I have a decent 8 gal brew kettle with a ball valve and welded thermometer port (BE308 from MoreBeer.com) and have brewed 90 gal in 5gal extract kits. I will, in the very long run, be buying and building the e-brewery with kal's directions (already bought the book and started reading/dreaming).
For now, I am interested in going electric just to replace the propane in my process and move everything to the basement. Thanks to my recent wet bar redesign, my Chief-of-Staff has cut off the project funding. On a shoestring budget, I want to
1 Ask a local machine shop to cut a hole in my kettle for a heating element
2 Attach the heating element using the method in kals book
3 wire the heating element to a 220v plug, through some sort of graduated switch (picturing a dial of sorts, with low to high or 1-10, etc)
When I brew, I will use the dryer plug (so no electrician costs), and have to watch the thermometer and use the switch to regulate the water temperature.
Anyone have any thoughts on this relatively simple undertaking?
Ideas for what kind of dial/switch I could use?
Forsee any problems or unexpected costs I'm not considering?
For now, I am interested in going electric just to replace the propane in my process and move everything to the basement. Thanks to my recent wet bar redesign, my Chief-of-Staff has cut off the project funding. On a shoestring budget, I want to
1 Ask a local machine shop to cut a hole in my kettle for a heating element
2 Attach the heating element using the method in kals book
3 wire the heating element to a 220v plug, through some sort of graduated switch (picturing a dial of sorts, with low to high or 1-10, etc)
When I brew, I will use the dryer plug (so no electrician costs), and have to watch the thermometer and use the switch to regulate the water temperature.
Anyone have any thoughts on this relatively simple undertaking?
Ideas for what kind of dial/switch I could use?
Forsee any problems or unexpected costs I'm not considering?