Any recommendations for a 240 V element for 20 qt kettles?

[dlutter]

Can anyone recommend some 240V (5500W elements, I assume???) that will fit in an 11 3/4 inch inside diameter 20 qt brew kettle and HLT? I have a 30 apm dryer outlet at my disposal.

I am coming off of a 1.5 yr brewing hiatus (due to baby, moving, job, life, etc) and would like to make the jump to electric brewing in my newly finished dedicated basement space. I mostly like to brew 3 gal batches with my smaller kettles and am looking to convert from a propane garage 3 vessel ghetto setup to an e-brew indoor 3 vessel semi-ghetto setup. Eventually I would like to upgrade equipment to either a 3 vessel E-HERMS or a counter top BRUTUS in for 3-5 gal batches.

Also, do I need to go all in and build a $500-1000 controller or is there a simpler option that will get me back in the saddle with minimal hassel for up to a few hundred dollars? Keep in mind that I am used to manually monitoring temperatures and using gravity to transfer liquids.

If I need to go the controller route, I am considering following this guy's guide:

https://skrilnetz.net/how-to-build-a-brewing-control-panel-herms-240v-30-amp/

or maybe this one

https://skrilnetz.net/the-all-in-one-brewing-control-panel/

Also, I'm open to any friendly advice on my conversion/brewery build!

Thanks!

 

[BeardedBrews]

Some thoughts:

Element: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/element1650_tc.htm

If you're not going to go above a 5 gallon boil I'd stick with a 1650 watt element on 120v. Easier to deal with the power requirements. There are many places like eBay and AliExpress that sell this type of element for cheap. BrewHardwares weldless triclamp port is the simplest way to mount the element in a kettle that you already own.

Controller: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tempcontrol_ipb16.htm

This is big enough to drive the element I linked, and the price is right for something you don't have to wire yourself. Grab the weldless compression fitting that fits the temperature probe for the easiest way to install that.

Upgrades:

If you want to go bigger than that you can wire your own 240v/30a controller like the one in my signature. I don't want this to sound rude, but if you want to go that route I think you're better off researching the dozens of threads already out there and learning enough to make your own parts list that fits your needs. I get the desire to learn from others but this is a project that has infinite "correct" approaches and you're honestly better off reading for yourself until you get to a "do you guys like this part or that part more" type of question.

 

[Bobby_M]

Ipb16 has been discontinued by inkbird. Honestly for 3 gal batches, buy the anvil foundry 10.5 system. 369 buck and done.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

I've been super happy with the ones I picked up on Kal's (electric brewery) site. After 20 or 30 batches, they still look like brand new. I got the 240V 5500W squiggly ones. I'm sure he has multiple sizes and ratings of the same flavor.

 

[gmmoran]

Ipb16 has been discontinued by inkbird. Honestly for 3 gal batches, buy the anvil foundry 10.5 system. 369 buck and done.

With the Ipb16 discontinued, does anyone know if Inkbird will replace it with a newer model or is it just gone?

 

[dlutter]

Thanks for the info. I was getting overwhelmed and confused trying to read all of the different build threads, especially since most of them are for larger batches.

Maybe someday I'll go big and build my own controller, etc. For now I'll give the above recommendations a hard look.

 

[mongoose33]

.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

Are you sure your numbers are correct?

I have the brewhardware 5500w ULWD element in my 10-gallon Spike kettle; that kettle is 13.8" wide and 17" tall.

What I'm wondering is if you're measuring your kettle accurately. To have a 20-gallon kettle at my width it would have to be 34" tall. At your 11.75 inside diameter for a 20 gallon kettle, you'd need to be....at least 36" tall.

I've never seen nor heard of a 20-gallon kettle with that narrow a diameter. I checked on Northern Brewer to see if their Megapot 1.2 would be that skinny, but their 20-gallon megapot is 17.7" wide x 20.8" high.

So--did you measure correctly or do you have a really weird kettle? Maybe a pic or two might help.

I also have 20-gallon kettles; they're bayou kettles and there is more than plenty of room to fit a 5500w element in them; I know, because I have one in there, as well as one in my 10-gallon Spike kettle.

His kettle is 20 quarts, not 20 gallons.

 

[doug293cz]

Can anyone recommend some 240V (5500W elements, I assume???) that will fit in an 11 3/4 inch inside diameter 20 qt brew kettle and HLT? I have a 30 apm dryer outlet at my disposal.

I am coming off of a 1.5 yr brewing hiatus (due to baby, moving, job, life, etc) and would like to make the jump to electric brewing in my newly finished dedicated basement space. I mostly like to brew 3 gal batches with my smaller kettles and am looking to convert from a propane garage 3 vessel ghetto setup to an e-brew indoor 3 vessel semi-ghetto setup. Eventually I would like to upgrade equipment to either a 3 vessel E-HERMS or a counter top BRUTUS in for 3-5 gal batches.

Also, do I need to go all in and build a $500-1000 controller or is there a simpler option that will get me back in the saddle with minimal hassel for up to a few hundred dollars? Keep in mind that I am used to manually monitoring temperatures and using gravity to transfer liquids.

If I need to go the controller route, I am considering following this guy's guide:

https://skrilnetz.net/how-to-build-a-brewing-control-panel-herms-240v-30-amp/

or maybe this one

https://skrilnetz.net/the-all-in-one-brewing-control-panel/

Also, I'm open to any friendly advice on my conversion/brewery build!

Thanks!

I don't think you are going to find a 240V heating element that will fit in a pot with that small of a diameter. If you have a 20A, 120V outlet available, you can use the following elements:

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/element2250_tc.htm (2250W)
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/aboilcoil-7.5gal-120v.htm (2000W)​

I'd recommend the first one, since it is non-proprietary, and can be covered with a lower volume of liquid in the kettle.

What functions you you want in your controller?

How many vessels do you want to heat? Simultaneous vessel heating?
How many different temp monitoring points do you want?
Pumps - how many?
Alarms?
Power measurement?
Designed to be converted to 240V in future?
​

Brew on

 

[mongoose33]

His kettle is 20 quarts, not 20 gallons.

That would make more sense.