Garage Needs a brew rig...

[Aust1227]

Hey guys. I bought a new home last year. It came with a four car detached garage (plus the 3 car attached garage). Wifey and I filled it up with some poker tables, pingpong, darts, ext.. But I still have lots of room. Lately I have been thinking about an electrical/gas system, and while in the garage today I noticed THIS...

Thats a dedicated 50Amp 240V.. And it is just waiting to be plugged into a brew rig!

So, any electricians out there want to tell me what to do with all that power?

 

[Bobby_M]

Dude, F!@% you. Seriously.

 

[CodeRage]

Replace that thing with a 50A GFI and run two 5500W elements. One for the HLT and one for the boil kettle

 

[67coupe390]

Dude, F!@% you. Seriously.

Bobby don't be so....No, your right F%@k you Aust1227!!!!!

 

[BrewBeemer]

At 80% of rated breaker your down to 40 amps or 9.6kw before adding the control panel with equipment and lights before adding the pump wattage be it one or two pumps. Two 4.5kw heating elements would only allow 600 watts for one or two pumps plus control panel and lighting wattage. With your two 5,500 watt elements your already at 91% of the rated breaker rating before adding control and pump wattage. A weak breaker can drop out before reaching the 50 amp rating causing you problems. Something to think about unless you add a magnetic starter or relay with NO/NC contacts allowing only one heater to operate at a time with the control panel and pumps operational all the time. This is why I have a spare 70 amp breaker (56 amp at 80%) for a future electrically heated brewing.

 

[BrewBeemer]

At 80% of rated breaker your down to 40 amps or 9.6kw before adding the control panel with equipment and lights and before adding the pump wattage be it one or two pumps. Two 4.5kw heating elements would only allow 600 watts for one or two pumps plus control panel and lighting wattage. With your two 5,500 watt elements your already at 91% of the rated breaker rating before adding control and pump wattage. A weak breaker can drop out before reaching its 50 amp rating causing you problems. Something to think about unless you add a magnetic starter or relay with NO/NC contacts allowing only one heater to operate at a time with the control panel and pumps operational all the time. This is why i'm saving a spare 70 amp breaker (56 amp at 80%) for a future electrically heated brewing system.

 

[Aust1227]

Bobby don't be so....No, your right F%@k you Aust1227!!!!!

Thought you guys might like that!!

Seriously though. I don't have much electrical experience at all. I really don't know where to start! Any help on schematics would be greatly appreciated!

 

[BrewBeemer]

Heck your garage / play room is bigger than some peoples houses, build a bar next to your brewing equipment and enjoy it. Make sure you add a big ventilation system over your brewing equipment preventing a rain forest garage. Pool table, plenty of Sports Illustrated Center Folds add a disco ball your set.

 

[EdWort]

Sweet Play Ground! It's missing a projection TV system.

 

[Aust1227]

Sweet Play Ground! It's missing a projection TV system.

Okay. So my garage is great, but that won't brew my beer for me (sung to the tune of "that don't impress me much")!!

I need electric help. Will one of you guys help me get a clue on how to wire this thing up, control boxes, SSRs, and all that crap.

I am thinking a two element system, with a BIG element in the HLT controlled by a simple on/off thermostat. Then a smaller heater for the rims system that will be controlled by a PID. March pump that is wired in with a neat little indicator link, probably a sensor on the intake line so I don't run the thing dry, and lastly i want the RIM heating element to only be able to turn on if the pump is on.

The boil kettle will be a manual gas system until further notice!!

HELP!

 

[CodeRage]

At 80% of rated breaker your down to 40 amps or 9.6kw before adding the control panel with equipment and lights and before adding the pump wattage be it one or two pumps. Two 4.5kw heating elements would only allow 600 watts for one or two pumps plus control panel and lighting wattage. With your two 5,500 watt elements your already at 91% of the rated breaker rating before adding control and pump wattage. A weak breaker can drop out before reaching its 50 amp rating causing you problems. Something to think about unless you add a magnetic starter or relay with NO/NC contacts allowing only one heater to operate at a time with the control panel and pumps operational all the time. This is why i'm saving a spare 70 amp breaker (56 amp at 80%) for a future electrically heated brewing system.

You usually dont fire up the boil kettle till our done with the HLT. At least that is my understanding

 

[Jim Karr]

There must be four or five recent threads about wiring heating elements for HLT. Try a google search of the website.

