What are my electric brewing options?

[mjw210]

New apartment/new city means I can no longer brew propane on the porch, so I'm looking into electric brewing options. In initial research, it seems like the heating element is the easy part, and connecting it is confusing, so I was hoping someone could shed light on what my options are.

I have a 15 gallon Blichmann G1 kettle that I'm willing to modify, and I generally brew 5 gallon batches. In my apartment it looks like I have a 120v 20 amp standard GFCI outlet in my kitchen, and a 240v NEMA 14-30 outlet for my in unit dryer. I'm assuming the dryer outlet isn't GFCI, but I'm not 100% sure.

Just for ease of access, I may attempt to use the 120v kitchen outlet (I was considering the BoilCoil if the 10 gallon one would fit my pot). In that case, I think it would be as simple as: kitchen outlet > control box with L5-20 plug > BoilCoil plug.

If I were to look into 240v dryer outlet I'm getting a bit confused here.

1. In my research, I've seen people talk about a Spa GFI breaker panel, but I'm not too sure what it is and what the purpose of these are over an extension cord with built in GFCI protection?
2. How would these Spa panels be connected to the wall?
3. Would I use adapters to connect, and are there any safety concerns with adapters?
4. For the camco elements, is there any reason to choose a 4500W over a 5500W?

I'm sure I'll have some other questions as I do more research.

 

[LarMoeCur]

If it were me and I wanted to go electric in an apartment. I would make an extension cord to run from the dryer outlet to my control panel using locking connectors. I'd first check to make sure the dryer breaker is 30 amp. The longer the extension the larger the risk of heat. So, you will need to look at how long the run will be and us the correct gauge wire. I would not modify the apartment to add a spa panel. Opening yourself up to a huge liability.

If your sticking to 5 gallon batches 4500w or 5500w are about the same. I'm sure the 15# brain bubbas will chime in and tell you about watts and amps and time to boil. BLUF it's just a few minutes more or less for 5 gallon batches depending on the wattage.

 

[SilverZero]

If you can find an extension cord (at least 10-gauge) with GFCI, that's probably the easiest route. A spa panel is just a sub-panel with a GFCI breaker built in, and it requires a bit of work to install from the main breaker panel. Usually people go that route because it's cheaper and more flexible as far as placement.

Spa panels themselves just screw to the wall, but they need to be wired either in-wall or via conduit.

Lower wattage elements will draw less amps and require slightly smaller wire, but they'll take longer to heat water. If you're using a 240v outlet already, I'd say get the proper wire for a 5500w element. Any extension cord with GFCI will probably cover it. You'll need a 30-amp breaker at the main panel protecting this circuit, so check that first.

 

[doug293cz]

What kind of process are you looking to use? BAIB? Two vessel, three vessel? Do you just want to control the boil, or do you want to be able to control strike water temp/and or maintain mash temp with a PID?

With a 30A dryer circuit, you can only run one 4500W or 5500W element at a time.

Brew on

 

[augiedoggy]

What kind of process are you looking to use? BAIB? Two vessel, three vessel? Do you just want to control the boil, or do you want to be able to control strike water temp/and or maintain mash temp with a PID?

With a 30A dryer circuit, you can only run one 4500W or 5500W element at a time.

Brew on

You can also run an 1800w 240v rims along with a 4500w element at the same time without issues...

 

[mjw210]

So it sounds like spa panels are permanent fixtures. Got it.

As far as GFCI extension cords, I'm having trouble imagining how the connections would work. For this cord would it be:

Wall NEMA 14-30
Adapter from 14-30 to whatever my line cord ends with (L6-30P)
Line Cord
Adapter from the other end of the line cord (L6-30R) to the plug on my control box
Rest of the connection.

 

[mjw210]

What kind of process are you looking to use? BAIB? Two vessel, three vessel? Do you just want to control the boil, or do you want to be able to control strike water temp/and or maintain mash temp with a PID?

With a 30A dryer circuit, you can only run one 4500W or 5500W element at a time.

That's the plan, I only intend to use this to convert a single pot to electric brewing:

1. Kettle heats up strike
2. Mash into mash tun
3. Kettle heats up HLT water while mash is going
4. Pour into HLT
5. Drain from mash tun to kettle
6. Kettle boils

It's primarily going to be used so I can still brew in an apartment without a massive brewing system.

