3 kw elements

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prolix

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Just thought I'd share this with you, just got a new 3kw element as the chrome went on the last one and I found bright green scum on the surface of the water after I had heated it. So thought best change it as copper poisoning is bad for you.

Acid (wort is acidic) and uncoated copper are bad, some countries have banned uncoated copper cook ware.

elements.jpg


the new one is the one on the left :D
 
The new one is on the left :rofl:
Ok, I've downed a few more of my IPAs tonight than I intended but even I figured that. Unless I'm now not sure left from right :wha:
:thumb:
 
oz11 said:
Why do we use copper immersion chillers? :wha:

Since we are using copper water pipes, I would expect that these would be safe for use. Or does the temperature used for boiling go outside the 'safe' range.
 
Might be worth getting in touch with the company and letting them know about the problem.

Probably wont get nothing, but worth a shot
 
Hmmm. I use that element, have done about eight brews with it and have noticed a couple of tiny flakes on the chrome already. So I'd also like to know how many boils brought it into that condition?
 
Been in situ for two years about 20 brews, but went when I left it over night acidified as HLT, water pipes are fine as not acidified, and ic's are not in long enough to leave enough verdigris is be a health risk.
 
As long as its cleaned off it won't be an issue, feck, there are hundreds of brewery's around the world that still use copper vessels for brewing, (Anchor in San Fran for one). If you get rid of copper all together you can end up with stuck fermentations and all sorts of yeast issues,therefore a little is beneficial.

RS. Your Stainless steel PHE, if not bolt together, will contain a fair amount of copper, as copper is used to solder/weld the plates together.

I shouldn't worry about copper poisoning, there will be a thread on the dangers of the pesticides used on the Hops next :shock: :shock:

UP
 
The element in my heat exchanger looked like this when I removed it recently, but I had let the water level drop to half way up, so it ran a bit hot. :oops:
On the question of copper I am putting together a 100 litre stainless fermentation vessel, with two short lengths of welded in 22mm stainless tube for outlets for yeast and finished product, but cannot find stainless bends or compression fitting at a reasonable price, so will a bit of copper and be ok there, do we think. :?
S
P.S. not been around for a while, been up to my neck in work, work and bees. :)
 
As I understand it copper (within reason) isn't actually the issue it was once thought. The quantities are tiny in this sort of thing and so not likely to be harmful to us anyway (I believe we even benefit from some), but also the yeast actually mops it up during fermentation leaving very little in the finished beer - which is partly why the big copper fermentors still haven't been shut down by the modern health-and-safety/food-safety checks these days.

It does degrade faster than stainless in wort though, and is less flexible for cleaning chemicals, and IIRC the green stuff you see on it may not be great for us.

Cheers
kev
 

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