Fowlers Vacola Kit

[fergi]

while scrounging around in our spare room i came across our fowlers vacola kit, it hasa large plastic container with a heating element in it,has anyone used one of these for anything in brewing, i know it boils the water in it when you put your jars of fruit in to preserve them so its capable of bringing water up to boiling and it looks like about 20/25 litres.although with the 6 jars in it there wouldnt be 20 litres of water in it at that time, just curious.
fergi

 

[RdeVjun]

Interesting, fergi. We have one somewhere too, but it is a bit older, Ma used it at least as far back as the 70s, it is fairly thin sheet metal and goes on the stove.
Yours could contain a fair volume of wort, so I don't see why not and it wouldn't be all that different to an urn. I'd imagine the bottles can come out although if you're inclined to do starters and slants, you can use it for sanitising them too, the latter by the hundred by the sounds!
Brings back some happy memories the Vacola jars, when I was a kid Ma would get boxes of fruit cheap at Rocklea Markets and Vacola the lot, so we'd usually have a pantry full of bottles and still have a few left even now. A little while ago I opened some 20 year- old pineapple, was just delicious.

 

[Bizier]

I have pondered the same about my Grandma's kit. I grew up with my grandparents being orchardists... so I have similarly fond memories of bottled fruit, especially when it was winter and you would have all of your favourite summer/autumn fruit on hand.

I'd be interested to know what the plastic is before I boiled with wort in direct contact. With the Vacola jars, the food is not in contact with the boiler.

 

[fergi]

yes well i am not sure about the plastic, i would still imagine that it would be food grade, will try and find out, i reckon it might make a good mash tun ,it has a plate on the bottom that the jars stand on so it would be a good false bottom, even a boiler for the wort, maybe some other guys have had the use for one somewhere along the line.
fergi

 

[northwest9]

yep, i knicked my mums vacola steriliser for my HLT

its a copper drum with an ancient electric element in it. It had a hole half way up the side for the old thermometer, but i sealed that up, put in a tap and bobs your auntie.

takes about 20 mins to bring 35ltrs from the hot water tap, (approx 48c) to 77c.
it only has a hi and low setting, i found high will get it to temp, and low will hold it at the desired temp, so long as you have sufficient water in it to prevent it boiling.

mum wasnt too happy, but she hasnt preserved fruit in about 15 years, so i dont think shes going to need it again

 

[RdeVjun]

Why our family's one must be truly ancient! Its allright for all you young whippersnappers with your fancy- arsed plastic and electric Vacola boilers, but back in my day...!!

Actually, I've been tempted to 'sterilize'* a heap of wort for starters in the Vacola bottles, seal it up and crack one open when needed. It is a waste of heat to put a stockpot on with just a few Schotts 'sterilizing' in it. Thing is, the jars aren't really much good for growing out a starter as they don't have a screw lid. So, it would mean pouring it into something else that may not be sterile.

Interesting discussion BTW, good to see folks using their brain.

*- Not quite sterile with a boiler/ steamer, so I'm using the term loosely here. Autoclaving at pressure is about the only way to be sure, short of gamma irradiation. I use the term 'sterile' because to me 'sanitary' sounds like it happens in a toilet.