Crown urn BIAB issue

[lfc_ozzie]

Hi Guys,

Not sure what to do really, I BIAB in a concealed element crown urn, and its seems to always burn a little above, which I'm guessing, the element is, its where the small circle is in the centre. My last brew it burned on half, making the urn heating turn on and off, hence stopping and starting the boil. I already have the false bottom for the crown urn to keep the bag off the bottom, can i just get a finer mesh to help stop these small particles going through the big holes, or would that stop the kettle boiling correctly?

I have had to soak it in PBW which has removed most of it, but it still has a slight whitish clear coating over it, beer-stone?? is this the under lying problem, if so whats the best way to remove this?

Enjoying my brewing, hit all my numbers on my last brew. Next upgrade wanna get into kegging, but need more money haha

Thanks for any tips guys

 

[simmo1972]

I always have trouble with Rye, no issues with anything else. Shame as I make a nice Rye mix but it's a pain having to keep scraping during the boil.

 

[Coldspace]

Maybe a less fine crush. I also find after main clean in my gf with perc , lemon juice works wonders cleaning it up smick.

 

[lfc_ozzie]

Maybe a less fine crush. I also find after main clean in my gf with perc , lemon juice works wonders cleaning it up smick.

How do you use the lemon juice?

 

[earle]

Sounds like the element cover. If it hasn't been fully cleaned off after a brew it will crud up much easier on subsequent brews. I had this when I first started using my urn. Use a fine steel scourer to remove the crud until the element cover is shiny after each brew. Rye does make more crud stick on but this method usually sees me right. Haven't bothered with scraping during a boil even with roggenbier.

 

[nathang28]

I have the same setup as you and had the exact same problem.

For me, it turned out to be using a stainless steel mash paddle, in an effort to avoid scratching the bottom of the urn after mashing, I wasn't removing all the sediment from the central disc above the element, leading to scorching.

I switched to a wooden mash paddle (actually made one out of a plank of tassie oak) and tried it out last brew, which was a Witbier, and made sure i gave it a really good stir after the mash. End result was that issue is solved, nothing stuck or scorched on at all.

So thorough stirring is my suggestion, a plastic mash paddle would work too if you are not keen on wood.

Cheers.

 

[Coldspace]

Cheap $1 a bottle of lemon juice from supermarket, after main clean, squirt in, wipe around using a nylon scourer, cleans up excellent, rinse out with some hot water.
Bottle should last a while

 

[lfc_ozzie]

Thanks for the help guys. Gonna give a good stir after mash, see if that settles it on the outter edges instead. Will also give the lemon juice a run. Thanks heaps guys

 

[ianh]

Hi Guys,

Not sure what to do really, I BIAB in a concealed element crown urn, and its seems to always burn a little above, which I'm guessing, the element is, its where the small circle is in the centre. My last brew it burned on half, making the urn heating turn on and off, hence stopping and starting the boil. I already have the false bottom for the crown urn to keep the bag off the bottom, can i just get a finer mesh to help stop these small particles going through the big holes, or would that stop the kettle boiling correctly?

I have had to soak it in PBW which has removed most of it, but it still has a slight whitish clear coating over it, beer-stone?? is this the under lying problem, if so whats the best way to remove this?

Enjoying my brewing, hit all my numbers on my last brew. Next upgrade wanna get into kegging, but need more money haha

Thanks for any tips guys

Sorry but this does not make sense. You only need a false bottom if doing multi step mashes in which case you should remove the false bottom after mash out.. Heat the water up to strike temperature, inset bag and grain, insulate urn and leave for mash time (90 mins). You could do a mash out by raising the bag so it does not touch the bottom and raise the temperature to 78C. Then raise the bag and squeeze. Remove bag and scrape the element cover. I use a plastic covered paint scraper or you could use a piece of wood. Never had the boil cut out but then I don't make rye or wheat beers.

