I'm converting to electric brewing an find out that mine 2800 watts element on 240 v will boil 7 gal pot of water in 1 hour from 70 deg to boil with quite vigorous boil. So this eliminates the need for controller. I have 15 gal keg and have 3800 watts element there so no need for controller either; I can turn it off with the breaker in the box when temp reaches mashing temp than turn it on for sparging. Additionally I built RIMS system with 1500 wats element and this is controlled by Bird 308 controller for worth circulating. I drilled the electric box with the same bit used for pot drilling and I also welded all the holes in it to make it waterproof. I made the nut for the element trad from coper fitting 1"(actual dims 1.25" hole ) and I flattened the surface of the pot for better sealing with hammer and steel backing.
The 240 socket can be a 30amp type. You might get away with even a 20amp one as the current on maximum will be 23 amps. The ground/earth wire bypasses the electronic control unit without connecting there. Ignore the wire nut pictured. Make the box from insulated material like wood. The controller may be enough to completely control temperature.
Thanks for the video Dennis it was very helpful! I just got my contoller for my heating element but my home dryer plug is for 4 prong plugs. It has a red, white, black, and green wire. Im wondering if i can take the nuetral white wire and the green ground wire and have them stick on my keg boiler to ground it with the black and red hot wires pluged onto the element??
Carlos so sorry so long getting back to you. My socket is 3 wire. I use the two hot wirse black and red. And Bare/green to ground the brewer. Neutral is not used.
Thank you for replying! I was just wondering what i could do with the nuetral wire in a safe manner, could i just place an end cap on it and then wire the way you demonstrated?
Must have answered this but dont see it here Carlos. Use the red and black as the two feed wires. They have 240 volts between. Don't use neutral at all, wire nut it. Let the green ground/Earth pass through the control modules without connecting anywhere. Take right through to the boiler and connect to the care/metalwork/earth/screw whatever there.
I thought about going with 240. Since most outlets are 110 I'm gonna use two elements instead of one. I'll have to make sure their plugged into different sections of the electrical since the large draw of electricity. This way I can brew outside inside or take the brewer over to a friend's house. I see you have it grounded but I'm surprised there's no gfi hooked into it since your dealing with water.
OK Brian that should work OK. GFI will be easier on 120 volts. Do they even make one for 240? As long as you've got a sound Ground/Earth I don't see a problem. Did you get the power controller like I used?
@@PreferMetal1 I haven't got that far on my build. Once I get that far I'll decide what type of controler I'll build. What I planed on doing at first is putting it on the stove and using one element in conjunction with the stove. I have a 16 gallon stock pot and plan on brewing 10 gallon batches. I understand why people use the 240 but your limited with that so I'm going with two 110 heating elements. I would assume they make one for a 240 since these applications are around water too.
@@briannielsen7176 OK Brian. The controller I used does not seem to be around anymore. There is another one I have used that may be of interest:- www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=10%2C000+electrionic+controller&_sacat=0 Or just search under electronic 10000 controller. The system you intend to build or use should be fine. It will speed up it a lot. That's a mighty big stock pot. Good luck. One 120 v heater with the stove- I can't see it a problem. Of course it depends on where the two socket are for two cords when you do this. Think my pot is 6 gallons but it works fine on that. The 10 will be longer of course but it should be reasonable in heat time.
I took a look on eBay but could not see it anymore. Things change fast. I used all combinations from the video description but still nothing, There are a lot of similar devices but all are a lot lower in power. The original either 9500 or 9200 watts controller. You need 5500 for that heater. No meaningful number on my device to help- sorry.
@@Dennis-et9vq helllo, I recently bought 2 10k watt controllers but don’t seem to understand the wiring. Can you provide drawing of 240 volt connections. Thanks Mike
No it should be no problem. Many times people talk about the voltage at a socket as being 110, 115 or 120 when its anywhere in that range. I think that controller is not on offer- not sure.
