fit through and then I secure it with a 1" lock nut. The washer that comes with the element seals against the side of the keg. I've set up three kegs this way and none of them leak. To cover the element I then mount a plastic outdoor junction box on the outside of the keg with JB Weld. BTW, electric element's threads are NPST.One thing I've found is that using an aluminum lock nut or an aluminum washer on the inside of a weldless bulkhead will serve as a sacrificial anode and prevent any rust from occuring on the chrome part of your element over time. Just like with a water heater.Here's how my setup looks from the inside and outside.

I realize this is an old post but you said... "I have to turn down my 4500 watt element". What do you use to achieve this?I'm in the process of making my keggle and am trying to get the most info before the first hole gets drilled.Thanks

[djinkc]

I realize this is an old post but you said... "I have to turn down my 4500 watt element". What do you use to achieve this?I'm in the process of making my keggle and am trying to get the most info before the first hole gets drilled.Thanks

there were a few threads on the old greenboard that covered quite a bit. To control the boil most had a SSR (solid state relay) turn the 240v current off and on. Some type of proportional timer had to be connected to the SSR to determine how long the current is on over a defined time period (a second or two usually). George and I used a modified Christmas light controller to give 100%, 75% or 50% power. The SSRs we used had a 120v input to switch it off and on. Stangbat has a 12v timer circuit that one of the KC guys built for him that is pretty cool. Turn the dial and you have almost total control from 0 - 100%. With 4500 watts in a keggle you will need the controller or the boil will go nuts.Take a look over at brewboard.com if they still have those threads around. Gotta go watch the second half of the KU game...........

[stangbat]

I realize this is an old post but you said... "I have to turn down my 4500 watt element". What do you use to achieve this?

Here is what I'm talking about. It works great.

Edited by stangbat, 24 February 2010 - 09:19 AM.