Screw this! (propane)

[T-Pee]

As I sit here stewing in my juices in a 90 degree garage on our first warm day listening to Pandora and a turkey fryer blasting heat, odors, CO and gawd knows what else, it occurred to me that I'm an electrician fer cryin' out loud. Why am I running propane?? So I dragged the laptop out here to have something to do besides count sweat drops off my nose and hit the forums for my electric solution.

I'm running a 15 gallon boiler and a 1.5" CM column. After a bit of poking around I figured I can run a Camco 2500 watt low density element ($14.41 on Amazon) in the existing 1" bung at 240 volts and only use 10 amps at full blast heatup and not be under or over-powered. Have I got my Ohm's Law correct so far? (P/E=I)
Now all I need is a controller setup.

tp (wising up and cooling down)

[Nutmegmooner]

Have you ever heard of the famous painting "Light Dawns on Marblehead" ?

[T-Pee]

Have you ever heard of the famous painting "Light Dawns on Marblehead" ?

I see it looking in the mirror every morning.

tp

[The KYChemist]

I am very pleased with my controller setup. Basically the same one Jimbo uses, just mounted a little differently. Easy to wire up, even as electrically illiterate as I am. I have a test of my electrics, vinegar, and sac run under my belt, and it has performed flawlessly.

[T-Pee]

Basically the same one Jimbo uses...

Oh, heck. I saw that link in Jimbo's thread and bounced right by it. Bookmarked!

Thanks, KYC!

tp

[ga flatwoods]

Tp if you would straighten up and pay attention some time instead of showing out as you do you would have already had yourself a set up like that. Now, hurry up and build yours and an extra for me while you are at it!
Ga Flatwoods

[T-Pee]

Tp if you would straighten up and pay attention some time instead of showing out as you do...

As if...

...you would have already had yourself a set up like that. Now, hurry up and build yours and an extra for me while you are at it!
Ga Flatwoods

If you wanna, I can do that. Just lemme know!

tp (an' that damned "blind pig" thing again)

[pfshine]

Best thing i did was goin electric. Its quiet to.

[MitchyBourbon]

I love my electric setup. 5500 watt low density element. I heat up 15 gallons at a time at 3/4 power. I imagine you will run 10 gallons at a time. Are you sure 2500 watts is enough power? I also have a 2000 watt Cadco hot plate I use for maintaining a boil when I mash 7 gallon mashes. I heat up the water first in my other boiler with the 5500 watt element and then pump it into my mash pot. With only 2000 watts on the hot plate it takes forever to get 7 gallons to boil.

[Truckinbutch]

I can appreciate where you are coming from . I'll keep on with my propane rig . Been too many grow house busts in my area because the Feds monitor power consumption . As my rig stands it is easily convertible to a wood fired rig in a snail shell furnace out in the woods if SHTF .

[The KYChemist]

I can appreciate where you are coming from . I'll keep on with my propane rig . Been too many grow house busts in my area because the Feds monitor power consumption . As my rig stands it is easily convertible to a wood fired rig in a snail shell furnace out in the woods if SHTF .

Before I speak, remember, I'm not an expert... Running electric, I don't think you'd have to worry about this, too much. If my math is correct, two 8 hour runs a month would be the equivalent of 12 extra loads of laundry through the dryer, a month. At least that's the numbers I came to, for me. This would also equate to about an extra $4 on my energy bill. Grow ops are a horse of another color... High usage of electricity, 24 hrs a day. Add hydroponics and even more. I'm personally more worried about my water bill, even though its only an extra 200 gal a month.

[MitchyBourbon]

Running an electric rig for a few hours is only gonna be a few dollars worth of power. It's about the same as running a couple loads in the dryer.

Edit: Dang, posted same time as The KYChemist.

[Prairiepiss]

Although 2500 watts is more then enough to run that still. It will be slow on heatup.

I would recommend you go with a 4500 or 5500 watt element if you can.

[pfshine]

I run two elements in my keg rig a 5500 w and a 4500 w . The 4500w i run on 120 so its about 1125w and the 5500 on 240 with a controller both full on for heat up. Then when nearing temp i dial the 5500w element down to the desired wattage. For my flute its about 1500 to 1700w on the 5500w element for a total of 2600 to 2800 watts. This makes for a smoother boil and more evenly distributed heat.

