Electric urn reliability

[InterCooL]

Hi guys
I've been stove top for overBIABing (12L) a year now and am looking to go to full size batch BIAB (23L).

I'm trying to work out how reliable the Crown urns are. I've heard of people having issues with temperature cut outs, gunk on elements, thermostat problems and element failures. But are these problems rare and easily overcome?

Thanks guys

 

[Bribie G]

Mine is coming up 7 years old and works perfectly.
Bear in mind that they are intended to boil water in restaurants and old ladies bingo nights. So you need to be mindful of what you are asking it to boil.
Big hop additions should be done in a hop sock to avoid smothering the element and definitely never attempt to ramp up a mash below 60 degrees as the starchy flour can burn onto the element.
I think Crown have fixed a lot of the problems in consultation with suppliers such as CraftBrewer.

Give Ross or Anthony a ring. They also have good price and support.

 

[schtev]

I have made a few IPAs in mine and have never had a problem with large hop additions. I do scrape the element with my mash paddle throughout the boil though.

My only complaint with them is that it can be hard to get an accurate mash temp when using a false bottom. I often end up overshooting my target temp, I am assuming this is because some very hot water gets trapped beneath the false bottom, despite my stirring. This probably depends on what kind of false bottom you use though. Mine is the Craftbrewer one.

 

[Rocker1986]

I've had mine 3.5 years and have had no issues with it at all aside from the occasional boil cutting out due to **** on the element cover. This is easily overcome by the use of a stainless wire brush on the end of a long handle though...

Other than that, no problems at all. Been very happy with it and the resultant beers too.

 

[InterCooL]

Sorry about my first post. It was meant to say that I've been doing brew in a bag on the electric stove for just over a year. Currently I'm making about 12L batches. And I'm looking to go to normal volume of beer.

Great to hear that I can expect many years out of them. That's what I was hoping for.