Countertop Brutus 20

Yakima 728
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What BB said.

I have heatsinks on them, and I have a 105CFM muffin fan on the box

They dont cost any more, using 1/2 their rated cap. is much better than using 80%
 
Any air movement by a fan while pushing a SSR at 80% capacity will greatly reduce it's running temp, I error on the safe side wiih the higher amperage SSR's. A failure on brew day will more than pay the extra cost of the larger SSR and piece of mind. Just don't let the smoke out.
 
So should I still use a heat sink? I am just running it through a normal 120v outlet since only using 1 x 2kw 120v element? The outlet is 15a outlet so i am thinking with a 40a ssr I do not need anything and that it will run cool enough.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
JDL said:
So should I still use a heat sink? I am just running it through a normal 120v outlet since only using 1 x 2kw 120v element? The outlet is 15a outlet so i am thinking with a 40a ssr I do not need anything and that it will run cool enough.

Thanks,
Jeff
Click to expand...

#1 you cannot run that element on a 15A circuit, it is too large, the circuit too small, you are at 111% of the circuits rated capacity

#2 you are running about 17A across that SSR, it will generate plenty of heat, better get a heatsink to wick away the heat.

#3 please get a larger circuit to power that element
 
I might be wrong with that. I am renting a house currently and cannot mess with the circuits at all. I am going to use a kitchen outlet that already has the ground fault built in. This house is only 2 years old so it should all be in code I would hope, should the kitchen outlets be 20A or 15A? I will look in the circuit panel when I get home or use the multimeter to test the outlet.

Jeff
 
JDL said:
I might be wrong with that. I am renting a house currently and cannot mess with the circuits at all. I am going to use a kitchen outlet that already has the ground fault built in. This house is only 2 years old so it should all be in code I would hope, should the kitchen outlets be 20A or 15A? I will look in the circuit panel when I get home or use the multimeter to test the outlet.

Jeff
Click to expand...

A multimeter wont tell you if the breaker and the wire in the circuit are rated for 15A or 20A.

Most general household outlets are 15A, that is A LOT for a small appliance to pull. Go check your breaker box, find the circuit that those outlets are on, look at the rating on the breaker.

Your place may be newer and to code, but that isnt what we are talking about, we are talking about placing too large of a load on a small circuit. No building code will protect you from that.
 
All plugs have been 20 amp, lighting 15 amp, sad part many corner cutting residential jobs have had lighting and plugs combined on the same circuit. Great when loaded up the lights dim down. You should be good to go on 20 amps that's in the kitchen, it should have the minimum of two seperate 20 amp circuits not counting the dedicated refrigerator circuit. I'm going off 15 plus years ago memory here I do not do residential, industrial commercial was my thing.
 
I saw it mixed together back in the 70's as an apprentice wireman thruout the whole housing track I was working on, it sucked but passed inspection.
This included kitchen and baths. Yeah way off what I would of done even back then.
 
I have a question about the placement of the pump in relation to the CFC. Since I am purchasing the equipment for this all at one (so far, up to $480ish), I couldn't justify getting the March pump. I found a Little Giant 2-MD for a good price, but it's temp rating is only 165. When recirculating for mash temp, I'll get upwards of 170, but don't think that's really an issue. When I go to pump the boiled wort through the CFC, however, I'm a little concerned. If I place the pump after the CFC, the wort should be cooled and not an issue.

The only difficulty I see with this is priming the pump, which I suppose I could do by setting up a "Y" just before the pump and using a hand siphon-starter on one branch to draw the wort into the CFC. I'd get it just to the inlet of the pump and divert to the inlet. Hopefully, the wort in the coils would "fall" into the pump to prime it.

I KNOW I'm just making this more difficult. Right now, I'll be using an immersion chiller and will re-use the copper (maybe) to make my CFC for a later batch. If I have to buy another pump, so be it.
 
I'll bet the 165 rating is at some absurd pressure. I'm guessing it would be fine pumping 212 for what we do. I know others here have used those pumps for brewing.
 
