The woes of a 120v brewer

[wilserbrewer]

120v circuits are designed to supply 80% continuous according to NEC. If the load is constant for three hours or more.

3 hours, or 180 minutes is a long boil.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

3 hours, or 180 minutes is a long boil.

I am running a 240vac system but I only boil at 68% duty cycle, so it isn't a constant load. It is a constant pulsing load though. Even heating 35 gallons of strike water with a 5500w element I don't run for 3 hours straight.

 

[suds_zville]

I've been making one 2000w element work for my 5.25 gallon batches for the past 2-3 years just fine. A typical single infusion (batch sparge) all-grain day is around 4:30 and likely looks something like this:
Time
(min) Task
0-5 Measure mash water, mineral, and ph treatments, begin heating
5:-20 Measure out grains & grind
30-35 Mash in
35-40 Measure / ph adjust batch sparge water, begin heating
1:05-1:10 Transfer sparge water from kettle to spare cooler/bucket
1:10-1:15 vorlauf
1:15-1:25 Mash runoff into kettle, begin heating when element submersed
1:25-1:45 Add batch sparge water, stir, settle, vorlauf
1:45-1:55 Batch sparge runoff
2:20 Boil begins
2:20-3:35 75 min boil
3:35-3:45 whirlpool
3:45-4:00 plate chill
4:00-4:05 pitch yeast
4:05-4:30 cleanup

 

[IrregularPulse]

2 20A circuits is plenty to go all electric. A 2KW element on each circuit puts yuor at 16.7 Amps per Circuit. Right at the 80% rating of the breaker. That gives you 4KW in your pot. Plenty.
Controllers are not needed for boiling. They are very handy, however, for strike temps. 1 large benefit to me with going electric is being able to set a strike temp and not worry abut over shooting it. The controller gets it there and maintains it. That way if I get distracted or have to do something else, it doesn't go way over causing me to wait or add ice.

 

[McKnuckle]

I see very little on this forum about true small batch electric brewing, volumes in the 2-3 gallon range ending kettle. Boiling with around 3-4 gallons tops.

I'm putting together a Hot Rod with a 1500W element running on a 15A circuit. In the space I want to brew, it's the only electric source available. I have lots of propane and natural gas stovetop options, but I want a small batch basement solution that keeps all activities completely isolated from A) The weather; and B) SWMBO.

Can anyone speak to the predicted effectiveness of this minimalist setup without referring to 5 gallon batches (please)...?

 

[bfinleyui]

I see very little on this forum about true small batch electric brewing, volumes in the 2-3 gallon range ending kettle. Boiling with around 3-4 gallons tops.

I'm putting together a Hot Rod with a 1500W element running on a 15A circuit. In the space I want to brew, it's the only electric source available. I have lots of propane and natural gas stovetop options, but I want a small batch basement solution that keeps all activities completely isolated from A) The weather; and B) SWMBO.

Can anyone speak to the predicted effectiveness of this minimalist setup without referring to 5 gallon batches (please)...?

Obviously, being the OP, I don't have any specific experience, but according to a spreadsheet I found somewhere (not sure where, I can send it to you if you want), to get 4 gallons from 60 degrees to boiling, would take 62 minutes on 1500w. If you're mashing, it looks like it'd take 40 minutes to heat 4 gallons of mash water to 160 degrees, then 30 minutes to take the wort from 140 to 211 after the mash.

 

[McKnuckle]

Thank you - actually I found that spreadsheet on another thread.

The numbers are a little better with 100% efficiency rather than 95% (the former was suggested for immersed elements). My latest real world example of water volumes would have played out thusly: With 3.75 gallons of 74F water (ambient temp), it's 31 minutes to hit a strike temp of 160. Then after mashing, 19 minutes to bring the remaining 3.4 gallons to a boil from ~154F. That's not bad at all, and I hope it actually follows the prediction!

 

[Mirilis]

2 20A circuits is plenty to go all electric. A 2KW element on each circuit puts yuor at 16.7 Amps per Circuit. Right at the 80% rating of the breaker. That gives you 4KW in your pot. Plenty.
Controllers are not needed for boiling. They are very handy, however, for strike temps. 1 large benefit to me with going electric is being able to set a strike temp and not worry abut over shooting it. The controller gets it there and maintains it. That way if I get distracted or have to do something else, it doesn't go way over causing me to wait or add ice.

IP I havent seen you on here for years! .. then again i guess i dont look much.

I have my controller set up to only control the one element .. my other element is plugged directly in. I have my PID alarm set for say 160 (my strike temp), and my PID set point is set for 151 (my mast temp).

I walk away.. when my temp gets to set-point then the 1 element (on the controller shuts down) The other however still goes 100% so the temp still climbs. just a bit slower.

Once it hits 160 then my alarm goes off. I unplug the second element, then shut off my alarm and dough in.. then im dead nuts on my mash temp and the controller with 1 element will maintain it.

When Im ready for boil I set the control element to 100% manual, and then plug the second element back in.. and dont unplug till end of boil

 

[thekraken]

Mirilis: So you require both elements at 100% to maintain the boil? What was your experience backing off the power and just trying to maintain boil?

You mentioned 1650W elements, can you link to the specific ones you use?

 

[Mirilis]

Here is the elements I use I soaked them in Starsan for a few hours and then cleaned them down to the copper.

I guess I could back down the boil some but both of them at 100% left me with the boil I want (not so vigorous its crazy but not just barely bubbling either)

 

[chickens4life]

I've been making one 2000w element work for my 5.25 gallon batches for the past 2-3 years just fine. A typical single infusion (batch sparge) all-grain day is around 4:30 and likely looks something like this:
Time
(min) Task
0-5 Measure mash water, mineral, and ph treatments, begin heating
5:-20 Measure out grains & grind
30-35 Mash in
35-40 Measure / ph adjust batch sparge water, begin heating
1:05-1:10 Transfer sparge water from kettle to spare cooler/bucket
1:10-1:15 vorlauf
1:15-1:25 Mash runoff into kettle, begin heating when element submersed
1:25-1:45 Add batch sparge water, stir, settle, vorlauf
1:45-1:55 Batch sparge runoff
2:20 Boil begins
2:20-3:35 75 min boil
3:35-3:45 whirlpool
3:45-4:00 plate chill
4:00-4:05 pitch yeast
4:05-4:30 cleanup

This is almost exactly what I do. I have actually gone back and forth between this and using the same system to do a full volume mash BIAB, but that actually takes longer because you have to heat the full volume of water before you can mash in.

Still haven't decided is my favorite. but no question about it, in the right kettle 2kw is enough on its own for 5 gallon batches (I have actually done a 1/4bbl batch with mine). I am thinking of adding a cheap element that I can plug into another circuit just to speed up the heat times, like maybe this one.

 

[mikescooling]

I don't know what the layout of your home is, but have you thought of running a big cable to get 240v where you need it? When you're finished brewing, roll it up and put it away.