 

[doug293cz]

That's the plan, I only intend to use this to convert a single pot to electric brewing:

1. Kettle heats up strike
2. Mash into mash tun
3. Kettle heats up HLT water while mash is going
4. Pour into HLT
5. Drain from mash tun to kettle
6. Kettle boils

It's primarily going to be used so I can still brew in an apartment without a massive brewing system.

Ok. A relatively simple control panel based on the following schematic will meet your needs. You can use any PID with an SSR control output and a manual mode. The Auber SYL-2362 is functionally equivalent to the JLD612 (aka N2006P.) The MYPIN TD4 also works, but the TA4 does not have the manual mode needed to control the vigor of the boil.



The thicker lines need to be wired with 10AWG, but the thinner lines can go as low as 20AWG.

Brew on

 

[daveMN]

While not as much fun as building a control panel, if your kettle fits on your stove, you should be able to do the process you described with a 5-gallon boil on the stove without having to drill into your kettle. I did that until I got kicked out of the kitchen.

 

[HCbrewing]

Sell your Blichman, buy a Grainfather, just plug it in your 120 in your kitchen and likely save yourself some money.

 

[jeffmeh]

A gfci spa panel need not be installed permanently. One can wire it with a male receptacle input and a female receptacle outlet, as a diy gfci extension cord.

 

[wilserbrewer]

A basic approach would be dryer plug - spa panel - still dragon controller - brewhardware hot rod w/ 4500 or 5500w element.

You could either BIAB or multi vessel by moving the heat stick as required. No modification to your kettle would be required, only about $250 - $300.

Cheapest and easiest would be to stove top with 120v heat stick assist and get brewing on your stove. With only a 120v 2000w element, you don't really need a controller. Control heat with the stove burner, run element at 100%

BEST

http://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hotrod.htm

CHEAPEST

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Travel-Port...532250?hash=item3f5cd6fa1a:g:qyEAAOSwU9xUODNe


Or you can spend $1k - $2k and build an automated electric system with integrated chilling, pumped recirculating etc etc.

 

[mjw210]

While not as much fun as building a control panel, if your kettle fits on your stove, you should be able to do the process you described with a 5-gallon boil on the stove without having to drill into your kettle. I did that until I got kicked out of the kitchen.

No chance I trust 5 gallons of beer on a glass stove. Also, waiting for an electric stove to heat it up would likely drive me insane.

I'm mainly looking for an alternative so that I can continue brewing full batches without waiting years.

Sell your Blichman, buy a Grainfather, just plug it in your 120 in your kitchen and likely save yourself some money.

I don't know...the whole reason why I've avoided pumps and fully automated systems is because I fell like it takes away from the spirit of homebrewing (at least for me). I definitely don't want a system that does it all.

 

[Eiffel]

I am looking to do the same but for extract because of time issues.

Blichmann 10 gallon pot with Boil Coil on my stove.

Why do you say you do not trust 5 gallons of beer on a glass stove?

 

[mjw210]

A basic approach would be dryer plug - spa panel - still dragon controller - brewhardware hot rod w/ 4500 or 5500w element.

You could either BIAB or multi vessel by moving the heat stick as required. No modification to your kettle would be required, only about $250 - $300.

Cheapest and easiest would be to stove top with 120v heat stick assist and get brewing on your stove. With only a 120v 2000w element, you don't really need a controller. Control heat with the stove burner, run element at 100%

BEST

http://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hotrod.htm

CHEAPEST

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Travel-Port...532250?hash=item3f5cd6fa1a:g:qyEAAOSwU9xUODNe


Or you can spend $1k - $2k and build an automated electric system with integrated chilling, pumped recirculating etc etc.

After my research, I'm actually interested in converting my pot to something like a 5500W heater, seems quicker and easier in the long run than propane.

Are there any guides to bastardizing a spa panel to connect with a dryer outlet (without killing yourself)? I can barely find resources on what spa panels are, let alone guides.

 

[neild5]

A spa panel is the disconnect placed next to a hot tub. It typically has a 40 to 60 amp GFCI breaker and room for 1 or 2 120 v breakers. I built a rolling stand to brew on, the spa panel is mounted on it with a cord to plug in to the wall and the controller is wired to it. The advantage is it is cheaper than buying the GFCI breaker separate and it is not a permanent install because it plugs in.

 

[augiedoggy]

After my research, I'm actually interested in converting my pot to something like a 5500W heater, seems quicker and easier in the long run than propane.

