What is electric brewing?

[JONNYROTTEN]

Sounds like a dumb question.But are there high BTU burners you use as opposed to a stove?Im looking into going bigger with my brew day(15 gal batches) and was looking into a propane burner.Then I read it burns a lot of propane.Plus I could do electric in the basement in the winter.So what do you need for electric brewing.I can wire everything,but what equipment do I need?

 

[passedpawn]

To boil 10-15g, you'll need access to a 240V 30 amp circuit. You'll need to add a GFCI to the circuit.

There are a bunch of ways to brew with this power. You need to look around this forum and figure out exactly what you want to do. HLT, BK, RIMS/HERMS, pumps, etc. There are a lot of choices to make. You have to make them, but first you need to know what you want to do.

 

[Roadie]

To get an idea of the process check out theelectricbrewery.com.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I looked into RIMS/HERMS.Its more than Im ready for.Im just looking to combine 3 5 gal extracts for a 15 gal brew to make it easier on brew day.I guess all I need is a large electric burner.

 

[KPSquared]

Just build a single electric kettle with a simple control box. You could even do a 120v element and still use your stove. Just add the extra heat.

You don't need RIMS or HERMS. You're not mashing anything. You're just boiling.

 

[processhead]

Electric brew kettles typically have an electric element installed on the inside of the kettle.

They operate more like an electric hot water heater than an electric stove-top burner.

There are a couple different ways to regulate the heating element to control the heat output.

 

[passedpawn]

To boil 10 gallons, you'll need at least a 4000W element mounted in your kettle. I recommend the "ultra low wattage density" (ULWD) elements. I've used the 5500W (Camco 2963) elements for 5 years without any issue. See pic below.

To mount in your kettle, the easiest/cheapest way is this method from The Pol. You'll also need the Bargain Fittings 1" nut to go inside the kettle. See pic below.

If you want to get all blingy, and have a simple way to remove the element, replace it, etc, you can weld a triclover ferrule to your kettle, buy a nice element enclosure from here or here , wire some SJOOW 10/3 cord to the element, terminate with a L6-15P twistlock connector. Much sweetness, but also $$$. See pic below.

To control the boil (i.e., the Boil Kettle BK), you need a simple PWM controller from here or here.

To heat water to a specific temperature (i.e., the Hot Liquor Tank HLT), you need a controller with temperature feedback. A PID is used for this. Get the PID here. You'll also need a temperature sensor. I recommend this RTD sensor (or similar) because it is built to last, has a removable cord, has the mating connector assembly at your control panel, etc.

Beyond all that, there is a bunch of holes to cut in your kettles, a control panel with switches and lights, and just a ton of planning. Good luck, sketch it all out on paper before you get started.

 

[kzimmer0817]

I looked into RIMS/HERMS.Its more than Im ready for.Im just looking to combine 3 5 gal extracts for a 15 gal brew to make it easier on brew day.I guess all I need is a large electric burner.

I think I can relate to your problem. I apologize for this lengthy post if you don't find it at all helpful.

I have a bad habit of over-thinking processes, continuously performing dry-runs in my head, going back and forth over issues such as BIAB bag material, basket or not, recirculate or not, build controller vs purchase controller, ad infinitum. Therefore I haven't brewed in over a year. I've brewed 6 batches: 1 extract, 3 extract + specialty grains, and 2 BIAB. I've watched my son and a buddy do 3-vessel brewing using a cooler/mashtun and cleaned up all the spillage from my basement and garage floors.

I like bling, and I've been wanting to post a thread of my nice kettle and shiny control panel - looking forward to the warm fuzzy feeling you get when someone "likes" your post and posts encouraging comments on your thread. Lately, I've been trying to simplify my brewing goals - the main thing for me is "how simple" do I want to go.

I'm not a big beer drinker and I have another hobby (an old pipe organ consisting of 800 pipes that I want to get set up and that demands money) to distract me.

Like you, I'm actually thinking about putting my desire for "all-grain" brewing aside for a while and simply going extract - or extract + steeping grains. According to several threads on HBT, there are folks who brew solely with extract - and their beer is perfectly fine according to themselves and their drinking buddies. I've seen numerous recipes that are posted for both all-grain and extract. Many folks are perfectly satisfied with their extract beers. Perhaps it's a dilemma similar to that faced by working mothers when I was young - do I have to feel inferior if I bake a cake using a Betty Crocker or Dunkin Hines mix? Are my cakes really not as good as Grandma's that was made from scratch?

