Opinions Needed On My Electric Brewery Plans

[lschiavo]

How many amps are being drawn on across each hot leg on a 5500 watt element? I'm just trying to understand...is it half the amperage or the full amperage? Sorry for all the questions...new to electric and trying to understand how everything is working. I'm looking to use the same wiring diagram in this thread and just curious which terminal strips to use and what gauge wires are needed.

P=IV. Power(Watts)=I(current)xV(voltage). 5500W/240V=I(current).

 

[mcl]

How many amps are being drawn on across each hot leg on a 5500 watt element? I'm just trying to understand...is it half the amperage or the full amperage? Sorry for all the questions...new to electric and trying to understand how everything is working. I'm looking to use the same wiring diagram in this thread and just curious which terminal strips to use and what gauge wires are needed.

The reason Kal can use 20AMP term strips is because the heating elements don't go through them.
http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/control-panel-part-2?page=13

If you want to wire yours through them you will need 30AMP strips or higher.

 

[lschiavo]

The reason Kal can use 20AMP term strips is because the heating elements don't go through them.
http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/control-panel-part-2?page=13

If you want to wire yours through them you will need 30AMP strips or higher.

Exactly.

Now where is raskal to back this all up? Probably all married and $h1t

 

[smoothlarryhughes]

Thanks for clarifying this for me...makes sense now.

 

[CidahMastah]

Yea, go with 5500W then if you haven’t purchased them yet, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Your dryer outlet is 30A I assume? 5500W will pull 25A, and then you will have some room for your 110 items (pumps, PID, etc).

I just found a table, at the bottom of page of this link: http://www.brewmation.com/Panels.html.

10 gallons from 70F to 160F, it says 4500W will take 34 minutes, and 5500W will take 27 minutes. So not a huge difference, but will probably save you 15-20 minutes over the course of Mash/Sparge/Boil heating.

I threw around the idea of possible running my circuit for 50 amps and being able to do two batches at the same time, but decided that the extra costs and hassle to go 50 amps wasn’t really worth it. If I want to do a double batch, I will just pull out my dusty propane burner to heat the second batches mash/sparge water while the first batch is boiling. The second batch will be ‘off the grid’ and there will be no I/O from my PID until the first boil is done. I’ll probably time it so that I wont need temp control, just let the cooler MLT hold the second batch mash/sparge temps for the hour or so during boiling of the first batch. Then temporarily turn off the BK element, drain batch 1 to fermentor, drain batch 2 mash/sparge to BK, and fire the element back up with the same PID settings to finish Batch 2's boil.

My solution to this was using a 100 amp subpanel with two 30amp GFIs in it, fed by my load center on a 2pole 60 amp circuit.

My panel is two sided and fully redundant. I can fire both sides with 5500w at the same time, including my hlt stir motor, and pumps for my herms and the whole 9 yards.

The cost wasn't that much more over all for the control panel parts. Just another contactor and terminal block, plus whatever bells and whistles I wanted for each side.

Understand this is not for everyone, but the wiring and hardware is fairly cheap. If you want to go really cheap you could always use two ge spa panels running into your control panel as well.

 

[raskal]

Trying to make some progress here!

Long story short I went with a GFCI breaker rather than a spa panel just to keep everything clean, and easily removable should I move.

Pulled cable, and ITS ALIVE!!!

Getting the final parts together, I have to wire the elements, tap a hole for a sight glass and we should be good for a water test.

Hopefully have all that done this weekend.

 

[raskal]

More updates.

Got the elements Wired up and installed in the Tri-Clamp Fitting from Brewers Hardware

Connected everything, and we have ignition!

Held water just fine. My step bits should be here on wednesday to finish the sight glass, and then the setup should be ready for a full blown test.

 

[raskal]

More progress, less than 60 days till the wedding so Im under the gun.

Last major bit was to finish up the water system. I wanted one input to be able to control multiple outputs.

Everything is hardlined so its out of the way, Ill explain then pictures.

From the hose bib on the wall I used a washing machine connection, its premade at 6 feet, can handle pressure and water. Only thing is its dual female end.

We found an adapter so the hose can go into the system. From there water is fed through a water filter. Once through the water filter, I can valve it to go to the HLT, BK or the CFC ( Yes I know ill be running filtered water through the CFC, but for the relative cost of filters, VS - running all new copper to bypass it didnt seem like a big deal)

So we gave it a test, no leaks! Next is the sight glass, then running lots hot water through it to clean the system out, then a brew day. :rockin:

 

[lschiavo]

Looking good!

 

[raskal]

Well i did my first test batch last night. I had done some work for a local brewery so I took payment in a bag of random malt - they weren't sure what it was, I'm thinking its a 70-80 Crystal. But I figured it would be good enough to do a test batch.

Plus I had some other malts around that I threw in, so I dub this Mystery Beer.

Everything went pretty well, some snafu's but they will be worked out.

 

[lschiavo]

Awesome! Must feel good to have the first batch through it.

How did the heating times compare with the old stovetop batches?

 

[raskal]

In terms of the 5 gallon, WAY faster. Ill be interested it see how it does on a full batch. Also the manual mode in the PID works great, I was able to hold a nice even but not violent boil at ~40% which was nice.

 

[raskal]

Did my first big batch last night ~12 gallons. I was a bit too cautious on the boil, I kept the % low fearing a boil over, I believe I can run on 100% for much longer - but lesson learned. Need to dial in the march pump a bit better, but everything else is working great. Ill be doing a wheat beer this weekend.