I’ve been brewing for about 2.5yrs, first extract kits, then after about a year tried AG using BIAB method on a propane burner. I’ve been thinking about upgrading some equipment and was looking at going electric. having the option to brew inside again is really appealing. Since I’m upgrading anyway, I thought I’d look into brewing more traditionally, HLT/Mash tun… HERMS, etc.
I’ve been saving up so cost really isn’t the issue (to a point… like when SWMBO sees the $$$) and have decided to buy rather than build, but was wondering about some of the “extras” like an autosparge or plate chiller. Are they worth it?
My wort chiller does a pretty good job cooling 5G batches, not sure how it would do with 10G, making plate better option.
And since I haven’t sparged, wondering if the auto sparge will save me a headache or is just a neat toy and a waste of $$$.
I can’t speak to the auto sparge since I don’t have one and would probably batch sparge even if I did. However I will say that I really like my plate chiller. It is much quicker than my old immersion chiller, but the main reason I like it is that the wort goes from hot enough to kill any airborne bugs, to pitching temperature in a closed system. I know the chance of an infection while chilling with an immersion chiller is small, my strategy is to remove all the small chances so they don’t add up to a good chance.
This is my 4g kettle with a 1500 watt element. no controllers needed as total output is just about right. i am contemplating making a 6g with a 2kw element. i mash in a bag. (use cooler with the grain in a fine grain bag) makes it very easy. with the 6 g kettle it is a INUSA brand seafood steamer with a ledge in it for the tray. if the element will fit under the tray i will make it.
I’m not surprised with Don’s findings that 1500 w is about right for 5 gal. I have up to 5500w in my kettle, but I have a pulse width modulator. It helps to be able to turn up the heat input while the wort is heating, but the wort would literally jump out of the kettle if I left that much power delivered to the boil. It was impressive the only time I did it!!!
I don’t know how much wattage I actually deliver when I’m boiling gently. I suppose I could observe the amount of time the element is on versus off when the PWM is operating and then figure out what the average wattage is. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was around the 1500w mark.
it is somewhat fortunate. i was just experimenting with the kettle (3 bucks at good will) and the element. i just wanted to get something going and i didn’t want to spend the time building a pwm or setting up any automatic controls. i went with the 1500 over the 2000 just to limit the demand on my household circuit. i think increasing to the 2000 would only just increase my boil off at this point.
sure did, and when I stopped drooling found www.highgravitybrew.com, closer to my budget. They do all the drilling and what not, all I gotta do is connect the dots and start making beer. and then the question of the extras… I’m pretty much sold on the plate chiller, but the auto sparge not so sure,
those systems are nice, especially if brewing larger quantities. I only brew a few gallons at a time and have less than 50 dollars wrapped up in my kettle. i would probably recommend using the punches for the holes like in the electric brewery for a stainless kettle. mine is aluminum and i had no problems using a bimetal hole saw from the hardware store. use a little cutting oil. i guess if you buy the system as shown it is not something to worry about. fwiw. on my kettle i did not use a standard gang box as they show. i used an all weather extension for a gang box. this is open on both ends and allowed me to use the smaller size and still be able to get in to do the wiring after it is mounted
i am very careful with the kettle as it is aluminum and i don’t want to screw up the layer on it. i use a plastic scraper and scrape the scale off the water (okay wort) line and then rinse, gentle wash cloth. the element i will use a plastic mesh pad and just get the big gunk off and rinse. it would be an over kill amount of work to disassemble my element each time.
FWIW, my power cord was made from an old extension cord that i damaged. it is only about 6-8 inches long. when i first made the trial i used about 10 foot but this made carrying it, cleaning, (and sometimes i will throw in the fridge till the next day) difficult. there was no reason for this as i can just plug it into another extension chord if needed.
[quote]sure did, and when I stopped drooling found www.highgravitybrew.com, closer to my budget. They do all the drilling and what not, all I gotta do is connect the dots and start making beer. and then the question of the extras… I’m pretty much sold on the plate chiller, but the auto sparge not so sure,
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A lot of the cost in “theelectricbrewery” system is in the kettles, especially if you do the work yourself. At $500 a pop that is $1500 right there. I bought the Blichman mash-tun but for the other 2 vessels I got 20-gallon Bayou Classic pots at $120 each.
As for the auto-sparger, I thought about it myself but have never used one in the countless batches I have brewed before so I have not bought one yet. I have heard if you used it with a pump it can sometimes “jump” the valve and override the auto-autosparger.
[quote]sure did, and when I stopped drooling found www.highgravitybrew.com, closer to my budget. They do all the drilling and what not, all I gotta do is connect the dots and start making beer. and then the question of the extras… I’m pretty much sold on the plate chiller, but the auto sparge not so sure,
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A lot of the cost in “theelectricbrewery” system is in the kettles, especially if you do the work yourself. At $500 a pop that is $1500 right there. I bought the Blichman mash-tun but for the other 2 vessels I got 20-gallon Bayou Classic pots at $120 each.
As for the auto-sparger, I thought about it myself but have never used one in the countless batches I have brewed before so I have not bought one yet. I have heard if you used it with a pump it can sometimes “jump” the valve and override the auto-autosparger.
I think you can see there are a lot of variations in going electric and overall it would depend on what you are trying to accomplish. either way, i think electric brewing for me has given me a lot more flexibility. i can go from garage to back deck. the very first test batch i was outside. thunderstorm came. i unplugged it put it on a towel on the counter and finished. all the rest of the issues on size, pumps, etc are similar to what other brewers battle as they expand. (in my case contract)
I am contemplating this route as well, at least for the boil. Our deck is a great place to brew, except for one thing: the wind. We’re on the top floor of a house on top of a hill and keeping the propane burner lit is hard on all but a very few days per year. Plus with a mobile stand I could always roll it back indoors if the weather degraded.
My biggest hesitation is not trusting this old house (or rather, its sketchy electrical system with its amateurish “upgrades” over the years–you would not believe some of the things we’ve found). Even with a GFI and careful practice, I think I would bring in an electrician just to confirm that I could use the outlets I plan to. That was why I haven’t used my March pump as much as I wanted. I love it, and it introduces efficiencies and safety steps (no more up and down a stepstool with gallons of hot water!), and I can see using two of them as part of a mobile stand, but I’m hesitant. “Smoked librarian” is not a tasty beer adjunct.
i use a 1500watt element and i fill my 4g kettle to the top when i prep water for my mash. it will boil smoothly at 3gallons. this only draws 12.5 amps. most circuits are good to around 20a. i plug mine in to a separate gfi power bar after a few hours the chord may be a little warm but nothing worrisome. i have not gotten a valve on my kettle but i would be happy to even send it out to you to try.
I’ll do a little separate due diligence but you’re both putting me at ease. I too have a GFI power bar.
Btw I did drill my kettle for a ball valve (3-piece SS, looks very sharp too ) and drilling for a heating element would be easy. It was so easy adding the valve once I got my nerve up to do it I felt a little disappointed I didn’t have other things to tackle with my step bit (though I did use it for making more fermenters and a new bottling bucket).
) and drilling for a heating element would be easy. It was so easy adding the valve once I got my nerve up to do it I felt a little disappointed I didn’t have other things to tackle with my step bit (though I did use it for making more fermenters and a new bottling bucket).