I read an interesting thread on HBT (perhaps someone has the link in mind and can point us to it) discussing why some differences might be noted in extract brews. It was suggested - and confirmed by some other - that you should not boil the extract. IOW, you should add enough extract to bring your boil to a certain S.G. Follow your usual hop schedule, and wait until the very end to add the extract. The extract has already been reduced by boiling prior to packaging, so it doesn't really need to be boiled again. The hops supposedly work best within a certain range of specific gravity, so they don't need all the sugars in the boil to give up their flavor.

JOHNNYROTTEN, I think you might have inspired me a bit by your question. I think I might just try really hard to do something decisive. If I were to decide to delay all-grain, but I really want to go electrice, I can forget about a controller that utilized PID temp control; I don't need a pump to recirculate; I don't need to control mash temps; I don't need to worry about whether or not to get a kettle with a steamer basket or not; I don't need to worry about whether to make/purchase a voile BIAB bag vs get a paint strainer bag, etc.

If I'm doing 5 gallon extract batches, I can probably just stick with my 8 gallon kettle I purchased at the beginning. If you're doing 15 gallon extract batches, a 20 gallon kettle would probably suffice. Working with KPSquared's suggestion, get a SS kettle, punch a hole for a weldless ball valve, punch another 1.25" hole for a heating element. You can purchase the excellent 5500W ULWD element kit from Kal at www.theelectricbrewery.com, either the 4500W or 5500W prewired element from www.highgravitybrew.com, or purchase an element separate along with the very good looking element/RIMS housing from Bobby at www.brewhardware.com. Since I don't need mash temp control, I can get the inexpensive electric kettle controller from High Gravity (if I'm simply trying to mimic with electricity what I've been doing with propane). I should still be able to perform 2.5 - 3 gallon BIAB with my setup.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. In summary, my advice-from-study-not-experience suggests you do the following:
1. get a 20 gallon stainless steel kettle punched to accept a ball valve and a heating element
2. purchase a 220VAC 5500W ULWD electric element (prebuilt kits mentioned above)
3. purchase a basic 220V electric controller. Trying to brew more than 5 gallons on a stove while supplementing with 1 or 2 additional heating elements with their cords going to separate circuits is too complicated for me.
4. locate the thread discussing the thing about late addition of extract to make sure your extract beer is the best it can be
5. enjoy

Respectfully submitted,
Keith

 

[BadNewsBrewery]

I have never brewed extract with my electric setup, but I know when I used to brew extract on the stove / with my propane setup, there was always a major concern of scorching the extract. Concentrated sugar and high heat are a bad combination. With a heating element sticking out into your kettle, I'd be extra worried about potentially scorching the extract before it was disolved into the water. You could probably get around it by heating up your water volume to near boiling, turning off the element, letting it sit a few minutes to let everything equalize so the element isn't hotter than the surrounding water, and then pouring in your extract. Stir it for a few minutes, let it disolve, and when it's all good and disolved then fire up the heat again.

For a 15gallon batch if you're doing FULL volume boils, I'd definitely look at a 5500w ULWD element. If you're doing partial volumes and adding make up water later, you could easily get by with smaller elements.

-Kevin

 

[kzimmer0817]

...but I know when I used to brew extract on the stove / with my propane setup, there was always a major concern of scorching the extract. Concentrated sugar and high heat are a bad combination. With a heating element sticking out into your kettle, I'd be extra worried about potentially scorching the extract before it was disolved into the water. -Kevin

I don't have the experience to disagree; what I think I know has come from reading - mostly learning from the collective experience of this forum. Below are two threads from HBT that discuss the late extract addition practice that might have been hidden well in my previous post.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/adding-half-lme-boil-other-half-end-boil-443091/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/late-extract-questions-403537/index2.html
Particularly posts #2, 7, 14, 15, 17, & 20.

I don't think that an ULWD element gets hot enough to scorch the wort. According to those who propose that you add your LME at the end of the boil say that the darkening of the wort is due to a maillard reaction, not to scorching. Of course, a stove element or propane could heat the bottom of the kettle enough to scorch.


Initial equipment needed to convert my existing 7.5 gallon SS kettle into an electric kettle for 5-gallon extract brews or 2.5-3 gallon BIAB brews.

