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jeffb666

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Ok, so I want to get into electric brewing so I can brew in the winter.
I dont want to do anything too involved, just really need to set up my brew kettle to heat my water and boil my wort. Brewing 5 gallon batches in a 10 gallon kettle. Can I just install a heating element and be done with it? For my size batches - do I really need a 240V element or can I get away with a 120V element? Thanks for help in advance..!
 
If you have a stove you can use to help along the boil you can easily use a 120v element. I use a 2000W 120v element along with my dinky apartment size stove and get a vigorous rolling boil with 8g+.
 
If you have a stove you can use to help along the boil you can easily use a 120v element. I use a 2000W 120v element along with my dinky apartment size stove and get a vigorous rolling boil with 8g+.
This is also my winter brewing approach. The heatstick cost less than $25 to make.
 
SO - its kinda ghetto, but what about the combination of the heatstick and a hot plate? Want to brew in the basement. Although the weight of 7 gallons of liquid might crush a hotplate! Cant use the kitchen stove, its ceramic top...
 
I use two 2000 watt heatsticks, each plugged into separate, 20 amp circuits. Each circuit has a 20 amp GFCI.

I'm able to do 12.5 gallon boils (10 gallon batches) pretty easily.

If you are looking at mounting the elements in your kettle, BargainFittings has the SS nut that fits the element threads.
 
SO - its kinda ghetto, but what about the combination of the heatstick and a hot plate? Want to brew in the basement. Although the weight of 7 gallons of liquid might crush a hotplate! Cant use the kitchen stove, its ceramic top...


Power considerations aside, have you thought about ventilation in your basement? Boiling gallons of liquid for extended periods is going to result in rapid mold growth unless you have good ventilation down there.
 
Power considerations aside, have you thought about ventilation in your basement? Boiling gallons of liquid for extended periods is going to result in rapid mold growth unless you have good ventilation down there.

As alluded to I guess this depends on your specific setup in the basement. I would think most people could turn on a fan to circulate are from the upstairs/down or down/up and this would solve the problem. Unless you are brewing very often or have a very small room I don't see this to be a large problem especially in the dry winter months.
 
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I use two 2000w heat sticks for 12.5 gallon boils. A single 2000w stick with a 20 amp gfci outlet should be fine for you.

I'd pass on infinite control switches. Not necessary for boiling or heating sparge water if you have a 1500w to 2000w element.
 
i brew in the basement with a range (similar to the one pictured above) and a 2000w 120v heat stick. I have a simple range hood vented to the outside and i do not have any trouble boiling or venting. works great; i use this set up year round.
 
i brew in the basement with a range (similar to the one pictured above) and a 2000w 120v heat stick. I have a simple range hood vented to the outside and i do not have any trouble boiling or venting. works great; i use this set up year round.

This is a good way to go...are you able to remove the heatstick and use the range to maintain your boil? I guess you could also add the element through the kettle wall, as long as you keep the cord off the range. Then just unplug it once you get up to temp.
 
If i pull the heat stick I get more a simmer than a boil. I find it is better to turn off the range and let the heat stick do the work once everything is up to temp.

It is also worth mentioning that I have a boilermaker - I find the flat shinny bottom does a much better job of conducting heat out of the range than my old pot. The old pot was not flat on the bottom so it did not conduct heat as well.
 
Dude, you have a boilermaker but you want to use the stove ? :D How bout a temporary reflectix jacket? I bet that'd bring your simmer to the perfect boil.
 
Dude, you have a boilermaker but you want to use the stove ? :D How bout a temporary reflectix jacket? I bet that'd bring your simmer to the perfect boil.

I like brewing in the basement with all my gear, my TV, music, keezer and dart board. It is a brewing/entertaining cave. I could insulate it... Never really thought about it.
 
That's why I said "temporary"....if the jacket stays on, you might as well get a cheap aluminum pot. If you get a $30 roll of reflectix with velcro straps, you're golden.
 
Can you mount an element with the stainless steel nut on an aluminum kettle or would there be galvanization?
 
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