- Joined
- May 17, 2014
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I'm in the process of finishing up my electric build. Is there any other electric Okie brewers out there? I'm looking for some folks to share electric tips and tricks with.
I am! 30amp setup here in an E-HERMS with two pumps. I finished my build a year and half ago maybe? I did it all myself from the keg cuts to the control panel to putting in the new circuit. My setup is pretty close to theelectricbrewery.com one.
I went with fuses for my internals.
My solid state relay doesn't have the huge heatsink that they put on in the electric brewery (TEB), but I haven't had any issues with internal heat yet even with no air intake or exhaust.
I went with the standard 3 prong dryer plug and wire and 3 prong outlet for the element connection and haven't had any issues. This was much cheaper than the twist lock that a lot of people use. I haven't had any issues with the plug trying to come out either.
I didn't put a timer in mine like TEB. It is pretty much just the aubrin PID, a keyed power switch (with LED status light), a switch for each standard 15amp outlet for the pumps with LED light indicators, a three way switch for element control (HLT on/off/BK on) with LED indicator lights, an audible alarm, then an emergency shutoff mushroom button.
My temperature probe has a pass-through connector to get inside of the control panel which is super handy.
I got the LEDs, PID, SSR, and temp probe from Auberins.
All of the switches I got straight off the slow boat from China via eBay.
The control panel box is this from Amazonsupply.com: BUD Industries Series SNB Steel NEMA 4 Sheet Metal Box with Mounting Bracket, 11-51/64" Width x 15-3/4" Height x 7-55/64"
I got all of my wiring from Stayonline.com
I just recently switched over to two new all stainless heating elements from BrewHardware.com since there was some rust at the base of my old ones even though I dried the old ones quickly.
Things that made this easier? spend the money on the proper equipment to put your hold in the panel. I had harbor freight hole punches that were awful. I replaced those with a more reputable brand and it became MUCH easier.
Also, I found that using power distribution blocks made the wiring a lot cleaner.
Overall, I really enjoyed the processes of making this thing and learning a lot along the way. With a new daughter born a couple months after completing my electric brew setup, the 'set it and forget it' aspect was REALLY nice. I don't have to babysit the temperature on a brew day. I'm still learning the ins and outs and haven't had a lot of time to brew with it, but I have really enjoyed it so far.
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