From High Gravity
249.95 High Gravity Electric Kettle Controller
Very basic. Would simply serve as an electric alternative to propane. Perfect for extract brewing. I could build it for much less, but I don't have the time/energy. It's possible that I could disassemble it and incorporate the parts into a panel that has more capability when I find myself doing more all-grain or BIAB

From Amazon
47.00 Greenlee 36414 1-3/8” Step Bit
52.23 Greenlee 730BB-13/16” Knockout Punch Unit
85.55 Greenlee 730BB-1-1/4” Knockout Punch Unit
Rather expensive tools for punching holes in kettles. Will be used later when I get the 15 gallon kettle.

19.68 Camco 02912/02913 3500 W ULWD Heating Element
12.11 Leviton 2621 30A, 250V NEMA L6-30P Locking Plug
16.99 Flextreme 10/3 Wire, oil/water resistant (10ft)
Parts recommended by Kal (www.theelectricbrewery.com) in the building of his element.

From Brewhardware
30.00 EWL3 Element Housing for 1.25” hole
Looks like a great concept. Kal's very fine element assembly will not fit in my 12.75" diameter kettle.
14.00 Option 3 Smooth Elbow Weldless Bulkhead (serves as dip tube).
18.00 3PBV 3-Piece Stainless Ball Valve
4.15 Camlock F (to ball valve)
11.00 Camlock BL (female B + high flow elbow barb)

560.00 Total of Above (appr $435 represents the controller and the tools that can be used later).

When I'm ready to consistently do all-grain BIAB - or, as JOHNNYROTTEN wishes - much larger extract brews, I can add the following:

From www.Bayouclassiccookware.com
139.96 1160 62-Qt SS Kettle with basket (basket not required)
For 15 gal extract, will likely need the 82 qt kettle.

From Amazon
27.19 Camco 02962/02963 5500W ULWD Element
12.11 Leviton 2621 30A, 250V NEMA L6-30P Locking Plug
16.99 Flextreme 10/3 Wire, oil/water resistant (10ft)

From Brewhardware
30.00 EWL3 Element Housing for 1.25” hole
Depending upon how well the brewhardware element housing works in my basic setup, I may bite the bullet and purchase Kal's 5500W ULWD element assembly from www.theelectricbrewery.com for $195 instead of the 4 items above.
13.00 Option 2 Weldless Bulkhead
4.00 5/8” Male Thread Hose Barb (serves as dip tube)
18.00 3PBV 3-Piece Stainless Ball Valve
4.15 Camlock F (to ball valve)
11.00 Camlock BL (female B + high flow elbow barb)
276.40 Subtotal of Above

I did not include the cost of a pump or other equipment for recirculation since there is debate about its usefulness. Also, even the 15 gal setup is not availing itself of all the advantages of going electric such as automatic temp control; it simply mimics what I'd do with propane.

As I find myself doing more brewing - especially mashing - I will want better temperature control. At that point, I may purchase the EBC-SV controller from High Gravity, or, depending on how much DIY energy I have, I may build my own controller following the path of the excellent builds on this forum.

My wife really prefers wine; she may taste a little beer. I may end up discontinuing beer-making altogether and moving to winemaking.

Anyway, I hope there's at least a little helpful information in all that.

Happy New Year,
Keith

 

[augiedoggy]

I think I can relate to your problem. I apologize for this lengthy post if you don't find it at all helpful.

I have a bad habit of over-thinking processes, continuously performing dry-runs in my head, going back and forth over issues such as BIAB bag material, basket or not, recirculate or not, build controller vs purchase controller, ad infinitum. Therefore I haven't brewed in over a year. I've brewed 6 batches: 1 extract, 3 extract + specialty grains, and 2 BIAB. I've watched my son and a buddy do 3-vessel brewing using a cooler/mashtun and cleaned up all the spillage from my basement and garage floors.

I like bling, and I've been wanting to post a thread of my nice kettle and shiny control panel - looking forward to the warm fuzzy feeling you get when someone "likes" your post and posts encouraging comments on your thread. Lately, I've been trying to simplify my brewing goals - the main thing for me is "how simple" do I want to go.

I'm not a big beer drinker and I have another hobby (an old pipe organ consisting of 800 pipes that I want to get set up and that demands money) to distract me.