Are there any guides to bastardizing a spa panel to connect with a dryer outlet (without killing yourself)? I can barely find resources on what spa panels are, let alone guides.

There are many wiring diagrams around but im not sure if anyone has done a "spa panel for Dummies" kind of tutorial... It would actually be nice if someone did and it was stickied... basically theres 4 (or 3) wired in and the same going out... 2 120v hot wires and ground and an optional neutral thats not needed if you dont have any 120v devices running off of it.

The spa panels can be found in the electrical isle of the home depot or lowes for about $60 and up and include the gfci breaker. whereas the stand alone style breaker designed for your main breaker box instead is usually well over $100.. There is no practical reason for this but thats the way it is for some reason because of supply and demand... (most spa gfci applications of this size require the spa panel by law so)

 

[mjw210]

I am looking to do the same but for extract because of time issues.

Blichmann 10 gallon pot with Boil Coil on my stove.

Why do you say you do not trust 5 gallons of beer on a glass stove?

Few reasons:

1. 5 gallons of beer weighs about 40lbs in water + weight of sugar + weight of pot. Even if the stove can support that weight in itself (I'm sure it can), if I accidentally set the 50+ lbs of weight on one corner slightly too hard that thing is going to crack, and it's not an easy fix like replacing a coil. Just doing a quick search shows me this.
2. It would take an eternity for my stove to heat up 5 gallons of water. I'd rather not wait multiple hours just to bring the wort to a boil.
3. Just checked, no chance I can fit my pot between the stove and the microwave, so that's out.

 

[mjw210]

There are many wiring diagrams around but im not sure if anyone has done a "spa panel for Dummies" kind of tutorial... It would actually be nice if someone did and it was stickied... basically theres 4 (or 3) wired in and the same going out... 2 120v hot wires and ground and an optional neutral thats not needed if you dont have any 120v devices running off of it.

The spa panels can be found in the electrical isle of the home depot or lowes for about $60 and up and include the gfci breaker. whereas the stand alone style breaker designed for your main breaker box instead is usually well over $100.. There is no practical reason for this but thats the way it is for some reason because of supply and demand... (most spa gfci applications of this size require the spa panel by law so)

So would wiring a spa panel be any different from wiring a bare line cord? And functionally, would it be the exact same thing?

Would there be any special considerations you'd need to do with a spa panel once you wire it? For example, if I connected my spa panel to my dryer, and then had a cord going from the panel to my controller, can I just sit my spa panel on the floor or would it have to be insulated in a special way. And could this be used indoors?

 

[madscientist451]

No chance I trust 5 gallons of beer on a glass stove. Also, waiting for an electric stove to heat it up would likely drive me insane.

I'm mainly looking for an alternative so that I can continue brewing full batches without waiting years.

I have a Kenmore smooth top stove and use it for my brewing with no problems. I go from mash temp to boil in about 15 minutes. Your stove may be different, and if it takes too long you could use a heat stick to speed things up. Sounds like your setup is pretty tight, but if you are going to boil inside, using the stove and being able to use the vent to get rid of the steam is a consideration. You don't need a 15 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches indoors.
If 10 gallon pot would fit, I'd go with that or downsize to 4 gallon batches and use an 8 gallon pot. I use a cheap 5 gallon round cooler from Walmart ($20) for mashing with a BIAB bag. Heat strike water on stove, add to mash. When mash is done, drain to food safe bucket, have heated water for batch sparge ready in kettle on stove, add to cooler; put first runnings from bucket into kettle and put on stove to start boil. Drain batch sparge to bucket and then add to boil pot.

No automation, no wiring, no pumps, no problems.

 

[augiedoggy]

So would wiring a spa panel be any different from wiring a bare line cord? And functionally, would it be the exact same thing?

Would there be any special considerations you'd need to do with a spa panel once you wire it? For example, if I connected my spa panel to my dryer, and then had a cord going from the panel to my controller, can I just sit my spa panel on the floor or would it have to be insulated in a special way. And could this be used indoors?

Pretty much the same thing only the bare line cord it designed to be used the way you plan on using the spa panel... the spa panel is metal, bulk and not water resistant like the $165 option... otherwise they work the same way.

 

[BeardedBrews]

The question of "can I x, y, or, z" is very different from "is doing x, y, or z to code". Please understand the answers you are going to get here should not be confused with the advice of a certified electrician who has seen your intended installation. Also worth noting, a 5 gallon pot full of water with 240 volts inside is something you should be very confident in before you touch.


