40 Litre Crab Cooker

[gunbrew]

Saw this if anyone is interested in a 40 litre.
Cheers.

 

[RdeVjun]

Thanks for the heads up GB, a 40L kettle and also a giant colander for less than $100. Looks brilliant from a couple of perspectives, anyone else see the potential there for lining that colander with some voile? B)

Edit: Spleeing.

 

[komodo]

I've thought about voile or a SS flyscreen type mesh a bit for this.

 

[MarkBastard]

Thanks for the heads up GB, a 40L kettle and also a giant colander for less than $100. Looks brilliant from a couple of perspectives, anyone else see the potential there for lining that colander with some voile? B)

Edit: Spleeing.

Definitely. Would be so much easier to drain the bag. It'd be good if you could pull out the colandar and have it sitting on top of the pot draining while you're raising the temp to boiling. You could even put a smaller pot in (maybe use a 19L big w one) to squeeze the bag. Stick the 19L pot on top of the bag and then the bag is squeezed between the colander and pot.

 

[Siborg]

Definitely. Would be so much easier to drain the bag. It'd be good if you could pull out the colandar and have it sitting on top of the pot draining while you're raising the temp to boiling. You could even put a smaller pot in (maybe use a 19L big w one) to squeeze the bag. Stick the 19L pot on top of the bag and then the bag is squeezed between the colander and pot.

Was driving past my local Ray's a minute ago and I stopped to check these out. They are flimsy as all f**k, but what do you expect for $120? Yes, they weren't on sale! That's the one opposite bunnings on maroondah/whitehorse rd. Honestly, I could have quite easily bent the bottom with my hand. I just bought one of the Big W 19L ones for $20, and that's better quality. The colander idea is a good one, though.

 

[zoigl]

Anyone looking for good SS gear should keep an eye on the auctions clearing out defunct restaurants. These are held on a regular basis here in Adelaide, but it pays to check out what you are buying. One of the auction houses here puts up a container load of crap that some one sources in China.
http://www.mgs.net.au/index.html
Watch out for the restaurant stuff.
Cheers

 

[pokolbinguy]

Same sort of crab pot available at BCF for $99.....OR $50 if you have a Club BCF card....just found out they are free.

Link for pot:

https://store.bcf.com.au/productdetails.aspx?PLU=215769

Link to join BCF Club:

https://www.bcf.com.au/index.aspx?path=member-signup&

50% off...i'm in for that!!!

 

[Siborg]

Same sort of crab pot available at BCF for $99.....OR $50 if you have a Club BCF card....just found out they are free.

Link for pot:

https://store.bcf.com.au/productdetails.aspx?PLU=215769

Link to join BCF Club:

https://www.bcf.com.au/index.aspx?path=member-signup&

50% off...i'm in for that!!!

$50 aint too bad... even if it is crap

 

[Siborg]

Anyone looking for good SS gear should keep an eye on the auctions clearing out defunct restaurants. These are held on a regular basis here in Adelaide, but it pays to check out what you are buying. One of the auction houses here puts up a container load of crap that some one sources in China.
http://www.mgs.net.au/index.html
Watch out for the restaurant stuff.
Cheers

Do you know of any places that do this sort of thing in Vic? anyone else?

 

[superdave]

$50 aint too bad... even if it is crap

I didn't get my pot from BCF, got it from another camping store (downunder camping or something); but can't imagine they'd vary by too much. 50L stainless crab pot for $85, no inner strainer thing. Had a very sturdy bag made up with long straps and I just hang it from the ceiling to drip. I did notice crabs pots at other camping stores were a bit flimsy, but this one was pretty sturdy. Stuck a tap in it so I don't have to try and carry a potential 45kg of hot wort around.

 

[lukewarm]

Do you know of any places that do this sort of thing in Vic? anyone else?

Grays have some good stuff from time-to-time.

http://www.graysonline.com/Catering-and-Ho...-and-Restaurant

 

[Lionman]

Dragging up an old thread but still relevant. I posted this in a different thread too but thought it might be easier for people to find here.

I put together a simple single vessel stove top system made from an adapted crab cooker.

As well as the 1/2" ball valve with cam lock disconnect, I have added a system for holding the inner basket above the wort.

The photos here don't show it but there are also legs under the inner basket that holds it off the bottom made from SS bolts.

 

[ScottyDoesntKnow]

Is that 40l pot on a gas kitchen stove top? Jeezus, how long does that take to come to the boil?

 

[mtb]

With 2+ burners going, probably not long

 

[Lionman]

Is that 40l pot on a gas kitchen stove top? Jeezus, how long does that take to come to the boil?

It fits over 3 burners, one of them being a double burner for a wok, so there is a fair amount of heat under it. I tried it with just the biggest burner at first and it was painfully slow.

It's still not fast, but it's bearable. It takes about 15-20mins to get from tap temp to strike temp and about the same again to get from mashout to boil. Never actually timed it though or taken much notice.

I am planning on installing an electric element and some insulation soon as taking up the entire stove when the missus wants to cook the kids dinner is driving her bananas. Apparently 'can't they have toast' doesn't cut it. h34r: Lucky, she drinks as much homebrew as I do (more probably).
Might add a re-circ pump too just because I can. I think it will help keeping an even temp across the grain when ramping.

 

[mosto]

I've got the exact same pot, served me very well for a number of years now. I've installed an element in mine. I've recently scored an old keg I'm going to convert to a keggle, but intend on re-assigning my crab pot as a HLT.

 

[Lionman]

I've got the exact same pot, served me very well for a number of years now. I've installed an element in mine. I've recently scored an old keg I'm going to convert to a keggle, but intend on re-assigning my crab pot as a HLT.

What element do you go with?

I was looking at the KK one as they are fairly cheap but they seem to have a bad rep, although I think they updated to a different model/supplier at some point.

 

[mosto]

I got a 2200W one from Craftbrewer. I'm actually on my second one, but the demise of the first one was user error. If you turn on a 2200W element before you've filled your pot, it's probably going to blow :unsure:

 

[Lionman]

Yeah pretty sure that is the Keg King one. It's the same as the one Brewmart sells by the looks of it which are definitely the KK version, which is a Chinese one that KK import and distribute.

 

[fattima]

This is mine, KK element, tap and temperature probe well. Works a treat.
https://goo.gl/photos/vAmC6K8AqZZBb8sBA