Like you, I'm actually thinking about putting my desire for "all-grain" brewing aside for a while and simply going extract - or extract + steeping grains. According to several threads on HBT, there are folks who brew solely with extract - and their beer is perfectly fine according to themselves and their drinking buddies. I've seen numerous recipes that are posted for both all-grain and extract. Many folks are perfectly satisfied with their extract beers. Perhaps it's a dilemma similar to that faced by working mothers when I was young - do I have to feel inferior if I bake a cake using a Betty Crocker or Dunkin Hines mix? Are my cakes really not as good as Grandma's that was made from scratch?

I read an interesting thread on HBT (perhaps someone has the link in mind and can point us to it) discussing why some differences might be noted in extract brews. It was suggested - and confirmed by some other - that you should not boil the extract. IOW, you should add enough extract to bring your boil to a certain S.G. Follow your usual hop schedule, and wait until the very end to add the extract. The extract has already been reduced by boiling prior to packaging, so it doesn't really need to be boiled again. The hops supposedly work best within a certain range of specific gravity, so they don't need all the sugars in the boil to give up their flavor.

JOHNNYROTTEN, I think you might have inspired me a bit by your question. I think I might just try really hard to do something decisive. If I were to decide to delay all-grain, but I really want to go electrice, I can forget about a controller that utilized PID temp control; I don't need a pump to recirculate; I don't need to control mash temps; I don't need to worry about whether or not to get a kettle with a steamer basket or not; I don't need to worry about whether to make/purchase a voile BIAB bag vs get a paint strainer bag, etc.

If I'm doing 5 gallon extract batches, I can probably just stick with my 8 gallon kettle I purchased at the beginning. If you're doing 15 gallon extract batches, a 20 gallon kettle would probably suffice. Working with KPSquared's suggestion, get a SS kettle, punch a hole for a weldless ball valve, punch another 1.25" hole for a heating element. You can purchase the excellent 5500W ULWD element kit from Kal at www.theelectricbrewery.com, either the 4500W or 5500W prewired element from www.highgravitybrew.com, or purchase an element separate along with the very good looking element/RIMS housing from Bobby at www.brewhardware.com. Since I don't need mash temp control, I can get the inexpensive electric kettle controller from High Gravity (if I'm simply trying to mimic with electricity what I've been doing with propane). I should still be able to perform 2.5 - 3 gallon BIAB with my setup.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. In summary, my advice-from-study-not-experience suggests you do the following:
1. get a 20 gallon stainless steel kettle punched to accept a ball valve and a heating element
2. purchase a 220VAC 5500W ULWD electric element (prebuilt kits mentioned above)
3. purchase a basic 220V electric controller. Trying to brew more than 5 gallons on a stove while supplementing with 1 or 2 additional heating elements with their cords going to separate circuits is too complicated for me.
4. locate the thread discussing the thing about late addition of extract to make sure your extract beer is the best it can be
5. enjoy

Respectfully submitted,
Keith

The thing I don't really understand is you mention you have another hobby that requires much of your extra time and money yet you consider paying hundreds more for a control panel kit you still have to assemble vs just buying the listed components from the links Kal provided or doing some shopping around when it won't take much more time since building the panel will take just as long and it could potentially mean the cost difference of say $6-700 for the entire brew system vs $2,000+?
I would recommen watching some you tube videos of control panels and brew system and maybe utilizing 15 gallon stainless kegs that can be purchased from beer distributors for $30 deposit.... buying the elements for $30 a piece and the components for a dual kettle heating setup with dual pid control... the contractors or "relays" range from $7 to 15 bucks and the switches can be purchased for $2.50 a piece...
Manual control pids are about $30 each (my pin td4) tack on $8 for 2 heatsinks, $11 for 2 SSR's and $11 for the 2 pt-100 sensors, about $20 for switch craft plugs and $30 for the enclosure, $40 for wire and you can build the whole control panel for well under $250.00....
I spent about $800 for the whole setup including a cereal killer grain mill and a 20 plate b23 series plate chiller... I even build a digital pid temp controller for. My ferment or and picked up a freezer from Craigslist and 5 used 10 gallon Johnson soda kegs all included in my build price.... it pays to shop around. I bought the bling like sight glasses, thermometers and camlock fittings from bargain fittings.
The only thing I'm not including was the stir plates for my yeast and hlt which I built mainly from stuff I had laying around as well as my $25 copper coil I used in my herms setup and my carboys.