The spa panel is just a tiny metal breaker box (like the one in your house) that a GFCI circuit breaker sits inside. People buy them because they are significantly less expensive than the extension cord. The issue is that the spa panel will expect to be wired into 4 lines, Hot/Hot/Neutral/Ground. Often your dryer plug will only have three (although you may find that behind the plug in the wall the electrician actually pulled all 4 wires).

 

[augiedoggy]

The question of "can I x, y, or, z" is very different from "is doing x, y, or z to code". Please understand the answers you are going to get here should not be confused with the advice of a certified electrician who has seen your intended installation. Also worth noting, a 5 gallon pot full of water with 240 volts inside is something you should be very confident in before you touch.


The spa panel is just a tiny metal breaker box (like the one in your house) that a GFCI circuit breaker sits inside. People buy them because they are significantly less expensive than the extension cord. The issue is that the spa panel will expect to be wired into 4 lines, Hot/Hot/Neutral/Ground. Often your dryer plug will only have three (although you may find that behind the plug in the wall the electrician actually pulled all 4 wires).

I think its been covered that all 4 wires are not at all needed for the gfci to work correctly and would only be required if the person wanted to run 120v devices off the same power circuit as their 240v elements for some reason instead of just using a nearby separate 120v line... There are a LOT of brewers using a 3 wire dyer outlet with a spa panel GFCI and it does not compromise the safety of the application.

I also noticed most 3 wire dryer outlets have the 4th wire tucked away in the box behind them,.

 

[mjw210]

I have a Kenmore smooth top stove and use it for my brewing with no problems. I go from mash temp to boil in about 15 minutes. Your stove may be different, and if it takes too long you could use a heat stick to speed things up. Sounds like your setup is pretty tight, but if you are going to boil inside, using the stove and being able to use the vent to get rid of the steam is a consideration. You don't need a 15 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches indoors.
If 10 gallon pot would fit, I'd go with that or downsize to 4 gallon batches and use an 8 gallon pot. I use a cheap 5 gallon round cooler from Walmart ($20) for mashing with a BIAB bag. Heat strike water on stove, add to mash. When mash is done, drain to food safe bucket, have heated water for batch sparge ready in kettle on stove, add to cooler; put first runnings from bucket into kettle and put on stove to start boil. Drain batch sparge to bucket and then add to boil pot.

No automation, no wiring, no pumps, no problems.

Fair enough, if it works for you then I'd support that. I personally have a system that's been working well for me, so I'm trying to get as close as I can to that without sacrificing anything. The stove I have is one of those cheap glass tops for apartments. Plus it's an apartment, so I don't want to risk damaging the appliances. That being said, I still probably would not trust a brew pot on any kind of ceramic (glass or otherwise) mainly from the risk of cracking or even just chipping.

15 gallons provides plenty of room to walk away without risk of boil over. I found that on particularly vigorous boils in a 10 gallon pot, especially when I was doing extended boils (3+ hours) the risk of boil over was still there. I'd rather not downsize at all. Plus, this leaves the option for 10 gallon brews as well. I also don't want to do partial boils. I have a 7 gallon pot that I'll probably use for partial boiling until I get my electric setup down, but I consider that purely temporary.

I already have a 10 gallon cooler + HLT for fly sparging set up, so I'll continue with that. Debate on efficiency aside, I find that I enjoy the fly sparging system better than simply batch sparging. It's a fairly simple process for me with one pot:

1. Heat strike in a kettle
2. Empty into mash
3. Heat sparge in kettle while mash is going
4. Empty into HLT
5. Drain mash into kettle
6. Boil

 

[augiedoggy]

Lots of ways to skin a cat...

I was at a local HB and bar supply store yesterday for a local brewers night with a local micobrewery brewing one of their beers there... Despite the fancy 3 tier blichman system on hand, they only used the bottom burner and kettle and instead chose to use a simple 10 gallon igloo cooler and gravity to mash and sparge... no fancy sparge arms just a pitcher and a false bottom screen held over the mash to pour over..

I use a complicated system myself because it makes my brew process very consistent and I have to do minimal babysitting... plus I brew in a second floor bedroom so avoiding a mess is important.. I also enjoyed building my setup.

 

[mjw210]

Pretty much the same thing only the bare line cord it designed to be used the way you plan on using the spa panel... the spa panel is metal, bulk and not water resistant like the $165 option... otherwise they work the same way.

