Building a 2V Electric System- Opinions on Boil Kettle Port Location

[micraftbeer]

I'm putting together a 2-Vessel electric system. I've used a number of different all-in-one electric systems, and I've decided 2 vessels is the way to go for me. The hanging/draining bag or malt tube just gets in the way of checking my pre-boil volume and pre-boil gravity. I don't do full-volume mashes because I want to hit my pre-boil gravity whether I over or under-achieved on my mash conversion efficiency. So I usually check it as I'm doing batch sparging.

So argument that 1-vessel has less to clean doesn't really ring true for me. If I've got a brew bag or a malt pipe, that's still something I have to clean while my wort boils. So I figured I might as well use a regular mash tun, and then my 2nd vessel is just a boil kettle, or a RIMS vessel if I want to do step mashes. So 2 vessels, only the heating/boil kettle will have a heating element.

For the heating/boil kettle, I'm going the Spike kettle route and doing a custom configured kettle. I'll have an opening for valve to get liquid out of the kettle, a port for a temperature probe, and a port for my electric heating element. For an inlet port, I'm torn between whether I should put this up high near the rim, or down at heating element level to make easy whirlpooling after the boil.

If I put it up high, I don't need a valve on the outside, because it would be above the liquid level. I would then get some sort of whirlpool attachment like I've seen at NorCal brewing that dips down toward the bottom. I like the idea of having the port low and then making whirlpooling more straightforward, and ensuring good circulation at heating element level while heating. But it seems like that valve is just extra bulk/headache.

Anyone do something similar and have any regrets going one way or the other, or massive feelings of relief that you went the way you did?

 

[swimIan]

I have a lower whirlpool fitting with a valve. It works great. I kind of wish I went high though because then the fitting could be at the same height as the recirculation fitting for my mashtun.

 

[mongoose33]

Here's a very short video of my setup showing how the steam slayer works, but it also shows all the ports. Spike 10-gallon kettle.

Two horizontal ports on the bottom, one is for the ball-valve pickup tube, the other is for the temp probe. The middle one a bit higher up is for pump return to do a whirlpool. Spike suggested having it about 4" off the bottom, and that works very well.

I've added two more TC ports, one on the left side and low, one on the right side and as close to the rim and handle as possible. The lower one is for the heating element. Spike initially suggested putting it at the back, but when I tilt the kettle on the side to spray it out, I lay it on the back side, so a port there wasn't optimal.

The other TC port high and next to the right handle is for BobbyM's steam slayer. That collects steam during the boil and cools it using a fine spray of water, collecting in a bucket or running down a drain.

I've thought about how or if I'd rearrange those ports, but they all work well.

 

[4of7]

I'm putting together a 2-Vessel electric system. I've used a number of different all-in-one electric systems, and I've decided 2 vessels is the way to go for me. The hanging/draining bag or malt tube just gets in the way of checking my pre-boil volume and pre-boil gravity. I don't do full-volume mashes because I want to hit my pre-boil gravity whether I over or under-achieved on my mash conversion efficiency. So I usually check it as I'm doing batch sparging.

So argument that 1-vessel has less to clean doesn't really ring true for me. If I've got a brew bag or a malt pipe, that's still something I have to clean while my wort boils. So I figured I might as well use a regular mash tun, and then my 2nd vessel is just a boil kettle, or a RIMS vessel if I want to do step mashes. So 2 vessels, only the heating/boil kettle will have a heating element.

For the heating/boil kettle, I'm going the Spike kettle route and doing a custom configured kettle. I'll have an opening for valve to get liquid out of the kettle, a port for a temperature probe, and a port for my electric heating element. For an inlet port, I'm torn between whether I should put this up high near the rim, or down at heating element level to make easy whirlpooling after the boil.

If I put it up high, I don't need a valve on the outside, because it would be above the liquid level. I would then get some sort of whirlpool attachment like I've seen at NorCal brewing that dips down toward the bottom. I like the idea of having the port low and then making whirlpooling more straightforward, and ensuring good circulation at heating element level while heating. But it seems like that valve is just extra bulk/headache.

Anyone do something similar and have any regrets going one way or the other, or massive feelings of relief that you went the way you did?

2v ebiab 15 gallon kettle 10gallon batches 50 l kegmenter.. yes I like it.."stay strong and brew on"