Brewtools B40Pro Questions - Jaded Hydra, 110V vs 220V

[Hop]

Howdy! I'm getting back into homebrewing after a couple of years off. I sold off my Grainfather, glycol chiller, conical fermenters, and all of my high value items when I moved and bought a house.

I'm getting close to settling on the B40Pro. I primarily prefer to brew light German lagers... which has nothing to do with these questions...

Question 1: Does anyone know if the JaDeD Hydra fits well in the B40Pro? I've done counterflow and plate chillers before, but I've always liked just using the Hydra with a sump pump recirculating into a bunch of ice water. Cranks the whole thing down super quickly and it's very easy to deal with and clean.

Question 2: Anyone have thoughts on the 110V vs 220V option? I can have a 240V outlet installed and like the idea of a single outlet, but I could also just use multiple circuits in my kitchen with the 110V variant.

 

[whoaru99]

General consensus I see is go 240V if you have the connection where you want to do it.

 

[Sammy86]

Question 2: Anyone have thoughts on the 110V vs 220V option? I can have a 240V outlet installed and like the idea of a single outlet, but I could also just use multiple circuits in my kitchen with the 110V variant

Go with the 240V…110 while nice and more accessible is really underpowered at least IMO.

 

[Hop]

The 110V Brewtools has the same power as the 220V, it just requires two plugs.

 

[McMullan]

The 110V Brewtools has the same power as the 220V, it just requires two plugs.

The 220v version has two power plugs too. A bit weird for a commercially supplied ‘domestic’ device, ime. Add a dedicated supply (electrician’s bill) to the cost. Seems to be the main selling point. Superfluous power.

 

[Hop]

Oh weird, I thought I read that the 220V 40 liter version still just used a single plug.

 

[McMullan]

Oh weird, I thought I read that the 220V 40 liter version still just used a single plug.

2 x 1600w elements with independent power supplies, I believe. So even the BT40 isn’t necessarily compatible with standard domestic power supply, 110 or 220 regardless. It can be fudged electronically via the controller, though. Like buying a Ferrari to drive carefully over speed bumps on the way to the local shops about a 5-minute walk away. A tad pointless.

 

[whoaru99]

Oh weird, I thought I read that the 220V 40 liter version still just used a single plug.

Guess I'm not following what's weird.

A single 15A or 20A 240V circuit can provide enough power for the 3200W.

 

[McMullan]

Guess I'm not following what's weird.

A single 15A or 20A 240V circuit can provide enough power for the 3200W.

Yes, but 16A isn’t standard in most houses. Had the same problem with my 50L Braumeister, which is 3200W, I manage to run mine off a 16A extension from an upgraded part of the house, otherwise an electrician’s fee needs to be factored in. To be fair, unlike the Braumeister, the power can be reduced to 10A via the set up in the controller, but, in most cases, you’d still need to run off 2 ring mains/independent circuits.

 

[DevilsCups]

I'm a B40 110v user. It works excellent. Just make sure to plug each plug into a separate circuit. I use mine with a steam hat and condenser, and I set the controller around 60-70% power. If I could easily install 240v I probably would have gone that way, but I did not want to deal with that with my situation.

As for the Hydra...the diameter on JaDeD's site is 11". If accurate it should fit without issue. I just measured and element to element is around 14". Any questions let me know! It's a great unit for the most part.

 

[whoaru99]

Just make sure to plug each plug into a separate circuit.

Which is a key point.

Using two different receptacles doesn't inherently mean two different circuits.

 

[DevilsCups]

Which is a key point.

Using two different receptacles doesn't inherently mean two different circuits.

Very much agree. I fortunately have two separate circuits directly opposite of one another in close proximity in my apartment kitchen. It works out perfectly.

 

[Boozey Boy]

I have a b40 220, it's only one plug.

 

[McMullan]

I have a b40 220, it's only one plug.

The 110V model has two and to get maximum power (to do what, heat up water more quickly?), either a higher rated circuit or 2 lower rated independent circuits are required. It was on my list of reasons not to buy B80 220V. I’m not even sure if it’s legal in Europe, to have two power cables supplying one electrical device in a domestic setting. The only time I’ve ever seen this kind of design is in ghetto-hacked DIY projects.

 

[DevilsCups]

The 110V model has two and to get maximum power (to do what, heat up water more quickly?), either a higher rated circuit or 2 lower rated independent circuits are required. It was on my list of reasons not to buy B80 220V. I’m not even sure if it’s legal in Europe, to have two power cables supplying one electrical device in a domestic setting. The only time I’ve ever seen this kind of design is in ghetto-hacked DIY projects.

