Boiler help

[tom_kent]

Hi all, I have started getting the bits togeather to make my ag set up, I am going for the cheep as poss angle. I got my two £5 tesco kettels and my fermentation bin fof my boiler. How high off the base of the bin should I polition the elements? And the tap I am gunna use a ball valve I am guessing 22mm it the best option, should this be as low as poss???

Oh for my mash tun would it help the temp retention if I drilled a hole in the outer skin of the cool box and filled it with expanding foam?

Cheers

 

[Dieseljockey]

Tom hi..

As low as poss....I've just done mine a few weeks back in a 100lt pot and when I tested it the weekend 25lt just cover the elements...I now wish I'd gone lower...

Most of the guys seem to use 15mm on a tank connector with a 15mm tap.
Yes to the foam...I used my old 24v fridge...

 

[rickthebrew]

hi tom - just as diesljockey said the lower the better - just make sure you can turn the nut for the tank connector :lol:

my 60litre boiler cost around £35 to make - two tesco elements, tap and big bucket - it is a joy to brew with

deadspace is at a minimum

the tap and tank coupler are both 15mm and so is the hop strainer ( not in pic) the elements are both toward one side to encourage the boil to roll well and chuck the hops around - works well and most people set the elements like this - also as low as possible :thumb:

check the lid of your cool box mine was hollow and i filled it with some polystyrene like you get when you buy electric equipment - cut it up and my tun preforms very well losing only half a degree max over 90mins.

hope this helps

 

[tom_kent]

Thank you very much, very helpfull. Is there any reason for the 15mm pipe over 22? Is it to slow the transfer down? By the way I like your strainer very tidy job very well done, did u solder the joints? Did u drill holes in the pipe work? If so what size? Ooooooo I can't wait to start building

 

You've been given good advice TK, but allow 40mm clearance for your elements, this gives a good thermal current (the hops don't clog the elements).

 

[tom_kent]

Asda £7 24l cool box? CHECK :-)

 

[rickthebrew]

TK - the strainer in the mash tun is not soldered - just pushed together as you want to be able to dismantle it for easy cleaning, the mashtun should have slots in the strainer (slots for grain and holes for hops) and your hop strainer in the boiler can have drilled holes.

the slots in the mash tun face down when in use and i did mine with a junior hacksaw which was time consuming - if you have a power tool then use it!!

will try to find pic of hop strainer :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

hop strainer - not sure what size the drilled holes were - not massive but not to small :lol:

the tap end is just pushed in and the other end is shut with a hammer - works fine
Good luck with the build :thumb:

 

[tom_kent]

Thanks for the pickys they have helped big time :-) are plastic fermentation bins perfectly fine to use? I am guessing they don't go soft with the heat as loads of ppl use them.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Where's the nickel coating gone, how much CRS do you use?? :shock:

 

[snail59]

Thanks for the pickys they have helped big time :-) are plastic fermentation bins perfectly fine to use? I am guessing they don't go soft with the heat as loads of ppl use them.

Ricks Boiler is made from a heavy duty bucket not the standard youngs type FV. I use a standard one as a HLT but personaly I wouldn't use one as a boiler. Some do and with no ill effect it's just a personal thing. Keep a close eye on E bay cheap Burcos do come up now and again I got one for £30. I made a mash tun from the same cool box as you works a treat. You might want to have a look at THIS it shows how I insulated the inside of the cool box lid and it works quite well if I say so myself.

 

[rickthebrew]

Where's the nickel coating gone, how much CRS do you use?? :shock:

:lol: that was a really old kettle element that i scrubbed with steel wool - after building the boiler i decided against using the element and it runs on two tesco elements :)

 

[rickthebrew]

Thanks for the pickys they have helped big time :-) are plastic fermentation bins perfectly fine to use? I am guessing they don't go soft with the heat as loads of ppl use them.

My 60litre boiler was a bucket from here (scroll down the page a little)
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... ckets.html

under 30quid delivered, add the kettles taps and bits and pieces and the boiler cost around 45quid