 

[kzimmer0817]

The thing I don't really understand is you mention you have another hobby that requires much of your extra time and money yet you consider paying hundreds more for a control panel kit you still have to assemble vs just buying the listed components from the links Kal provided or doing some shopping around . . .

I appreciate your input, and, hopefully, the OP and others can benefit from the discussion. Even though it's an awful lot of words, please go back and read thru my 1st response to the OP, then my 2nd response will make more sense.

JOHNNYROTTEN's original question had to do with brewing large extract batches - 15 gallons (probably 3 5-gal brews together). He wants to do this with electricity instead of propane. He only needs 1 kettle/keggle. He won't be mashing - except for steeping some specialty grains, so he doesn't need automatic temperature control and all the apparatus that that requires. As passedpawn and KPSquared suggested, he only needs to mount an element into a kettle or keg and build/purchase a very simple electric control.

A few statements to clarify why I made my suggestions and why I posted the specific items that I may purchase - and that the OP can take into consideration in building his own simple system:

1. The controller I mentioned from High Gravity is not a kit; they sell several different fully assembled controllers. I've done a few BIAB batches using propane and have considered purchasing their BIAB kit that includes everything (a little >$1000). I've since considered scaling back - and this thread is convincing me - and doing extract-only, since many very fine beers are brewed this way. That's why I may purchase their $249 EKC (not a kit) to simply substitute electricity for propane. If I find myself brewing more and drinking more, then I will improve my equipment - perhaps purchase their ready-made EBC-SV with temp control designed for BIAB or building my own as you suggest (and as I've already planned).

2. The other hobby is an old pipe organ that I got from the estate of an organist who removed it from a church. It has about 800 pipes and was set up and partially playing in my previous basement. I'm a physician and amateur organist having played the organ for church for 15 years, and I would like to be able to practice the organ at home. I've already thrown $18,000 at this project, and I don't want to trash it. There's a coolness factor to this - much like brewing your own beer. My current basement is not as deep as the one in my previous house, so I will have to re-engineer some components of my organ to fit the new space. While homebrewing is very interesting, I've had a dream of having a home pipe organ ever since I was in college, so the organ will have to take priority.

3. I'm pretty handy with my hands, so I'm OK with DIY projects. I'm just having to balance my time, money, and other priorities. I have already made a keggle (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keiths-cut-keggle-353760/), but my son has appropriated it for himself and moved away. Believe me, I have read Kal's entire online book several times. I have even planned out - in conceptual form - my own control panel using principles in Kal's design, electrical advice from PJ, as well as ideas borrowed from other HBTers/BIABers. The process of selling a house, renting x 3 years, then purchasing a house has given me the opportunity to research my options - and change my mind a few times.

4. I'm not interested in 3-Vessel brewing. I became interested in BIAB 2 years ago, so that's the route I plan to take when performing all-grain brewing. Kal's control panel is probably the best out there for 3-vessel electric brewing. Some folks have adapted his design to control propane burners instead of heating elements. If I were committed to 3V brewing, I probably would purchase his control panel kit for $1420. If I were in a hurry, I'd purchase the panel already built and tested for $2154. OTOH, the High Gravity pre-built EBC-SV control panel for single-vessel BIAB is $495. So, depending upon where I want to spend my DIY time/energy, I may still purchase a control panel when I want more features and more precise temp control - or I may build one; I have my idea on paper on my computer. Most of what I need to do to the organ will take mostly time and utilize tools I already have. If I have a little more money lying around than I have time, then I don't mind purchasing some brewing stuff already built. Anyway, I think I've explained that well enough.

As you suggested, I'm getting ready to punch holes and electrify my current kettle and, as I explained above, am considering purchasing a 15 gal kettle to electrify myself. So, it's a plan of (1) DIY in areas where I can do my best and (2) purchasing some components pre-built.

I would recommen watching some you tube videos of control panels and brew system and maybe utilizing 15 gallon stainless kegs that can be purchased from beer distributors for $30 deposit.... <snip>.

I've already done all that. I've been studying this forum, the Morebeer forum, and the BIABrewer forum for 3 years. As I said, I've already made and polished a keggle. My response was specifically geared towards the OP's desire to expand his extract brewing. Since I'm also interested in scaling back to extract brewing, I researched some components and posted them for his consideration.

I spent about $800 for the whole setup including a cereal killer grain mill and a 20 plate b23 series plate chiller...