The B40 has one cord to power one 1600w element and the controller, and the other cord is strictly to power the other element (with control through the controller). I can assure you there is nothing ghetto about the system.

 

[McMullan]

The B40 has one cord to power one 1600w element and the controller, and the other cord is strictly to power the other element (with control through the controller). I can assure you there is nothing ghetto about the system.

To run a B40 110V model at full power, you need to plug both of the two Nema 5-15 power cables, supplied with the US unit, into a suitably rated power outlet(s). Again, I have never seen anything like that outside a ghetto-hacked DIY project. One device, one power cable. Like my Braumeister 50L 220V, which has one power cable supplying two elements at 3200W and needs a 16A outlet.

 

[DevilsCups]

To run a B40 110V model at full power, you need to plug in both of the two Nema 5-15 power cables, supplied with the US unit, into a suitably rated power outlet(s). Again, I have never seen anything like that outside a ghetto-hacked DIY project. One device, one power cable. Like my Braumeister 50L 220V, which has one power cable supplying two elements at 3200W and need a 16A outlet.

Fortunately my outlets are able to handle the full power at 16A, however the B40 110v controller allows you to reduce the amperage to 15A or 12A if needed, possibly lower.

 

[McMullan]

Fortunately my outlets are able to handle the full power at 16A, however the B40 110v controller allows you to reduce the amperage to 15A or 12A if needed, possibly lower.

So you use two power cables to supply one electrical device? Isn’t that a bit unusual? Again, I’m not even sure if it’s legal. I’ve never seen an electric consumer product powered by two cables.

 

[DevilsCups]

So you use two power cables to supply one electrical device? Isn’t that a bit unusual? Again, I’m not even sure if it’s legal. I’ve never seen an electric consumer product powered by two cables.

No. One element is powered by one cable, and one element and the controller is powered by a different cable. The controller only regulates power output, but each element has it's own power supply. The fact that they're in the same kettle is probably inconsequential.

Just as when I used a Unibrau system, I had dual elements powered by separate circuits and cords.

 

[McMullan]

No. One element is powered by one cable, and one element and the controller is powered by a different cable. The controller only regulates power output, but each element has its own power supply. The fact that they're in the same kettle is probably inconsequential.

Very odd choice of semantics on display here. The B40 unit is considered the electric consumer product here, not one of its heating elements. Which other electric consumer products - sold by a registered business - do you know of that use two power cables?

 

[DevilsCups]

Very odd choice of semantics on display here. The B40 unit is considered the electric consumer product here, not one of its heating elements. Which other electric consumer products - sold by a registered business - do you know of that use two power cables?

I'm no electrician or regulator, so I don't want to speak from any point of authority! I'm just saying the unit can operate on one cable just fine, just with limited wattage. If one element has an issue, it's on a separate circuit. Being that they sell this product (only?) in the US through MoreBeer, I would assume they have whatever clearances and approvals necessary. I can see their Norwegian and EU certs on the site, but not US, likely because it's a Norwegian company and their certifications cover all their brewing systems, not just the 110v B40.

Strange? Maybe. But it's allowed me to brew in my apartment with solid power, so I'm pleased.

 

[stealthfixr]

As someone considering moving to the B40pro 240V, the above statement about the 220V version having two power plugs made my heart skip a beat. Then I realized that I already had a 240V power plug, not a 220V plug. Perhaps the 220V one is the Euro version.

For clarification only, the 240V US version only has one power plug per this MoreBeer link ("1 pcs Nema 6-20 power cable, 2 meter").

 

[whoaru99]

As someone considering moving to the B40pro 240V, the above statement about the 220V version having two power plugs made my heart skip a beat. Then I realized that I already had a 240V power plug, not a 220V plug. Perhaps the 220V one is the Euro version.

For clarification only, the 240V US version only has one power plug per this MoreBeer link ("1 pcs Nema 6-20 power cable, 2 meter").

If there was a comment saying the 220 version has two cords it seems incorrect according to post #13.


It's plausible the "220" and "240" versions could be the same/similar, just with a different power plug that's appropriate for the intended market region.

In the USA, a 220/230/240V plug is one and the same thing. The variance is the amp rating.

But, a USA 220/230/240 plug likely is not the same as a 220/230/240 plug in Sweden (or wherever else).

 

[McMullan]

For clarity, the 220v B40 has one power cable. All other BT brewing systems, 110v B40, B80 and B150, have two power cables.