That's my biggest concern. I'm thinking maybe if I create a "cart" that houses all the electric components I can keep it separate from the brew kettle. My biggest concern with all of this is that I'll be using it to transfer strike water from the kettle to the mash tun. I've found that I lose too much heat when simply using the drain (although maybe I could just hit the strike higher). I was hoping to get it set up someway that I can still pour liquid out of the kettle. Is it possible to modify the element into the kettle so that it can unplug similar to the boilcoil? Maybe using this?

The question of "can I x, y, or, z" is very different from "is doing x, y, or z to code". Please understand the answers you are going to get here should not be confused with the advice of a certified electrician who has seen your intended installation. Also worth noting, a 5 gallon pot full of water with 240 volts inside is something you should be very confident in before you touch.

It really wouldn't be a bad idea and worth the money to get this checked off by someone prior to using it. Certainly would be worth the labor cost of hiring an electrician for an hour or so to not die.

 

[augiedoggy]

That's my biggest concern. I'm thinking maybe if I create a "cart" that houses all the electric components I can keep it separate from the brew kettle. My biggest concern with all of this is that I'll be using it to transfer strike water from the kettle to the mash tun. I've found that I lose too much heat when simply using the drain (although maybe I could just hit the strike higher). I was hoping to get it set up someway that I can still pour liquid out of the kettle. Is it possible to modify the element into the kettle so that it can unplug similar to the boilcoil? Maybe using this?




It really wouldn't be a bad idea and worth the money to get this checked off by someone prior to using it. Certainly would be worth the labor cost of hiring an electrician for an hour or so to not die.

yeah most keep the spa panel and control panel awy from the kettle.. You will have a cord going from the control panel to your kettle.. you can add an outlet and a short pigtail cord off the element where it mounts to the kettle or make the element easily removable from the kettle (with a kit like you kinked). with electric there really is no excuse for messy boilovers... Ive yet to experience one in over 60 brew sessions on my setup..

 

[BeardedBrews]

I was hoping to get it set up someway that I can still pour liquid out of the kettle. Is it possible to modify the element into the kettle so that it can unplug similar to the boilcoil? Maybe using this?

I might look at using these two together:
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/etc3.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15wlf.htm

Then you can add this if you ever want to use your pot like a normal pot without the element:
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15bc.htm


Not sure what you mean by "pour liquid out"

 

[dude3516]

I don't know...the whole reason why I've avoided pumps and fully automated systems is because I fell like it takes away from the spirit of homebrewing (at least for me). I definitely don't want a system that does it all.

Grainfather really isn't automated, it's simply all in one. You still mash in, set your temp and away it goes. If you step mash you still need to get involved at each step to change your temp. You still sparge by pulling the grain basket up and using whichever vessel you prefer for it.

Really no different than any other electric system without an automated control. It just happens to be all in one vessel. More like a really advanced BIAB all things considered.

 

[mjw210]

I might look at using these two together:
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/etc3.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15wlf.htm

Then you can add this if you ever want to use your pot like a normal pot without the element:
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15bc.htm


Not sure what you mean by "pour liquid out"

That's actually exactly what I was thinking, I think...although I don't fully understand what each of the first two pieces do. Can I add a plug directly to the outside of my kettle, so I literally "plug in" the control box to the kettle? Or would I have to have the control box permanently wired to the element?

And by pouring liquid out, I'm talking about how I transfer the hot water from the kettle into the HLT or the mash tun. I don't have/want a pump and the drain on the kettle goes too slowly and wastes a ton of heat, so i'm hoping I can just tip the kettle over and pour the water into the coolers. Multi-person job and not one without risks of boiling water spashes, but it's work for me so far in the previous 50+ brews I've done.

That's why I want some mechanism for disconnecting the element from the control box. I'd probably want everything unhooked while I'm pouring.

Grainfather really isn't automated, it's simply all in one. You still mash in, set your temp and away it goes. If you step mash you still need to get involved at each step to change your temp. You still sparge by pulling the grain basket up and using whichever vessel you prefer for it.

Really no different than any other electric system without an automated control. It just happens to be all in one vessel. More like a really advanced BIAB all things considered.

