Huge Urn For Double Batches

[lastdrinks]

Planning to buy a 40lt crown electric urn this week but want to know if there is anything on the market in the 80lt range? Double BIAB batches leaves more time enjoying the end product. Also makes brew days with mates more practical.

What are peoples thoughts on getting one made up, 15amp high wattage? I know anything is possible but who (company is guess) would be best to ask to make one up and would anyone have an educated guess cost? Ideas appreciated

 

[Barramundi]

make one , i have a 50 litre one that i have made , if you get a pot big enough theyre easy enough to add an element and a valve to...

 

[lastdrinks]

Not really my area of expertise. Hooking up an element safely, setting up an accurate temp control and all that drilling and welding, i see that project dragging on months.

Happier to eat stale bread for awhile and pay someone my hard earned.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I like the urns for BIAB - but at that size I reckon you might get away with it a lot cheaper and easier if you either go with an 80L pot and a burner, or a pair of handheld immersion elements.

I brewed a few BIAB double batches at Spillsmostofits place - 76L pot and two 2400W immersion elements.

Easy

 

[Barramundi]

Not really my area of expertise. Hooking up an element safely, setting up an accurate temp control and all that drilling and welding, i see that project dragging on months.

Happier to eat stale bread for awhile and pay someone my hard earned.

whats your location lastdrinks... im sure theres some brewers local to you willing to lend a hand if need be ...

 

[lastdrinks]

immersion elements. :icon_cheers: That does sound like it would fit the bill. i'm after a simple BIAB setup that easy mantenance. Do immersion heaters have some type of temperature control or will i just need to calibrate something myself?

 

[Barramundi]

I like the urns for BIAB - but at that size I reckon you might get away with it a lot cheaper and easier if you either go with an 80L pot and a burner, or a pair of handheld immersion elements.

I brewed a few BIAB double batches at Spillsmostofits place - 76L pot and two 2400W immersion elements.

Easy

thirsty my HLT has two 2400watt elements mounted in it .. probably would work just the same id imagine

 

[Aaron]

You can get larger urns but they normally require a 15 amp outlet. Most houses are only set up for 10 amp so you would need to get a sparky in.

 

[lastdrinks]

Aaron do you have a name of a supplier, the installation of a 15amp circuit i think can be justified

 

[Thirsty Boy]

immersion elements. :icon_cheers: That does sound like it would fit the bill. i'm after a simple BIAB setup that easy mantenance. Do immersion heaters have some type of temperature control or will i just need to calibrate something myself?

You don't really need temperature control. You just whack the elements in the water till you are at strike temp... then you turn them off and take them out.

For BIAB - its my opinion that you absolutely should not have any active element sitting in the mash in order to try to maintain temperature. You should only ever be adding heat - if you are personally standing at the mash tun with a mash paddle in your hand, stirring. And if you are there anyway, oyu might as well be holding a cheap digital thermometer in your other hand while you stir.

Not stirring while you add heat, means you will get hotspots in your mash near the elements, you may well melt your bag and that any temperature your thermostat or your temperature controller reads, is unlikely to be even close to correct.

If you are using an electric to step mash - or raise your BIAB up to mashout/sparge temp ... then you hang onto it and use it to stir the mash like a fancy electric mash paddle. No problems with having to shield a fixed element from contact with the bag - and you are less likely to forget to stir and/or leave the heat on. BUT - you get to your desired temperature... then you turn it off an pull it out

my thought anyway

TB

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

Planning to buy a 40lt crown electric urn this week but want to know if there is anything on the market in the 80lt range? Double BIAB batches leaves more time enjoying the end product. Also makes brew days with mates more practical.

What are peoples thoughts on getting one made up, 15amp high wattage? I know anything is possible but who (company is guess) would be best to ask to make one up and would anyone have an educated guess cost? Ideas appreciated

Not sure what size brew you plan on making. I make 38ltrs and to that I have a 50ltr HLT. Normally heat enough water to do the mash in and then fill it again and heat while my grain mashing. Unless of course you intend setting up a herms.

BYB

 

[matti]

Planning to buy a 40lt crown electric urn this week but want to know if there is anything on the market in the 80lt range? Double BIAB batches leaves more time enjoying the end product. Also makes brew days with mates more practical.

