129 replies to this topic

[HVB]

That's awesome. I love brewing indoors and not in the kitchen. I don't think I could do BIAB, height constraints with exhaust hood. My current set up is no-sparge with a cooler mash tun, so not that much different.

I only miss brewing outside on a nice fall day.  I just open the bulkhead and door up and call it good!

[gnef]

Hope this helps

 

Thanks, that helps a lot!

 

Why don't you run a single 50 amp 6/4 circuit from your house main panel to the brewery and have a box with equipment built into it to run all your electrical brewing needs? Might as well run some 12/2 WG and have another dedicated 120v 20 amp circuit to run other things. Put the 50 amp GFCI breaker in the house panel. I think a sub panel is a useless cost unless you don't have enough room in your main house panel. Just my 2cents.

From my calculations (which, admittedly could be wrong), doing the sub panel will be considerably cheaper than a full on control panel with everything contained within, plus it gives me some flexibility to change things and add as I go later on. I like the modularity of it in particular since I plan on getting an 8 space sub panel, but only plan on using 4-6 to begin with. Oh, and I will have the 50 amp GFCI in the main panel which will then run this sub panel.

 

I actually already have a dedicated 20 amp 120v line right there as well, and I've been thinking about using that for the vent hood, march pump, and submersible pump, just daisy chaining some switches to boxes, that way I could keep the 50 amp line for just 240. If I run both elements at full power, I'll be over the 80% mark, so I think it would be best to have the smaller 120v parts on the separate circuit.

 

I looked at the prices of contactors, a big box, plugs (those twist lock power plugs add up quick!), all the small items, etc. Plus, thinking about doing all of that routing for the wiring would make me nervous. If I were to hardwire everything, I think it could bring the costs down dramatically, but it would be difficult for me to add to it later on, unless I oversized the box and left enough room inside for all the components. I haven't ruled it out completely, but when I was initially looking at doing one big box, the costs were adding up a lot faster than I expected, and that is when I was thinking about the sub panel. Before the sub panel, I was actually thinking of just bring down the 6/3, and then splitting it off inside multi gang boxes to feed the switches as needed but the sub panel in total will really only be about $80 in total for the panel and the breakers, which I don't think is that bad.

 

blktre, do you mind if I ask what you put in your control panel and how much it cost?

[gnef]

I only miss brewing outside on a nice fall day.  I just open the bulkhead and door up and call it good!

mind if I ask how much you have in that control panel?

[HVB]

mind if I ask how much you have in that control panel?

I was worried you would ask that. Short answer is I have no idea.  A lot of the parts were scrounged and taken from various other "projects" over the years.  I am going to go with $500-700 but I have to take a look back and see what a few things cost.  For me the big $$ parts were the Love controllers, the contractors, breakers and the DIN power supply.  The rest are switches and lights.  I scrounged eBay and for sale posts for a while to get what I needed.  I  found a box this weekend that had leftover parts that I forgot about.

[matt6150]

I've been trying to think what I could add to this thread but it sounds like you have a good idea of what you want in your head. I went with a "overly complicated" panel but if you want to check out my build it is here.

[HVB]

I've been trying to think what I could add to this thread but it sounds like you have a good idea of what you want in your head. I went with a "overly complicated" panel but if you want to check out my build it is here.

No such thing as overly complicated... Lol

[matt6150]

No such thing as overly complicated... Lol

I'm with you. I was just using some words form the OP.

[BlKtRe]

I'm betting I'm pushing a grand but that also includes a RIMS, SS elements, nice TC cans, 60 ft of 6/4, another 120v circuit and other extra odd and end parts. For me, I decided to put the money that could of gone into a subpanel, which I felt wasn't needed in my situation, into a single brew panel instead. I'm happy with my decision

[gnef]

I was worried you would ask that. Short answer is I have no idea.  A lot of the parts were scrounged and taken from various other "projects" over the years.  I am going to go with $500-700 but I have to take a look back and see what a few things cost.  For me the big $$ parts were the Love controllers, the contractors, breakers and the DIN power supply.  The rest are switches and lights.  I scrounged eBay and for sale posts for a while to get what I needed.  I  found a box this weekend that had leftover parts that I forgot about.

Thanks, that helps me get an idea. I'll need to do some more pricing out and figure out what can work.

 

I've been trying to think what I could add to this thread but it sounds like you have a good idea of what you want in your head. I went with a "overly complicated" panel but if you want to check out my build it is here.

I remember seeing the beginning of that thread, I'll have to look through the rest of it, but the pictures that I saw looked great!