I can see the appeal, but I really would rather avoid any additional set of automation. I enjoy the calculations for determining my brewing parameters, and I don't want a machine to take that away from me. I'm not looking to have a fully electric setup with a complex control box. Plus, I've always been under the impression (right or wrong) of anything that does it all, does each piece slightly worse than the dedicated equipment version.

 

[BeardedBrews]

The wire will stay connected to the element, which will stay fixed in the pot through the whole brew day. This keeps the plugs that can leak away from the water during your brew day.

If you're set on tipping the HLT you can certainly do that without unplugging it. There will be at least two wires (temperature probe and element), but you can mount them on the same side so they are easy to manage.

You can also get a bigger drain valve:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/172099435127?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

I went with the "heat the water up more" approach that you mentioned earlier though

 

[bbohanon]

Why not make this easier and just get a HotRod to use in your kettle if you are doing 5 gallon batches especially in an apartment scenario. This way you dont have to mod your current pots at all and its minimal investment.

When I make 5 gallon batches in my kitchen, its what I use. I don't even use my stove top at all for heat as the HotRod does the trick without it. I use the 2000 watt element in mine, plug mine into a GFCI 20a 120v plug by the stove and it works perfectly well for 5 gallon batches.

Done and done.

http://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hotrod.htm
Get the 2000W element, wire it up, leak test it and enjoy. Less than $100 to do and you will love it. I have had mine for over a year now and its been one of the best products I have ever purchased for doing 5 gallon batches in the kitchen when doing 10 gallons on the HERMS is not ideal.

Just my .02..keep it simple when in an apartment setup and you can always resell it here once you get a house/brewshed/etc and are wanting to do the super eBrew setup.

 

[augiedoggy]

An often taken approach to lifting and pouring is using a pump. There are low cost options ...http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-Elec...438344?hash=item25b724e4c8:g:3vwAAOSwll1WuUjW I used 3 of these pumps in my setup but you only need one with hose barbs or calmocks attached... they work very well as long as you use good filtration to keep grain and solid trub out of your wort.. For this reason they are not ideal for everyone... They come in 12v and 24v versions and are food grade and good with boiling temps.


EDIT** I agree the hotrod suggested above is a good suggestion.

 

[mjw210]

Why not make this easier and just get a HotRod to use in your kettle if you are doing 5 gallon batches especially in an apartment scenario. This way you dont have to mod your current pots at all.

When I make 5 gallon batches in my kitchen, its what I use. I don't even use my stove top at all for heat as the HotRod does the trick without it. I use the 2000 watt element in mine, plug mine into a GFCI 20a 120v plug by the stove and it works perfectly well for 5 gallon batches.

Done and done.

http://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hotrod.htm
Get the 2000W element, wire it up, leak test it and enjoy. Less than $100 to do and you will love it. I have had mine for over a year now and its been one of the best products I have ever purchased for doing 5 gallon batches in the kitchen when doing 10 gallons on the HERMS is not ideal.

Just my .02..keep it simple when in an apartment setup and you can always resell it here once you get a house/brewshed/etc and are wanting to do the super eBrew setup.

Maybe I am overthinking it. I do like the idea of converting to a full electric system in the future, but for now this might actually do the trick.

• How long does it take you to bring a 5 gallon batch (6.5 or so pre-boil) to a full boil?
• How strong is the boil?
• Do you have to modify the pot, or does it just sit against the wall?
• My pot is about 17" from the base to the top (15 gallon Blichmann G1), see any issues between this height and the height of the pot?
• Which heating element do you use and have you had any issues with scorching?
• Is a power control box necessary with the 2000W element?

 

[dyqik]

The hotrod will just hang on the side of the pot - there's even a little clamp supplied with it give it something to hang on. A 17" high pot shouldn't be a problem with the HotRod.

I used the stainless base 2kW element from Brewhardware. You won't need a power control - 2kW will give you something towards the lower end of an acceptable boil strength. I just about got a reasonable boil - maybe a bit under 0.5 gal/hr boil off with my 2kW Hot Rod in an 8 gal Concord kettle. I was using this on a gas range, so the time to boil was shorter because I used the biggest burner with it, and I did sometimes keep the burner on low to up the boil off rate a bit. Now I'm using a 11 gal kettle with a 5500W element and power control, and I boil at about 2800W-3kW for 0.75 gal/hr boil off (different kettle and in a 55F basement, so not directly comparable to the hot rod before) on a 5.5 gal batch. For indoor apartment brewing, keeping to the lower end of acceptable boil off rates is probably a good idea, as it means that ventilation requirements to remove the steam produced aren't as high.

