Electric Hot Liquor Tank

[Swinging Beef]

I saw in an old BYO magazine a fellah who had an electric HLT.
It was a legally acquired beer keg, witht he top cut out, a spigot in the base for removal or hot water, and four standard kettle elements inserted round the base of the keg.
So, outside the keg, were four electric wires running into the lower body of the vessel and on the inside you could see four elements at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o clock respectively.

Does anyone here use this method/heard of it/know if it works?
I just really like the idea of a HLT with strike water ready for when I get out of bed on brew day.

 

[Fents]

if you have the $$$ you'd be much better getting one big element rather than 4 small ones imo.

2400w or a 3200w element would be suffice remebering that you'll more that likely need a 15amp power point for a 3200 one i think. (most home power points are 10amps.)

im up to this stage at the moment myself and as soon as i have the $$ saved for a nice 80L ss pot its on like donkey kong.

 

[kook]

Many of us here have similar setups. I have a 88L stainless pot with a 2400w element and temperature controller. I just set the temp the night before and have it come on timer at 5am. Ready to brew at 7.

 

[Swinging Beef]

if you have the $$$ you'd be much better getting one big element rather than 4 small ones imo.

2400w or a 3200w element would be suffice remebering that you'll more that likely need a 15amp power point for a 3200 one i think. (most home power points are 10amps.)

im up to this stage at the moment myself and as soon as i have the $$ saved for a nice 80L ss pot its on like donkey kong.

have you done the research on the 2400w one?
How much and how do you put it in a 50 litre ss drum?
I liked the idea of the kettle elements, as they looked easy to install.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

You could use an immersion heater

It's portability also means you can use it for other applications in the brewery - eg correcting mash temps, boiling in the kettle

Cheers

 

[Fents]

have you done the research on the 2400w one?
How much and how do you put it in a 50 litre ss drum?
I liked the idea of the kettle elements, as they looked easy to install.

done a lil bit of research. theres a guy done here in ivanhoe, vic who makes custom elements and will fit them to vessels too. Can be that hard to fit tho loads of heads on here have done it with no troubles.

 

[Fents]

Many of us here have similar setups. I have a 88L stainless pot with a 2400w element and temperature controller. I just set the temp the night before and have it come on timer at 5am. Ready to brew at 7.

That is exactlyyyyy what i want - 80L SS (or 88 if it has to be) 2400w element. Can i ask you how m,uch you paid for the pot? also how do you find the 2400W heating 80L's of water? would it heat by a degree a minute? i got told anything over 50L and you'll need a 3200W, what do you think speaking from experince?

 

[3G]

My 2400watt 50 litre HLT takes 20 to 40 minutes to heat up depending on ambient temps. Shoul insulate it soon.
Dont forget to earth your HLT :excl:

 

[kook]

That is exactlyyyyy what i want - 80L SS (or 88 if it has to be) 2400w element. Can i ask you how m,uch you paid for the pot? also how do you find the 2400W heating 80L's of water? would it heat by a degree a minute? i got told anything over 50L and you'll need a 3200W, what do you think speaking from experince?

Pot was $50 at a chinese food goods shop. It's supposedly stainless, though it's very thin. Been working fine for nearly 2 years now, though I may replace it at some point down the track with something thicker.

A 2400w hot water system element works fine, it just takes a little longer to get to temp. Once there the element has no problem keeping it maintained. I've also bring the temp up to 95 without issues for cleaning.

It takes about an hour and a half or so to bring the full amount to strike temp. I must admit I've not timed it though, I'm normally asleep I normally set it two hours beforehand, and it's always ready to go. I'd imagine insulation would help - mine has none.

All the fittings I've used are weldless - sight glass, element, temperature probe and the outlet for the water.


edit - What a coincidence. Contractors just removed an old solar hot water system from my roof. It has a 220L stainless tank in it

Now I've just got to work out how I can turn half of that into my new and improved HLT...

 

[Swinging Beef]

My 2400watt 50 litre HLT takes 20 to 40 minutes to heat up depending on ambient temps. Shoul insulate it soon.
Dont forget to earth your HLT :excl:

Any pics?
Did you build it yourself?
Where did you get the elephant element from?

 

[3G]

Any pics?
Did you build it yourself?
Where did you get the elephant element from?

Sorry no pics. The element is from cookson controllers in SA. Dearer than a kettle element but nice quality.

 

[bonj]

I've just got two still elements (like you get from the LHBS) in my 50L HLT. 1x 1350W and 1x 1000W. That brings me in at 2350W, with enough left over to run the pump at the same time. They're dead simple to install (which is why I chose them). A hole of the required size is all you need. They have a thread on them and a gasket already. Just screw on the nut/terminal protector and you're set. They may end up a little more expensive than butchering a cheap kettle though.

 

[ausdb]

edit - What a coincidence. Contractors just removed an old solar hot water system from my roof. It has a 220L stainless tank in it

Now I've just got to work out how I can turn half of that into my new and improved HLT...

Hey Kook, I may be able to help if you need mods done on it, dont expect it to be super pretty backpurge welded but I can guarantee it wont leak! maybe we can do a deal on the other half?

 

[kook]

Hey Kook, I may be able to help if you need mods done on it, dont expect it to be super pretty backpurge welded but I can guarantee it wont leak! maybe we can do a deal on the other half?

Sounds good to me! We'll have a chat soon

 

[Fents]

and then when ausdb's done pm me your details so i can buy your 88L one

 

[DiscoStu]

Does anyone know if one of these link will boil a 50L coverted keg, would only be 30L of wort ? Thinking about using and electric option instead of gas

Stu

 

[enoch]

You could use an immersion heater
It's portability also means you can use it for other applications in the brewery - eg correcting mash temps, boiling in the kettle
Cheers

Like this?

With a mashmate on it it runs rather well.

 

[Jazzafish]

Like this?

With a mashmate on it it runs rather well.

Basically identical to my set up... Works well but make sure you stirr the HLT water for correct temp readings. On a cold day it will take longer to heat than I'd like... just means a slightly longer mash. Mainly because I'm heating water in the mash tun before mashing in, then putting the hand held element into the HLT and trying to bring the room temp water to sparge temps . Solved the missed strike temps on the new set up, but created another problem :lol: Lesser of two evils

 

[jimmybee]

i've been getting bits together for an electric hlt... trying to source a element, so i headed down to stokes in ringwood after reading on here they were the people to talk to...

they had a 2400 element (straight element, not coiled like the one G+G sells) with a 1 inch screw in arangment (either have a nut on the outside of tank or get a socket welded onto tank) they had them at 80 bucks. they look like very good quality. does this seem about the right price?


jimmy

 

[justsomeguy]

i've been getting bits together for an electric hlt... trying to source a element, so i headed down to stokes in ringwood after reading on here they were the people to talk to...

they had a 2400 element (straight element, not coiled like the one G+G sells) with a 1 inch screw in arangment (either have a nut on the outside of tank or get a socket welded onto tank) they had them at 80 bucks. they look like very good quality. does this seem about the right price?


jimmy

Sounds similar to the ones I have installed. I've got a 1800 watt element in my HLT and an 1800 and 2400 watt elements in my kettle. All work really well for my system

gary