I want to use a PID controller to control the heat to my boiler and use a SCR to limit power to the heating element like run a 5500 watt element at 5000 watts to extend the element life the SCR only cost $12.00 and it's about the same for the PID.
Sounds good to me Thomas. I find that the elements last a long time. A bit like a kettle element, but running a bit lower than full will give a longer life. I'm a retired English electrician but when working there, now in the US, we got a lot of complaints that bulbs were not lasting. At that time there were 250 volt hard service bulbs. We suggested they use them. They lasted a long time instead of the normal 240 v ones.
With the PID controller it just cycles the heating element on and off so for the heat to be at 50% it just means the heating element is only powered up half the time and there is no actual metering of power to the element, it is either 100% on or 100% off. With a Silicone controlled rectifier it allows you to regulate or meter the power to the element so you can turn the element on but run it only at a percentage of power where the PID controller only lets you run the element at full power or not at all, so if you can lower the power to the heating element by say 25% you will logically extend the working life of the element by 25%, at least that is my understanding. So a 5500 watt heating element running at 5000 watts is enough power to bring 15 gallons of mash to a boil but at the same time is easier on the element and allows you more control of the heat.
Sorry so long Scott. I think it will be cheaper to use electric heating and its more convenient. If your propane is a good output power it might be faster than electric but doubt it as this heater runs at over 5000 watts.
I'm converting to electric brewing an find out that mine 2800 watts element on 240 v will boil 7 gal pot of water in 1 hour from 70 deg to boil with quite vigorous boil. So this eliminates the need for controller. I have 15 gal keg and have 3800 watts element there so no need for controller either; I can turn it off with the breaker in the box when temp reaches mashing temp than turn it on for sparging. Additionally I built RIMS system with 1500 wats element and this is controlled by Bird 308 controller for worth circulating. I drilled the electric box with the same bit used for pot drilling and I also welded all the holes in it to make it waterproof. I made the nut for the element trad from coper fitting 1"(actual dims 1.25" hole ) and I flattened the surface of the pot for better sealing with hammer and steel backing.
Nice ones StagArmsslower. Seem to have it all sorted in a simpler way.
The 240 socket can be a 30amp type. You might get away with even a 20amp one as the current on maximum will be 23 amps.
The ground/earth wire bypasses the electronic control unit without connecting there. Ignore the wire nut pictured.
Make the box from insulated material like wood. The controller may be enough to completely control temperature.
Thanks for the video Dennis it was very helpful! I just got my contoller for my heating element but my home dryer plug is for 4 prong plugs. It has a red, white, black, and green wire. Im wondering if i can take the nuetral white wire and the green ground wire and have them stick on my keg boiler to ground it with the black and red hot wires pluged onto the element??
Carlos so sorry so long getting back to you. My socket is 3 wire. I use the two hot wirse black and red. And Bare/green to ground the brewer. Neutral is not used.
Thank you for replying! I was just wondering what i could do with the nuetral wire in a safe manner, could i just place an end cap on it and then wire the way you demonstrated?
Carlos Menjivar Sorry again the immense time. Yes put a screw nut or other connector on it.
Must have answered this but dont see it here Carlos.
Use the red and black as the two feed wires. They have 240 volts between.
Don't use neutral at all, wire nut it. Let the green ground/Earth pass through the control modules without connecting anywhere. Take right through to the boiler and connect to the care/metalwork/earth/screw whatever there.
I thought about going with 240. Since most outlets are 110 I'm gonna use two elements instead of one. I'll have to make sure their plugged into different sections of the electrical since the large draw of electricity. This way I can brew outside inside or take the brewer over to a friend's house. I see you have it grounded but I'm surprised there's no gfi hooked into it since your dealing with water.
OK Brian that should work OK.
GFI will be easier on 120 volts. Do they even make one for 240? As long as you've got a sound Ground/Earth I don't see a problem.
