ThickHead
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2008
- Messages
- 967
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Apartment living can, and often does, present challenges to my homebrewing ambitions. My brewing process has, to this point, never really left my stove-top. I have been lucky enough in that the last two apartments, that I have called home, came with a decent stove installed. Full boils for my 5.5 gal batches were achievable, if only just. Even then, it takes a dreadful long time to get my wort to boil temps and to describe the boil as "rolling" could be considered, by some, an optimistic appraisal.
Since I have the ambition to step up my batch capacity to 11 gallon batches I was going to have to upgrade equipment in my process that addressed the boil capacity weakness. This meant a Boil Kettle upgrade and I wanted to go electric. I have no intention to change my mashing process at this time, which is done on the stove-top using 1 to 2 7.5 gallon pots (BIAB style). I can continue to mash my 5.5 gallon batches and even mash 11 gallon batches using this method.
My intention was to upgrade to a 13 to 20 gallon Boil Kettle and install a 5500w Camco ULWD burner which I could run from any 240v 30amp service with a simple control device. Here is what I came up with:
13 gallon "Milk Can" kettle with tri-clover sanitary fittings, Kal's Heating Element kit and a 240v 30amp variable output control panel:
Kal's Heating Element Kit installed with a tri-clover sanitary fitting:
Inside Boil Kettle (element installed):
Control panel:
Test boil in progress:
Works perfectly! I draw power from the 240v 30amp service that is installed for the dryer in my laundry closet. With some careful wiring (with the oversight of an expert) a bit of adjustment to Kal's Heating Element Kit installation process (to fit my sanitary fitting connections) and the use of a 240v 30amp GFCI cord, this thing is ready for its maiden brew!
Since I have the ambition to step up my batch capacity to 11 gallon batches I was going to have to upgrade equipment in my process that addressed the boil capacity weakness. This meant a Boil Kettle upgrade and I wanted to go electric. I have no intention to change my mashing process at this time, which is done on the stove-top using 1 to 2 7.5 gallon pots (BIAB style). I can continue to mash my 5.5 gallon batches and even mash 11 gallon batches using this method.
My intention was to upgrade to a 13 to 20 gallon Boil Kettle and install a 5500w Camco ULWD burner which I could run from any 240v 30amp service with a simple control device. Here is what I came up with:
13 gallon "Milk Can" kettle with tri-clover sanitary fittings, Kal's Heating Element kit and a 240v 30amp variable output control panel:
Kal's Heating Element Kit installed with a tri-clover sanitary fitting:
Inside Boil Kettle (element installed):
Control panel:
Test boil in progress:
Works perfectly! I draw power from the 240v 30amp service that is installed for the dryer in my laundry closet. With some careful wiring (with the oversight of an expert) a bit of adjustment to Kal's Heating Element Kit installation process (to fit my sanitary fitting connections) and the use of a 240v 30amp GFCI cord, this thing is ready for its maiden brew!