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**jkarp** · 08-11-2009, 08:26 PM

My typical brew day for a single infusion mash:

Have a beer while setting up the system.
Fill kettle with 4 gal or so of water and set PID to strike temp + 2 deg to account for CFC loss and a slight temp overshoot in the MLT.
Begin full system recirculation as PID temp approaches to pre-heat MLT.
Once PID temp is reached, close MLT valve and allow to fill to desired mash infusion volume.
Shut pump off, add any water adjustments and double-check strike temp with a thermometer. Dough in once everything looks good.
Have another beer.
Calculate balance of water needed to meet desired pre-boil volume. For example, if the mash infusion was 2.25 gal into 6 lbs of grain, and I expect a loss of 0.1 gal/lb to absorption, then there should already be 1.65 gal in the system. Assuming a desired pre-boil volume of 4.5 gallons, I should fill the kettle to 2.85 gal. Set PID to 170 (mashout).
Mash complete, begin recirculation by closing CFC valve, opening MLT valve partially, and re-opening CFC valve to balance MLT inflow with outflow. This normally takes a couple minutes of fiddling and a re-check every 10 or so minutes during the recirculation. I've got a sight glass on the kettle to help monitor this.
Recirculate for 30 minutes or until the full system recovers to 170, whichever takes longer.
Shut pump off and open all valves fully to allow wort to fall back to kettle. Switch PID to manual mode, 100% to begin boil.
Usual boil stuff - hop additions, etc. Done with MLT now so I'll clean it if so motivated. Definitely beer time.
At boil end, Kettle element gets shut off, kettle lid goes back on, and CFC output gets plumbed to kettle lid. Turn pump on to allow hot wort to sterilize CFC & pump.
While sterilizing, hook up CFC coolant and dump lines to the sink. After 10 minutes begin coolant flow.
After wort is chilled, Shut off the pump and momentarily raise the CFC bucket above kettle level to allow all wort to flow back into kettle. Close kettle-out valve and it's now ready to dump into the fermenter.
All clean-up from here. I rinse out the kettle and restore to a chill config so I can recirculate hot oxy solution through the kettle and CFC for 10 minutes. I dump and repeat with rinse water and I'm done. Rolling the CFC bucket counter-clockwise above the sink about a dozen times drives out any remaining water and it's ready to put up.
Beer time!

bsay · 08-12-2009, 02:53 AM

Great! I found the other thread now, answered a lot of my questions. If I did want to do two 120V elements, do you know any of the logistics behind that? I cannot imagine running both of those element and the pump at one time on my weak 20A breakers, but then again, I'm no electrician when it comes to those type of calculations (resistors and LEDs I'm fine with). Even then, the second element would only be needed for the boil, so the pump wouldn't be running when both elements are running anyway....hmmm....

**bad coffee** · 08-12-2009, 03:40 AM

This thread definitely has the wheels in my head turning... I smell winter project!

Bsay, I'd just get a 25' 12ga extension cord and run the second element from another circuit. You could even wire it into the controller box. (Since I'm in a rental and can't wire up 240, I have to think ways around it...)

B

HarkinBanks · 08-12-2009, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad coffee

This thread definitely has the wheels in my head turning... I smell winter project!

Bsay, I'd just get a 25' 12ga extension cord and run the second element from another circuit. You could even wire it into the controller box. (Since I'm in a rental and can't wire up 240, I have to think ways around it...)

B

That's exactly what I am thinking. I need two elements as well because I don't have 240. These guys seem to have a setup, but I am sure it is pricey, Home brewery electric conversion kits. I am going to try to build this out over the next few months.

The Pol · 08-12-2009, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsay

Great! I found the other thread now, answered a lot of my questions. If I did want to do two 120V elements, do you know any of the logistics behind that? I cannot imagine running both of those element and the pump at one time on my weak 20A breakers, but then again, I'm no electrician when it comes to those type of calculations (resistors and LEDs I'm fine with). Even then, the second element would only be needed for the boil, so the pump wouldn't be running when both elements are running anyway....hmmm....

Running (2) elements on a typical single 120VAC circuit will not be a good idea.

(2) 1500W elements will pull 25A

Basically with 120VAC you will need to use ONE element on a 20A circuit
OR
You can run (2) elements, but you will need them on two separate 20A circuits
Your choice.

FWIW, the draw from a pump will be minimal

bsay · 08-12-2009, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad coffee

This thread definitely has the wheels in my head turning... I smell winter project!

Bsay, I'd just get a 25' 12ga extension cord and run the second element from another circuit. You could even wire it into the controller box. (Since I'm in a rental and can't wire up 240, I have to think ways around it...)

B

My thoughts exactly. I figure I could just plug it in when it's boil time. I don't think I would need any kind of controller for it (I would want it on a manual switch and a GFCI). Then I can control the boil with the controller in manual % mode on the other element (the one that also heats strike temps, etc...).

I also rent, so I can't wire anything either. It's even in my contract that I don't unplug the stove and plug something else into that outlet....

I am thinking of building such a rig and making it somewhat portable for when I move and also for events and such. Now I just have to come up with the cash...

2 kettles, one pump, two outlets (circuits). All-grain brewing never sounded so easy (aside from brew in a bag).

bsay · 08-12-2009, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pol

Running (2) elements on a typical single 120VAC circuit will not be a good idea.

(2) 1500W elements will pull 25A

Basically with 120VAC you will need to use ONE element on a 20A circuit
OR
You can run (2) elements, but you will need them on two separate 20A circuits
Your choice.

FWIW, the draw from a pump will be minimal

If going with two elements, do you recommend two 1500Ws over two 2200Ws? I can see that I would need two circuits, but figuring that most house kitchens either have two between the several outlets or have another room close enough, an extension cord will do. Is there a way to figure out how many watts are needed to boil x amount of water?

The Pol · 08-12-2009, 04:40 AM

Well I simply used 1500W as an example of how even small elements, when run on 120VAC, can really eat up the amps.

I have never seen a 2200W 120VAC element, but a 2000W element will suck up 17A each, which is the max you really want to pull from a 20A circuit.

There are some complex calculations that you can use to determine how many BTUs and thusly watts you need to boil a certain volume of water/wort.

These calculations take into account the vessel material, diameter, wall thickness etc...

I can tell you from experience that if you want to do a full boil for a 5 gallon brew, you will need 3850 watts to maintain it nicely, or 13,149 BTUs, in a SS sankey keggle

bsay · 08-12-2009, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pol

I can tell you from experience that if you want to do a full boil for a 5 gallon brew, you will need 38500 watts to maintain it nicely, or 13,149 BTUs, in a SS sankey keggle

(Emphasis mine)

Hope that's a misprint, otherwise, it seems like I would need nearly 20 2000W elements....Is that right?

The Pol · 08-12-2009, 10:01 AM

Obviously a misprint... 3850W to maintain a vigorous boil on a 5 gallon full boil. The BTUs were correct though at just over 13,000