I spent a few hundred $$ on a beginner's brewing kit, a 7.5 gal SS kettle, immersion chiller, propane burner, other equipment. Later, a 7 cu ft freezer and a Ranco controller to have control over fermentation temps. My son got the keg for free, and I cut it, polished it, punched it, drilled it, and installed dip tube, ball valve, and sight glass from www.brewhardware.com while the organ was in storage and we were renting.

Anyway, I appreciate your suggestions to me. If you re-read my postings, I think you will see that I'm already following your suggestions - insofar as they apply to extract brewing. I'm not exactly certain how far I will go in brewing, since I've never been much of a beer drinker. My wife prefers wine, so I may end up switching from beer to wine. This is another reason why I'm taking the "start low and go slow" approach.

Respectfully,
Keith

 

[trboyden]

Go back to the sticky post at the top of this forum and read it through. It's there to answer the question "What is electric brewing?"

 

[augiedoggy]

Ahh yes your comments make more sense now that I read everything more carefully...
I guess there isn't many extract brewers out there with full electric 15 gallon capability... To many it likely seems kind of like investing in a high end commercial kitchen and only using it to reheat takeout.... but then again. If your feeding that big of an appetite it could make more sense... I always just brewed half the quantity and added the additional water to the fermenter when doing extract.since you don't consume much I don't see the logic in straying from 5 gallon batches on the stove but I'm sure I might have missed something you posted mentioning why..

 

[kzimmer0817]

...since you don't consume much I don't see the logic in straying from 5 gallon batches on the stove but I'm sure I might have missed something you posted mentioning why..

Maybe you aren't married. My wife would never allow me to brew beer on the kitchen stove. She's not very happy when we run in and out from the garage to check on the rehydrating yeast before pitching it. (I know, you don't have to rehydrate the dry yeast). In her defense, there's a decent chance of my making a sticky mess with brewing, so I'm OK with doing it either outside, in the garage, or in the basement.

As you will notice in my Pumpkin Ale thread (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f244/my-first-all-grain-biab-no-chill-356409/), I did get to use the kitchen to bake the pumpkin.

Hopefully, the OP will get some more specific help.
Keith



Since I already have a 7.5 gallon kettle (my son having taken off with the keggle), I'm going to electrify it. There's an unfinished area of my basement that's about 14ft wide x 42ft long with the single car garage door at the back end. I'm putting the organ pipes in the front 14-16 feet of depth, then the console (to play it). With the remaining area nearest the rear door, I want to plumb one wall for a SS sink and set up a small brew area. On the opposite wall, I will set up a workshop area.

If I decide to stick with beer brewing - as opposed to switching to wine - I'll upgrade to a 15 gallon setup and opt for greater control.

 

[augiedoggy]

OK. My live in gf bought me my first home brew kit for Christmas and she loves the smell when I'm making it But I could see your point although there really isn't much mess when I brew an all extract beer compared to partial mash or all grain. Also I'm not sure why your rehydrating the yeast in the garage? Its not a messy or space consuming process? all extract brewing it no more messy than cooking Italian food ? In any case that's why kitchens are made of easy clean surfaces... I don't understand why so many people think its some sort of dirty barbaric thing..

You could always just get an electric hot plate? Many use them for batches up to 5 gallons with good success.. or you can even pick up the 20a 120v stick elements that hang into the pot.... My local home brew store Niagara traditions has those already built and he claims they are a popular item.. that way if you decided to upgrade in the future you could easily sell it or repurpose it for say a hlt is the passion catches on and you jump to all or partial grain.

 

[Setesh]

...utilizing 15 gallon stainless kegs that can be purchased from beer distributors for $30 deposit....

I know this has been covered time and again, but a lot of people still don't know this: Paying a deposit is not the same as buying the keg. Kegs are more than $100 new, and the deposit is just a good faith payment for the kegs use, they are hoping to get the keg back. If you want to buy a keg you can do so at places like beveragefactory.com for about $150 shipped. Also, the kegs from beferagefactory are brand new and won't have the dents, stickers, stale beer, etc for you to mess with.

