Burco boiler or kettle elements

[Deebee]

AT present i use a 38 liter industrial stainless steel saucpan as a boiler. It has a tap welded into it, and a form for lid, but even when doing a 25 liter brewlength takes an age to get up to boil temp. I would also suggest that due to the size i get a much higher evaporation amounnt due to the pure size of surface area.

I see many of you actually use burco boilers ( tea urns etc).

Even though they would likely cost a few quid to send to Norway is there anyone who has a link to a supplier on ebay?

The other option i have seem many use is the boiler made from either a food grade plastic barrel or what appears to be another FV with 2 kettle elements fitted on oposite sides.
This would be another option although the Norwegians do not use a kettle as a norm, and i don't know where to start.

Some of you have mentioned a boiler made from 2 elements from sainsburies elements) would anyone be willing to send me a couple along with some info as to how i fit them etc.
Thanks

[CJBrew]

Deebee,

Burco don't seem to make the sort of boilers that a lot of us use anymore. At least, all the ones that you'll see on sale by BurcoDean are far too small - 15l or so. Particularly the wash-boilers (I have a 10gal/45l and a 5gal/24l) -- they are a throwback to the '50's and '60's for doing your clothes washing in. They do turn up on Ebay from time to time but buying new - no way.

However, I think you may be able to get a 30l BurcoDean catering urn. It's not really big enough for brewing a 5 gallon batch in, In my opinion.You'd be better doing some DIY

[Deebee]

Thats th problem, I just found ( quite lierally) a 200 liter blue plastic container that was used to hold windscreen washer fluid. Although this is not what i would use i can get this sort of stuff from the waste yard near here.

Elements for heating though are harder to come by. the Norwegians very rarely use a kettle, prefering filter coffee or boiling water in a small pan on the stove.

can likely get a decent sized food grade container, but the elements are a problem.

Would a burco boiler element from ebay be ok to put into a plastic container? or an element from a water heater providing it works.?

I'd like to make a boiler. A standard cooker ring is not more than 2 KW, 2 elements from kettles would double this. be easier and save me from stinking the house out withhops. Some of the houses inhabitants don't care for the smell too much.....

[CJBrew]

Deebee,

Would it be feasible to stick an element or two onto your existing pot to help get up to boil temperatures more quickly? I imagine staying at a boil isn't as hard as raising the temperature in the first place anyway. You could perhaps use the electrics to get it up to temperature then turn on your gas (?) to keep it boiling?

Another option: a number of people on a mainly American brewing equipment mailing list I'm on use this sort of device
http://hbd.org/pcalinsk/HeatStk3.htm

They don't look too hard to make if you're handy.

Chris

[Deebee]

Deebee,

Would it be feasible to stick an element or two onto your existing pot to help get up to boil temperatures more quickly? I imagine staying at a boil isn't as hard as raising the temperature in the first place anyway. You could perhaps use the electrics to get it up to temperature then turn on your gas (?) to keep it boiling?

Another option: a number of people on a mainly American brewing equipment mailing list I'm on use this sort of device
http://hbd.org/pcalinsk/HeatStk3.htm

They don't look too hard to make if you're handy.

Chris

I saw this. I looks ok. I wonder it it would be possible to indtall some kind of water heater element in one of the food grade plastic tubs ( like mango chutney), they are afterall designed to be submerged.

Hmm.