 

[lfc_ozzie]

Sorry but this does not make sense. You only need a false bottom if doing multi step mashes in which case you should remove the false bottom after mash out.. Heat the water up to strike temperature, inset bag and grain, insulate urn and leave for mash time (90 mins). You could do a mash out by raising the bag so it does not touch the bottom and raise the temperature to 78C. Then raise the bag and squeeze. Remove bag and scrape the element cover. I use a plastic covered paint scraper or you could use a piece of wood. Never had the boil cut out but then I don't make rye or wheat beers.

Are you supposed to take out the crown urn false bottom when boiling? I thought so, when i first got equipment i tried but kept burning myself trying to get it out and thought maybe it is supposed to stay in during the boil, guess this would trap some of the trub etc under and causing it ti burn on the element.

Any tips on how best to remove it from the hot water?

Makes sense to scrap off the element when raising to boil temp but never thought how to do it cos of the false bottom lol, would a plastic spoon be fine to use, or will it melt?

 

[earle]

No real need for an expensive false bottom when you've got a bag. I use a cake rack to keep the bag off the element cover. The plastic head comes off my paint/grain masher handle which can then be used to hook out the cake rack with no burns.

 

[Dozer71]

Any tips on how best to remove it from the hot water?

I tie a bit of cooking string to it through the holes and then on to the handle to stop the end falling in.

 

[lfc_ozzie]

I tie a bit of cooking string to it through the holes and then on to the handle to stop the end falling in.

OMG this is so smart, i feel so dumb now haha

 

[Rocker1986]

Yep you want to remove the false bottom after the mash is done. I have a rather thin piece of stainless rod that is bent at an acute angle on one end. I just dip this into the wort and hook it into one of the holes in the side of the falsie and drag it up. The element cover is then given a good scrubbing with a stainless steel wire brush on a long handle before the urn is turned up to full bore to bring the wort to boiling.

For cleaning I don't use any perc or anything like that. I simply dump in some citric acid, a few litres of water, dissolve and boil it for a minute or so, then allow it to cool enough to touch it and use this solution to clean the rest of the scaly shit with a piece of stainless steel wool. The lemon juice would work in the same way given it contains citric acid naturally.

I know it's not recommended to be using wire brushes and steel wool and shit on stainless but so far I have yet to see any rust on the thing whatsoever, and I never have boils cutting in and out either. Maybe the acid passivates the stainless well enough.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

No need for a false bottom at all, I never used one. Just pump the mash whenever the element is on (start pumping 10sec before turning it on). This also stirs up any protein etc that would have settled on the element and would otherwise scorch. A false bottom prevents you from being able to do this.

 

[lfc_ozzie]

Thanks for all the tips guys, i was kinda scared about using steel wool on the bottom, guess i didn't want to scratch the shiny finish haha. I was mainly using the non scratch scourers but they don't really do much, so might give it a shot with some steel wool and lemon juice.

 

[Rocker1986]

Be careful with it... The steel wool and wire brush I use are both stainless but not all of them are. Perhaps this is part of the reason that using them doesn't cause any rust issues.

 

[earle]

Just a home brand steel scourer here. 60 brews in with no problems.

 

[Bribie G]

Tub of citric acid from the baking section in any supermarket (the active ingredient in lemon juice).

However while this will remove lime scale etc, for genuine burnt on crud you'd need something abrasive. If using steel wool you'd need to get stainless, as advised above.

edit: Earle seems to be on the ball.
I have the exposed element and over the years using a steel scourer I've worn the nickel coating off, and down to the copper. Will take me another 175 years to completely wear through to the wires

Thinking about it further, the steel ball scourers don't rust - been using the same one for a year and it just sits in the soap dish - so I guess they are stainless anyway.

 

[lfc_ozzie]

Holy shit, that lemon juice pretty much obliterated that scum that the PBW was struggling with. Thanks so much guys. **** i love this forum!!!