Burco boiler modifications??

[Libigage]

Hi all
I've done about 10 kits now and I am thinking about moving on to the next level. I have a chance to get a 30 litre burco boiler. Do I need to modify it to do biab or all grain brewing, ie, temperature control for the mash and then a rolling boil. I've seen a couple of videos where people Bypass the thermostat to get the boil, so would I use my inkbird to do the mash?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I've got two you do not need to modify it. It will boil over problem.

 

[Smileyr8]

I have a 30ltr Burco (without any mods), it boils fine most of the time, it occasionally (very occasionally) when I'm doing higher % brews cuts the boil out (suspect due to the boiling temperature being raised above the 100 degs C which it was designed for), I control the temp of the mash with a PID.

 

[Libigage]

I have a 30ltr Burco (without any mods), it boils fine most of the time, it occasionally (very occasionally) when I'm doing higher % brews cuts the boil out (suspect due to the boiling temperature being raised above the 100 degs C which it was designed for), I control the temp of the mash with a PID.

Sorry for my lack of intelligence is a PID the same as my inkbird that I use on my brewing fridge?

 

[slowdave]

How do you control the mash temp with a PID?
Do you use the thermocouple on the Burco as an input to your PID controller?

 

[Smileyr8]

Sorry for my lack of intelligence is a PID the same as my inkbird that I use on my brewing fridge?

It's along the same line's, the Inkbird is a on or off waiting for the temperature to drop outside its range, where as a PID switches on and off more rapidly to try maintain a temperature.

 

[Smileyr8]

How do you control the mash temp with a PID?
Do you use the thermocouple on the Burco as an input to your PID controller?

The PID I have setup with its own sensor, I circulate the wort using a solar pump and 15mm copper the sensor sits within the copper.

 

[Gerryjo]

I have a 30ltr Burco (without any mods), it boils fine most of the time, it occasionally (very occasionally) when I'm doing higher % brews cuts the boil out (suspect due to the boiling temperature being raised above the 100 degs C which it was designed for), I control the temp of the mash with a PID.

I've never had mine cut out at all and have not repositioned the thermal cut out.What I do notice on the forum is quite a few and of those there are a few who have a build up of crud on the base of the boiler which acts as an insulator causing it to activate and all you need to do is keep giving it a good stir especially with higher ABV brews due to the excessive amount of sugars dropping out and scorching....

 

[marshbrewer]

I have two, a recent 30L cygnet and an older 30L model I picked up on eBay. The newer one boils continuously no problem, the older one cuts out once it boils. That doesn't bother me as I brought it to use as a HLT but it's worth keeping in mind if you are getting an older version.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

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.

 

[Gerryjo]

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.

Tut-tut,you as an engineer should not to be doing that.

 

[Gerryjo]

I made a few Mods to mine and works a treat.Weldless 1/2" ball valve,copper pipe,elbow and a pizza pan....

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Tut-tut,you as an engineer should not to be doing that.

Nothing wrong with wiring a switch across the thermostat :-) There is still the safety cutout to kick in if things boil dry :-)

 

[Smileyr8]

13836.23​

I've never had mine cut out at all and have not repositioned the thermal cut out.What I do notice on the forum is quite a few and of those there are a few who have a build up of crud on the base of the boiler which acts as an insulator causing it to activate and all you need to do is keep giving it a good stir especially with higher ABV brews due to the excessive amount of sugars dropping out and scorching....

The boiler is always cleaned thoroughly after use, there is some discolouration in the bottom this is the stainless bluing/browning from the heat though, there is often crud built up post mash/boil but always cleaned up before tidying away.

 

[Gerryjo]

13836.23​

The boiler is always cleaned thoroughly after use, there is some discolouration in the bottom this is the stainless bluing/browning from the heat though, there is often crud built up post mash/boil but always cleaned up before tidying away.

I assume you do BIAB with your setup and with no pick up tube or recirculating pump, this can leave more of the finer crush from your malt on the base plate and as I said above it then acts as an insulator trapping heat and causing the thermal cutout to activate.
I mash in a mashtun and vorlauf till my grain bed is set then recirculate and once my mash is complete I transfer to my boiler which is why mine has never cut out.
No one has mentioned about cleaning routine as I assume being brewers that this is the biggest part of our set up keeping our equipment clean, it's the different processes that we use to avail of favourite obsession of brewing beer.
With a standard boiler and BIAB there can be limitations as there is with any other set up many others use we just work around them.

 

[samale]

I have never modified mine. I use biab, it holds a boil with no cut out. I don't try and fix stuff that's not broken

 

[Gerryjo]

I have never modified mine. I use biab, it holds a boil with no cut out. I don't try and fix stuff that's not broken ☺

And not every boiler cuts out but there are those that do. They are not broken as the boiler just reacts differently during the process and some address this as can be seen around the forum using different methods that work for them.
I know I get scorching on the base with higher ABV brews on a full boiler but again it has never cut out but my reason for converting was totally different as I wanted a different set up be it with the same result.
That reminds me that I must get brewing this week as I've been putting it off due to other things going on...

 

[samale]

If I use rye malt I would get a build up on the base. Easy enough cleaned when fresh. Don't make the mistake of letting it dry. It's a bugger then to clean

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

which is why mine has never cut out

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 :-)

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

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