help with prep for electric brewing

[canyonbrewer]

Hello all from Sunny Charlotte, NC.

i am interested in prepping my garage for electric brewing. Been reading the electric brewing forum alot lately.

My house has 200 amp service. I have a breaker box in my garage with 2 open slots. My goal is to mount a receptical on my garage wall about 15 feet away from my breaker box.

I brew 10 gallon batches in keggles...and am looking at RIMS. I plan to have a 5500 watt element in my HLT and my BK. Not sure what size I should run in my RIMS tube.

questions:

1. Is 50 amps enough? I think I will be running the HLT and RIMS tube at the same time, and then run the BK alone after mashing.

2. what size element should I put in my RIMS tube?

3. I see alot of people buying SPA panels with built in 50 amp GFCI breakers. Do I need this? Or couldn't I just install a 50 amp GFCI breaker in my existing box? Is there a cost consideration here?

Thanks All!

 

[Bobby_M]

50a panel mount GFI breaker for MOST of us is twice the price of the spa panel. I don't know why.

You can't run 2 x 5500 at the same time but you'd only have to run the HLT and kettle at the same time if you were trying to run back to back batches.

 

[nostalgia]

Yep, what Bobby said on price. I also like having the separate panel so I don't ever have to reach into a full panel (with 30 other non-GFCI breakers) with wet hands.

Also, I run 2 x 5500 watt elements at the same time - I'm heating my first runnings while keeping the sparge water hot in my HLT. However they're never both at full power at the same time so it's an intermittent load. I run the BK's element at 50% until the HLT is off.

I'd be very curious to find out what my actual amperage draw is.

-Joe

 

[canyonbrewer]

thanks for the quick reply guys...

Not trying to run back to back batches, but I will need to run my RIMS tube element(unsure on watts) and HLT element (5500 watts) at the same time while I am mashing and heating sparge water.

Once mashing is over, I would only be running the BK (5500 watts).

All this being said, what wattage do folks recommend for my RIMS element. Planning on using the brewershardware tube, so I need an element that won't touch the sides, scorch the wort during flow, and can maintain my mash temps with ease.

Also, if I buy the Home Depot 50 amp spa panel, I still need a 50 amp non-gfi breaker in my main box to power the spa panel right?

thanks!

 

[P-J]

Hi. You say Charlotte, NC in your opening post but your profile says SC. ??? Which?

Are you dead set on the RIMS tube? There is another way that is a lot less expensive and equally efficient (if not more). Interested?

Do you have a pump or two in your plan?

I have the knowledge and I think I can help you in your adventure.

 

[canyonbrewer]

Hi PJ -

Actually Fort Mill, SC...just south of Charlotte.

not dead set on RIMS...but not really sure I like HERMS.

I have 2 march pumps and 2 Auber 2362 PIDS currently controlling asco valves. I am tired of propane burners.

 

[pickles]

I also run two 5500 watt elements, two March 809 pumps and Brewteoller at the same time with 50 A spa panel breaker with no tripping. However the Brewtroller turned on the RIMs element while the rest was running and the breaker tripped. The problem was user error but it does illustrate how close it is to 50 Amps.

 

[canyonbrewer]

Hi again all -

I am thinking about using this RV panel, because i need the extra 120v recepticles in the garage....(damn builder only put 1 outlet on the wall)

Is this thing GFCI? Safe?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...1&catalogId=10053&MERCH=REC-_-product-2-_-spa

Thanks!

 

[P-J]

...
Is this thing GFCI? Safe?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...1&catalogId=10053&MERCH=REC-_-product-2-_-spa

Thanks!

No. It has a GFCI outlet installer in it not a breaker.