Electric Mash Tun

[pcjelly]

I have a Herms system now that recirculates to a heated pot with a coil in it and then goes back to good old round cooler via a pump. I am thinking about going electric for just the mash. I would still sparge into a propane heated kettle for boiling. Are there systems around for something like a pot with a false bottom to mount a heating element, sort of like a Grainfather without the boiling option?

 

[augiedoggy]

I have a Herms system now that recirculates to a heated pot with a coil in it and then goes back to good old round cooler via a pump. I am thinking about going electric for just the mash. I would still sparge into a propane heated kettle for boiling. Are there systems around for something like a pot with a false bottom to mount a heating element, sort of like a Grainfather without the boiling option?

like a rims but only direct heating with the element in the mash tun? sure, lots of folks do this... It works, you just have to take special care to use an ulwd element and keep the flow going under the false bottom to prevent localized boiling and scorching... at the end of the day I think a low cost rims would have more benefits and be more versatile but a lot of people do what your asking... its not unlike how the brew boss systems work for the mash.

 

[pcjelly]

Thanks. After looking around more I really just need to add an element to my HLT and use a controller to regulate the temperature. This way I can still have water for sparging and have the ability to be vary mash temperature for rests and mash off. Now the question where to find a controller and what size element for roughly 5 gallons of sparge/HLT water? Sounds like a lot of folks like ebrew supply. I would like to stay with 120 v if possible.

 

[augiedoggy]

Thanks. After looking around more I really just need to add an element to my HLT and use a controller to regulate the temperature. This way I can still have water for sparging and have the ability to be vary mash temperature for rests and mash off. Now the question where to find a controller and what size element for roughly 5 gallons of sparge/HLT water? Sounds like a lot of folks like ebrew supply. I would like to stay with 120 v if possible.

you can just use the inkbird IPB16 if your going to use a 1500w element... they are way cheaper than a single element 120v control panel and its a pid controller with pt100 probe..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/PRE-WIRED-...969580?hash=item33d05b31ec:g:IHMAAOSw0gFas2Zi

they can easily be modified to handle more power as well.
At $99 each even 2 of these controlling 2 1500w elements would be way cheaper than any other 120v controller your likely going to find.

 

[pcjelly]

Inkbird IPB16 sounds like the way to go. Just need to figure out if one or 2 1500 watt elements will be needed to bring the water in my HLT up to 170F or so for mash off in a reasonable amount of time. Probably will start with one element and see. When you say they can be modified to handle more power what is involved? I might someday look at running 240V to my brewing area.

 

[Bobby_M]

You can run one element on the controller and one just plugged in as a booster.

 

[pcjelly]

After thinking about this some more I might just consider going to 240V right away. I would then need a controller that could work for both the HLT and the kettle. Looking around there are some that work for BIAB(Cube, Ebrew). They only control one element at a time. I would have to just switch element plug from the HLT to the kettle element. Could also go with the low cost Inkbird for the HLT (keep it at 120V) and some sort of power regulator for the kettle element?

 

[pcjelly]

Trying to maybe decide between the Ebrew 30A BIAB kit and the Auber version of the same. Ebrew uses a PID and Auber uses EZBoil mashing conroller. Anyone have any comments about one over the other?

 

[doug293cz]

Trying to maybe decide between the Ebrew 30A BIAB kit and the Auber version of the same. Ebrew uses a PID and Auber uses EZBoil mashing conroller. Anyone have any comments about one over the other?

EZBoil controllers seem to be stable without requiring any tuning vs. a PID. They also have a more intuitive (IMO) dial control for boil power.

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