Wiring for 'Basic' 220V eKettle

[EliW]

Hey everyone. So I've read (and read, and read) these forums for months now, and I'm ready to 'pull the trigger' on making myself an eKettle.

But here's the catch. In reading these forums, it really seems that everyone goes one extreme or the other. Either they are making a very basic 120v system (and using lots of readily availble parts for that). Or they are making a very complicated full power system with pumps and multiple stages.

My situation is thus: All that I want, is an eKettle for boiling. I mainly make Mead, Wine, Cider, and Extract beers. My location where I want to be using this, happens to be in my basement, and happens to be where an old Dryer was, and therefore I have a 220v outlet there. Which excites me because I can make a proper eKettle that goes 'full power', and can do a 6 gallon boil in short enough time.

But can someone point me to some instructions (or just help me through them), for what I need exactly for doing this? It really doesn't have to be a fancy PID temperature controlled version (and it seems that most of those only want to run 120v anyway). A simple 'temperature dial' (IT GOES TO 11!) would be fine.

But mostly just wanting to do this simply and cheaply.

I've got an eye on a $40 8gallon kettle. The 220v heating elements are pretty cheap, as are the power cables. So the real question is: "What can I put in the middle?"

Thanks,
Eli

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

You're going to need something to adjust the power of your e-kettle ...
a few different options:
Manual solid state controller, can DIY for less that $100
Manual Variac , could be cheap used if you could find one used.
Pid in manual mode, probably close to the same price as option 1.

 

[thargrav]

Hey everyone. So I've read (and read, and read) these forums for months now, and I'm ready to 'pull the trigger' on making myself an eKettle.

But here's the catch. In reading these forums, it really seems that everyone goes one extreme or the other. Either they are making a very basic 120v system (and using lots of readily availble parts for that). Or they are making a very complicated full power system with pumps and multiple stages.

My situation is thus: All that I want, is an eKettle for boiling. I mainly make Mead, Wine, Cider, and Extract beers. My location where I want to be using this, happens to be in my basement, and happens to be where an old Dryer was, and therefore I have a 220v outlet there. Which excites me because I can make a proper eKettle that goes 'full power', and can do a 6 gallon boil in short enough time.

But can someone point me to some instructions (or just help me through them), for what I need exactly for doing this? It really doesn't have to be a fancy PID temperature controlled version (and it seems that most of those only want to run 120v anyway). A simple 'temperature dial' (IT GOES TO 11!) would be fine.

But mostly just wanting to do this simply and cheaply.

I've got an eye on a $40 8gallon kettle. The 220v heating elements are pretty cheap, as are the power cables. So the real question is: "What can I put in the middle?"

Thanks,
Eli

A basic 240V system can be as simple as a basic 240V system. Cost will be a little higher because the plugs, cables etc need to be uprated for the additional voltage & current you will be able to pull from the dryer outlet.

Just do a search on this forum for a 240V brew controller.

 

[tektonjp]

Do a search on ebay for 220v speed controller.

 

[codfishboys]

Something like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170963748559?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
or search for " SCR Voltage Regulator Speed Governor Thermostat "

 

[onthekeg]

There is a thread here about a pulse width modifier. Search for the pwm thread, I can't search ony phone.

 

[EliW]

Hey guys, thanks so much so far. Codfish, that ebay find seems perfect, cheap, preassembled with a heatsink, etc.

Excited I'm getting close. But I think I'm still missing two pieces of knowledge here:

1) Looking at that box (I assume coming from china that it's not going to have any instructions *grin*) ... I see an 'in' for L/N and an 'out' for L/N ... But a 220v 4-line wire (to be used for gfci grounding purposes), is going to have 2 L (live) plus the Neutral. Any idea how this should be wired up? should it be the two live wires getting controlled by this? Or one random live, and one neutral?

