Recirculating mash Heat tube

[ijones]

I was hoping on some opinions or insite from those that have done this.

Here is what I am going to built.

I will have a 1.5" tri clover tube 30" long
one end will have a Tee
A heater will be inserted through the tee and the tube.
The other branch of the tee will have the inlet for the wort
The other end of the tube will have a 90 degree elbow for wort out.

I will be using a 36" long 3/4" dia. cartridge heater with a pipe thread fitting at one end.

First and most importatly what is the watt density I want to stay below when building this and what wattage would be required to hold a constant mash temp? What would be needed to raise the temp for a mash out?

2000w would give me a watt density of 23.579
1500w would give me a watt density of 17.684

2000w puts me at 16.66 amps I only have a 20 amp circut right now.

 

[bullywee]

Mine is 2000/240 on a 50a supply. I brew 23g batches, so mash run volume might be 18g and to get from mash temps to mash out takes abouT 15 M

 

[ijones]

What is the watt density of your heater? Do you get and scortching?

My guess is that at less then 25 watts per square inch and flowing wort from a march pump I should not have a wort scortching issue.

This heater will be controlled by a PID and SSR so it will not be at full power very much except maybe at mash out.

 

[bullywee]

no scorching here, I had some issues at first due to a crappy return manifold design, it returned the wort to one spot on top the grain bed, if I went full open on my ball valves the return would ''channel" really bad causing the temp probe to get a low reading and that would drive the element high, If I cut the ball valves back I wouldn't have enough flow and that wasn't good. New return manifold works great I go full open with the ball valves and I have a nice fluid grain bed, even temps and no spikes or scorching.

 

[ijones]

What are you using for a heater?

 

[bullywee]

2000w Rheem element.