Burnt Kettle Element!

[Francois]

After looking around for answers/advice on this I've not found much, so new thread it is...

I brew in a digital electrim boiler http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... 3sl5CjDuSo

I use it as mash tun BIAB style, then use it to boil the collected wort too.

Thing is, since the first few brews I'm having to remove the element and soak/scrape/scrub it clean after every single brew due to the amount of burnt-on blackened stuff it's collecting; trub and general wort flocculants I suppose not, hops, I use a hop sock)

Is there any way to prevent this happening? Any device I can use in-boil to protect the element from stuff sticking and burning to it, or perhaps any procedural tricks I could use to lessen it? It's getting to be a real PITA, and I don't want to end up with burnt-tasting beer

Any help and advice massively appreciated!!

[mozza]

I have a DIY boiler I've made from two Wilkos kettle elements. I take a wire brush to mine after every brew and then wipe with soapy water. I don't think you can stop crap forming on them just give them a clean after use

[killer]

I have a Brupaks boiler that I also use for BIAB and it's the same. I have to give it a good clean after each brew. If not, it doesn't work properly. Some have suggested that without the clearer wort produced using a traditional 3V system (grainbed filtration) you will get more crud on an element used in a BIAB made wort.

In any case, I clean immediately after brewing with a brush, then let the element sit in a dilute vinegar/ citric acid solution to get off all the mineral related crud.

Never have any problems now.

[Deebee]

When i used electric i found an old toothbrush directly after you empty the boiler helped.

Its still soft then. Alternatively you can use some citric acid and heat this with the elements after the boil before using the brush, cloth etc

[Fil]

as soon as the boiler is empty rinse it out and scrub back the elements
The trick is to attack em asap. the 2 tiny spiral tesco kettle elements i used in my 1st set up would calcify up in our hard water but were easy to scrub back to shiny
using one or 2 kitchen scrubby sponges and a lil elbow grease..
Tho if left a good soak in citric acid was needed to decalcify.. caked up and used without cleaningu risk overheating and killing the element early.

Ideally look for low watt density elements, the longer the tube of the elements the better i put mrlards (aka the homebrewbuilder) lwd ss elements in my big brewkit WOW. the end of the boil the elements have a light calcium dusting in comparrison to the 1-2mm thick cake of brown stone found on the small spiral tesco elements.. (same water)

[Chicken Dipper]

I use one of those metal scourers on the element jut after emptying when the crud is soft! Mine got pretty smegged up and a bit burnt a while ago, I think I used cillit bang on it and maybe some viakal the time after that. Really improved its efficiency anyway and got it sparkling again. I was worried that I might damage it, but it got to point where if I didn't do something it was going to end up being scrapped!

[fisherman]

I would not use this item as a mashtun with the element exposed to maintain the mash temperature. 35 years ago I used a Brupacks mastun / boiler and used to lift the grainbag clear of the liquid to reheat the wort. I would use it as a boiler only and use an insulated coolbox with lots of insulation for a mashtun. No heating needed.

[lancon]

one major problem that arose was the burnt flavour in the beer. I used a very fine mesh around the bag to try to stop the rubbish from getting to the element, this improved things.

[edonald774]

I use the brupaks boiler and have to be honest and say I don't have any issues (but I'm using a standard non BIAB system). However I did an extract brew with the other half last week and the element got absolutely covered in burned on extract.
I found a soak with citric acid then a good scrub sorted it but it took about an hour and lots of elbow grease.

[jock128]

I've not really had much of a problem with my Pico, it just needs to be cleaned straight away after the boil. That said I don't use it for the mash so that removes that variable.

Just a bit of hot water, elbow grease and cleaner and it's good to go.

[Brownster]

Hi,
I just come across this thread as I was searching for people with experience of this. My most recent brews have a noticeable burnt edge to them that I didn't taste during the first few weeks which prompted me to check the elements which are ones taken from kettles. The one pictured had a couple of places where the calcification had cracked and popped off revealing the burnt blackness underneath. I've just removed the element and scraped a bit to reveal loads more blackness underneath. One of them was from an old kettle whilst one might have been new (I say might because I have another boiler I no longer use and it could be in there)
It seems that the element has corroded as you can see light rusting at some points, I didn't even think this could happen!
I'm guilty of not cleaning the elements so perhaps I should be trying to get them back to clean after each boil?

Anyone else experienced a burnt taste to their beer due to this?

It maybe time for me to pony up and by some proper elements....





Cheers,
Wayne.

[Fil]

used with all that caked on crap is making the elements work extra hard to generate the heat to pass thru the crud.. i wouldnt worry too much about the black until you have cleaned those back to shiney, If then the metal is damaged and black perhaps some barkeepers friend can restore it.

i would consider introducing an element clean up at the end of the brewday, as mentioned above if attacked soom after forming the crud is a lot softer and can be scrubbed/brushed off.

the element pictured will probably need a soak in citric acid/lemon juice/kettle descaler take your pick to clean off all that built up crud.

Im guessing, but my suspicion is that the burn flavour comes from when the crud cracked and fell off and the wort met the overheated element under the crud build up..

imho get them elements cleaned asap as if you dont you can expect an early element failure due to overheating.

[Dave S]

I use a Buffalo 40 l and in the early days quite a bit of elbow grease was required to get the element plate clean. Since using acid for my water treatment I don't have that problem. It still gets crud on it from the boil but it just wipes off with a cloth or sponge, and the last time was 3 days after brew day

[Eric]

Those elements might need replacing.
Your water has too much temporary hardness, or alkalinity as we prefer to call it. Using a suitable acid on them after every brew can solve the problem for your elements, using the right amount of an appropriate acid in your liquor before every brew can solve that problem and some others it can cause to beer.
An explanation can be seen here,

[Brownster]

Thanks for all your replies above,
@Fil, I'm going to try and clean the element up and see how it goes. I've had a look at the other element in this boiler and it is in much better condition with only a very light coating of calcification so I'll get on top of cleaning it up now as well.
@Dave S / Eric, I'm still shying away from treating my water, it is fairly hard here, I did start looking into the subject seriously, reading my Palmer book on the subject and I think If I remember correctly, after reading quite a bit of science on the subject he concluded it's better in a hard water situation to just buy mineral water (though I confess it was a while ago now and I may be quoting the wrong source!) Perhaps it's time I give it a try and buy a Salifert testing kit and the relevant water treatment chemicals....

Cheers,
Wayne.