You don't want to operate a power tool, have it trip the breaker and be in the dark with your still spinning tool. Sad, yes, lighting *should* always be on separate circuits.
 
Yeah. I figured so. I just seem to like to complicate things. ;)

Should be building this weekend with my friend. So I'll hopefully get some good documentation of the build. Should be a fine weekend weather-wise as well!!
 
JetSmooth said:
I have a question about the placement of the pump in relation to the CFC. Since I am purchasing the equipment for this all at one (so far, up to $480ish), I couldn't justify getting the March pump. I found a Little Giant 2-MD for a good price, but it's temp rating is only 165. When recirculating for mash temp, I'll get upwards of 170, but don't think that's really an issue. When I go to pump the boiled wort through the CFC, however, I'm a little concerned. If I place the pump after the CFC, the wort should be cooled and not an issue.

The only difficulty I see with this is priming the pump, which I suppose I could do by setting up a "Y" just before the pump and using a hand siphon-starter on one branch to draw the wort into the CFC. I'd get it just to the inlet of the pump and divert to the inlet. Hopefully, the wort in the coils would "fall" into the pump to prime it.

I KNOW I'm just making this more difficult. Right now, I'll be using an immersion chiller and will re-use the copper (maybe) to make my CFC for a later batch. If I have to buy another pump, so be it.
Click to expand...

Adding a flow restriction on the pumps inlet is way worse than on the discharge side, you'll have more problems than just using the post boil temps thru that pump directly. It's not going to vaporize the pumps housing or melt it like doubling its max rated temps. I've run the white march 150*F pumps and circulated the chiller coil with no problems in the past, maybe not the manufactures pumps intentions but I had no performance problems either.
 
Time to resurrect my old thread.

Brewed a Pilsner Urquell clone today and had my worst efficiency ever: 68%.

Recipe was straight out of the BYO 250 Recipe issue. 15 min rest at 131F and 60 min at 155 via a single decoction. Recirculated another 30 minutes up to 170F. Came up .25 gallons short on the final volume because I forgot to take into account evaporation during the decoction.

Still, I've got 3.25 gal of 1.050 pils into the fermentation fridge, hitting all numbers otherwise, and managed not to scorch the decoction like I did last time. :)
 
I am sort of all fired up to start building my countertop Brutus 20.
Just a quick question.

I'm overseas and am running 240V, can I wire up the 40A SSR, and SYL 2362 PID straight as per instructed or does it need to be stepped down?

Thanks!
 
The 2362 will happily accept 240V 50 or 60Hz. Shouldn't need any changes from the design other than using a 240V pump and element, of course.
 
I've searched high and low for the step-by-step of building the e-kettle. Is there one?

I need to know what bulkhead fittings are required, how to wire the element and cord, etc etc. Can you wire in a controller to regulate the temp? Would this be overkill or unnecessary?

Killer setup Jeff, but I brew 2.5gal batches and the CFC is just a bit of overkill for my brew day.

Thanks

Karma
 
BadKarma said:
I've searched high and low for the step-by-step of building the e-kettle. Is there one?

I need to know what bulkhead fittings are required, how to wire the element and cord, etc etc. Can you wire in a controller to regulate the temp? Would this be overkill or unnecessary?
Karma
Click to expand...

You doing 120V or 240V? 15A, 20A (or more)? That will determine your element options. There's only 2 screws on the element so wiring is pretty obvious. You do need to devise a way to attach the ground wire to the kettle.

Hole size to drill in the kettle is 1.25". Buy this from Bargain Fittings and you've got everything you need to mount the element into the kettle.

If you size the element correctly for your kettle, you can run it at 100% as a boil is a boil. If you want to do more advanced things with the kettle as the CB20 does, you'll need a PID controller, RTD sensor, and a solid-state relay. The controller build is detailed well in this thread.
 