2) Speaking of which. I love the instructuctions/pictures at The Electric Brewery about their setup. But I'm missing something. Their wiring diagrams for their heating elements, only show using a 3-line cord.
Based upon research here on the forum, I realized that I need to be using GFCI, so my plan is to buy one of those spa panels, and running a full 4 wire (2L, 1N, 1G) setup through it. And therefore also using a 4 wire cord to plug it into.
But when I get to the point of hooking up the wire to the heating element. Obviously I'll ground against the pot, and I'll hook the two live wires up to the element. But where does the Neutral go at that point?

Thanks guys!

 

[EliW]

replying to my own. But after the last post, I'm thinking that I was a little confused. And that the plug to my element should only be a 3 prong plug anyway. So basically the 4 wire would just go to the spa panel and the GFCI. But then I'd hook up a 3 wire plug, and just use a 3 wire cord to the heating element. Because the neutral is unused anyway.

Right?

So the only outstanding question is the wiring for that controller.

 

[thargrav]

replying to my own. But after the last post, I'm thinking that I was a little confused. And that the plug to my element should only be a 3 prong plug anyway. So basically the 4 wire would just go to the spa panel and the GFCI. But then I'd hook up a 3 wire plug, and just use a 3 wire cord to the heating element. Because the neutral is unused anyway.

Right?

So the only outstanding question is the wiring for that controller.

Right, you would only use a 4 wire connection to the element if it were two 120V elements wired in series and for some reason you wanted to run a wire to the connection between the two. But you wouldn't.

 

[jCOSbrew]

Make sure your "basic" design includes an on/off switch and a GFCI.

 

[EliW]

Yup, thanks jCOSbrew - Already looking into a Spa panel for GFCI. and either using the breaker on the spa panel as on/off. Or adding a dualpole switch into the box on the kettle.

So basically what I'm looking at is:

• Spa subpanel (GFCI) - $50
• 3 prong appliance cord - $20?
• Camco Ripple 5500W element - $22
• Temperature Control listed above - $18
• (optional) Dual Pole switch - ??
• Kettle - 8-10gallon - $40 on Amazon for Aluminum, $70-$170 for Stainless (I'm going to check some local restaurant supply stores for some used ones)
• Electric box, wires, nuts, washers, etc as needed. To make similar 'box' on the side of kettle as on Electric Brewing. - ??

At this point I think my only question-for-myself, is one I have that temperature control, and see how large it is. If I'm going to be trying to wire it, plus element, plus potential switch ... all into one box on the side of the kettle.

Or if it's going to be easier to just wire all that into a separate box that sits on the countertop. Or even hard wire it into a panel on the wall.

For cleaning the pot purposes, it might be nice if all that was on the pot was a minimal box, perhaps with a 3-prong plug. And then have the controller & switch be inline. So I could just unplug the ekettle right on the side of the kettle, for storage/cleaning/etc.

 

[jCOSbrew]

I would recommend keeping the electronics away for the kettle and using a cord on the kettle.
If you use aluminum and plastic for the kettle and enclosure, the harbor freight punch set works great for making the holes.

 

[thargrav]

Yup, thanks jCOSbrew - Already looking into a Spa panel for GFCI. and either using the breaker on the spa panel as on/off. Or adding a dualpole switch into the box on the kettle.

So basically what I'm looking at is:

• Spa subpanel (GFCI) - $50
• 3 prong appliance cord - $20?
• Camco Ripple 5500W element - $22
• Temperature Control listed above - $18
• (optional) Dual Pole switch - ??
• Kettle - 8-10gallon - $40 on Amazon for Aluminum, $70-$170 for Stainless (I'm going to check some local restaurant supply stores for some used ones)
• Electric box, wires, nuts, washers, etc as needed. To make similar 'box' on the side of kettle as on Electric Brewing. - ??

At this point I think my only question-for-myself, is one I have that temperature control, and see how large it is. If I'm going to be trying to wire it, plus element, plus potential switch ... all into one box on the side of the kettle.

Or if it's going to be easier to just wire all that into a separate box that sits on the countertop. Or even hard wire it into a panel on the wall.

For cleaning the pot purposes, it might be nice if all that was on the pot was a minimal box, perhaps with a 3-prong plug. And then have the controller & switch be inline. So I could just unplug the ekettle right on the side of the kettle, for storage/cleaning/etc.