What I would suggest doing is contacting your local distributors to see if they have any kegs that are removed from service. I was able to pay a small "recycling" fee on my kegs to save the money they would have made by sending them in for scrap. They are pretty beat up of course, otherwise they wouldn't have decommissioned them, but they still work great for brewing. And you can't see all the dents and sticker goo with the reflectix covering them anyways

 

[augiedoggy]

I know this has been covered time and again, but a lot of people still don't know this: Paying a deposit is not the same as buying the keg. Kegs are more than $100 new, and the deposit is just a good faith payment for the kegs use, they are hoping to get the keg back. If you want to buy a keg you can do so at places like beveragefactory.com for about $150 shipped. Also, the kegs from beferagefactory are brand new and won't have the dents, stickers, stale beer, etc for you to mess with.

What I would suggest doing is contacting your local distributors to see if they have any kegs that are removed from service. I was able to pay a small "recycling" fee on my kegs to save the money they would have made by sjending them in for scrap. They are pretty beat up of course, otherwise they wouldn't have decommissioned them, but they still work great for brewing. And you can't see all the dents and sticker goo with the reflectix covering them anyways

Yes I am aware of this... I'm also aware that I've paid labatt 10 times over in the amount of profit that have made off me already so when I cut up the keg that had been sitting in my garage since new years 2002 I didn't feel so bad. Especially after NY state had implemented that ridiculous $75 keg deposit fee that took like 8 years to get abolished... I've been inconvenienced enough to not feel guilty. Its being put to good use.

And when I went to my local beer store chain and asked about purchasing a second keg to cut up it was they who suggested I could buy it from them for the $30 deposit...It could have something to do with the fact that they sell home brew supplies as well. But they also sold new 5 gallon sanke kegs so?
I'm sure you realise the beer manufacturers don't pay anywhere near $150 a keg unless they are small independent breweries... I bet they pay closer to $30-50 than you think...
That being said I paid $73 for my 13 gallon boil kettle instead of going the keg route. OK maybe I lied and felt a little guilty

 

[Setesh]

Yes I am aware of this... I'm also aware that I've paid labatt 10 times over in the amount of profit that have made off me already so when I cut up the keg that had been sitting in my garage since new years 2002 I didn't feel so bad. Especially after NY state had implemented that ridiculous $75 keg deposit fee that took like 8 years to get abolished... I've been inconvenienced enough to not feel guilty. Its being put to good use.

And when I went to my local beer store chain and asked about purchasing a second keg to cut up it was they who suggested I could buy it from them for the $30 deposit...It could have something to do with the fact that they sell home brew supplies as well. But they also sold new 5 gallon sanke kegs so?
I'm sure you realise the beer manufacturers don't pay anywhere near $150 a keg unless they are small independent breweries... I bet they pay closer to $30-50 than you think...
That being said I paid $73 for my 13 gallon boil kettle instead of going the keg route. OK maybe I lied and felt a little guilty

I hear you, and I wasn't trying to bust your chops, just inform. I wish Oklahoma didn't have the stupid distribution laws they do. Not only does it hurt the home brew shop (we have one tiny home brew shop in all of Oklahoma City, and OKC is one of the largest cities by land area in the USA) but it keeps us from getting good beers here because the breweries don't want to put up with the BS and get raped by the distributors Hell, we just got home brewing legalized a few years ago....

 

[BradleyBrew]

its how you make ashtray beer

 

[bannerj]

To boil 10 gallons, you'll need at least a 4000W element mounted in your kettle. I recommend the "ultra low wattage density" (ULWD) elements. I've used the 5500W (Camco 2963) elements for 5 years without any issue. See pic below.

To mount in your kettle, the easiest/cheapest way is this method from The Pol. You'll also need the Bargain Fittings 1" nut to go inside the kettle. See pic below.

If you want to get all blingy, and have a simple way to remove the element, replace it, etc, you can weld a triclover ferrule to your kettle, buy a nice element enclosure from here or here , wire some SJOOW 10/3 cord to the element, terminate with a L6-15P twistlock connector. Much sweetness, but also $$$. See pic below.

To control the boil (i.e., the Boil Kettle BK), you need a simple PWM controller from here or here.

To heat water to a specific temperature (i.e., the Hot Liquor Tank HLT), you need a controller with temperature feedback. A PID is used for this. Get the PID here. You'll also need a temperature sensor. I recommend this RTD sensor (or similar) because it is built to last, has a removable cord, has the mating connector assembly at your control panel, etc.

Beyond all that, there is a bunch of holes to cut in your kettles, a control panel with switches and lights, and just a ton of planning. Good luck, sketch it all out on paper before you get started.

This is the kind of post I've been hunting for. Thanks.