[IrishEnigma]

We have something in common hah. Electrician and I run propane. Problem I have is running 240 out to my shed that's not mine. I'm renting which sucks because there's plenty I would like to do to my house and shed .

[T-Pee]

Although 2500 watts is more then enough to run that still. It will be slow on heatup.

I would recommend you go with a 4500 or 5500 watt element if you can.

That much? Remember, I run 10 gallon washes max with a 1.5 inch CM column and I'm happy if my heatup is < an hour. My electric is a bit limited as far as power load in the garage is concerned for the time being.

tp

[pfshine]

It takes a little over hald an hour to heat up 10 gal with 5625 watts.

[T-Pee]

It takes a little over hald an hour to heat up 10 gal with 5625 watts.

So 3500 running at just under 15 amps would be around 50 minutes.
I can live with that.

tp

[White_Lightning_Rod]

I've been researching and shopping going electric as well I'm just running a pot still for now but don't want to be under powered if/when I build a reflux rig. I've settled with a 4500w camco ULWD. Mainly because I can run a 20 amp breaker and plugs and stay with more affordable 12g wire as well. Gonna order the SCR similar to Jimbos except I found one with an led screen and up/down buttons instead of a knob I'm going to give it a try, If it doesn't work I'm only out $20. Putting in my amazon order tomorrow for the element, plugs, weld spuds, solder, flux, a 3/4 ball valve drain and nipple to attach it. Everything I need to add one element and a drain to my keg except the wire and controller for a little over $100 to my door. Hell I'll save that much in 6 months not buying propane....

[T-Pee]

Gonna order the SCR similar to Jimbos except I found one with an led screen and up/down buttons instead of a knob I'm going to give it a try,

Link? Nice cool factor.

tp

[White_Lightning_Rod]

(Mod edit - link removed at posters request. Digi version dorsnt work)

If I'm not mistaken it is from the same seller linked in Jimbos thread

[White_Lightning_Rod]

I'm going to try it out I will keep everyone posted on its performance. Definitely cooler looking then just a knob.

[DFitz]

Hey now, Propane has it's uses... Under a BOP in the dead of winter is one for instance. During the summer, yeah, bring plenty of Gatorade.

[BoisBlancBoy]

Yeah I'm ready to convert to electric too so I'll be interested in seeing how that controller works as well.

[Prairiepiss]

Rad has a calculator in the parent site. That will calculate heat up times for different watts and batch size.
It says.
10 gal from 65 to 212 with a 2500w is 91 min.
Same with 4500w 50 min.
I started out with around 2500 watts. Took me an hour and a half to heat up. My 5500 takes a half hour. I don't miss the hour extra. At all.

I would at least get the biggest you can safely run. You will be happier in the long run.

[T-Pee]

We have something in common hah. Electrician and I run propane. Problem I have is running 240 out to my shed that's not mine. I'm renting which sucks because there's plenty I would like to do to my house and shed .

My situation too. Although the folks that own the place have been great in allowing me to do pretty much whatever I want, I also need to justify an expense that I'll be leaving behind when we get our own place again. Fortunately, 240 is in the garage but only 12ga so I need to be careful about my load schedule especially with a stand up freezer compressor involved on one leg.

tp

[Jimbo]

Goin electric was the best damn thing I ever did to my brewing and stilling setup. Go with the Camco 5500W ULWD element. Its great. And you wont regret the extra power. I boil water to cook grains at 5500. fast. I do 10-12 gallon strips at 4000W, boil 12 gallons of beer at a nice rolling boil at 3000, and spirit runs at 2000. I have pieces of tape cut to a point to mark 2,3,4 thousand watts on the dial. Its freakin awesome. I put meters on the box but dont even look at em.

[T-Pee]

A 5500 watt element at full roll will run at >22 amps at 240v. Unsafe with what I have available but the controller will be able to handle one in the future. I can always swap out the element to a 5500 later when my power system is in better shape. They're cheap.

tp

[bellybuster]

yup, build for the future
I too love electric, so much that am in the process of converting my brewery too. Luckily my panel is in the garage right next to my brew rig. Short runs save money

[Jimbo]

Bummer you have 12 awg to your garage. Do you have an electric dryer hookup nearby? That will be run with heavier wire.