What are peoples thoughts on getting one made up, 15amp high wattage? I know anything is possible but who (company is guess) would be best to ask to make one up and would anyone have an educated guess cost? Ideas appreciated

Well I think you have some good tips already.
For BIAB you are better to get a

A giant hops sock or sew it your self.
50L+ Kettle. (a keg will due)
medium to high pressure regulator,
Burner ( Spiral, Rambo)
gas bottle.

My 2c worth
The 40L crown burner is Ok for mashing but will not due for a rolling boil IMO.
My Crown Urn dial goes to 110 but switches off now and then even at max temps.
I use mine for HLT.

 

[TidalPete]

Well I think you have some good tips already.
For BIAB you are better to get a

A giant hops sock or sew it your self.
50L+ Kettle. (a keg will due)
medium to high pressure regulator,
Burner ( Spiral, Rambo)
gas bottle.

My 2c worth
The 40L crown burner is Ok for mashing but will not due for a rolling boil IMO.
My Crown Urn dial goes to 110 but switches off now and then even at max temps.
I use mine for HLT.

:icon_offtopic:

If anyone does all the above then they have almost all the gear they need for a proper AG setup so why worry about BIAB which is after all just another step towards the REAL THING?

TP

 

[lastdrinks]

Plenty of good advice, thanks. The only problem is now i am getting inspired to build a freckin big urn myself, with two 2400w immersion heaters. :lol: Might be time to call in all the favours i've build up building and fixing people computers and completely over engineer a huge BIAB electric urn.

Might crack open some longneck stouts and think this over.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

:icon_offtopic:

If anyone does all the above then they have almost all the gear they need for a proper AG setup so why worry about BIAB which is after all just another step towards the REAL THING?

TP

well .... except for the Mash Tun and HLT that most people seem to have in a multi vessel system. So, 1 of the 3 vessels needed for a "proper" system. Close, but no cigar

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

If you purchase a stockpot and some over-the-side immersion elements you have the flexibility of moving to gas for whatever reason takes you (you move house to where there is less/no electricity or the luddites convince you to change). As the elements are designed to work with standard GPOs, you can use your kit at a mate's house or somewhere else as you would barbecue gas. Your house does have to have sufficient electrons in it for this to be a reasonable way, though. You will find it easier to get a more consistent boil intensity with electric elements as you *cannot* tweak it to boil faster or slower and so you might find it easier to replicate results from brew to brew than if you get a fancy-schmancy controller or adjustable gas burner.

As it is largely unmodified, your stockpot kettle remains useful in a number of domains. You can still make a big batch of gruel for the relatives when it is your turn to host christmas lunch, or make a big batch of tomato sauce or whatever... You could even use it as a Hot Liquor Tank (or a mash tun or a grant) if you decide to go *that* way. (Let's face it, if three is better than one, five *must* be better than three.)

I think flexibility is key. I've moved from brewing with immersion elements and enjoying all they have to offer to brewing with a fixed gas system and am beginning to realise that I've given up more than just a bigger electricity bill.

Two 2400-watt elements is heaps enough to brew a double batch. I brewed single batches for a while with just a single element and would sometimes do much of a double-batch boil with just one element.

 

[lastdrinks]

Thanks SpillsMostofit. Really good to hear your experience immersion heaters and double batches. I like the idea of not needing to modify the stockpot as well. I can use it for other purposes as well as being able to start AG'ing earlier. Can you tell me what make and model over the side immersion heater you used?

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Can you tell me what make and model over the side immersion heater you used?

Grimwood 4108B. I got mine from Tobins in NSW (not the funeral directors), but G&G sell them, too. Remember, one per household electrical circuit and make sure you have an earth leakage detecting safety switch in the circuit somewhere. I was lucky in that I had lots electrons in my previous house and a house-wide safety switch. I also used extension cords made of 15-Amp cable to reduce the loss in the cords. Some extension cords are only 7.5-Amp - don't use them.

As I type this, it occurs to me that if you buy too big a pot, it might be too tall to meaningfully use such elements. Imagine (for the sake of the argument) that your pot is one metre tall and the elements only descend 35-40cm into the pot. You're going to have some trouble getting the whole thing boiling. It shouldn't be too big an issue if you're going for a 75-80litre pot, but if you're thinking of using a 44-gallon drum...