Boiler Options

[hybrid3y3]

Hi Guys,

Was wondering if anyone had used either of these for BIAB and if there were any pitfalls, caveats or recommendations?

http://www.cnmonline.co.uk/20Litre-Burc ... 17225.html
http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com/pr ... prod116634

I'm going for a 10l batch size due to space constraints in my little flat, and because i want to do some experimentation with different beer types.

Any feedback would be awesome!

[boingy]

Check out Buffalo boilers too. They are very similar to Burcos but tend to be a bit cheaper. I think a few folks on here use them. Some are easier to convert than others. Maybe search "Burco" and/or "Buffalo".

[jonnyt]

Have you thought about making a boiler?
Mango Chutney container £3
Argos Kettle element £5.69
A bit of plumbing

The shop bought Burco's will likely not do the rolling boil

[hybrid3y3]

It's all a question of time, space and materials.

I went down the track of making my own all grain setup (gas on hob) last year, but basically spent 3x as much after buying all the tools, materials then deciding to convert to electric and completely making a hash of the whole thing.

I've moved flat and am now quite limited on space, infact my brew supplies, grain etc is the last thing to unpack and i have no space left. So need to get my brew on (freeing up space by conversion to liquid and imbibing said liquid), but no-longer have a boiler. Hence why i was thinking BIAB and going electric cause it's mostly done for me.

I suppose the other option would be to try to get a 20l thermo pot (hob at new flat is electric), but i can't find anywhere that does one pre fitted with a tap.

[jonnyt]

I BIAB using the equipment I mentioned above. Cheap, Easy and it makes great beer!

[hybrid3y3]

Where did you get the mango chutney container from?

[jonnyt]

www.dvfuels.co.uk

[hybrid3y3]

Hmm, nothing suitable for a 10l batch size there.

So... anyone have any advise on using "tea urns" for BIAB?

[far9410]

I have a 30l burco, it easily maintains a rolling 90 minute boil, it has a concealed element so I would think it would be ideal for biab

[jonnyt]

I'd have thought a 30L Mango Chutney container is perfect for 10L batch sizes given you will need 20L of volume minimum

[danbrew]

I use a cygnet 27l boiler for a 19l brew length and I would make the following comments...

Either the cygnet or the burco will maintain a rolling boil if you bypass the thermostat. In fact, the 3kw element supplied will provide a positively volcanic boil for the volumes you are thinking of doing. I think 3kw could be too powerful for you.
For the volumes you are thinking of, I would consider just using a stockpot without a tap (and just syphon the wort out after the boil and use a hop sock/ bag)
Or, manufacture a boiler as suggested with the lower powered kettle element.
If you use an unaltered stainless steel stock pot and a hop sock, you could even ferment in it too and avoid having to store an FV.
Having said that, I can't see much space saving between a 20l and a 30l vessel so I would be tempted to go larger anyway, so you can do bigger volumes of the beers you find that you like without having to upgrade...

[boingy]

And don't discount things like the Bruheat or Electrim boilers.

E.G: http://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/public/det ... LE20174643

Would have thought they would be ideal for BIAB and they are not much bigger than the Burco's you are looking at.

[hybrid3y3]

Interesting, the 30l version of the Cygnet can be obtained for pretty much the same price as the 20l (extra £5).

http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com/pr ... prod116635

I've looked at the electrim / bruheat boilers in the past and (probs my inner yorkshireman talking here) they seem a little pricey for plastic! I think it may have to be a 30l Cygnet.

With reference to that, does the concealed element mean that there is less chance of scorching the bottom of the bag (subject to due care and due dilligence)!

[jonnyt]

With BIAB you wouldn't have the element on with the bag in situ, except potentially for mash out, but I take the bag out and reintroduce once the work is 80 degrees or so then leave for a further 15 to 30 minutes.

[danbrew]

With reference to that, does the concealed element mean that there is less chance of scorching the bottom of the bag (subject to due care and due dilligence)!

Well I don't have a concealed element but I'd suggest thinking about putting a bent cake rack over it anyway just for peace of mind. I sometimes add a bit of heat the the tun when mashing if the temp is dropping too much - when I do this I would prefer not to have to lift the bag free as I recirculate the wort manually by jugging wort from the tap and pouring back in the top.

Also, unless you intend to syphon, you might want to swap the tap for a ball valve or at the very least alter the existing tap by adding pipe (probably copper) to the inside and outside to ensure run-off from the very bottom of the vessel...

If you are in the experimental phase, I think I'd still be looking for smaller stockpots. Burco's etc are nice, but having to alter/ adjust a brand new fairly costly piece if kit (I'm a yorkshireman too) is a bit of a pain in the ass.