5500 element extra low density!?

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trailblazer

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check out the prices on these heating elements. im considering going electric and wat to know if i could run two of those 5500 watt heating elements extra low density in my sankey kegs. i have 220v 30amp in my laudry room i just noticed after 6 years. im gona do 10 or 12 gallon batches, maybee the ocasional 5 gallon.

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/elements.html
 
The ultra low watt density elements are probably too long to fit in a Sanke keg. You will most certainly not be able to run two 5500W elements on a single 30A circuit. Just one of them will draw 22A.
 
i just have to be able to run them both at the same time to get the mash water and herms to temp. is this possible with a pid? what size element would work.


(i dont know if im gonna actualy going to go this rout being that i already have three kegs welded up to turn into a propane system but its a tempting idea and would be cool to have an all electric)
 
Yuri_Rage said:
The ultra low watt density elements are probably too long to fit in a Sanke keg. You will most certainly not be able to run two 5500W elements on a single 30A circuit. Just one of them will draw 22A.
Click to expand...

With AB kegs at 49.25" plus inches in circumference or 15.676" OD minus the wall thickness times two is still more than 15.25" ID. Add a 1" coupling welded to the outside of the keg your over 16 1/4" from the coupling face to the back side of the kegs opposite inside wall. The 5.5KW wavy element is 13 1/2" long from the element tip to the threaded flange vs 16.25" inches or more at the coupling so there is plenty of room for this 5.5KW element. I have installed two 5.5KW into a keg without a problem and this with both off center of the keg to allow screwing in those wavy elements. At 11KW the waiting times for me are what I can live with not like watching paint drying when heating up large brew day volumes.
 
Plan9 said:
Yeah, I use that 5500w Extra Low in a Sankey with out a coupling even.
Click to expand...

That shows there's clearance without adding a coupling which will give you more clearance. At only 13 1/2" long the element should fit into a keg with 15" plus ID. I needed this extra clearance with the couplings holding the elements farther out from the keggles due to being off to the side of the kegs centerline with two wavy elements, they had to clear each other screwing them in. Fast heating with two then one 5.5KW element to maintain temps. When brewing for 15 gallons net on tap in one brew session the 11KW sure makes for faster heating and shorter brewing hours.
 
so my outlet cant support two of them? well how can i brew with only one going at a time?



i need POWER!!!!
 
I heat the MLT with 11KW, hit near strike temp then heat HLT at 11KW to my set temp then use only one 5.5KW element in the HLT and MLT to reach and maintain my temps. This way fast heating and always at 11KW maximum. When filling the boil keggle i'll start with 5.5KW or 11KW, nearing the boil temp switch to one element maintaining the desired amount of boil. This run by a BCS 460 control unit.
 
I have 60 amps availble for the brew rig plus hundreds of feet of #2 awg on down SOOW cord and caps free why not use them? I only run 11KW at a time plus one must include the pump and controller current draw plus any panel lights without pushing the breaker to its max current rating.
I wanted power I got it and use it not waiting hours with 120 volt heating or propane fill bills pissing around. Now with the new 3 1/2 gallon or so called old 20# now called 15# bottle propane fills what a rip.
Blue Rino at $19.99 exchange in my area for 3 1/2 gallons or $6.21 a gallon with tax added. I'm not going to fight the 75 gallon propane tank given to me to have filled. Natural gas would be far better and cheaper plus I already have a pipe and valve in the open patio. I still hate gas. If you have the capacity electrical heating has always been my first choice plus easy to control. I went the gas route 18 years ago by badd advice then went electric within months back then. Now with units like the BCS 460 on the market it's a dream plus computer down loading to repeat the exact same brewing again.
Sorry ran off OP topic, guilty as charged.
 
trailblazer said:
so my outlet cant support two of them? well how can i brew with only one going at a time?
Click to expand...

You're running a HERMS, right? So, why do you need a heating element in the mash tun?

Heat as much water as you can in the HLT at the start of the brew day. Use a portion of it for your strike water. After doughing in, if you need more hot water in the HLT, top it up.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
You're running a HERMS, right? So, why do you need a heating element in the mash tun?

Heat as much water as you can in the HLT at the start of the brew day. Use a portion of it for your strike water. After doughing in, if you need more hot water in the HLT, top it up.
Click to expand...

Yeah, what he said. You should be able to heat your water in the HLT, transfer what you need to strike with to the MLT. Then add top up water to the HLT, this will cool your 160F-170F HLT water to your HERMS recirc. temp. Should work flawlessly.

Or, you need to wire in a 60A circuit.
 
You don't need ultra low density for your HLT. Can't scorch water. I run two 5500W elements at the same time on my 60Amp line.
 
brrman said:
You don't need ultra low density for your HLT. Can't scorch water. I run two 5500W elements at the same time on my 60Amp line.
Click to expand...