 

[Aust1227]

There must be four or five recent threads about wiring heating elements for HLT. Try a google search of the website.

I have read a ton on the subject. And I have a decent understanding of the concept. But I want to work on a schematic for MY brew rig. Thanks for your comments though.

 

[Plan9]

I should be able to help you out with this Austin.
I work for the second biggest electrical contractor here in town.
I definitely won't have all the answers, but I have plenty of people who do. :cross:

 

[Aust1227]

I should be able to help you out with this Austin.
I work for the second biggest electrical contractor here in town.
I definitely won't have all the answers, but I have plenty of people who do. :cross:

Dude, that is awesome. And you are coming over next Sunday right? You help me with this bad boy and you can come over and use any of my crap anytime!! In fact, I would be so happy to have it, I will just brew beer for the hell of it, and bring you the filled cornies!!

What company do you work for? Who is the biggest in Town? Ferran?

 

[Plan9]

The Sunday after next.

I work for Palmer.
Tri-City is the largest.
Ferran just has the most obvious building.

If you keg, I may need you to help me learn pressure balancing. I'm staring at 3/4 glass of foam from my new kegerator.

 

[Aust1227]

I know Palmer. They are my electrician of choice on my job sites. Chuck Imo in the Residential section is my boy!!

Kegging is the only way to go. I have a kegerator here you can check out on the 20th!

 

[Plan9]

That's too funny. I've worked with Chuck for years. We worked on the same jobs in the field, and moved into the office about the same time.
I'm the PM for Low Voltage Residential.

 

[Aust1227]

That's too funny. I've worked with Chuck for years. We worked on the same jobs in the field, and moved into the office about the same time.
I'm the PM for Low Voltage Residential.

Why aren't you doing our low voltage work? We have Mitech doing it now. I work for David Weekley Homes.

 

[Plan9]

Yeah, we need to work on that.
I believe Mike was asking for us to take over a neighborhood as well.
We sent in pricing, but we could use some builders pestering purchasing.

 

[BierMuncher]

That looks like a friggin church basement.

You could set up 5 or 6 - 15,000 gallon fermenters in there and start a micro brewery.

 

[BrewBeemer]

Well then just pass the jug of wine around.
I glad someone has extra or any space to grow, great house / brewing space find.
When's the first batch party?

 

[Aust1227]

That looks like a friggin church basement.

You could set up 5 or 6 - 15,000 gallon fermenters in there and start a micro brewery.

you got the funding? Bring it on! I'm ready!

 

[Grimsawyer]

Can't wait to see pics of your up and running brewery... but will a 15 gallon system look big enough in that space? Might have to get some 55 gallon drums to fill up some of that beautiful room! On a serious note, SWEET man space my friend! :rockin:

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

Your garage is the size of my apartment... You'll have to start posting pic's as this build goes underway...

 

[JustMrWill]

Your garage is the size of my apartment... You'll have to start posting pic's as this build goes underway...

NO SH#T! My entire house is only 26' X 36' (single level) and I have a wife, 2 kids and 2 100lb labs living there!!!!

+1 on progress pics.

-JMW

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

I have about 675 sq. ft in my condo. Unfortunately, my girlfriend is the type to adopt stray animals. That left us with three cats, and depending on your view of me, a 26 yr old child.

 

[conpewter]

To get back to the original question. I'd set it up with an all-electric brew stand. Do a couple 110v 2500-3000 watt hot water heater elements. Wire in your pump etc and also add a ventilation van (powered off another circuit probably) to get rid of all the water vapor you are going to create.

As for specifically how to wire it all and build the stand I'm not sure, eventually I may go all electric, but I'm set up for propane right now.

On the other hand I don't see any reason to run electric if you don't want to, you could easily set it up with enough ventilation to do propane or natural gas.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm fond of the idea of an instant hot water system that has been discussed quite a bit here. I don't really like the idea of the element directly in the kettle, but for sure I'd use a 5000 watt element in a copper tube as both a strike/sparge water generator and the mash recirculative heater (run it lower power for this task). I'm barely smart enough to figure it out for myself when I finally get around to it so I'm sure I can't explain it to you in advance.

 

[Brewpastor]

I'd sell you my rig, but it ain't electric, so never mind!