Gas or electric?

[Simphoto02]

Some sweet rigs being built on here. I too am planning mine.

I am pretty settled on a single tier "Brutus" type deal.

Question is Gas or electric?

And why? Please give details with your answer. Why did you, if you have or still just planning like I am, use one over the other.

Thanks

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Yes. For flexibility.

My rig uses gas for the fast, bulk heat, and electric for maintaining RIMS temps.

 

[conpewter]

I love my electric setup. I never run out of fuel, I can heat my boil kettle and HLT faster than I used to on propane, I don't worry about CO or gas leaks. I theoretically could set it up to start heating my HLT so that it is ready to dough in when I get home from work.

 

[Simphoto02]

I love my electric setup. I never run out of fuel, I can heat my boil kettle and HLT faster than I used to on propane, I don't worry about CO or gas leaks. I theoretically could set it up to start heating my HLT so that it is ready to dough in when I get home from work.

Somewhere out here on Brew world there is a guy trying to figure out how to hook up a web cam and brew FROM work.

All great points. Can I get some details on which elements u guys use and current draw per unit and as a system as a whole?

Etc.?

 

[arturo7]

Somewhere out here on Brew world there is a guy trying to figure out how to hook up a web cam and brew FROM work.

Could you imagine that? Automating your system to the point that you could brew from a remote location? The vorlauf and sparge operations would present a challenge.

 

[conpewter]

I use 5500 watt elements, I only run one at at time since I'm on a 30 amp breaker. I think the draw for one is around 22 amps, I'd have to go look at my calculations. I have the 5500 W element in both the boil kettle and HLT, I didn't see a reason to go smaller in one or the other. They are ULWD elements so that it wont' scorch the wort.

 

[conpewter]

Could you imagine that? Automating your system to the point that you could brew from a remote location? The vorlauf and sparge operations would present a challenge.

I did read of one guy that can set up his system at night (water, grain, hops) and come back in the morning to wort ready to pitch yeast in to. I wouldn't want to do that though, I have fun brewing.

 

[arturo7]

You wouldn't be able to enjoy the aroma, either.

 

[Sawdustguy]

I agree with GilaMinumBeer. I am using Natural Gas for the HLT and Boil Kettle and a PID controlled electric RIMS to maintain the MLT temperature. I never have to worry about running out of Natural Gas or Electricity. IMHO Natural Gas is a little bit safer than propane also.

 

[BrewBeemer]

I use 5500 watt elements, I only run one at at time since I'm on a 30 amp breaker. I think the draw for one is around 22 amps, I'd have to go look at my calculations. I have the 5500 W element in both the boil kettle and HLT, I didn't see a reason to go smaller in one or the other. They are ULWD elements so that it wont' scorch the wort.

I'll use electric like "conpewter" but have more power available so that I can run two 5.5KW elements in the HLT, MLT and Boil Keggle one at a time but being able to switch to two seperate units on 5.5KW each to maintain heat once up to temperature. This controlled by a BCS 460 controller.
Propane is way overpriced in my area, natural gas within 5' but rather run an all electric brewing system again. No more burnt up equipment, frame and paint from flames besides clean and silent heating. Insulation is a great help in fast heating times. JMO's on my next electric system the last electric brewery worked great but with manual switching a PITA.

 

[Simphoto02]

I use 5500 watt elements, I only run one at at time since I'm on a 30 amp breaker. I think the draw for one is around 22 amps, I'd have to go look at my calculations. I have the 5500 W element in both the boil kettle and HLT, I didn't see a reason to go smaller in one or the other. They are ULWD elements so that it wont' scorch the wort.

So your system runs on a single pole 30 amp breaker? mmmmmmm

Did you do any calculations on the pumps and heating elements running at same time? Just to have a max. load?

How many gallons are you heating and how fast/slow? Pictures? Anybody?

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

 

[The Pol]

I have numerous threads and photos of my E-HERMS on here.

I like it, it is just easy to control temps and there is no gas to run out of.

Actually, I have more $$ than actual brewing skill, so it made sense to engineer myself out of it.

 

[conpewter]

So your system runs on a single pole 30 amp breaker? mmmmmmm

Did you do any calculations on the pumps and heating elements running at same time? Just to have a max. load?

How many gallons are you heating and how fast/slow? Pictures? Anybody?

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Double pole 30 amp breaker. That goes to a dryer outlet (4 prong) which the brewery plugs in to. I use a 30 amp GFCI protected cord to go from there to the rig, there is a control panel there that I use to control whichever element I'm using.

