Cut is the standard 12" ish... Not that there's anything wrong with your idea of clean cutting and welding the drain holes in fact it sounds neat.
Just letting you know that you can squeeze a 10g batch in a 50l sanke without modification.
Bahumbug!
So long as there's nothing poisonous in the base wood who cares! I challenge anybody to identify a pine pitch off flavour in a beer because it was stirred with a piece of pine lumber for 5 minutes during the mash.
Obviously a hardwood would be better for longevity but I've got my 3...
I did the drill and jigsaw route also. No issues here.
One thing I would reccomend is doing your layout on a piece of software. I used Visio as it was available and I'm familiar with it. When it's all drawn up print it to full scale on 8x11 full sheet clear stickers. Stick that to your panel...
doesn't sounds right to me... the GFCI only protects downstream... sounds like your switch is unprotected.
im sure someone with more knowledge then me will chime in though.
dan
BU:GU is bittering units to gravity units i.e.
a .5 BU:GU in a 1.050 beer would be 25ibu... in 1.070 beer it would be 35 ibu.
hallertau/fuggles/goldings would all be good. i'd reccomend leaving it to a single hop varietal if you are trying to understand what the brett imparts.
personally I'd target a BU:GU of .50 with an oz at flameout.
as this is your first all brett, i'd go with a subtle hop like Hallertau MF.
also be sure to step up the brett in a starter!
flaked grains don't need precooking... throw them straight into the mash
recipe looks tasty!
Given the option between the different types i would pick powdered agar over any others... its easy to measure, incorperate, and stores nicely.
that being said, id use any other form in a pinch.
dan