I'm doing a single kettle, 1 rubbermaid cooler for HLT, 1 rubbermaid cooler for MLT all grain electric system (because as people on this forum have suggested, propane is way more expensive and annoying to use than electricity (after the initial setup...)). I have a 15 gallon blichmann kettle (G1 bought for $200) that I was going to add one of the heating elements like in Kal's system to. I'd build a full on Kal clone but I live in an apartment. Now I know I'll need an in-line manual GFCI that's 240V 30A. I'm assuming I'll plug that directly into the dryer outlet. Then I need some sort of controller with a long ass cord to get from the GFCI to outside the apartment. The controller would be an on/off plus a knob or a PID with a socket or a cord with a socket that would take the heating element's L6-30 plug.
Right? It would look like this: (dashes are wires)
Dryer Outlet (plug) -- GFCI -- (plugs) -------------allthewayoutsidelike40'------------------- controller (plug) ------- kettle
or this:
Dryer Outlet (plug) -- GFCI -- (plugs) -------------allthewayoutsidelike40'------------------- controller ------ (plugs) ------- kettle
What's the best way to go about this as an industrial engineer with access to 12/18V drills, elbow grease, and very limited electrical knowledge but a lot of respect for electricity?
I'll buy a heating element pre-assembled ($195) or heating element kit ($145) if I don't need a drill press from http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/heating-element-kits
I'll buy a GFCI for $150ish here: http://www.gfcistore.com/30-amp-inline-gfcis.html that has either a 3 prong or 4 prong dryer plug on the male end depending on the plug behind my dryer (moving in 2 weeks) and then what plug on the other side? the same one? different? L6-30?
Then I buy (or make... can I make one cheaper and not have to take another EE course at a local college?) a temperature controller like one of the following with an L6-30 output and a plug on a long ass cord that matches the female of my GFCI, right?
http://jaggerbushbrewing.com/PID-CONTROLLER-220-VOLT-6000-WATT-30-AMP_p_21.html
http://jaggerbushbrewing.com/BOIL-CONTROL-220-VOLT-6000-WATT-30-AMP_p_13.html
http://www.highgravitybrew.com/store/pc/Electric-Kettle-Controller-269p3084.htm
I'm assuming I'd rather go PID than knob since a PID can do everything a knob can when set to manual mode, but a knob can't maintain a specific temp for a long time (other than boiling)? Is it worthwhile/safe/cheaper to make it myself? I'm assuming with a PID I'll have to add a thermometer probe to the kettle as well, so that means another hole but it's not like I'll be repurposing it for non-electric use (Not being able to make kettle corn or deep fry things with electric brew kettles seems like the only downside). Also I'd be doing this outside, so are those controllers capable of outside/possibly getting wet use?
EDIT: Also aside from the plugs needed for the GFCI and the control box, does it matter if the dryer outlet is 3 pronged or 4? I get that one has a neutral/ground wire and the other has them separated, but does that matter for this use case?
Right? It would look like this: (dashes are wires)
Dryer Outlet (plug) -- GFCI -- (plugs) -------------allthewayoutsidelike40'------------------- controller (plug) ------- kettle
or this:
Dryer Outlet (plug) -- GFCI -- (plugs) -------------allthewayoutsidelike40'------------------- controller ------ (plugs) ------- kettle
What's the best way to go about this as an industrial engineer with access to 12/18V drills, elbow grease, and very limited electrical knowledge but a lot of respect for electricity?
I'll buy a heating element pre-assembled ($195) or heating element kit ($145) if I don't need a drill press from http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/heating-element-kits
I'll buy a GFCI for $150ish here: http://www.gfcistore.com/30-amp-inline-gfcis.html that has either a 3 prong or 4 prong dryer plug on the male end depending on the plug behind my dryer (moving in 2 weeks) and then what plug on the other side? the same one? different? L6-30?
Then I buy (or make... can I make one cheaper and not have to take another EE course at a local college?) a temperature controller like one of the following with an L6-30 output and a plug on a long ass cord that matches the female of my GFCI, right?
http://jaggerbushbrewing.com/PID-CONTROLLER-220-VOLT-6000-WATT-30-AMP_p_21.html
http://jaggerbushbrewing.com/BOIL-CONTROL-220-VOLT-6000-WATT-30-AMP_p_13.html
http://www.highgravitybrew.com/store/pc/Electric-Kettle-Controller-269p3084.htm
I'm assuming I'd rather go PID than knob since a PID can do everything a knob can when set to manual mode, but a knob can't maintain a specific temp for a long time (other than boiling)? Is it worthwhile/safe/cheaper to make it myself? I'm assuming with a PID I'll have to add a thermometer probe to the kettle as well, so that means another hole but it's not like I'll be repurposing it for non-electric use (Not being able to make kettle corn or deep fry things with electric brew kettles seems like the only downside). Also I'd be doing this outside, so are those controllers capable of outside/possibly getting wet use?
EDIT: Also aside from the plugs needed for the GFCI and the control box, does it matter if the dryer outlet is 3 pronged or 4? I get that one has a neutral/ground wire and the other has them separated, but does that matter for this use case?
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