 

I'm betting I'm pushing a grand but that also includes a RIMS, SS elements, nice TC cans, 60 ft of 6/4, another 120v circuit and other extra odd and end parts. For me, I decided to put the money that could of gone into a subpanel, which I felt wasn't needed in my situation, into a single brew panel instead. I'm happy with my decision

I definitely know that what I am thinking right now is in the minority. I'm going to see if I can put together a good comparison to figure out the costs and firm up my priorities and how likely possible future expansion really is. I am already well over $1k with my current build, but that includes a lot, everything you included plus plumbing, sink, vent hood, etc.

 

I still have a good amount of time to figure things out, and I definitely appreciate the feedback! The ideas in my head have changed so many times already, but I do like the different perspectives, as it continues to inform me and give me ideas for what will work best for me.

[gnef]

I also found a thread on HBT about using a stainless mixer bowl inverted to use as a vent hood right over the boil kettle. Thinking more about it, I think I may go this route, as it would simplify my vent hood design (I was originally going to build something the length of the stand, or at least over both the HLT and BK), and be easier to construct and mount.

 

I've drawn things up as well, and looked into the parts, and I am still leaning heavily towards my idea of the sub panel rather and small control panels rather than one big control panel, but I'll continue to do more research. I think the biggest thing for me is the ability to change things around and add pieces easily, as well as ease of wiring due to space constraints inside a control panel box, and those boxes are expensive! Some of the boxes I was looking at were more than the whole sub panel with breakers, and most contactors that I was finding were around $30 a piece. I'll try to price things out and do a full comparison before making a final decision.

[HVB]

this picture shows what I used for my "vent hood."  I have not had any issues with it.

 

[BlKtRe]

Really only need a vent over the BK. I don't have issues with the HLT or MT with condensation. 

[HVB]

Really only need a vent over the BK. I don't have issues with the HLT or MT with condensation. 

agree

[gnef]

Yea, that is what I've been thinking about after doing more research. What I would really like to be able to do is have one that I can move up and down easily, so that when I want to capture as much condensation, I just put it really close to the BK, and when I need to add hops, check something, or clean, I can lift it back up. I've been thinking about possibly using flex conduit and putting the small 'hood' on a hinge that I can just put down.

 

The only thing though, is if I want to have a second BK later on for partigyle or double batches, having only a singluar vent hood would be problematic. I'll keep thinking about it though.

[gnef]

I've been thinking more about the hood, and I went through some mental iterations, upsizing to an 8 inch with a Wye to 6 inch duct to two separate bowls. Then I realized at that point, I might as well go back to my original idea and just do a wider hood that could cover both kettles. I have some metal sheeting, so I may use that rather than the FRP board that I would have to buy, and just cut the hole in it to pipe to the fan.

[djinkc]

I've been thinking more about the hood, and I went through some mental iterations, upsizing to an 8 inch with a Wye to 6 inch duct to two separate bowls. Then I realized at that point, I might as well go back to my original idea and just do a wider hood that could cover both kettles. I have some metal sheeting, so I may use that rather than the FRP board that I would have to buy, and just cut the hole in it to pipe to the fan.

 

Dumpster dive for mine.  Old fluorescent fixture.  Cut a hole in it, mounted it to the joists and put the fan on top. Flex dryer vent stuff to  outside.  Ugly and it works.

[gnef]

Ha, nice! I doubt mine will look professional. All I really care about is that it works without condensation issues (I've read about a lot of people having issues with water building up inside the fan intself).

[gnef]

Also, I plan on getting this extension cord to cut up to wire the elements: https://www.amazon.c... extension cord

 

The romex that I've seen is more flat, so it would be difficult to use with the strain reliefs that I am looking at. Do any of you see a problem with me cutting up this cord for that?

[matt6150]

Also, I plan on getting this extension cord to cut up to wire the elements: https://www.amazon.c... extension cord

The romex that I've seen is more flat, so it would be difficult to use with the strain reliefs that I am looking at. Do any of you see a problem with me cutting up this cord for that?

Nothing wrong using that but probably isn't very flexible. Lowe's or HD should have SO cable sold by the foot, that's what I used. Also here isy hood if looking for other ideas.

[gnef]

My local HD doesn't sell the correct cabling by the foot, only a full roll, and the lowes that does is much further away, so I decided to go ahead and just get the extension cord from amazon and have it delivered (I'm lazy sometimes!).

 

That looks like a nice hood! I'll see if there is a prefab that I can use, but I doubt I'll want to pay for it. Haha.