Planning an E-Build how many outlets?

I am just in the planning stages of a basement e-build centered around a BCS-462. I am lucky enough that the main electrical panel is literally on the other side of the wall from my future brewspace. Unfortunately I have to hire an electrician to run some more outlets.

Here's what I am planning:

3 vessel system with HLT (12.5 gal), MT, and BK (both 15 gal)
2 pumps

Now here's the kicker; I'm looking for flexibility. So my plan is to be capable of doing two boils at the same time in my BK and my MT. Once the main mashed wort has been pumped into the BK and that boil started I will either cap and mash again or make it into a partial mash and go from there. The capability of brewing 2 10 gallon batches at the same time(ish) while being able to monitor it with the computer while playing with my 3 year old are VERY tempting. So I'm thinking I'll need 3 5500 ULWD elements but I'm not certain. I also have future plans on using the functionality of the BCS-462 to run 1-3 fermentation chambers and possibly a kegerator (hence the 462 over the 460.

Soooooo since I'll have to get an electrician anyway I was wondering how many new outlets I would need? I have one regular two prong (needs to be upgraded I know) outlet nearby that could be utilized. I am VERY lucky that my basement workshop was originally built as a secondary kitchen so I already have a SS hood and ballsy vent fan .

I await the knowledge about to pour into my noggin

I am not seeing the need for three elements. I see just one in the HLT and one in the BK.

With two 4500W elements, you'll be pulling 37.5A. That's well within the budget of 50A service with plenty of room to space for pumps or whatever else you might want to power.

If you go 5500W on both element, you're pulling close to 46A. 50A would still work, and the pumps should still be OK, especially if you power one from each of the two hot lines.

Like I said, I don't see the need for a third element, so I would be asking the electrician to put in a GFCI protected 50A circuit, with a NEMA 14 outlet.

And be sure to be explicit that you want 4 wires (NEMA 14 should imply that, but one never knows). 6/3 plus ground.

was thinking more...

the OP didn't specify which kind of e-system he wanted to build. I assumed HERMS. If he's going RIMS and building one of those pipe bombs, then there will be a third element, but not necessarily a 240V high wattage one.

So... OP.... what kind of e-system are you talking about here?

Short answer: A HERMS system.

Long answer: 15 gal HERMS system using a duda diesel B3-23A plate chiller as a heat exchanger with three level filtration prior to the wort hitting the heat exchanger.

ok. Then my first post applies and I don't see the need for 3 elements here. One in the BK. One in the HLT.

Since I will be using the MLT also as a boil kettle it will need an element capable of boiling 5-10 gallons of wort.

The boil kettle will need the same capability.

For the HLT I was thinking of using the same element so that I can heat my strike water faster.

But looking at the chart at: http://www.brewmation.com/Panels.html There is only seven minutes difference in boiling 10 gallons between 4500 and 5500 so now I'm thinking about perhaps not needing such a beefy element......If it makes things cheaper I'd go lower. 7 minutes is nothing.

In that plan, the only use of the element in the MLT would be for boiling a second batch. You would never use that element while mashing.

So, why not use the BK and HLT to boil instead of the BK and MLT?

Oh, and I see the potential need for a 4th vessel here for double batches.

The BK will be occupied with boiling batch #1. Your MLT is full of mash and your HLT is full of sparge water.

You now have to drain the MLT someplace before you can sparge it, so you need an additonal vessel of some sort, right?

"So, why not use the BK and HLT to boil instead of the BK and MLT?" and

"You now have to drain the MLT someplace before you can sparge it, so you need an additonal vessel of some sort, right?"

Both are VERY good points. The reason I want to boil in the MLT and not the HLT is that when the boils are over I plan on using the HERMS in reverse and put frozen gallon jugs of ice into the HLT and circulate that as my cooling water. So it would be busy with cooling. Also the MLT is going to have some rather expensive filtration components that I'd like to get more use out of. I'm planning on a hopblocker and a 0.2 micron inline filter.

I will have an additional vessel available. This plan is really phase 2 of my brewery upgrade. Phase 1 is a stove and counter HERMS using a 5 gallon Coleman Extreme cooler as the MLT and my existing immersion chiller as the coil in my 4 gal stockpot as the HLT on my stove. But phase 1 won't require any fancy new wiring so it should be simpler.....I hope .

Fair enough.

I understand the desire to boil in the MLT now instead of the HLT.

But even doing things this way, you will never need to run all three elements at the same time, right? You will only ever be using two of them at any given time. So, you don't necessarily need to have service that can support all three of them simultaneously.

Awesome! I have VERY little knowledge of how e-systems work and that makes total sense. Nope, would only be running a max of 2 elements at a time. Would you suggest the 4500's or 5500's?

I also know I have some additional reading on BCS builds to see how they go together. My working knowledge was from reading Kal's website and I believe that a BCS system is a slightly different animal in it's construction.

Drat, I just had the thought that if I'm doing a primary brew and a partygyle with capping grain (mashing again) I could be running all three elements..... Is that feasible or would that require uber expensive electric service? If it's that much of a pita I'll just do partygyle with 'capping' DME and make it a partial mash.

You will never run the element in the MLT while there is grain in the MLT. So during that second mash, the MLT is off for sure.

........I'm a moron .

So with two pumps, two elements and the BCS would I need to have an outlet for each component or something less?

Well.. you *could* have an outlet for each item, but that's not the way most people do it.

In general, people put in one high amp, high voltage outlet. Like a 50A/240V outlet. Then they build a box that distributes that to the various components.

Awesome. Putting in a single 50A outlet shouldn't break the bank when the main panel for the house is less than 2 feet away. I hope.

lwcm said:

Awesome. Putting in a single 50A outlet shouldn't break the bank when the main panel for the house is less than 2 feet away. I hope.

Click to expand...

Don't forget that you do have to run a power cable from the outlet to your brewery Control Panel. That part of the system may give you a little bit of sticker shock.

A possible hiccup? I don't have a modern breaker box in our current home; just a screw in fuse box. This might be REALLY dumb but is it possible to install 50A service in a fuse box?

woah. A fuse box?

I really can't say for certain, but I imagine that you can get 50A service from a fuse box. You can't get GFCI protection, though, so plan on having to add a spa panel in addition to the fuse box work.