Replacing Birko Urn Element

[davedoran]

Anyone know where i can get an element changed/ replaced on a birko urn 40L in Sydney.
Have some burnt on shiz onto the element and taste is carrying through to the beer. Kind of a burnt/ carbon like taste. Not good.

 

[NealK]

Fill the urn with about 5-10 litres of water, add 50g of citric acid and let it boil for 10 minutes. Most of the **** will come off and whatever is left you can scrub off with a scourer. Your urn and element should end up looking brand new.

 

[davedoran]

Cheers will give that a go.
have tried the

• aldi napisan
• 100% sodium perc
• pbw
• phors acid sanitiser (keg king )
• Star san.

Will try the citric

 

[Wimmig]

Cheers will give that a go.
have tried the

• aldi napisan
• 100% sodium perc
• pbw
• phors acid sanitiser (keg king )
• Star san.

Will try the citric

PBW in the unit with warm water overnight didn't do it?

 

[davedoran]

nope.
Left it for a while (1hr or so). Maybe should have left it longer.

 

[Yob]

Have you tried scrubbing? Could always remove it to get at it easier?

 

[davedoran]

Yeah. Scrubbed it after the pbw last time.
Will take a photo of it later when im home.
Stubborn shiz

 

[Yob]

angle grinder :lol:

 

[davedoran]

Getting close to that.
Tried taking the element out so i could bring it into work and give it a good going over with a flap disk.
Its soldered in and is becoming more hassle than its worth.

 

[beercus]

I took mine out and soaked it in Hydrochloric acid. Strong stuff take precautions.... It was not soldered in though. But i did have to replace the washers when i replaced it.

Most of the coating had come off over the years and is mostly back to the copper now.

 

[davedoran]

I took mine out and soaked it in Hydrochloric acid. Strong stuff take precautions.... It was not soldered in though. But i did have to replace the washers when i replaced it.

Most of the coating had come off over the years and is mostly back to the copper now.

Cheers. Thanks for that. Would be a bit nervous that if it eats the gasket away the acid could get down into the electrics below.

 

[Weizguy]

Reviving a somewhat older thread, as I have a 30 litre Birko urn that needs a replacement element.

The old element is broken, with a chunk missing from the coil.

Can anyone point me in the direction of my most budget option to purchase? Happy to fit it myself...

The urn has already been cleaned up with citric acid, and I'm amazed with the tarnish that was removed. Shiny!

 

[Weizguy]

Am I better off getting an over the side element like this one http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Portable-Immersion-Hot-Water-Heater-Element-2400W-/141073930665?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item20d8a959a9
or this cheap Chinese one - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Home-Garden-Hot-Water-Heater-Immersion-Heating-Element-2500W-Stainless-steel-/181536502517?hash=item2a446b32f5
or this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1PCS-Hot-Water-Heater-Immersion-Element-2500W-stainless-steel-DT345/310405776142?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3D9076d4b5fe454d21aeedada5610d682a%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D141073930665

 

[mikeybycrikey]

I really like the over the side elements. Portable and powerful.

 

[Markbeer]

The ones you posted were talked about previously.

Dangerous.

Get an ebay one that is around 85 bucks. They are great.

 

[Markbeer]

Sorry the first is what you want. Great piece of kit.

 

[Rocker1986]

The urn has already been cleaned up with citric acid, and I'm amazed with the tarnish that was removed. Shiny!

Citric acid kicks arse for removing boil scale and such things. I use it on my urn all the time to keep it nice and clean. Was put onto it by Dad actually, he used to use it for that reason when he worked as an industrial chemist in a now defunct packaging company back in the day.

I got one of those 4L water stills off eBay a few months ago, it came with a container of what they call "detergent" to clean the scale off it, upon smelling it, it was nothing more than citric acid. :lol: