Pony eKeggle?

Hi all, im still doing extract batch but i am gathering everything i need to make the jump to all grain. Im still in apartment so i cant use a propane burner and stove top is not realy an option to boil 5g..

i would like to know first of all, can i do full boil in a pony keg? i'm only doing 5 gallon batch. Pony keg hold 7.75G (30L)

Next, i was thinking of making a eKeggle with my pony keg. Here in canada i cant find sankey keg but i found a pony keg. This size fit great in my appart.

Wich size of heating element should i put in? i was thinking putting the bigger one with a controller ( Like a 5500w with PID controller )

I need a way to make 5G all grain batch in my apartment without using stove.. Tell me if my idea is good! Thank you!

Yes...excellent idea! While the 7.75 is small for 5 gal. batches, it is workable. A large element w/ controller is the best method...other crude methods like using one smaller element, or two 120v elements will work but will take longer to boil. Many ways to do this, as simple or sophisticated as you desire.

I have a half barrel with 5500 watt. 220 element. No pid. It has a wicked boil. With the 7.5 gal you are very likely to have boil over.

This thread documents using a 1/4 keg w/ 2000w element...will only boil about 5 gal. I believe.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/simple-brewing-est-2009-build-147021/

I made an eHLT from a pony keg. I used a spa/hot tub heater that mounts through the bottom of the keg, using two 1/2" holes instead of the great big hole the water heater elements need. You can see some pictures of it if you search my name on this site. Be aware that the construction of the pony keg may be different than the standard half barrel keg, and holes for drain valves could end up much higher in the keg than you expect. So take a good look at the keg before you commit, to be satisfied that the valves and fittings will go where you expect.

Thx for the quick answer! I cant open the link right now im on my phone at job. Yestersay i looked to the wiring of a 240v element and i found that i need a 240v 20/30a gfci breaker.. Is there a way to find one that is affordable? Look like this small breaker will cost more than the ekeggle build. Or maybe i could put two 120v heater for a total of 4000w but i want something that gonna boil fast! If you guys have some advice for the heating/ gfci breaker please give it to me!! Thank you

Can't speak to the electric part, but I've been using a pony keg as a keggle for years. I fill it to about 6.75 gal pre-boil. It's pretty darn full, but with a bit of care is no problem to keep from boilovers.

good luck

The issue with two elements is you want to plug them into sperate circuits. As in one plugged in kitchen and one In the bathroom. Due to circuit breakers and amp draw.

It is not realy an issue to plug them in separate circuit. The breaker pannel is about 5' from where i plan to brew. I will be able to make a circuit only the eKeggle.

With 2x 2000w heater can i plug them direct without controller? Like run the 2 element until boil and unplug one element to keep a smooth boil? Without controller and with 120v heater i will be able to make something really low-budget!

What do you think?

Bock said:

Or maybe i could put two 120v heater for a total of 4000w but i want something that gonna boil fast! If you guys have some advice for the heating/ gfci breaker please give it to me!! Thank you

Click to expand...

you can certainly use two elements at 2000w each for 4000 total...it will boil pretty quick but might be a tad to much running full on, just guessing you will need to be between 3-4000 watts at full boil without risking boilover....elements are cheap, you could always try 2 at 2000w and scale back to two at 1500w if needed. 3000w will likely work but will not come up to boil like 4000w, but 4000w just may boil too vigorously

Bock said:

It is not realy an issue to plug them in separate circuit. The breaker pannel is about 5' from where i plan to brew. I will be able to make a circuit only the eKeggle.

With 2x 2000w heater can i plug them direct without controller? Like run the 2 element until boil and unplug one element to keep a smooth boil? Without controller and with 120v heater i will be able to make something really low-budget!

What do you think?

Click to expand...

I'd have concerns about whether you would keep a smooth boil of 6+ gallons (your pre-boil volume) with only a single 2000W element. If you want a simpler/cheaper method than the PID, look into a PWM. There's a nice thread here.

As far as the GFCI, lots of people use 50 amp "spa panels" that you can get for around $50. Cheaper than buying the breaker alone. Actually if you are looking into an electric setup you should check the "electric brewing" section of this forum, tons of great info.

You need about 2400 watts per hour to boil off one gallon per hour. There are on line calculators that will help determine what size elements you need. I would suggest you get the spa panel type of breaker as mentioned above, and look into PMW control. I use that on my eKeggle with great success, instant response to a boil over threat, and easy to set the rate of heating or boiling.