Currently, I'm renting a house with a nice parking lot to do 5 gallon batches on a propane burner in. I also have lots of storage space and some roommates to drink my beer. Next year, I'm in a much smaller apartment, and I'm considering switching to 2.5 gallon BIAB instead. What are my options for doing this electrically, indoors? I'm still renting, and my place doesn't have a washer and dryer or a garage, so I don't have the space for some of the setups here. What could I run off a normal outlet?
Preliminary research - electric brewing for 2.5 gallon batches?
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McKnuckle
Well-Known Member
You could easily use your stovetop unless the stove is a POS. Alternately, an 1800W induction cooktop (such as the Avantco unit) will do the job and is totally portable, meaning you could brew in any room where it makes sense. You just need have a stainless kettle that works with induction, which is most of them.
Alternately, you can use a Hot Rod heat stick from BrewHardware.com, also a simple portable solution... or get into the whole element-in-the-kettle thing. But I frankly think that's overkill.
Alternately, you can use a Hot Rod heat stick from BrewHardware.com, also a simple portable solution... or get into the whole element-in-the-kettle thing. But I frankly think that's overkill.
That's a good point, really... my current stove is a crappy electric one, and I did my very first batch (~3.5 gallons) on it when I started. I immediately bought a propane burner, and that kind of turned me off stovetop brewing. I'll give it a shot when I move though, it's a good starting point.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
I put a 2200 watt element in my old 5 gallon pot, build a stilldragon controller, and wired a GFCI for slightly over $100. I brew 2.5-3.0 gallon batches in that on 110V power and get a strong boil. The stilldragon controller is a potentiometer controller, so it goes from 0-100% power to the element, and I have it marked where to set it to maintain mash temp.
Note that you have to have at least a 15 amp circuit to run 2200 watts off 110V. 2200 watts will trip a 10 amp circuit. I think 1800 is the max you can run off a 10 amp circuit. I previously had a 1500 watt element in this setup, and that wouldn't get me to boil. It hovered around 208F, and took FOREVER to get there. The 2200 watts on 110 gets me to mash in about 15 minutes, then up to boil in about 10 minutes.
I have a larger 11 gallon propane setup as well, but find myself using this small electric more often than the other. I can bust out a batch in a little over 4 hours, and it's very portable for group brew days with the homebrew club.
Note that you have to have at least a 15 amp circuit to run 2200 watts off 110V. 2200 watts will trip a 10 amp circuit. I think 1800 is the max you can run off a 10 amp circuit. I previously had a 1500 watt element in this setup, and that wouldn't get me to boil. It hovered around 208F, and took FOREVER to get there. The 2200 watts on 110 gets me to mash in about 15 minutes, then up to boil in about 10 minutes.
I have a larger 11 gallon propane setup as well, but find myself using this small electric more often than the other. I can bust out a batch in a little over 4 hours, and it's very portable for group brew days with the homebrew club.
I think you mean that a 2200W circuit needs a 20A outlet (looks like a regular outlet but on of the prongs is horizontal). These are often found in kitchens.
Even that is 18+ amps which is pretty high for a 20A circuit; typically they say continuous loads should only use 80%. It's debatable whether brewing is "continuous" or not though.
Normal two and three prong plugs are 15A circuits which support up to 1500W. 1500W/120V = 12.5A which is 80% of 15A.
A 20A outlets like you'd find in the kitchen should normally only be used for up to 2000W. 2000W / 120V = 16.6A which is just over 80% of 20A.
I know this is all probably what you meant, but getting electricity wrong can kill you or burn down your house, so better to make sure things are clear.
Even that is 18+ amps which is pretty high for a 20A circuit; typically they say continuous loads should only use 80%. It's debatable whether brewing is "continuous" or not though.
Normal two and three prong plugs are 15A circuits which support up to 1500W. 1500W/120V = 12.5A which is 80% of 15A.
A 20A outlets like you'd find in the kitchen should normally only be used for up to 2000W. 2000W / 120V = 16.6A which is just over 80% of 20A.
I know this is all probably what you meant, but getting electricity wrong can kill you or burn down your house, so better to make sure things are clear.
That all said i built a 4G countertop e-biab using an auber pid and a 12V DC pump for mash recirc. I have a 5500W 240V Camco ripple element, but because I'm running it at 120V it's only 1375W. That gets an anemic boil of 4.5G of wort with the kettle wrapped in a towel. I'll be upgrading that to a 6000W 240V element (which will give me 1500W at about 30W/in2 which should make boils better.
My advice: size up a bit. Get a 5G pot for two reasons. #1 you can always brew less than your kettle but never more; should you ever want to do 4G or do 4 and split the batch you could. #2 elements are long and you want an ULWD one. The short ones are MWD or HWD and can scorch your wort. I've had that happen. The larger your kettle the less you'll need to bend the element to make it fit.
Also, if you do need to bend the element, make sure it's an Incoloy one. They bend. Shiny ones will break.
Lastly, don't let the bag rest on the element. Get a mash screen and add some feet to it, so it'll rest above the element, and the bag goes on that.
My advice: size up a bit. Get a 5G pot for two reasons. #1 you can always brew less than your kettle but never more; should you ever want to do 4G or do 4 and split the batch you could. #2 elements are long and you want an ULWD one. The short ones are MWD or HWD and can scorch your wort. I've had that happen. The larger your kettle the less you'll need to bend the element to make it fit.
Also, if you do need to bend the element, make sure it's an Incoloy one. They bend. Shiny ones will break.
Lastly, don't let the bag rest on the element. Get a mash screen and add some feet to it, so it'll rest above the element, and the bag goes on that.
jekeane
Well-Known Member
I do 2 gallon batches on my ceramic stovetop weekly. Im sure if I wanted to find the right shape pot I could do more.
If you stove is junk at you next place I would look into a induction burner and kettle and go that route for simplicity over heat sticks and elements personally.
If you stove is junk at you next place I would look into a induction burner and kettle and go that route for simplicity over heat sticks and elements personally.
