SELECTING THE PROPER HEATING ELEMENT SIMPLIFIED

[@wallacefrey6247]

This was a very helpful video,I'm glad it is still up after 5 years.

[@glenna3434]

Thanks George. I'm running a 240v, 4500w element on a 30A breaker. Heats up very quickly and is more than enough for my 8 gallon boiler. I recommend it.

[@backyardalchemy1223]

Thats the way George does it... You are The Man! You have asnswered so many questions and really have made my newb status so much easier! Thank you so much for all your help. You are a great Teacher

[@khaneduardyang7630]

one of the dedicated tutors in the youtube.. God bless!

[@LoRaineyDay]

In grade through high school, I thought I was horrible at math. Then I started learning practical applications in community college and it came naturally... Don't ever let teachers make you feel stupid. You just haven't had the right teacher for YOU. The only limits beyond your control are the basics developmentally, but most of these can be overcome with the RIGHT teacher💯 This guy knows how to teach if you have made it here and are motivated properly 💖

[@whyyoutalkingtome]

Another good one George, really appreciate all you do for our hobby

[@brandonpalmer4937]

Hey George. Happy distilling. Just referencing a saved vid and wanted to say hi. Your awesome and I prob wouldn't have done my own process with out you. Appreciate you.

[@christywright2188]

Thos is so well explained thank you so much. Missouri Wrightchk

[@jeremyneel7712]

God good to see you back!!!

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Thanks. It is good to be back with you. I've had a few health set backs but doing well now. George

[@dertywhiteboy8944]

Great tutorial,thank you very much sir,much appreciated

[@drvigg9083]

Good advice, but a couple of comments. First, "amperage" is best described as "current," which is measured in amperes (amps). Second, surface area is measured in square inches, not cubic inches. But the idea is correct.

[@andrewgray4082]

You would make a terrific high school teacher

[@shadow4280]

Gorge, you have help me understand so much throughout these videos. Thank you.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

My pleasure sir. I'm just happy to know that the content is helpful. We'll keep posting until we run out of content to share. George

[@kenwalker4203]

Thanks for the great video George

[@tonybloker5227]

Hey all. FINALLY getting around to putting things together. THANKS for the maths. Just a refresher cause I watched this vid when it first came out. GOOD stuff here. Yeah , I know , bout 2 years in the making , but nows the time. My pressure cooker still is " JUST TOO SMALL. !!!

[@josephshort3711]

Great information and really enjoy your channel. One question . Is there a way to calculate how long it would take to heat X number of gallons with X number of watts ? I’m trying to figure what size and how many elements I need .

[@heavenhellspirits6723]

Thanks George. I was wondering about that

[@johnnytoy5487]

Good information 👍 thanks. Which video shows you how many watts you need to heat how many gallons of mash.

[@kevind7617]

Great video.. answered a many a question on this one

[@oilpainter9069]

THanks for the video. Using the formula above, if I am using a 30 amp double pole breaker does that mean the max load would be 60 amps?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Sorry for the delayed response. I was on vacation in Vegas for the past 5 days. No, the breaker is rated at 30 amps.

[@WhydoIneedahandleagain]

One thing to consider is that any load that’s going to run continuously for more than 3 hours can only be 80% of breaker capacity. For example, the continuous duty rating of a 20 amp breaker is 16 amps.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

This system is not one 1005 of the time for any length of time. The 20 amp breaker and wiring is more than safe. George

[@WhydoIneedahandleagain]

I apologize. I should have been more clear earlier. This math and electrical theory is accurate. My statement was geared more toward people who may take the ‘math lesson’ and use it for other applications. In this application with a thermostat, SCR, or PID controlling it, the load is constantly switching on and off so it’s not considered continuous.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

@@WhydoIneedahandleagain I understand and appreciate the info. You are correct though, I too do not want folks to take this explanation and apply it to just any process. I should have made that more clear in the video. I will do so in the future. Another good point for all. Cheers George

[@markchidester6239]

Im just trying to find out if any same wattage heater will physically fit. How universal is fitment?

[@dertywhiteboy8944]

Man this video was so informative

[@bobwilliams4446]

George I learn a lot from you .. Thanks for another lesson in electricity,, ,,Before I watched this video I ordered 2 -2000 watt elements , and with 20 amp 120v breakers I now know they wont work,, over amped,, on top of that they are shorter than I thought,, only 7" long,, I am using a beer keg for the boiler ,,a 15.5 gallon one with roughly a 16 inch diameter . so when installed the tip of the element wouldn't even reach the middle of the keg inside,, it looks as if they will mainly only heat the side there installed in, so now my plan is to get longer elements with less wattage ,,one for the pid controlled lower heater and one for the upper heater to help at first ,,controlled manually. Trying to figure out the best combo staying under the 19 amp safe zone,, will this work? or should I just find and install a longer 2000 watt 120v heating element for the pid controlled lower? and forget about installing the upper one ? ,,,,Or would it be ok to use an extension cord off another circuit to run the upper heater element manually to speed up and even out the heating process??,, This project is just beginning so anything goes,, I'm waiting for the 2" ferrules to come in ,,I figured I'd install the ferrules like you said on the beer keg video ,3 1/2 inches off the bottom and the other 180 degrees from it and go up about 6 or so inches