But you should be able to use the glass stove top safely enough with the kettle - clean the bottom of the kettle first so it doesn't scratch up the stove top, other than that it should be OK. Or you could insulate the kettle to improve the boil if you need to.

 

[WScottCross]

Using a 120VAC source will take just over an hour to heat 6 gallons of water by 100 degrees. A 240VAC source can do it in 16 minutes. Just something to keep in mind as you ponder which way to go. If you go the 120VAC, it means 10 gallon batches are practically impossible in a reasonable time. Not trying to push you either way, just food for thought.

 

[bbohanon]

Maybe I am overthinking it. I do like the idea of converting to a full electric system in the future, but for now this might actually do the trick.

• How long does it take you to bring a 5 gallon batch (6.5 or so pre-boil) to a full boil?
• How strong is the boil?
• Do you have to modify the pot, or does it just sit against the wall?
• My pot is about 17" from the base to the top (15 gallon Blichmann G1), see any issues between this height and the height of the pot?
• Which heating element do you use and have you had any issues with scorching?
• Is a power control box necessary with the 2000W element?

[*]How long does it take you to bring a 5 gallon batch (6.5 or so pre-boil) to a full boil?
A: From RTemp to strike temp (170) about 45 mins, from sparge out to boil, about 45 mins.

[*]How strong is the boil?
A: Enough to drive off all DMS, but not so bad its creates a low pressure system in your house. A good rolling boil is what I get.

[*]Do you have to modify the pot, or does it just sit against the wall?
A: I just put mine in the pot. No clamp or anything.

[*]My pot is about 17" from the base to the top (15 gallon Blichmann G1), see any issues between this height and the height of the pot?
A: I dont see an issue..the Hot Rod is pretty tall.

[*]Which heating element do you use and have you had any issues with scorching?
A: I use the 2000w ele. No scorching to date with any hop or hopshot additions, but I would power it off and remove it for any LME/DME additions as if you pour that in and it lands on that ele without dissolving, it will scorch no doubt. I would also not steep in a pot with the hot rod. The steeping bag will scorch. If I have to steep, I steep in a seperate pot.

[*]Is a power control box necessary with the 2000W element?
A: Nope

You ask anyone here who has a hot rod, its worth its weight in gold for the ease of use, low expense, lack of needing a controller to use, and its awesome portability. Again, if I lived in an apartment, its all I would honestly use along with potentially using it in tandem with my stove top heat to speed the boil up.

 

[wilserbrewer]

You ask anyone here who has a hot rod, its worth its weight in gold for the ease of use, low expense, lack of needing a controller to use, and its awesome portability. Again, if I lived in an apartment, its all I would honestly use along with potentially using it in tandem with my stove top heat to speed the boil up.

Agreed, Bobby hit a home run with the Hot Rod...maybe even a grand slam!

A 3v brewer slims down to 1 element and one power cord, an apartment brewer is capable of 10 gal batches w/2000 w on standard kitchen 20a GFI and stovetop heat.

No modifications required to the kettle, heat strike, then sparge, and boil.

You can also use a heatstick stir a mash and raise the temp a few degrees, or even do a mashout....continuous stirring required.

 

[dude3516]

I can see the appeal, but I really would rather avoid any additional set of automation. I enjoy the calculations for determining my brewing parameters, and I don't want a machine to take that away from me. I'm not looking to have a fully electric setup with a complex control box. Plus, I've always been under the impression (right or wrong) of anything that does it all, does each piece slightly worse than the dedicated equipment version.

Just have to re-iterate, there is no automation on a grainfather. The control box controls the electric element and the on/off switch for your pump. Has about 3 buttons total, and the two on switches.That's it. All other parameters, from mashing, temperature rises, sparging, and all the rest are still totally manual.

 

[mjw210]

Using a 120VAC source will take just over an hour to heat 6 gallons of water by 100 degrees. A 240VAC source can do it in 16 minutes. Just something to keep in mind as you ponder which way to go. If you go the 120VAC, it means 10 gallon batches are practically impossible in a reasonable time. Not trying to push you either way, just food for thought.

Problem is I'd have to figure out a way to connect the element to a non-GFCI'd dryer plug for the 240V vs. just plug and play in my kitchen's 20amp GFCI standard plug with a hot rod. The US just needs to get on the 240V standard bandwagon and all these problems would be solved.