G&g Heating Elements

[Tex083]

Hi Guys
I have been reading a lot in reguards to the Keg King elements and the failures assoicated with so Im looking for a good heating element for my HLT and boil kettle.
My HLT is a BigW 19L SS stock pot and the boil kettle is going to be a 30-40L SS pot which im still looking for.
I only do single/small AG brews currently with a G&G lauter tun and the 19L pot. Im looking to build a HERMS but still getting parts.

I saw the G&G elements last time I was in the shop and was told they can boil 20L of wort no problems, has anyone had any luck with one? I was looking at other elements but the plug and play of this element is more appealing than DIY (240V + H20 = ???)
I cant go gas as I will die of CO2 poisoning in my basement.

http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/product_in...roducts_id=8272

 

[mmmyummybeer]

My personal choice would be the keg king element. I have heard the stories too but mine haven't faulted (touch wood), and lots of brewers are using them. I used the G&G element when I first went all grain and it seemed to heat ok, I was only using it as a HLT though. I also would rather use stainless when boiling wort. My 2 cents anyway.

 

[QldKev]

The output is 2200w, same as the keg king, so is about the min for a full 23L batch. I've never heard a bad thing about the G&G element. About the only thing I would check with G&G is have people used them in a kettle before.

QldKev

 

[Tex083]

Thanks
I was informed that copper in the Boil is good to remove sulphur compounds. Anyway I will keep looking. Thanks

 

[Tex083]

Put one in my Keggle today, works a treat!
Just dont try it with a STC1000 mine went pop......BANG and the power went out. I think the load on it was too much. I will get a PID for that next and another STC1000 for my heating pad for the fermenter.

 

[glenwal]

Put one in my Keggle today, works a treat!
Just dont try it with a STC1000 mine went pop......BANG and the power went out. I think the load on it was too much. I will get a PID for that next and another STC1000 for my heating pad for the fermenter.

STC's are rated at 10A, so should handle the element fine. if it went bang and tripped the breaker i'm guessing the problem was with the way it was wired, not with the unit.

 

[dicko]

I boil with gas however I do believe that if you are using an electrical element then the surface area of the element is important to prevent scorching the wort. Thin elements have less surface area and therefor may cause scorching.

Cheers

 

[mxd]

Put one in my Keggle today, works a treat!
Just dont try it with a STC1000 mine went pop......BANG and the power went out. I think the load on it was too much. I will get a PID for that next and another STC1000 for my heating pad for the fermenter.

I had this happen with one of mine, it was after about 10 or so uses, the one I had may be 5A rated not 10

 

[Tex083]

STC's are rated at 10A, so should handle the element fine. if it went bang and tripped the breaker i'm guessing the problem was with the way it was wired, not with the unit.

No chance, I have wired a lot of auto electrical and helped my brother in law wire up the front half of my house. If anything it was well over engineered, it ran a heat mat fine so I assume the higher load killed it.

 

[QldKev]

stc-1000's run my HLT, RIMS and HERMS elements without using relays. Not sure why you one would have went bang.

QldKev

 

[labels]

No chance, I have wired a lot of auto electrical and helped my brother in law wire up the front half of my house. If anything it was well over engineered, it ran a heat mat fine so I assume the higher load killed it.

A cheap 20A relay would have solved that problem. Hell, even 35A relays are cheap.

 

[Tex083]

A cheap 20A relay would have solved that problem. Hell, even 35A relays are cheap.

Yep! That's what's going into the next one! Even an eBay ssr would work

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I use and am a massive fan of the Over the Side elements.

2400W, certainly enough for single batch brewing, plug and play as it gets, no hole required in your kettle, no possibility of leaky gaskets - and if today you decide you want to make liquid in a different container hot, you just move the element into the new container and back to your kettle when thats where it needs to be.

Also - if you go with an OTS, you just need one element for both your HLT and your boil kettle. When your sparge water is hot enough, take it out of the HLT and put it in the kettle. One less hole to cut, one less gasket to seal etc etc.

Aside from cost, i see absolutely no point in a fixed element if you could use an OTS in the application instead.

also at G&G linky

TB

PS - you are still looking for your pot right? remember, if you are going to boil electrically, you dont need any of the thick walled, sandwiched based costs a bomb faff that you see talked about. All you need is waterproof, heat proof and food grade. Pastic would do... anything more than that is gravy.