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Bob, a second element would serve you better if you ran that second one off of a separate circuit. Two elements will trip a 20 Amp breaker. Now, for the length of the element; I saw several at home depot and also lowes that were 12 inches long. You could also run a 5500W 220 element on 120 Volts and it will produce 1375 Watts. They are normally longer too. The options are wide open. If you could run a separate 240 V circuit it would make life so much easier. George

[@jeremywatts2768]

You run both at the same time?

[@andyharris8265]

I understand the power side (thank you!)... but is there an easy way to determine the style, size and thermostat needed? Needing to replace and the parts list is generic... any suggestions? Thank you!

[@MrRussLock]

Hi George, I have just acquired a 100L / 22 Gallon stainless steel beer keg and I have a pal who is going to do all the cutting / welding etc. I live in the UK, so what size element or two would you suggest? bearing in mind the voltage in the UK is 240v. Not sure what size to get to heat that amount of liquid. Also, what would be the cost to buy a PID from you that is suitable to the 240v ? Many thanks,

[@pedrojardim1163]

thanks george at helps ----and much appreciate good bless

[@muazzamshahid]

How can we calculate heat output of an element in Celsius.

[@TKnight28]

@George Thank you so much for the information but I do have a question - Purely for the sake of heating efficiency and even heating within the mash would you rather run a single 2000W heating element on a 120v circuit (16.6 amps) or dual 1000W heating elements are the same amperage?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Either would work I like the single 2000Watt

[@davidcooley5135]

ol George here knows his shit about this stuff don't he lol

[@js_youtube70]

Need help to decide either to buy a nuwave 1800w induction stove top or install a heater element into the 5 gallon still with 4 bubbler plates? I'm leaning towards getting the induction stove has anyone setup one and issues? Appreciate the help all

[@411techhelp]

In changing the different combinations how effective is there heating when wiring say 240@ 120v and what if i want one element to heat up water fast and one to maintain the heat.how should we choose or even wire for that situation?

[@izzaldinmateen7291]

Thank you for what you do

[@macd2004]

That was a great video, I have a 13 gallon but I want to run it on a 120v. My question is, is there a special pid controller for 2 elements or can we just use a pid controller you use in your videos?

[@USA__2023]

Both can be run with one PID.

[@tryharddabbler9452]

Hello George... Quick question... Is using steam as your heating element would be ok or would be a problem?

[@josephrasberry961]

Can you regulate teh temperature on a Turbo 500 still? Is there a way to put a temperature control device between the wall and the still.

[@randallmarsh446]

As long as both elements are 220 can a 4800 wattAnd a 5500watt element be used in conjunction with each other?

[@275Vet-RLTW]

Great video!

[@crxess]

Seems inundating for the common homeowner.......... Just replaced Both my Heating Elements @ 4500w(low density) ea. Since the unit is 240v and the Elements never operate at the same time(due to modern dual Thermostats. So no issue on my 40a circuit. * I also took the time to learn how to descale the tank and replace the Anode. After all why replace anything that can easily be repaired?

[@PierreFromCanada]

George, how do you calculate Watts when you step-down an element from 240 to 120...?? is there a video on that or a simple math equation ? thanks ...

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

It's a quick math equation. For a 240 volt element wired at 120 volts would be (wattage x .25 = new wattage) example: a 4500 watt 240 volt element wired at 120 volts would be (4500 x .25 = 1125 watts). It is that simple. Hope this helps George

[@WhitleyGilbert1003]

Thank you! This is so helpful. How do I determine the amount of amps my circuit has?

[@loribuchholz910]

It should say the number on the breaker.

[@chancekiki8488]

Do you have to modify the heating element to use it for distilling? Also what size/ how many hot water heating elements do you recommend for a 15 gallon still? Love the videos. Btw.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

No modifications are needed. The heating element works just as it does in a hot water heater. I would recommend at least a 2000 watt 120V element at a minimum. If you have access to 240 V you could use a 3500 watt element which would increase efficiency of heating and reduce the time it takes as well. George

[@chancekiki8488]

Barley and Hops Brewing thank you for the information, much appreciated. If I were building a still how would you recommend attaching it to the still?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

You can have a coupler welded to the still that will receive a 1" NPT element. The other option is to grill a 1" hole in the side of the kettle yourself and then screw in the element and get a 1" NPT nut and washer for the inside to seal it up. Both methods work well. George

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

I would place the element a few inches from the bottom (in an 8 gallon still it is 2 1/2 inchs up. If you have multiple elements one goes in the bottom and the other about 1/3 the way down from the top or a little lower depending on the shape of the still.

