Electric vs. propane

[Baglorious]

Actually the electric poopy is not that expensive if you build your own. Ive been watching some vods on the subject and this dude that uses this stuff for making moonshine has got scores of videos on how to build 120v and 240v systems from off the shelf parts, including PIV controllers and all that.

For instanc just last night I was watching one of his vods when he built a 120v 2200W heat stick boil pot for less than $30 (not including the price of the pot of course). Using one of these...

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2000-Watt-120-Volt-HWD-Element-15008/205680990

But they also have 240v versions that go all the way up to 5500W that are used in hot water heaters.

If you've got the technical bravery to go DIY with electric, and can do it on the cheap... then it is a no-brainer.

I am a tinkerer, and enjoy the heck out of it... and have built all sorts of brewery toys using the DIY posts on this site. Keg washer, carbonater, etc. I bought the tooling to silver solder ports and ferrules in my kettles, and have done all of that, so I customized my kettles for the electric components, but ended up buying the electric components I ultimately used. Even the pre-built 'basic' stuff (like a 5500 w element) is relatively inexpensive at $70ish (brewhardware.com, for example), but it all adds up in the end.

The biggest expense for me was the controller. If you've got the gumption and a little electric know-how already, and won't end up paying $350 for an electric controller... electric is definitely the way to go.

But then I wanted a bigger (and better) 20 gallon kettle... and a pump... and a nicer mashtun... and recirculating hardware, etc., etc.
I love my indoor electric system, and have zero regrets. And I'd do it over again, no question. Electric is totally worth it, in my opinion. (But when I consider my old-school propane burner, and basic Bayou Classic kettle in the garage... that made darn good beer too!)

 

[gnef]

another vote for electric if you can justify the startup cost with your comfort level.

I am very comfortable with working with electricity, and had already run 6 new 20 amp 110v lines a while before, and still had space for more in the main panel.

I ended up running a sub panel to where I wanted to brew. I used 6 gauge copper wiring on a 50 amp GFCI breaker in the main panel.

I kept my 'control panel' simple, in that I had a separate box for the HLT with a basic temp controller and SSR, and then a still dragon DIY kit for the boil kettle. Nothing fancy there, and fairly cheap. I used 30 amp wall switched and and RV 30 amp extension cable for my flexible wiring runs to the kettles and the like from the sub panel.

I also silver soldered the 2" TC fittings for the 5500w element housings, so that I didn't have to send out to a welder (I don't have welding equipment).

I did add a vent hood (you can look into steam condensers that have come out recently), and also a big sink in the garage to help. The big sink has been a great addition to the house in general, and is well used.

I also did all the copper sweating for the water plumbing for the brew area, it is pretty easy once you learn the basics, but if you have never done this before, you should do some practice joints first.

If you are going to run 110v lines, I'd recommend going ahead and run 12 gauge wiring and put in 20 amp breakers, it just makes sense to me to increase your headroom on those lines for a minimal added cost.

All this to say, if you can run a 220v line, I consider that to be the best option, and will give you the greatest flexibility and speed available for brewing. When I do a 30 min mash and 30 min boil for average beers, I can be done with a 5 gallon batch in 2.5 hours flat. Heating up water and wort on 5500W of energy (220v) is amazing to watch the first time after using propane for so many years.