Electrical needs for 2 BrewCommander

[RenaudP]

Hi,

I'm in my HERMS conception and I'm still torn between using 2 BrewCommander 240v or BruControl's Uniflex with two vessels output.
One of the advantages of going with 2 BrewCommander is the possibility to have both the HLT and BK fire at the same time.

My question is about the electrical installation that I should have installed to connect the controllers.
For the Uniflex, one 240V line with 30A GFCI is pretty simple.

For 2 BrewCommander, is there an advantage to having two 240V lines each with its 30A GFCI circuit breaker and one L6-30 outlet per box or a single line with one 60A GFCI circuit breaker and a junction box with two L6-30 outlets would work?

I'm by no mean an electrician and will have a professionnal install everything, but it might help me make a decision based on cost.

Thanks.

 

[doug293cz]

Hi,

I'm in my HERMS conception and I'm still torn between using 2 BrewCommander 240v or BruControl's Uniflex with two vessels output.
One of the advantages of going with 2 BrewCommander is the possibility to have both the HLT and BK fire at the same time.

My question is about the electrical installation that I should have installed to connect the controllers.
For the Uniflex, one 240V line with 30A GFCI is pretty simple.

For 2 BrewCommander, is there an advantage to having two 240V lines each with its 30A GFCI circuit breaker and one L6-30 outlet per box or a single line with one 60A GFCI circuit breaker and a junction box with two L6-30 outlets would work?

I'm by no mean an electrician and will have a professionnal install everything, but it might help me make a decision based on cost.

Thanks.

For the 2x BrewCommander option, code may require separate circuits. I've never seen two 30A outlets on a 60A circuit, which makes me suspect it is not allowed. Check with an electrician, or maybe one of the code experts on HBT will weigh in.

A quick web search came up with this: 240V 2 X 30A plugs on a 60A circuit breaker - DoItYourself.com Community Forums

Brew on

 

[RenaudP]

You’re right. Not something to do.

I’ll have to base my decision between 2 Brewcommander or BruControl Uniflex to other factors.

 

[RufusBrewer]

You can run two brewcommanders on one circuit. You have to manage and balance current draw. I am going to think that would not be difficult because I have a hard time thinking of a time when both a HLT and NK are going to both be going such to create a problem.

You could create a one in, two out power splitter with two current meters, one meter on each power output.

 

[Bobby_M]

Could do a 60a GFCI breaker in the main feeding a subpanel with two 30amp standard breakers. That may be cheaper because GFCI breakers tend to be 10x the cost of standard breakers and buying two 30amp can add up.

The wire goes from 10 gauge (30amp) up to 4 (amp).

Why do you need to fire the HLT and BK at the same time?

 

[T Murph]

I recently had to work out this very issue also. I ultimately decided to simplify mine by going with one Blichmann 240v power controller. Here is my option.

1. 30 amp breaker to feed outlet/extension cord
2. 4 ft of 10/3 wire with a female L6-30 plug on one end to Blichmann power controller. (Power controller plugs into cord)
3. 4 ft of 10/3 wire with a female L6-30 plug on one end and a male L6-30 plug on the other end. ( male end plugs into controller and female end plugs onto burner)

You don't need power to both the HLT and BK at the same time. Simply plug the cord from the power controller to the vessel you want to heat and controll the power individually. When it's time to change vessels swap the cord from one to the other. The Blichmann Power Controller gives you a dial to turn the power on and off and adjust the heat as needed.

Major savings in money, space and effort.

 

[itsnotrequired]

For the 2x BrewCommander option, code may require separate circuits. I've never seen two 30A outlets on a 60A circuit, which makes me suspect it is not allowed. Check with an electrician, or maybe one of the code experts on HBT will weigh in.

A quick web search came up with this: 240V 2 X 30A plugs on a 60A circuit breaker - DoItYourself.com Community Forums

Brew on

for circuits rated more than 50 amps, national electrical code does not allow for receptacles rated less than the rating of the circuit, regardless of how many receptacles are on the circuit.

 

[RufusBrewer]

If it were me, on my boil kettle, I would not need a full blown brewcommander.

All I would need on a BK is a voltage regulator on the element, something to throttle the power up and down. The power knob, I turn up and down and eyball it until I see the rolling boil level I want.

A digital thermometer would be nice to track how close to boiling and/or when I have chilled my wort to the desired temperature.

I probably would install a switch to restrict only one element can turn on at a time. Why? To reduce the dry fire of an element. In this set up the two power outputs provide the convenience of not swapping power cables back and forth.

 

[doug293cz]

If it were me, on my boil kettle, I would not need a full blown brewcommander.

All I would need on a BK is a voltage regulator on the element, something to throttle the power up and down. The power knob, I turn up and down and eyball it until I see the rolling boil level I want.

A digital thermometer would be nice to track how close to boiling and/or when I have chilled my wort to the desired temperature.

I probably would install a switch to restrict only one element can turn on at a time. Why? To reduce the dry fire of an element. In this set up the two power outputs provide the convenience of not swapping power cables back and forth.

This sounds like it's getting into DIY electrical construction territory. My reading of OP is that they are looking for an off-the-self solution. Everyone here should already know I'm all in favor of DIY electrical, if that's the way someone wants to go.

Brew on

 

[Bobby_M]

If it were me, on my boil kettle, I would not need a full blown brewcommander.

All I would need on a BK is a voltage regulator on the element, something to throttle the power up and down. The power knob, I turn up and down and eyball it until I see the rolling boil level I want.

A digital thermometer would be nice to track how close to boiling and/or when I have chilled my wort to the desired temperature.

I probably would install a switch to restrict only one element can turn on at a time. Why? To reduce the dry fire of an element. In this set up the two power outputs provide the convenience of not swapping power cables back and forth.

I'm not going to suggest that you can't get away with a simple power controller knob on the boil kettle. Of course you can, because it's just like a knob on a propane regulator in that case. What I will say is that having a Brew Commander sitting right there and NOT use it on the boil kettle is foolish because the functionality is superior.

For one thing, it's very convenient to know the temperature of the wort in the kettle. When you're first ramping up to a boil, you can have it bring it up to 205F and hold it so that you don't have a boil over problem should you be distracted away from the kettle temporarily. Then when you are chilling down, either all the way or to a hop stand, you have have digital temp display right there.

Built in timer....

Lastly, the power control is linear in 1% increments.

I don't see changing a power cable and probe cable just before the boil is a big deal.

 

[RenaudP]

I was planning on 2 BrewCommander for possible double brew day.
But I’m weighing the cost vs the number of times I’m actually going to do 2 batches a day.

I’ve done it a few times on the Brewzilla 120v. It takes forever.

 

[RufusBrewer]

Sounds like the solution for how RenaudP wants to operate is two L6-30 sockets fed by two 240 VAC 30 Amp GFCI breakers. Probably he would be well served to add one or two 120 VAC on GFCI circuits for the Brewcommander pump functions as well.

Much comes down to money and how much you are willing to put into the hobby.