If using 120 or 240 volts, both will kill by electrcusion under the right
conditions, please use common sense. There was one posting using a 240 extension cord with DOUBLE MALE ENDS, the end at the brewery was hot exposed at 240 volts. Then post this totally off the wall practice on this forum. Really bad wiring practice no matter who you are, do yours properly and use a GFI.
 
I would also suggest using a NEMA 4 enclosure for your electrical and use water tight cord grips where the wires enter the box. Some people use plastic tool boxes... probably not the safest enclosure for high voltage in a wet environment.
 
jkarp said:
You doing 120V or 240V? 15A, 20A (or more)? That will determine your element options. There's only 2 screws on the element so wiring is pretty obvious. You do need to devise a way to attach the ground wire to the kettle.

Hole size to drill in the kettle is 1.25". Buy this from Bargain Fittings and you've got everything you need to mount the element into the kettle.

If you size the element correctly for your kettle, you can run it at 100% as a boil is a boil. If you want to do more advanced things with the kettle as the CB20 does, you'll need a PID controller, RTD sensor, and a solid-state relay. The controller build is detailed well in this thread.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeff.

It's a smaller kettle, 5 gal, and my batches are around 3.5-3.75 gal boils, so I can get away with less ooomph than most everyone else. So I'm guessing 120V and 15A. I thought the temp controller would be a bit overkill.

My brother is an electrician, so for a couple brews I can most likely get this done. And the closest outlets to the stove are GFI.

Thanks all.
 
If 4 gal is your max pre-boil volume, you'll be OK with a 120V 1500W element. 15A will easily handle that.
 
That's what I was thinking, but I was going to talk to my brother. Any ideas about grounding it?

Thanks.

And my poor old electric stove thanks you too!!!!!!
 
I'm either going to ground my elements, or run the ground wire up to the eyebolt for the siteglass. It should be less than a foot, and I can tape the wire down to the outside of the insulation.

B
 
Talked to my brother last night and I think we're going to have a screw welded to the kettle close to the bulkhead to attach the ground to. That seems the best way I can think of.
 
Does anyone ever have problems with condensation while brewing indoors? I had planned to set this up in my laundry room until I considered there's no vent hood there.
 
I do 7 or 8 gal boils in my kitchen and I get a fair amount of condensation. Luckily I have a split ac system that also has a dehumidifier setting. Otherwise I get droplets on my ceiling and windows.
 
I brew small batches, so this is not an issue with me.

Here's an idea: If your laundry room has a door or window to the outside, a small window fan pointed out would help. If you have a door and can close off from the rest of the house, crack the door open and vent with a fan.
 
Well, I ordered the fitting from BarginFittings.com this morning. Gonna go get the element this afternoon along with the 1 1/4" hole saw. I already have a power cable from a PC at the house. Gonna look at the insulation too.

To bad my next brew day is the 19th, I have a flyfishing trip planned for the 12-13th.
 
I grounded mine by soldering the ground lead to the electric element nut. Figure since that contacts the metal BK body with virtually zero ohms resistance, it's as good as attaching a bolt.

And I might post pics in the future if I'm not too embarrassed with my work, but I will say that rubber foam mat is the greatest thing since Reflectix for electric vessel insulation. Possibly WAY better as I needed only one layer vs three Reflectix layers on my keg vessel setup, and it cuts easy. A 3/4-1" thick mat is all you need, and there's other thicknesses available.

Only downer is that it's not as cheap Stateside. Me being stationed in Japan, Reflectix is priced up there with gold or the shroud of Turin or something in square meterage, so rubber foam mat ain't all that bad.

One thing - if you use weldless fittings, it might not be so good as a 1" thick layer can hide leaks. My BK valve and sight gauge are soldered, and my e-element is weldless. But three layers of Reflectix can hide alot as well.

jkarp isn't attempting to do full 5-gallon batches with a 2KW element. I am, and with measured voltage here at 110V vs 120V, I'm willing to chase down thermal leaks more than the average bear. :fro: I've found that with lid off, the 2KW element is struggling, but with lid on, you need to watch out for boil-overs.
 

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