Buffalo Urn Query

[BlueBankBrewery]

Hi all,

Sorry for the long post. I’ve had a search and I cant seem to find an answer to my specific question so I thought I’d create a new thread.

I have a second hand Buffalo 40l urn with an element rated on the bottom at 2.6kw. I attempted my first BIAB last weekend and heating the strike water took hours and reaching boil was non existent, more of a simmer. So I did a search and found people have had similar symptoms. Many recommend upgrading or removing the thermal cut out (Boil dry) sensor and/or relocating the thermostat temp sensor. Whist I didn’t think the boiler was cutting out and the stat clicked on and off nicely when I turned the knob, I though I may as well do both of these things first as they are quick/cheap jobs and they may just have fixed my issue.

After bypassing the boil dry sensor and relocating the thermal pickup for the stat I tested by adding 2 kitchen kettles worth of boiling water and switched the urn on. It still wasn’t boiling after 15 mins, just the same simmer that I had previously seen.

Im now wondering if my issue could be one of the two elements being faulty.

I have measured the resistance across the two elements (as they are commoned) and I think I’ve measured 70 Ohms

And here is the reason for the post. Can anyone check my method and my maths for working out that only the 800W element is working and the larger 1800W element is open circuit?

Voltage / Resistance = Current
230 / 70 = 3.28

Current x Voltage = Power
3.28 x 230 = 754.4

So by my reckoning that’s the 800W element that I’m reading and not the 1800W or indeed both together at 2.6kW

Thanks in advance. Any help appreciated!

 

[UKSkydiver]

Same here on my old Buffalo CC193 - I got rid in the end and got an All In One.

I can't help with your actual elec question though, sorry.

 

[BlueBankBrewery]

Same here on my old Buffalo CC193 - I got rid in the end and got an All In One.

I can't help with your actual elec question though, sorry.

Thanks UKSkydiver. Out of interest which all in one did you go to?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Hi all,

Sorry for the long post. I’ve had a search and I cant seem to find an answer to my specific question so I thought I’d create a new thread.

I have a second hand Buffalo 40l urn with an element rated on the bottom at 2.6kw. I attempted my first BIAB last weekend and heating the strike water took hours and reaching boil was non existent, more of a simmer. So I did a search and found people have had similar symptoms. Many recommend upgrading or removing the thermal cut out (Boil dry) sensor and/or relocating the thermostat temp sensor. Whist I didn’t think the boiler was cutting out and the stat clicked on and off nicely when I turned the knob, I though I may as well do both of these things first as they are quick/cheap jobs and they may just have fixed my issue.

After bypassing the boil dry sensor and relocating the thermal pickup for the stat I tested by adding 2 kitchen kettles worth of boiling water and switched the urn on. It still wasn’t boiling after 15 mins, just the same simmer that I had previously seen.

Im now wondering if my issue could be one of the two elements being faulty.

I have measured the resistance across the two elements (as they are commoned) and I think I’ve measured 70 Ohms

View attachment 61949

View attachment 61951

And here is the reason for the post. Can anyone check my method and my maths for working out that only the 800W element is working and the larger 1800W element is open circuit?

Voltage / Resistance = Current
230 / 70 = 3.28

Current x Voltage = Power
3.28 x 230 = 754.4

So by my reckoning that’s the 800W element that I’m reading and not the 1800W or indeed both together at 2.6kW

Thanks in advance. Any help appreciated!

Your calculations look about right to me.

If the two elements are connected in parallel and both were OK…
The 800W element would be 70R, the 1800W element would be 29R, the two in parallel would read 20R.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Thanks UKSkydiver. Out of interest which all in one did you go to?

I went for a Brewzilla bundle from BrewKegTap about 14 months ago. And, blimey, it's gone up bout £50 since.

 

[BlueBankBrewery]

Your calculations look about right to me.

If the two elements are connected in parallel and both were OK…
The 800W element would be 70R, the 1800W element would be 29R, the two in parallel would read 20R.

View attachment 61953

Thanks Hazelwood. That’s a real bummer. A replacement element that looks like it’ll fit (although isn’t listed as for this boiler specifically) will cost more than the £40 that I paid for the urn in the first place. The very definition of buy cheap, buy twice I suppose.

Potential Plan Bs Then;

Retrofit a couple cheap kettle elements - has anyone done this?

Sell on ebay as spares and repairs and just buy something else?

I was looking at retrofitting a thermowell and sight glass measure and a better ball valve tap at some point anyway. Maybe this helps make the decision to just buy something with those features already in the design?

Any BIAB boiler setup recommendations?
Must be electric and suitable for creating 23L of wort.

 

[BlueBankBrewery]

I went for a Brewzilla bundle from BrewKegTap about 14 months ago. And, blimey, it's gone up bout £50 since.

Looks like a nice bit of kit. Great guys over at BKT and I really like the quality of the Kegland bits that I’ve picked up over the past few years.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

You could use one of the 30-litre Cygnet/Burco boilers as a replacement and keep the one you’ve got for heating sparge water (or even as the mash tun).

 

[mrhardware]

This was something I looked at from the malt miller as a BIAB system.
BIAB (Brew In A Bag) 40L Electric Kettle Kit - Modified Grainfather Sparge Water Heater

it has gone up a bit since I first saw it.
I decided to get a Grainfather G30 in the end.

 

[Tanglefoot]

I BIAB with a pan on gas but when I started I was looking at one of these before deciding I didn't want to go electric

https://www.hifi-tower.co.uk/Home-L...listtype=search&searchparam=klarstein brewing.

 

[dcbrookes]

I think you must have a fault - I had a Buffalo 40L urn and the boil was too vigorous (I had swapped the thermostat for a simmerstat which had a continous "on" setting). I finished up having to use a voltage controller to tame the boil a bit.