Burco boiler modifications??

[Gerryjo]

You've got a really good point about crud buildup providing insulation and therefore increased element temperature.
Even so, if I remember correctly mine did it even when I first got it and was boilng water only, to calibrate the numbers on the dial... maybe it's just piece-to-piece variations on the thermostat and where the sensor is positioned internally?
In fact I hardly ever use the thermostat itself, as I'm driving it with an external controller and temp probe :-)

Your quite right as each product although manufactured to the same layout and standards can and do perform differently to others especially when it cuts out with water only.
I calibrated my own to the midway points on the control stat and found mine reasonably accurate to a degree but I still used an external thermometer which is calibrated twice yearly and works well.
They are a great boiler and a sound investment for AG and if you move on to an All in One system they still have a use for sparging and a trusty backup.

 

[Gerryjo]

The modification that I remember on this boiler was 'adjusting' the tap fitting hole, which had flatted-off sides, to fit a ball valve and pickup tube... did it with a grinding stone on the Dremmel and it made a heck of a row

Mine had the flattened sides as they have a dedicated tap and a run with a file sorted it as they are quite easy to convert.
Expensive hobby..
Also made a heat exchanger from a 20l boiler and works perfectly but again sat on the shelf at the moment as I purchased a BrewZilla which I haven't used.

 

[Andy_K]

I bought mine 2nd hand and have used it for 12 BIAB brews since June. it works really well. My only mod has been to fit a temperature gauge. The Burco was already fitted with a Simmerstat (the white dial). It sets the % of power that the heating element works at. It seems to make it easier to maintain a set temperature. Depending on the setting it will continuously heat for, say, 20 seconds and then switch off for 20 seconds.

I have only had one auto cut-out so far. I think that it was because my bag was probably suspended too close to the heating element.

 

[Rento]

It seems to depend which Burco you get... I bought a 30 Litre "Burco MFCT1030 (444440353) Cygnet Water Boiler, Manual Fill, 30 L" from Amazon earlier this year and it definitely DID need modification to hold a rolling boil.
This was not at all difficult to do: I just wired a 13A rocker switch across the thermostat so I can bypass it when I need to. Be careful with your electrical safety though, obviously.

I’m just about to buy one of these after days of consideration and costing out my BIAB options! Do you have more info or pics on the bypass mod?

Also, for BIAB do I really need to change the tap? I’m thinking no chill method, once at temp, pour out of tap into FV to aerate wart?

Thanks

R

 

[marshbrewer]

Also, for BIAB do I really need to change the tap? I’m thinking no chill method, once at temp, pour out of tap into FV to aerate wart?

No, I have brewed for over a year with the standard tap. I only replaced it on the 2nd Burco I brought as I use that as a HLT and wanted more control of flow for sparging - the standard tap is an on / off affair. But it is fine for the boiler. I will eventually change it so I can hook up some kind of recirculation gubbins, but I'm in no rush.

 

[Andy_K]

I’ve just finished modifying my Cygnet, fitting a new tap and an atomiser valve with lots of help from @Hazelwood Brewery and @BridgeBrew.

BB kindly used his lathe to grind off the flange of one of a pair of flange nuts. I used yellow PTFE tape to fit the tap but the joint continued to weep a tiny bit. Managed to fashion a couple of handmade silicone washers from some tubing and it’s fixed. I’ll probably eventually replace the tap and the inside nut with stainless steel ones.

 

[Andy_K]

I’d recently bought a pump and @Hazelwood Brewery helped me source an atomising valve. It arrived today and works perfectly.

 

[Andy_K]

I’m just now waiting for my stainless steel grain basket to arrive but it’s probably held up in Suez.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I’d recently bought a pump and @Hazelwood Brewery helped me source an atomising valve. It arrived today and works perfectly.

View attachment 44219

You might want another ball valve on the output of the pump to control flow - you don’t want to flush the grain out of the basket!

 

[Andy_K]

I’m just now waiting for my stainless steel grain basket to arrive but it’s probably held up in Suez.

The good news is that my basket wasn’t held up in the canal. It arrived safely on Tuesday, via airmail.

The bad news is that it’s too big. The sale info on Amazon Marketplace said it was 30 cm in diameter (with a manufacturing tolerance of 1-3 cm). It’s actually 35cm in diameter and the inside diameter of the Cygnet is about 34cm.

I queried this with the seller who has accepted that it is their fault. They have offered a partial refund of £40. Otherwise I’ve seemingly got to return it to China to get a full refund. I might accept their £40 if I can offload the basket to anyone who has a boiler large enough to be able to use it.

It cost me £81. Does anyone need a stainless steel grain basket for about £35 collected or £40 delivered?