The list looks good but you need to plan for a separate box to keep the controller electronics away from the brewpot. There is a reason the controller on eBay has a heat sink. Electronic components don't like heat - get them too hot and they fail. You also need to install a electric fan to blow air across the controller's heat sink. A 80mm PC cooling fan should work fine.

 

[shuckit]

Don't forget a way to vent your basement.

 

[Homercidal]

There are many different ways to mount the electrical components. I drilled the back of a waterproof outlet box to thread the element through and used a silicone washer for the element to seal it up against the box. I used a small amount of silicone sealant between the box and the nut I soldered onto the keg. The element holds the box in place and everything is water proof. (Even if you remove the element the box is stuck to the nut pretty good!)

The three wires go to a "control panel", which for me is actually a repurposed control panel, but you can use almost anything of suitable size and material, like a decent sized metal box from the hardware, or even a plastic tool box if you like. In addition, I also drilled and tapped a hole in the outside of the outlet box and drilled a hole through the skirt of the keg so I could tie the box to the keg electrically (I didn't trust the element making contact completely) and placed a short ground wire between the two points.

In my control box is a PWM and SSR for boiling, with a 9V Wall Wort to power the PWM circuit, and I plan on using a PID and relay for the HLT (mashing temp control). All of this is wired to an Ebay 50A Spa Panel.

I have 6/4 wire going from span panel to the control box because I want to be able to run the HLT and BK at the same time. Otherwise I think 10/4 would have sufficed.

I may be wrong, but I think most people recommend an Ultra Low Density element for the BK to prevent scorching. Also, this is my personal opinion, but I think 8 gallons is on the low side for size. I've been using a 7.5 gallon kettle for a while and it's barely big enough to prevent boilovers with constant attention. I would shop for a 10 gallon kettle if you are going to do 5 gallon batches. This gives you the option for brewing a slightly bigger batch to account for hop loss, and it makes the brewday much less stressful.

And don't worry. There are lots of qualified folks on here that have done this and many are experts in electrical. You're in good hands!

 

[EliW]

Thanks everyone. Let's see, a few responses:

jCOSbrew:
If you use aluminum and plastic for the kettle and enclosure, the harbor freight punch set works great for making the holes.

Which punch set is that? I looked at the Amazon cutter that Electric Brewing talked about, but wow, it is expensive for something that I'm going to use just a couple times. I'm guessing this one? http://www.harborfreight.com/knockout-punch-kit-91201.html

Speaking of which, Aluminum vs Steel. My lady wife (and fellow brewer) is really trying to convince me to go stainless. But the aluminum pots on Amazon look really nice as well. Thoughts on this for the electric?

Thargrav:
You also need to install a electric fan to blow air across the controller's heat sink. A 80mm PC cooling fan should work fine.

Hrmmm. Spare PC cooling fans I do have. But anyone have the wiring diagrams for how I'm supposed to hook one of those up with the 220-240v feed I have going in there? Suddenly that takes me from "Just hook wire here and there". To needing to do my own circuit board to get that wired in place.

Shuckit:
Don't forget a way to vent your basement.

Oh, yup, that's covered. I already have the exhaust pipe from the old dryer, and I'll be hooking that pipe up to a chimney hood.

Homercidal
Also, this is my personal opinion, but I think 8 gallons is on the low side for size. I've been using a 7.5 gallon kettle for a while and it's barely big enough to prevent boilovers with constant attention. I would shop for a 10 gallon kettle if you are going to do 5 gallon batches. This gives you the option for brewing a slightly bigger batch to account for hop loss, and it makes the brewday much less stressful.

Good point, 10 gallon it is.

 

[thargrav]

Hrmmm. Spare PC cooling fans I do have. But anyone have the wiring diagrams for how I'm supposed to hook one of those up with the 220-240v feed I have going in there? Suddenly that takes me from "Just hook wire here and there". To needing to do my own circuit board to get that wired in place.

You just need a 12VDC wall pug-in style power supply to power the fan & hard wire the fan to the 12 VDC from the supply.