55 gal electric boil kettle

[Dfinnegan]

I have A 15 gallon Kegel with one 4500 W ultra low density element on a 30 amp circuit that I have been brewing with and having success . I recently picked up a 55 gallon stainless steel kettle and want to install 2 4500 watt elements in there.
Anyone out here doing this? I assume I'll need to upgrade to a 50a circuit. Or is there a way to make it work on a 30a circuit?
Someone must be running this set up.

 

[lschiavo]

I have two 5500W elements in my HLT on a 50A feed. No reason you can't do that on a BK.

 

[RTL]

I also have two 5500W on a 50A in my HLT, and I can switch between the second element in the HLT or the 6000W element in the BK. Some people will tell you that you need a 20% overhead on the circuit, but the electrician I work with said that's not really needed for dedicated installations it is more for extended circuits.

If you don't want to mess with running 50A you could do a 4500 and a 2500, might be cutting it a little close though. Just make sure your wire is actually rated to 30A over the run. Or a 4500 and a 1500, I have a 50 gallon boil kettle and boil about 33 gallons with 6000W. It is not a ripping boil but it is plenty strong in my opinion.

 

[lschiavo]

Some people will tell you that you need a 20% overhead on the circuit, but the electrician I work without said that's not really needed for dedicated installations

I'm an electrician and I would tell you it's not needed also. It's only required for continuous loads which a boil kettle is not.

 

[Dfinnegan]

Thank you guys for the quick responses . I didn't think about running the 4500 And a 1500 w element....what about the 4500 w element on my 30a circuit with a 2500 W on a separate 120 household circuit?

 

[lschiavo]

Have you looked at the boil time calculators? You may want to check your volume with the calculator to make sure you have enough wattage.

 

[Dfinnegan]

Have you looked at the boil time calculators? You may want to check your volume with the calculator to make sure you have enough wattage.

No I haven't. I figure it will be way to long to bring 35 gallons to boil with just one element. Two would do the trick I think.

 

[Dfinnegan]

If you don't want to mess with running 50A you could do a 4500 and a 2500, might be cutting it a little close though. Just make sure your wire is actually rated to 30A over the run. Or a 4500 and a 1500, I have a 50 gallon boil kettle and boil about 33 gallons with 6000W. It is not a ripping boil but it is plenty strong in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

How long does it take you to bring 33 gallons to a boil with this set up? Assuming you start from around 170 sparge temp?

 

[lschiavo]

Here's a calculator:

http://manskirtbrewing.com/calculators.aspx#electrichdr

 

[RTL]

If you don't want to mess with running 50A you could do a 4500 and a 2500, might be cutting it a little close though. Just make sure your wire is actually rated to 30A over the run. Or a 4500 and a 1500, I have a 50 gallon boil kettle and boil about 33 gallons with 6000W. It is not a ripping boil but it is plenty strong in my opinion.

How long does it take you to bring 33 gallons to a boil with this set up? Assuming you start from around 170 sparge temp?[/QUOTE]

Yes, but I fire it as soon as the top of the element enclosure is covered by wort. My wort in temp is closer to 160 after line losses. In terms of brew day length time waiting for boil is nearly zero. The element enclosure is covered at 10 gallons, and the wort is usually lightly boiling by 15 gallons. If I sparge too fast then it doesn't boil all the way up to 33 gallons. So that is how I know if I'm sparging too fast. So if everything goes normally then it is already lightly boiling by the time I reach my pre-boil volume of 33 gallons. Then I wait a few more minutes for it to reach a stronger boil and the hot break to subside a bit before I add my first hop addition.

 

[stevehaun]

I have a 50 gallon BK and make 30 gallon batches. I typically start the boil with about 40 gallons of wort. I have two 4500 watt elements on a 50 amp system. I run the PID at 100% until the boil starts and then back off to 90%. I would not want less power. YMMV.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have a 50 gallon BK and make 30 gallon batches. I typically start the boil with about 40 gallons of wort. I have two 4500 watt elements on a 50 amp system. I run the PID at 100% until the boil starts and then back off to 90%. I would not want less power. YMMV.

Agreed, I have a 24 g kettle and use 6000w. I can't imagine 6000w powering a 55 gallon kettle.

 

[Dfinnegan]

Do you guys have pictures of your set up ? what are using for a control panel?

 

[Dfinnegan]

Bueller? Bueller?

 

[stevehaun]

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO-QNnNNe_Zz1CijDNk3ATrB7UMeeKY6cGBxkpq

 

[Dfinnegan]

Here's a question, has anyone added a second element in the 4500-5500 watt range and just plugged straight into a 30a receptical? Bypassing a control panel all together?
I'm thinking one at 100% straight from the wall plug until I hit boil, than unplug it and maintain boil with the one element attached to my control panel...am I crazy or this a viable option?

 

[wilserbrewer]

am I crazy or this a viable option?

No not crazy at all.....at the very minimum you would want the element on GFI and a properly rated safe switch.

You don't want to be unplugging a high voltage connection, especially w damp brewing hands.

 

[jeffmeh]

No not crazy at all.....at the very minimum you would want the element on GFI and a properly rated safe switch.

You don't want to be unplugging a high voltage connection, especially w damp brewing hands.

+1, although it would certainly be crazy to skip the GFCI and switch.

 

[Dfinnegan]

Yes I agree skipping the GFCI would be crazy thank you for the input fellas!

 

[Dfinnegan]

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO-QNnNNe_Zz1CijDNk3ATrB7UMeeKY6cGBxkpq

Thanks man!

 

[mikescooling]

I'm not the safety police, but in stead of running a hot element, just run the extra 240v power supply to your second element contactor. Then safety (no back feed, dr te selector switch, blah blah blah,,,) the thing up and your done.

 

[Dfinnegan]

I'm thinking I will wire a single pole switch between the power supply and element plug in. And yes both recepticles will be on a gfci breaker

 

[jeffmeh]

I'm thinking I will wire a single pole switch between the power supply and element plug in. And yes both recepticles will be on a gfci breaker

Better to run a double pole switch that can cut power to both hot legs of the 240v element. Then you know that off means off, even if the SSR fails closed.

 

[swimIan]

Auber instruments new ezboil 300 allows for two elements during the boiling phase. Check it out

 

[Dfinnegan]

Auber instruments new ezboil 300 allows for two elements during the boiling phase. Check it out

Would you happen to have a link to their site?

 

[Squeek]

I have an entire 55 gallon setup with 2 5500s in the HLT and the boil kettle. The elements in the boil kettle I can control from a few hundred watts to full power which make boiling anywhere from 15-50 gallons simple. All on a custom control panel powered by a 50amp circuit. I love it

 

[augiedoggy]

Auber instruments new ezboil 300 allows for two elements during the boiling phase. Check it out

Its a nice control unit but in regards to your comment, how is this until different than any other pid or pwm controller which could also control multiple elements? does it have multiple independent ssr outputs in one unit?