[@chancekiki8488]

Barley and Hops Brewing thank you for the info. Much appreciated

[@michaelnorwood5888]

Hey George how long does it usually take Brewhaus to ship an order out on a welded part? I know you have some business experience with them and was just curious. It's been over 2 weeks and I've had no updates to my order

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

If you ordered it through Ray he can check on your order for you. Normally it ships within 2-3 weeks but it all depends on availability of kettles. Sometimes they get a little behind but rest assured your order is being tracked and will ship as soon as it is ready. I know this does not really answer when you will receive it. George

[@jbrunson1949]

George, I found a 1650W 120V element also.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Great. They come is all sizes depending on where you look. Hope you got something worthwhile from the video. Be safe and happy distilling. George

[@scottk7613]

If you only need around 200 degrees Fahrenheit to distill liquor, then would a120v be good enough? Why do you need it to go higher?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

It is all relative. Volume plays an important role. In a larger volume a smaller element will not create enough heat to replace the heat lost through thermal conduction.

[@prometheus4916]

Hi George do you think that one of them heating bands would work on a 15 gallon keg

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

The band would work but it takes quite a while to heat up. For a 15 gallon kettle the band is better suited as a good augment to the internal element.

[@quarlow1215]

Barley and Hops Brewing Okay George, I need some confirmational advice. I have a 1400 watt PID that I use for my smoker. I want to use it for my still. I have 2 1500 watt 120v elements. I also have my shop wired on 2 separate 120v 20 amp circuits. I am planning to run 1 element direct wired to 1 circuit and 1 element run via my PID on the other circuit. I also planned to use both elements to get up close to temp and then unplug the direct wired 1 and allow the other to do the rest while controlled by the PID. Does this sound doable or is the 1500 watt element too much for the 1400 watt PID. I was thinking that the element probably doesn't run at an actual 1500 so it would handle it. Any advice is greatly appreciated. My other option is to go to a smaller element, say 1300 or 1250 on the PID..

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

The 1500 watt element will operate at 100% until the temp is achieved. The 1400 watt PID will probably not be able to handle that. You could go on amazon and get an AC relay that the PID would operate that would allow you to run a 1500-2000 Watt element. The relay should be rated for at least 20 Amps. George

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Here is a link to a SSR that would work. www.amazon.com/TinaWood-SSR-25DD-Solid-State-5-200V/dp/B07BT656HT/ref=sr_1_15?crid=3R7XA7BEOPWOZ&keywords=ac+relay+120v&qid=1553865824&s=gateway&sprefix=AC+relay%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-15

[@philiptruitt]

Thank'e George!

[@43pasadena]

80% rule on continuous loads George.

[@TKnight28]

Quick google search gave me the insight I needed regarding your comment. Had you not made this comment, I as someone with no electrical background but understands math & logic now at least understands the concept. Thank you

[@oxstien123]

What if I were to put a 30psi regulator on my propane tank and hook that to a turkey fryer would that be as effective as getting something as pricey as the bango model fryer

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Sorry, it is not the pressure of your propane. The banjo cooker has many more opening and a larger feed line so it boils down to volume of propane as opposed to pressure of propane. George

[@mindofmrrein1732]

will I get enough heat with 110V Heater Controller with 2000 Watt for a 13 gallon?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Yes, the heat up time will be a longer but it will work. Just be patient it may take an hour to heat up.

[@kevinholbrook7174]

How do you determine what heating elements that you need to determine different boiler sizes such as 10-gal., 13-gal. and 16-gallon boilers?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Yes. A 1500 watt element is sufficient for a kettle up to 8 gallons. After that a 2000 watt element is best in stills up to 13 gallons and then we need to start looking at multiple elements or if 240 volts is available we go with a 3500-5500 watt element.

[@kevinholbrook7174]

Great information George and I do thank you very much! I am glad that you replied to my message! I have another question for you. If I use a 2,000-watts element.... How many elements would I need for a 13-16 gallon still?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

@@kevinholbrook7174 One would be plenty efficient. I use a single 2K watt element in my 15 gallon still and it works great.

[@sevenhornets]

So I have 30 amp breakers per side on 240v that means I can do 2 x 5000 watt elements on that circuit??

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Yes. That should be fine. Just make sure your wire is heavy enough to carry the load.

[@donf3739]

You confused me right off the bat with surface area being measured in cubic inches, instead of square inches, and volume measured in cubic. Still proportionately the same though, I guess.

[@davidcooley5135]

I am going on the hunt for a element for my stainless coffee pot still

[@1st67mustang390]

Quick comment to help the algorithm

[@cameronshine3465]

thanks

[@fivefingerfullprice3403]

Cubic inches is volume, not surface area.

[@countryboycharlie9793]

👍

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Charlie, I will post the TA4 video in about an hour.

[@lordofthelamb]

ha ha ha ha .