2300 watt (how large should my boiler be)

[cna8065]

In my country the standard outlet wire is rated at 10 amp but no more than 15.
Therefore i'm assuming its 10 amp so i can use it at any house if i move.
My country has a volt out put of 230 Volts.
My math is 230 V x 10 Amps = 2300 watt.
So my question is without using more than one outlet what size boiler should i have?
I'm going to have a 2" 1250 mm bokakob column (not including condenser)
My size options are 20 L, 50 L, 70 L, 100 L.
I am going to insulate my boiler and column if that makes much of a difference.
I am going to use internal elements.
Thanks for you help in advance.
If there is a resource that answers this i would also appreciate being pointed in its direction so i can learn the calculations too.

[Yummyrum]

Hi cna

Few things here .
You are going to use a 2" boka so that usually means you will be doing neutral runs .These are long drawn out runs if you want a good neutral .

2300 watts is pushing the max that a 2: boka can handle , you may want a power controller to dial it back a little too .

A typical run with a 20 liter charge at 30% in 2" Boka will take around 8-10 hours ....again it all depends how neutral you want your neutral....some would scoff and say try 12 - 16 hours .
My point is , you don't want a big boiler charge unless you have the time to sit around .

Now I stated 20 liter at 30 % . ,...I strip my washes first . Stripping with a pot still needs to be a quick affair too . In my opinion , 2300 watts is too low but again , if that's all you have then you need to deal with it. ( I switched to gas burner for stripping )
A 20 liter boiler is not going to take a full "typical fermenter " full . ....and you also need head room in your boiler to allow for a bit of foaming .

So really 30 liters would be your realistic minimum . Go for the 50 liter ...you don't need to have it full

Any bigger and your boil up time will be ridiculously long ...totally forget 100 liters.
50 liters will also be good down the track as you will undoubtedly have a go at flavored spirits such as Rum or Whiskey ( made from fermented Molasses or grain , not Home brew shop flavored neutral ) .......these need a huge head space for foaming reasons

And 50 liters is a good size for stripping Runs as you can fit a whole fermenter full in it with plenty of head space

[der wo]

With 2300W I would stay with 2". More diameter is useful only with a higher wattage.
You could run two elements and connect each to different wires with different fuses. Something like connecting one in the kitchen and the other in the living room. Then you could go 3" and use an appropriate power for that.

Detachable and a potstill head for stripping saves much time.
Insulation too. And it's nice, when you run it in summer, that the room doesn't get heated up.

[kimbodious]

Running a 2200W element in a 50L beer keg here. I definitely have to use a power controller to keep the rate of boil down to a gentle roar with the VM reflux column.

[sw_reijnders]

but the maximum amps you can pull is 15 right?
then you could also use a 3000 watt 3U element.

[cna8065]

OK i see what your all saying and i thank you very much.
I do my ferments in food safe buckets i get from work (I'm a baker)
Thus my ferments in a 20 L bucket are 18 L. (i have already got three and set up thermostat and stuff for them)
so by my understanding 2300 w is good for 30 L.
Would two plugs at 2300 w be good for 54 L? (I'm assuming the thermal dynamics is linear but am not sure)
I will use a 70 L Stainless Steel Boiler and insulate it (dimensions are 450 mm height and 450 mm Diameter.
i will use two different outlets.
both allow 2300 w each (that would include the controllers (i would prefer have two controllers)
What wattage combination of elements should i get? ***(this is the question)
Also are the element brands i should be looking at or are they all about the same?
If i build the 70 L SS boiler i will build a 2.5" Column for safety.
Yes i'm going for neutral alcohol.
I'm also incorporating a two way splitter in the Liquid take off.
One split will be to maintain a good reflux ratio when i get near the end to try and achieve a better separation of the tails (I will run it with it working and without it working and inform you of the results with numbers backing it up)

[Yummyrum]

cna .

two considerations

1) heat up time to get to boiling .The bigger the boiler charge ( how much is in it ) , the longer it takes . Bigger elements means quicker boil up .

2) How much vapour can your handle before it floods . This is directly related to element size ( wattage going into boiler ) and has nothing to do with boiler size /charge .

So you need to stick as much heat into it as you can to get it to boil as quickly as you can ......but...you then need to throttle back power so you don't flood your column

[still_stirrin]

Would two plugs at 2300 w be good for 54 L?

Yes, it can be done that way. The advantage is more surface area on the heater elements with a slightly higher resistance keeps the current draw within your limits. It also reduces the liklihood of your wash scorching on the elements when running it "balls out".

i will use two different outlets...both allow 2300 w each (that would include the controllers (i would prefer have two controllers)...What wattage combination of elements should i get?...Also are the element brands i should be looking at or are they all about the same?

Good idea...just be sure that each element is running from a separate circuit in your home, not merely a separate outlet unless each receptacle is wired individually to your breaker panel with separate breakers. If you try to pull 20 amps from a 15 amp breaker, you'll be disappointed quickly.

