Moving to Electric

I am currently am using a 48qt Cloeman cooler for my mash tun and I am looking to go all electric. I have 3 stainless steel 15 gallon kettles. I alerady have one March pump and am looking to purshase another. I am hoping that you guys can help me out with pricing equipment and putting everything together. My budget as of right now is around $1000.

Start reading the Electric brewing section. It's the best place to start.

Thank you! That site is awesome. I am still trying to figure out if I am goin to try and put this together by myself. I am also trying to figure out what i do want and what i dont want.

Get some good ideas from Kal at theelectricbrewery.com. You can just click on a small portion of the overall proect and get a parts list and estimate of cost. They are using the Auber PIDs and CAMCO elements, which are not that expensive.

l3asturd said:

Get some good ideas from Kal at theelectricbrewery.com. You can just click on a small portion of the overall proect and get a parts list and estimate of cost. They are using the Auber PIDs and CAMCO elements, which are not that expensive.

Click to expand...

It really is a great site. I have been reading it all day. How important is it to have those specific PIDs and how important is it to have a temp probe for the boil kettle?

I'd suggest that you use the Auberins PID SYL-2352 and one of their RTD temp probes for your setup.

Depending on what you want to achieve and how complex a system you want to end up with (Also the power feed that you will have available) there are dozens of ways to implement a plan. In most cases, there is no need for a temp probe in the BOIL kettle.

Please give us some idea of what you want to achieve.

EDIT: I said HLT by mistake. I corrected to say BOIL.

P-J said:

I'd suggest that you use the Auberins PID SYL-2352 and one of their RTD temp probes for your setup.

Depending on what you want to achieve and how complex a system you want to end up with (Also the power feed that you will have available) there are dozens of ways to implement a plan. In most cases, there is no need for a temp probe in the BOIL kettle.

Please give us some idea of what you want to achieve.

EDIT: I said HLT by mistake. I corrected to say BOIL.

Click to expand...

I am trying to build a electric HERMS. I want the MLT and HLT to be temp controled. Still havent found a reason to control the temp of the boil kettle. I also have 2 march pumps that I want to be incorperated into the set up.

Grzebyk26 said:

I am trying to build a electric HERMS. I want the MLT and HLT to be temp controled. Still havent found a reason to control the temp of the boil kettle. I also have 2 march pumps that I want to be incorperated into the set up.

Click to expand...

Do you mean you just have bk element running on full power the whole time?

I moved to electric in terms of heating element and i am very happy. No more propane or big things to move, just set the pot on some granite and plug in. Go watch a show and come back with boiling water... by the time you do the mash the sparge water is already up to temp... works perfectly.

I apologize for being unclear. I am trying to make something along the lines of The electric brewery without the timer built in. I alread have a stand 3 SS kettles and 2 march pumps. I am just trying to do it for a little cheaper than their sysetm.

Grzebyk26,

Ok, got that part. What power feed do you have available for your brewery?

30A-240V or 50A-240V? Is it from a 3 prong or a 4 prong outlet?

What you are trying to achieve is VERY doable at reasonable cost.

Please let us know.

P-J

kal's system is beautiful - one of the nicest I have seen. That being said it is both out of my financial range and too much for me to put together on my own.

check out passedpawn's toolbox system - I built one that is very similar with a PWM for the brew kettle and a PID for the HERMS system - I would say around 500 for the total system - maybe a bit more. It consists of three keggles, a march pump with stainless head - almost all stainless fittings( into which about two hundred bucks were sunk) and a banquet table for a single tier stand. It's kind of cobbled together but makes beer and is much better than the propane tank and burner I used to use.

go with bargainfittings for stainless bits and bobs.


I have an omega PID for my system - got it for a song but it works great - I hear the auber is great too.

Kegs are the cheapest way to go for kettles if you can find them on craigslist - around 30-50 bucks for a keg

spa panel seems to be a must - i have one - I run at 240V 30 amp - so make sure your wire gauges are right

P-J said:

Grzebyk26,

Ok, got that part. What power feed do you have available for your brewery?

30A-240V or 50A-240V? Is it from a 3 prong or a 4 prong outlet?

What you are trying to achieve is VERY doable at reasonable cost.

Please let us know.

P-J

Click to expand...

I am not positive. I am going to check as soon as I can. I am in afghanistan. i believe the outlet is a three prong outlet.

It is a three prong outlet.

Grzebyk26 said:

I am not positive. I am going to check as soon as I can. I am in afghanistan. i believe the outlet is a three prong outlet.

Click to expand...

Thank you sir...

Welcome to the homebrewtalk site.
I am also in the equipment hording/gathering stage of my EHERMS system.

Thank you I appreciate it. How close are you to being done with your system?

Grzebyk26 said:

It is a three prong outlet.

Click to expand...

Great... Got that.

Is it a 30A or 50A - 240V outlet (i.e. stove or dryer outlet?)

BTW: I honor YOU! Your service is beyond my imagination and courage.

Simply put? I am an old man with the courage of a scared cat in these times. Your service is beyond my absolute wildest imagination. I will hope a pray for your safe keeping and return to your safe place at home with your family and loved ones.

(sigh...)

P-J

I would check out the BCS-460 too as an alternative to PIDs. It costs more but is really expandable and just plain cool. Just a thought.

Awesome. Thank you guys for all of your help.

Well I have decided I am going to start buying some of the pieces.

The most critical need for an electric brew kettle aside from the obvious electrical safety stuff is to be able to throttle your 240 volt heating element during the critical period between hot break and boil. The PWM kit that Stilldragon sells works well, make sure it is wired correctly when you build it. I use a 5500 watt element and it can keep up with a propane system, at a fraction of the energy cost. Your big expenses are going to be wire (#10 for a 30 amp circuit), if you have to run it a significant distance from your main main panel, breakers, and outlets. That kind of stuff goes up steeply in price once you get above your 20 amp 120 volt grade electrical hardware.

Another consideration is if you are doing a keggle is to have a good way of making a clean and proper sized hole for the heating element. My dad loaned me a set of chassis punches he got from Harbor Freight, and I quickly proceeded to destroy them. I ended up buying a used set of Greenlee punches off of Ebay for about $50 or so, and they will be available for future projects.