Using A Hot Water Cylinder Copper Insert

[PhilS]

I have acquired an ex hot water cylinder copper boiler.

It came from a low pressure hot water cylinder and would be around 150L.

It is obviously ok to use it for the HLT, but would it be safe enough to boil the wort with the PH?

I have done a search with a few results and it seems that I'll have few problems.

Any thoughts welcome

 

[Wortgames]

I think it would be fine, beer was brewed in coppers for hundreds of years.

I think it's a bit different at the fermentation stage, but unless there's any new science I haven't heard about I would say go for it.

 

[vlbaby]

there was someone else around here that had done exactly the same thing for the hlt , mash and kettle. Cant see why it wouldnt be ok, since traditionally the kettle was made of copper.

vlbaby.

 

[pint of lager]

Is that a Everhot 160 litre tank? Painted silver, with a pipe out the top, two pipes out on the side near the top and a third down near the bottom? We are hunting for one to replace our existing tank that is leaking.

The tanks are fairly thin copper, but so long as you can set it up without moving it when full it should be fine.

 

[tangent]

Damn it!
hard rubbish has just finished and I'm sure I saw a few hot water heaters on the road side.
Was looking out for anything "brewable".

 

[vlbaby]

Damn it!
hard rubbish has just finished and I'm sure I saw a few hot water heaters on the road side.
Was looking out for anything "brewable".

[post="86506"][/post]​

i thought i was the only one who did that.

 

[tangent]

u keep to Vic
I'll keep to SA
agreed?

 

[PhilS]

Thanks for the replies, you have all made up my mind

I am planning on cutting the top off and sitting it in a brew stand at some stage.

POL, I'm not sure about the make, as the bare copper was removed from the shell. From memory it had a pipe on top, about a 30mm hole in bottom (presumably for the element) and two pipes welded to the outside at different heights. I know my mum has an everhot low pressure under house........but it's still in service since it was installed

I'm lucky that I have two to use for the project :beer:


Wortgames & vlbaby I like the look of the polished copper that were used in the breweries, but needed some clarification on boiling the wort with an acidic PH.

Does fermentation cause much chemical changes to the copper while fermenting?

 

[tangent]

and it's first come 1st served at bordertown, murrayville etc

 

[spog]

i reckon a hot water tank if you were capable or knew some one who could do the fabrication would make an excellent conical fermenter. hmmm now there is an idea blooming some where on this site.... :unsure:

 

[Wortgames]

Does fermentation cause much chemical changes to the copper while fermenting?

[post="86537"][/post]​

There was a guy in the US who built a copper conical fermenter, and I think he's still using it happily.

But the consensus among the peanut gallery seemed to be that the longer contact time with the acidic beer could leech copper (or it's oxide) into the brew and that this wouldn't be ideal.

Unfortunately I'm no scientist, so I'm just repeating the voodoo as my scrambled brain recalls it.

:blink: