"Hey all, just joined recently.
I have a BH PSII keg kit on it's way.

I have been brewing beer in this keg for some time now, I brew in a bag, been working great.
now I have made a lid out of the top of the keg that I had cut out for brewing beer by adding a lip and a pressure cooker gasket to the cut out top. Then I have cut out small blocks of wood that I can wedge in betwix the rolled top of keg and the lid to hold it down tight.
Now my main question is about my power source and controller.
I use a 5500 watt heating element, which is controlled thru my control panel PID. I can set this to any temp and it will hold it at that temp by a temp sensor installed into my keg.
I have noticed that about everyone uses a 1500 watt element so wondering if my 5500 watt will work? I really think it should be OK because of the way I can control it, am I thinking right?

Also, I have a sight tube on my keg which is open at the top, will I have to plug it?
Here's some pic's of my set up..
and Thanks for any input.........Later, TangleFoot"

It is 220 volts.

started using it as a thermostat and it has worked well so never dinked with it. I guess it can be set to different power percentages but never tried it that way.

Thanks for the reply and compliment.
TangleFoot-out

I use a 6 kw element an have a pid plus 2 relays in my control. I start at 220 volts and a sensor at the base of my tower switches to 110 volts with a variac in series when it senses temperature rising there.
Any 220 volt element will produce 1/4 of its rated wattage when 110 is applied to it.
The 220 is great for quicker heat up and the lower wattage is excellent for tweaking the stills output rate.

I'm now modifying my control to include multiple PIDs. A secnd pid will monitor the temperature at the top of the tower for now. I am gathering parts to have 3- 3way normally open solenoids in series with the output of the leibig to try and separate the fors-heads-hearts and tails. Each solenoid will have its own PID with a separate sensor. Smell is the best way but my overly smashed up nose DONT SMELL TOO GOOD lol

I originally wanted to do the whole shmear with one PLC with a few sensors but i'm not smart enough to learn those things. DARN

WOW.........you just went way over my head......but that really sounds like it will be a kool setup
Later...Tangle-out

Durn, that is one pretty keg. Wish mine looked that good.

Hi, are you going to run it as a pot still or reflux? If you are going to run it as a reflux I would pack the tower then run a 50/50 vinigar and water through it for about half the volum you put in, run at least enough to cover your element with what you will be taking out. That will clean the packing out also.

If running as a pot still then I'd say your good to go.

ETOH evaporates at 172 F and your foreshots will start coming off at about 160 F. Anything befoe 172 is going to be either foreshots,(read poison, throw out at least the first 100ml), or heads. The heads you'll want to seperate from the hearts and the same goes for when you come to the end of the run you want to seperate the hearts from the tails. Best way I know of is to get a couple of flats of pint mason jars and collect 1/2 jar, about 250ml, and move on to the next one. Cover them with a papper towel or, I use, coffee filter and let them sit over night or two. Then go back and starting in the middle, say jar 6 of 12, and give them the sniff/taste test going from jar 6 to jar 5 then jar 7 then jar 4 etc.

You should do just fine.

Have Fun.