True...

If you are only heating water, and running a HERMS, you can get away with a HWD element in the HLT and MLT

But you really only need to heat the water in the HLT/HERMS HEX
 
The Pol said:
True...

If you are only heating water, and running a HERMS, you can get away with a HWD element in the HLT and MLT

But you really only need to heat the water in the HLT/HERMS HEX
Click to expand...


The Pol said:
Nope

567890
Click to expand...

Ok I have a RIMS and know very little about HERMS. Why is it ok to put a HWD element in the MLT if you have the HEX in the HLT? I must be missing something. Clue me in.
 
Sawdustguy said:
Ok I have a RIMS and know very little about HERMS. Why is it ok to put a HWD element in the MLT if you have the HEX in the HLT? I must be missing something. Clue me in.
Click to expand...

Dunno, ask the OP...

He wants to heat his MLT water and HLT at the same time in different vessels. Seems silly to me. In either case, he is only heating water, right? The only vessels referenced in this thread really, have been the HLT and MLT.
 
i dont have this setup yet i was just lookin for info. in the not so distant future i want to make a 2 vessel herms with two pumps all electric running brewtroller.

the reason i would have two going at the same time is so i could heat my herms coil water and get my mash water to temp at the same time to dough in and start recirculating with the pumps.
 
trailblazer said:
i dont have this setup yet i was just lookin for info. in the not so distant future i want to make a 2 vessel herms with two pumps all electric running brewtroller.

the reason i would have two going at the same time is so i could heat my herms coil water and get my mash water to temp at the same time to dough in and start recirculating with the pumps.
Click to expand...

If you have your HERMS Coil in the HLT why couldn't you do both just using a heater in the HLT? Maybe you know something we don't. Explain why you would need an element in your MLT? Here are some HERMS diagrams from the Wiki on the Brewtroller Site. Neither have elements in the Mash Tun. If you wanted to just use 2 vessels all you have to do is batch sparge and use the HLT as the brew kettle.

fetch.php


fetch.php
 
just happens to be the way i thought would work the best for the particular layout i made.

1st: pre heat mash water and herms coil water same time add grain and circulate through herms coil

2nd: sparge grain till i reach equilibrium in the herms keg running two pumps

3rd: boil in herms tank and clean mash tun, fill mash tun with ice and water

4th: cool boil fill fermenter then add pbw to ice water thats now melted heat and recirculate while scrubbing to clean mostly


i guess i could do this with only one element but two elements could work too. i also guess ill just have to see how i wana do it when i find two more kegs to trick out. thanks for all the replies.
 
i like that drawing thats nice, i do alot of autocad in school but i never have time to build brewery stuff like some of you or i would. pluss that program is like 4000 clams new or 500 pesos for 5 year all access if your a student. what program is that?
 
trailblazer said:
just happens to be the way i thought would work the best for the particular layout i made.

1st: pre heat mash water and herms coil water same time add grain and circulate through herms coil

2nd: sparge grain till i reach equilibrium in the herms keg running two pumps

3rd: boil in herms tank and clean mash tun, fill mash tun with ice and water

4th: cool boil fill fermenter then add pbw to ice water thats now melted heat and recirculate while scrubbing to clean mostly


i guess i could do this with only one element but two elements could work too. i also guess ill just have to see how i wana do it when i find two more kegs to trick out. thanks for all the replies.
Click to expand...

In your original post you said you only had 30 amps available. If you use 2 elements simultaneously you need a 50 amp line. How will you contend with that?
 
well, i was just wondering about this and you have ansered my original question finaly. i know an electrician that can run 220 50 amp into my garage for pretty cheap. anywase, thats how i will contend with that. i could alwase do the single element for the time being it makes since and i understand how that would work but if im gonna go electric i might as well go all out electric. i still have a single tier propane to finish

what change have you noticed on your electric bill each month since going electric?
 
trailblazer said:
well, i was just wondering about this and you have ansered my original question finaly. i know an electrician that can run 220 50 amp into my garage for pretty cheap. anywase, thats how i will contend with that. i could alwase do the single element for the time being it makes since and i understand how that would work but if im gonna go electric i might as well go all out electric. i still have a single tier propane to finish

what change have you noticed on your electric bill each month since going electric?[/QUOTE]

I can brew and boil an entire batch of beer for less than $1.20 per session. This is the HLT heat-up, mash, mashout and 90 minute boil.
Click to expand...
 
So I undertand what you are trying to accomplish, you will be heating the strike water in the mash tun while heating the water in the HLT for your herms coil. When your strike water is up to temperature you add grain and start to re-circulate immediately. If what I said is true, you are not buying yourself anything by having two elements. You will not save time and only expend more energy for no gain.
 

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