Electric BK

**McCuckerson** · 07-08-2009, 03:06 AM

I have read many threads regarding electric BK, HERMS, RIMS and so on. I do not want to get caught up in the "hey look at my system" trap. The only thing I want to do is put an electric heating element into my BK so that I don't have to constantly fill a LPG tank and damage my hearing while I brew. I have a 220v, 30amp 4 prong dryer outlet that is available. I just dont know how to connect it. All the elements I have seen have 2 terminals, so how would I connect a 4-prong plug to that?????? I don't want to control it, I was just going run it full bore plugged in for a vigorous boil. I need some help with this, thanks guys.

**wilserbrewer** · 07-08-2009, 03:40 AM

For five gallon batches, 2, 2000 W, 120 V elements work pretty well. Both on to achieve boil, one to maintain. Problem w/ using one element w/ no control is that you either have a long heat time to boil, or a crazy vigorous boil.

**CodeRage** · 07-08-2009, 04:29 AM

Okay, I suggest you get a sound understanding of the basic principals of AC power before starting.

replace the circuit breaker in the breaker panel for your dryer with a gfci breaker of the same rating. This is what will save your butt in the event you try to electrocute yourself. I recommend you get an electrician to come out and provide/install it if you are not comfortable working in your service panel.

The 4 prong plug provides two legs of ac power, one a 180 deg out of phase from the other. a neutral, and a ground.

The element only has 2 terminals because it only needs the two legs of ac power. the neutral and ground are not needed by the element.

so get a 30 amp rated extension cord and wire the two legs to the heating element. Then take the ground and bond it to to the BK. If it is a keggle drill and tap a whole along the bottom skirt and anchor the ground using a screw. if it is a regular pot drill a hole at the top and use a nut and bolt to anchor the ground.

Should something happen and one of the legs start leaking through the element or for what ever reason the pot its self becomes energized this will cause the gfci to trip. Otherwise the kettle could stay energized and you wont know it till you go to stir it with a stainless spoon or grab it.

do not exceed a 5kW 240v element, that will put you close to the maximum current that circuit is designed to run at safely.

Be careful.

sjlammer · 07-08-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeRage

The element only has 2 terminals because it only needs the two legs of ac power. the neutral and ground are not needed by the element.

I'm glad I saw this today, as i am hooking up my element tonight. This brings about two questions.

1) If a 240V element has two teminals (one for each hot leg), why does a 120V element have two terminals?

2) My understanding is that a GFCI trips when the amps going out the hot leg and the amps returning through the neutral are not equal. Now i wouldn't rest my life on this definition, but i really think that neutral needs to be connected somewhere, no?

**CodeRage** · 07-08-2009, 12:49 PM

for 110V AC you measure from Leg 1 or 2 to neutral. For 240V AC you measure from L1 to L2. In a 240V system current travels between the Legs, hence why a neutral is not used. Visualize the ac voltage traveling out of one leg like a sine wave, then the second leg is 180 deg out of phase from the first leg. Or, when leg 1 is at max then leg 2 is at 0.

240v gfci measures the current leaving and returning through both L1, L2, and Neutral. This way you can split the circuit for 110 and 240 at the point of use. If the cumulative current leaving does not equal what is returned +/- a couple miliamps then the gfci trips open.

make sense?

**McCuckerson** · 07-08-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeRage

The element only has 2 terminals because it only needs the two legs of ac power. the neutral and ground are not needed by the element.

so get a 30 amp rated extension cord and wire the two legs to the heating element. Then take the ground and bond it to to the BK. If it is a keggle drill and tap a whole along the bottom skirt and anchor the ground using a screw. if it is a regular pot drill a hole at the top and use a nut and bolt to anchor the ground.

Red and Black go to element, and ground goes to the pot right? then what do I do with neutral? Nothing because its tied in the box to ground?

Would 2 110v elmts be safer, with black and white to the element and ground to the pot? or no different? Does it really need a gfi?

**wilserbrewer** · 07-08-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McCuckerson

Does it really need a gfi?

From a safety standpoint...absolutely yes. A GFI is very cheap insurance against serious injury or death.

brrman · 07-08-2009, 05:26 PM

check this out - this is for a much larger project, but he does convert his kettle to electric.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/bling-bling-electric-herms-conversion-93217/index1.html

I followed Pol's directions for my kettle and mine works just fine.

psyber · 07-09-2009, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeRage

do not exceed a 5kW 240v element, that will put you close to the maximum current that circuit is designed to run at safely.

Be careful.

Humm, this makes me wonder if the popular 5.5KW ripp elements are are good idea on the dryer circuits that everyone seems to use.

BTW how did you calculate 5kw as the max wattage for the circuit? Shouldn't it be close to 7200w ? 240v * 30a = 7200w

psyber · 07-09-2009, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brrman

check this out - this is for a much larger project, but he does convert his kettle to electric.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/bling-bling-electric-herms-conversion-93217/index1.html

I followed Pol's directions for my kettle and mine works just fine.

+1 There is a TON of useful information in this thread.

and YES GFCI protection is an absolute must.