How to heat a steam kettle?

[edelbrock1]

Hi guys,

Long story short, a new guy started at work and I told him about my brewing and it turns out he has an old brew kettle in the shed.
I went an had a look and it looks very similar to the ones that U brew it use. A stainless jacketed kettle.

So I would love to get the thing running and start brewing from home instead of using UBI.

But how do I heat this thing? I looked at a boiler and the cheapest I can find is around $3k. I was hoping to be able to get it running for a lot less than that. You can buy a lot of beer for $3k.

It just seems to have an inlet and an outlet steam lines. Someone said get a spa pump and crank it up. But the hottest I have seen one of those is 50 degrees.


Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[MHB]

extremely carefully!

Steam isn't something to mess around with unless you really know what you are doing, You might find a small package boiler second hand for a lot less than $3K problem is the really small ones are nearly all 3 phase 415V power hogs and the smallest are probably five times the size you need for one very small kettle. More likely what you would need for a whole U brew shop.

There should be a plate on the kettle copy down the details on it and have a look in your local yellow pages for people that install/sell/service boilers and they should be able to give you a lot more detail an what you need, they might even know where you could get a small boiler.

Mark

 

[spog]

Mark is IMO on the money and as for steam,well it takes a lot of pressure and energy to generate steam which is then confined to a small area.
Not to taken lightly and bloody dangerous even in small quantities ,have you ever scalded yourself when reaching over a boiling kettle.?
I would say keep the $3k and brew on.
No one with the knowledge in their right mind would offer to setup such a system that doesn't have ALL the correct tickets etc, commercial/industry ...you get the picture.
I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole,as cool as it would be, nah no way.

 

[simplefisherman]

Can you set up the pot with gas or elements?
Its still ( presumably ) a decent sized vessel...

 

[edelbrock1]

I was kinda hoping not to use steam, but some kind of pump running a recirculating system that runs a coolant that boils at over 100 degrees, that way I could set it at maybe 110 degrees, heat the kettle and boil the contents inside safely, but not boil the recirculating tank.

I know my dad has a pump on his hot water service that pumps the hot water around his house. So I kinda hoping someone already has a system like this.

 

[MastersBrewery]

Now if it were me I'd be setting that bad boy up as my mash tun. Run a rims for the jacket and a herms for the wort. Large scale stepping. .... nice!!

 

[Danwood]

Are you planning house renovations? Maybe you could have those steam heating fellas MHB mentioned run your whole house hot water.... and possibly your liquor/sparge water too ?

Ed. Some words not dun write.

 

[MHB]

Australia has some of the strictest pressure vessel laws on the planet (especially as relating to boilers and steam generators) these came about in response to some fairly spectacular boiler explosions on the gold fields.
When it comes to steam or liquids above the boiling point of water don't guess, consult an expert and for **** sake be careful, its just too dam dangerous to bodgy or home handy man.

Mark

 

[Danwood]

Yes, absolutely... all by the book, same as electrical work. Not worth bodging yourself.

 

[MastersBrewery]

Australia has some of the strictest pressure vessel laws on the planet (especially as relating to boilers and steam generators) these came about in response to some fairly spectacular boiler explosions on the gold fields.
When it comes to steam or liquids above the boiling point of water don't guess, consult an expert and for **** sake be careful, its just too dam dangerous to bodgy or home handy man.

Mark

not to mention some nasty steam loco malfuctions.

 

[edelbrock1]

Sounds like it is better if I leave this thing in the shed and convince him to come to UBI with me.

 

[edelbrock1]

New plan. Was talking with a brew shop today and they suggested I just get a couple of 2400 watt heating elements to hang over the side. Then once it is up to temp, I can turn one off to maintain the temp.
So now I have to hit google and eBay and see what is out there.

Stay tuned,

 

[Maheel]

i rebuild commercial coffee machines as another hobby and have often thought a coffee machine boiler could easily be turned into a steam generater on a small scale.
they have safety valves and pressure stats and auto fill already operating on the boiler.
you can even adjust water levels to generate "more" steam to a point

not sure if a 2400W 7-10L boiler would generate enough steam "continually" to heat a mash up but?
they sure make a great coffee but

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Now if it were me I'd be setting that bad boy up as my mash tun. Run a rims for the jacket and a herms for the wort. Large scale stepping. .... nice!!

Absofuckinglutely....was just thinking how it would make an awesome temp controlled mash tun


Come to think of it, make for a pretty wicked water cooled jacketed fermenter...

Mmm...same vessel can do your mashing and fermenting....

 

[spog]

Is this the item posted on Gumtree by any chance,I don't know how tp post links from my Ipad to here but, there is a solid brewing unit offered from Prospect ? in Adelaide .
No doubt someone here could use the Gumtree offering.......go on you can't help but look .

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Hole Lee Sheet.....that would make the most awesome of mash tuns

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/prospect/miscellaneous-goods/60-70-litre-commercial-beer-brewing-kettle-home-brew-/1107645266

 

[TheWiggman]

Remember the last time people were killed a major steam explosion in Australia? Me neither. Lucky me is in charge of maintaining a boiler at work, which is 5 levels high and runs off two energy sources. There are people trained to run it (who have tickets to operate it) and regulations in place to keep it in service. Safety relief valves all over the shop, regular routine statutory inspections, multiple regulated vessels, electrical compliance rah rah. It's safe and that's the important thing.
With a pressure vessel for home use the vessel falls into a different class, but the the fact remains it's a pressure vessel. HOWEVER... what you have is a double walled vessel which has one major thing going for it. It's insulated by air much like doubled glazed windows. If you could put it under a bit of vacuum then you'll have something like a thermos and then you'll be kicking some goals. If not though it'll still be a tidy insulator.

 

[Benn]

Les see some phodo's!

 

[MastersBrewery]

I hate you people some times especially Dbs! Now I just want one. And $1300 is just a little too stèep.

 

[spog]

Hole Lee Sheet.....that would make the most awesome of mash tuns

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/prospect/miscellaneous-goods/60-70-litre-commercial-beer-brewing-kettle-home-brew-/1107645266

That's it !,Noice ain't it .