Did you get the power controller like I used?
@@PreferMetal1 I haven't got that far on my build. Once I get that far I'll decide what type of controler I'll build. What I planed on doing at first is putting it on the stove and using one element in conjunction with the stove. I have a 16 gallon stock pot and plan on brewing 10 gallon batches. I understand why people use the 240 but your limited with that so I'm going with two 110 heating elements. I would assume they make one for a 240 since these applications are around water too.
@@briannielsen7176 OK Brian.
The controller I used does not seem to be around anymore.
There is another one I have used that may be of interest:-
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=10%2C000+electrionic+controller&_sacat=0
Or just search under electronic 10000 controller.
The system you intend to build or use should be fine.
It will speed up it a lot. That's a mighty big stock pot. Good luck.
One 120 v heater with the stove- I can't see it a problem. Of course it depends on where the two socket are for two cords when you do this.
Think my pot is 6 gallons but it works fine on that. The 10 will be longer of course but it should be reasonable in heat time.
The element is a standard water heater element rated 5500 watts. - Homedepot.
Could you provide a part number or link for the piece that's actually controlling the voltage to the element? Thank you!
I took a look on eBay but could not see it anymore. Things change fast. I used all combinations from the video description but still nothing,
There are a lot of similar devices but all are a lot lower in power. The original either 9500 or 9200 watts controller.
You need 5500 for that heater.
No meaningful number on my device to help- sorry.
I'm afraid not - unfortunately id does not seem to be on eBay now- sorry that is disappointing.
Great Dave, the original seems to have gone from eBay very soon after the video. Useful for others that info.
@@Dennis-et9vq helllo, I recently bought 2 10k watt controllers but don’t seem to understand the wiring. Can you provide drawing of 240 volt connections. Thanks Mike
Your electrical outlet says 240 volt and your heat controller is rated for 220 volts, does this cause any problems?
No it should be no problem. Many times people talk about the voltage at a socket as being 110, 115 or 120 when its anywhere in that range. I think that controller is not on offer- not sure.
No should be fine- sorry delay.
I want to use a PID controller to control the heat to my boiler and use a SCR to limit power to the heating element like run a 5500 watt element at 5000 watts to extend the element life the SCR only cost $12.00 and it's about the same for the PID.
Sounds good to me Thomas.
I find that the elements last a long time. A bit like a kettle element, but running a bit lower than full will give a longer life. I'm a retired English electrician but when working there, now in the US, we got a lot of complaints that bulbs were not lasting. At that time there were 250 volt hard service bulbs. We suggested they use them. They lasted a long time instead of the normal 240 v ones.
With the PID controller it just cycles the heating element on and off so for the heat to be at 50% it just means the heating element is only powered up half the time and there is no actual metering of power to the element, it is either 100% on or 100% off. With a Silicone controlled rectifier it allows you to regulate or meter the power to the element so you can turn the element on but run it only at a percentage of power where the PID controller only lets you run the element at full power or not at all, so if you can lower the power to the heating element by say 25% you will logically extend the working life of the element by 25%, at least that is my understanding. So a 5500 watt heating element running at 5000 watts is enough power to bring 15 gallons of mash to a boil but at the same time is easier on the element and allows you more control of the heat.
Spiral chain link slightly un-twisted
is electric better than propane for heating?
Sorry so long Scott. I think it will be cheaper to use electric heating and its more convenient. If your propane is a good output power it might be faster than electric but doubt it as this heater runs at over 5000 watts.
i gotcha..thanks Dennis..well maybe I will half to set up 3 w electric and 3 with propane then !
scott garvey Yes that sure is the way!
wire is a tad small for 50 amps
True Barry, but the power it uses is around 23 amps.
See Elec Brewer in action
Brew kettle in action- working on simmer.
See also elec brewer in action 2.
ruclips.net/user/results?search_query=elec+brewer+in+action+2&sm=12