On my 1/2 barrel (50 liter) keg boiler I have two 4.5kW 240VAC elements that are powered with only 120VAC. The result is that each puts out about 1.1kW when running "wide open". The 4.5kW elements give me a lower watt density of power which really helps reduce the liklihood of scorching even when the wash isn't (perfectly) cleared. Both elements are run on their own control circuit (Triac based design) and run on separate 15 amp circuits. I use both full on to heat up and the dial them both back to 5-6 amps during the run. In other words, the starting power is around 2.2kW and dialed back to just below 1kW to produce.

Now, for your boiler you could use one (or two) of these: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-02493-Scre ... B0060HN8KQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Keep them as low as you can get them in your boiler so they will always be submerged in the wash, from start to finish. You don't ever want to run an element "dry", as that most assuredly will cause failure.

In my boiler, I have 2" triclover ferrules welded in and a 1"NPS (national pipe thread straight, not tapered) triclover threaded adapter for the element to screw into. The elements can easily be removed and inspected (and cleaned) if necessary.

So, when you do your design, plan ahead. And don't be too "price conscious". Invest wisely..."buy once, cry once".
ss

[Danespirit]

Well, my breaker unit doesn't allow for more than 10 A to be drawn (220VAC ).
So I bought myself a 2 KW (2000 W) element and made a controller for it.
The whole thing heats a 25 L milk can.
The element is the "screw in" type with 1" NPT threads, which simply screws into a 1" female threaded bushing I TIG welded to the boiler.
It sits there with two or three wraps of PTFE tape, so I can easily unscrew it for inspection (i do this maybe once or twice a year).
Also, if I want to upgrade my element or if it suddenly lets me down, I can change it within a few minutes.
The element was pretty cheap on E-bay (not even 10 $), so I ordered a spare I've lying around just in case.
The whole setup heats very quick...half an hour or so with a full boiler charge.
Of course, I only use the full wattage during the heat up phase, I don't even come close to the 2 KW on a stripping run.
If it was me, I would definitely forget about the 100L boiler...unless I was prepared to wait forever till it's on temperature.

[cna8065]

Thanks Everybody. I'm Ordering my Boiler and elements next week.
I'm not cheeping out on anything don't worry
im going with 2 2400 watt elements and will simply never turn them all the way.
and a 70L boiler.
Is this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CV3NDVQ?m= ... etail_page" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
what i need for https://www.amazon.com/Camco-02493-Scre ... B0060HN8KQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
I am prity sure but it says 2" kit and everywhere online says they are a 1" NPS
Once i have It build and insulated i will decide my final column dimensions.
One thing at a time

[Danespirit]

That looks good..
From what I know a standard Camco is with 1" NPT threads, I searched a ton of elements before I found mine.
The kit is with a 2" ferrule, that's why they referred to it as 2"...the threads are 1" NPT.
Two elements give you the option for using both on heat up and just have one connected to a controller. Of course, given your breaker circuit supports the wattage drawn (planning for the future).
Just one remark...be sure to ditch the gasket that comes with it. It's some sort of rubber and doesn't belong in a boiler for a still.
Just wrap the threads with two or three layers of PTFE tape and screw it in, it will seal just fine. Mount the element guard and be done.

[cna8065]

Awesome. Finalising order now. now all i gotta do is wait like 1 month for the Stuff to arrive.
I will keep a log and let you guys know what the results are when iv'e finished the entire build.
Ill be back on when i have finished building it
p.s thanks for the help

[still_stirrin]

That looks good..
From what I know a standard Camco is with 1" NPT threads, I searched a ton of elements before I found mine.
The kit is with a 2" ferrule, that's why they referred to it as 2"...the threads are 1" NPT...

Well, the standard thread for an electric heater element is NPS, that's National Pipe Straight thread standard, not NPT, National Pipe Tapered thread. The NPT is standard for pipe threads, like gas lines and all plumbing fittings. But the NPS is standard for heater elements and nuts & bolts. They both have the same thread pitch and diameter, just that one is tapered so it naturally "tightens" as the male end is threaded into the female hub.

But the adapter you selected is also a NPS thread just like the Camco heater element. So, indeed you are "good to go" as Danespirit said.
ss

[USACelt]

More watts for heat up, turn it back for spirit run. My 2" boka will flood at 1350 watts after a bit, runs nicely at 1100 for hours. 95% take off for the entire spirit run.
toward the end of the run I go back up to 1350 ish and finish off the run.

[Danespirit]

That looks good..
From what I know a standard Camco is with 1" NPT threads, I searched a ton of elements before I found mine.
The kit is with a 2" ferrule, that's why they referred to it as 2"...the threads are 1" NPT...

Well, the standard thread for an electric heater element is NPS, that's National Pipe Straight thread standard, not NPT, National Pipe Tapered thread. The NPT is standard for pipe threads, like gas lines and all plumbing fittings. But the NPS is standard for heater elements and nuts & bolts. They both have the same thread pitch and diameter, just that one is tapered so it naturally "tightens" as the male end is threaded into the female hub.

But the adapter you selected is also a NPS thread just like the Camco heater element. So, indeed you are "good to go" as Danespirit said.

ss

Right..I NPS it is..
Thanks for correcting Ss..