slow build out

[millsbrew]

Full version: I've been reading this sub for some time and I'm really impressed with everyone's set up. I brew probably every 3 weeks, and really love brewing outside. I usually brew with at least 1 other brewer to help pass the time, and we usually alternate who's house we brew at. That said, this horrible winter really made brewing outside quite difficult.
I am getting some work done to my basement and I figured I would have a 220 outlet and 400+ CFM vent put in while I had the construction crew here. I don't want to go nuts and drop multiple thousands of dollars on a system I'm not even sure I will like.
Can I use 1 kettle for everything? I basically do that now with my propane set up. I would heat my mash water, dough in with my current cooler, then heat my sparge water during the 75 minute mash, then transfer the water to my HLT cooler, and use my current gravity set up to get everything into the original electric kettle? The idea of pumps scares me (sanitation and stuck sparge-wise) and i'm finally getting consistent numbers with my propane system. Any advice for a slow build out is greatly appreciated.

TL;DR - Can I start with just ONE 220v kettle plugged directly into the outlet to heat all my required waters/liquids? aka - can a 220v heat source get 5 gallons of sparge to 170f in an hour.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dyqik]

TL;DR - Can I start with just ONE 220v kettle plugged directly into the outlet to heat all my required waters/liquids? aka - can a 220v heat source get 5 gallons of sparge to 170f in an hour.

You can definitely do it that way - A 30A circuit will run a 4.5 or 5.5 kW kettle that will heat the sparge water in about 20-30 minutes.

See this heating calculator - http://www.phpdoc.info/brew/boilcalc.html

 

[ontum]

You can heat up your water with a simple plugged in heating element, but you will have no way to control it. This might work okay for heating up strike and sparge water, but you wont have a way to control your boil. This setup would be like using your propane burner on full blast without being able to control its output.

I believe there are some cheaper ways to control a single element without building an entire control panel, but I don't have experience in this. I did see a cool video where a guy used an Arduino to control his heating element's duty cycle with what looked to be a simple potentiometer. This would be a cool cheap route, if you can figure out the Arduino.

-
Craig

 

[dyqik]

Sorry, I missed the bit about no boil control. The SSVR controller kit from StillDragon.com (or a DIY version of the same) will be able to control the power during the boil. No need to use an Arduino or anything that complex.

You will also want to put some kind of GFCI protection into the circuit, either in the breaker board itself or using a spa panel at your outlet.

 

[ontum]

This looks pretty simple to me. Would be fun to make as well.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD8zAzk4Oz4[/ame]

 

[augiedoggy]

This looks pretty simple to me. Would be fun to make as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD8zAzk4Oz4

wow He states that cost about $120 to build.. that seems like a very expensive and overcomplicated way of controlling a boil vs a something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/140553987088?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT or this http://stilldragon.com/index.php/diy-controller-kit.html
or even something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-T...748?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bfdf893c which has a manual pwm mode built in..

I own an arduino and that just doesnt seem all that practical since even if one buys a knock off arduino the build costs are going to be high compared to all the other options out there... It does look like it might be fun to build though... (For some including myself)

 

[ontum]

wow He states that cost about $120 to build.. that seems like a very expensive and overcomplicated way of controlling a boil vs a something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/140553987088?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT or this http://stilldragon.com/index.php/diy-controller-kit.html
or even something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-T...748?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bfdf893c which has a manual pwm mode built in..

I own an arduino and that just doesnt seem all that practical since even if one buys a knock off arduino the build costs are going to be high compared to all the other options out there... It does look like it might be fun to build though... (For some including myself)

Okay, so maybe not the easiest or cheapest option. There are always cheaper options eh. Kitchen stove small boil extract brews are cheaper right? No one brews to save money that I know. I brag to my wife when I make a great beer for cheap, but we both know hobbies cost money and building things are half the fun in my book.

Although my brother doesn't go looking for projects related to his home brewing. He would rather sit in his hammock and drink a home brew than build a motorized mill. The only time he upgrades his equipment is when I give him my hand me down stuff.

 

[augiedoggy]

Okay, so maybe not the easiest or cheapest option. There are always cheaper options eh. Kitchen stove small boil extract brews are cheaper right? No one brews to save money that I know. I brag to my wife when I make a great beer for cheap, but we both know hobbies cost money and building things are half the fun in my book.

Although my brother doesn't go looking for projects related to his home brewing. He would rather sit in his hammock and drink a home brew than build a motorized mill. The only time he upgrades his equipment is when I give him my hand me down stuff.

Same here with my brother in law...
Fair enough but I also meant its not really as practical either though IMO, unless you want to build it as a project as much as you want to use it...
How easy is it to turn on and off? does it run independent of the pc or do you need to connect it via usb and "start the script" each time... if not you have to add a 5v powersupply to the list of hardware since the guy in the video was using his usb cable to power it... plus I would have to put that inside some sort of enclosure.... Having all those exposed wires and board components next to a boiling pot of liquid is asking for trouble...

 

[dcrog]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/271737694148?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Something like this could work.

 

[augiedoggy]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/271737694148?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Something like this could work.

Yes but many have reported that even though they are advertised for 10,000w they develop burned spots on the board with just one 5500w element because the traces and fuse holder is not thick enough to support the amp load long term... Also they were not designed for the power frequency we use in the united states so the control knob doesn't work very well from what I have read... not to mention they were designed for between 111v-220v and most residential power in the use would be 230-240v...

 

[millsbrew]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Are their any pre-built control panels that are reasonable in price? I didn't mind making my stc-1000 control boxes, but messing with 220volts sounds like something I should leave to the pro's. I'm sure I'll be bugging you guys for tips on fan install next. Thanks again.

 

[branman]

Ebrewsuppy.com has them prebuilt. But if you've done one before it's not that much more difficult IMO.