I plug the pump into a regular wall socket, though I could have used the same power using the neutral and one of the hots.

I heat 10 gallons or more at a time in the HLT. I don't remember the ramp up time, I'm always crushing my grain and the HLT is to temp when I get done with that. My first runnings are always to a boil before I get my 2nd runnings in the keg, so it heats plenty quick for me.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cold-dead-hands-electric-brew-rig-action-118232/

I've got a few things I'd like to add (tippy dump for easier cleaning the boil kettle) but it works well.

I could add another breaker etc. to run both elements but my home only has 100 amp service, I don't want to pull nearly 50 amps for the brewstand alone

 

[kladue]

I wonder what is too much automation for a gas fired setup?, the web cam idea has possibilities.

 

[Boar Beer]

We put in an electric HLT and used Brewmation to supply the parts.
works great
Home brewery electric conversion kits
much better than gas

 

[sjlammer]

Electric! Shortly I will have an hlt with two 2000 watt 120v heaters, and a bk with a 5500w ripple stick. I am using a 50amp gfi breaker for the whole thing. Cost for brewing energy? About a dollar a batch.

 

[The Pol]

Yah, operating costs are low for electric rigs. I can run a 60 minute mash, 20 minute mash out and a 100 minute boil, for $1.13.

 

[sjlammer]

And you can easily brew indoors. Which is nice. Electric is also easier to add automation to. If u add automation to a natural gas burner with a solenoid driven needle valve, you have to worry about the the fuel air mix getting out of whack.

 

[Sawdustguy]

The caveat with electric is having enough current to handle the job. If you have anything less than 150 amp service, electric may not be an option. I only have 125 amp service, so Natural Gas is a real option. I don't think there is anything bad about Natural Gas or Electric. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. It all depends on what resources you have available. If one has neither, there is always propane.

 

[leboeuf]

I only have 60 amp service to my house, so I use natural gas for everything. I need to look over my bills but I'm fairly certain each brew session is around $1.75 in natty gas during the summer, and maybe $2.25 during the winter.

It does surprise me to see so many out there with electric setups, I thought 100A was fairly standard, which would leave your system fairly stressed if a brewery and say an E-stove/E-dryer were running at the same time. Or maybe I've just gotten used to my 1949 vintage 60 amp service lol...

 

[The Pol]

I only have 60 amp service to my house, so I use natural gas for everything. I need to look over my bills but I'm fairly certain each brew session is around $1.75 in natty gas during the summer, and maybe $2.25 during the winter.

It does surprise me to see so many out there with electric setups, I thought 100A was fairly standard, which would leave your system fairly stressed if a brewery and say an E-stove/E-dryer were running at the same time. Or maybe I've just gotten used to my 1949 vintage 60 amp service lol...

Our whole neighborhood is standardized at 200A

 

[leboeuf]

Our whole neighborhood is standardized at 200A

Now I'm just jealous...

 

[The Pol]

Before I built here, I had a circa 1960s home. Now, I never electric brewed there, but I am certain that I could not have. All of these homes are two years old, so they are all 200A, which is nice.

 

[BrewBeemer]

I just priced Blue Rino at the local Hardware store;
Blue Rino exchange for a 15# bottle (was 20# until the added fill limit float)
goes for $23.99 and this is 3.5 gallon not the old 20# 5 gallons.
Exchange with old style valve with "Blue Rino's valve and filled bottle $39.99.
Purchase a full Blue Rino bottle without an exchange $59.99.
At their BR exchange rate propane goes for $6.85 a gallon.
I'll stay with electric heating even with NG 5' away. A 200 amp
service is the bare minimum I can operate at with the house demand
plus double electric ovens not counting the Tig that can draw 131 amps alone when I put my foot into the heat control.

 

[The Pol]

You Tig weld often while you brew?

 

[arturo7]

You Tig weld often while you brew?

Isn't this normal procedure?

 

[The Pol]

Isn't this normal procedure?

HERMS, RIMS, STEAM and Tig

 

[pickles]

Is anyone brewing all electric with less than 200A service? I have 100A main and have been contemplating upgrading service, maybe it'll be sooner than later. Besides Conpewter.

 

[user 29649]

It shouldnt be a problem as long as you have room left in your panel. If your panel is full then you should probably upgrade. Though you could start adding mini breakers to free up some space.

 

[arturo7]

An upgrade to a 200A panel is one of the top things on my AG checklist. I'm lucky to have a cousin who is an electrician. He also likes beer.