Cheap boiler options?

[Tigerzoid]

Hi all! slowly getting gear together to go all grain anyone got any thoughts on making a cheap boiler? is plastic ok? imersion heater 3kw? or bite the bullet and look for a used 30 litre burco? want to keep costs as low as poss, i could get an imersion heater from my work but little concerned on the longevity of a plastic bin? and the control of keeping a boil I may have to stand there monitoring it switching on/off!!??
any advice experience much appreciated, Mark.

[fullclaret]

Hi Tigerzoid,

Cheapest option is to go for plastic bin, one or two argos/tesco/asda kettle elements, and a basic tap. You'll also need a drill bit to make the element and tap holes. 33l plastic bins go for about £10-11, kettles £5 each, tap & tank coupler about £5, coming in at around £25. I used a 38mm flat drill bit which cost another £5. It's worth shopping around for all the bits, some bits are cheap at places like screwfix, others better at B&Q.

Mine's done 22 brews so far and still going strong.

Cheers,
Steve

[Dennis King]

Boot sales are a good place to pick up 2nd hand Burcos.

[far9410]

i have a 30 ltr burco, which is really 27ltr and when boiling to hot break is only really max 25 ltr, do they make a bigger one? if so where from?

[Tigerzoid]

Thanks for info, plastic seems the way to go then, or trawl ebay for a burco(could take ages to get a cheap one!), do i need to look for plastic bin that states it can withstand the boil process or are they all pretty much made of the same gear??
thanks again.

[themadhippy]

do they make a bigger one? if so where from

buffalo do a 40l boiler.
http://www.nisbets.co.uk/products/produ ... Code=CC193

[Kev888]

Do i need to look for plastic bin that states it can withstand the boil process or are they all pretty much made of the same gear??

There are at least two answers for this; the proper approach would be to go for a thick Polypropylene bucket as this type of plastic has good strength even at boiling temperatures and buckets are cheap and readily available, such as here. Avoid thin ones though, they aren't really strong enough to be safe; I like the idea of getting models that other people have tested or are recomended by the retailer, as in that link. Quality PP buckets have been used for many years and there have even been some commercial ones made, so it seems a good bet

Usually after I've said that someone will be along saying they use blue HDPE bins (like old mango tubs); the reality is that people seem to get away with it so its up to you, but HDPE gets a lot weaker at boiling temperatures so it needs to be quite thick to take the load when hot. I personally don't like that because the design and manufacture of the particular bin is unpredictable - some have been known to sag whilst others are supposed to be fine.

On another note, if you wanted to go half way between plastic/DIY and a stainless boiler, check out the malt miller's selection.

Cheers
kev

[Tigerzoid]

Kev thanks for the advice and the malt miller site is new to me, but there prices look very good especially on ingredients! i think i'll go down the polypropelyne route, maybe with an eye on ebay for a burco all in good time.

[Kev888]

Sounds good to me.
Yes, the MM is one of a few top retailers who also participate on this forum - If I'm remembering the right pairing of names, hes on here as BorisCharlton.

Cheers
kev

[oldbloke]

There's a long thread about the Lidl jam-maker/fruit-preserver either here or on thehomebrewforum, seems they're OK(ish) but you /may/ need to tweak the controller to get a good boil.
They're in stock now at 30 quid. 27 litres plus a bit of headroom.
I've grabbed one to use as a stepped infusion mash tun - for some experiments I want to do rests for protease as well as amylase.
And ErIndoors can use it for her jam-making, too.

[Mr.Everready]

Are these basic fv's suitable for connection elements too ?

[image edited by Admin]

[richc]

My boiler is a converted Youngs fermenting bucket and that works fine. I expect most reasonable quality fermenting buckets are OK.

[Mr.Everready]

cheers

[Rick_UK]

I also converted a Youngs FV by adding an immersion element and removing the thermostat. Done 5 AG brews in it so far and no probs sept it could do with being a bit bigger to prevent boil overs. I would go for the slighty bigger 33l FV if you take this option.

For the holes I just went in with a 25mm auger bit and used a round surform to remove the rest, took about 10mins. You may need to use some silicone around the outside of the heating element to prevent leaks. You also need some heat resistant cable for the plug.

The Lidl jam maker might be worth a look, costs about the same as building one from a bucket and no DIY required.

Rick

[Tigerzoid]

Hi all, this lidl machine looks pretty good apart from its low output .1.8kw? I'd kind had thought my DIY bin would want a 3 kwe at least; any thoughts on element size? And anyone used the lidl item?