Does element and dip tube relative position matter?

[Nemanach]

I'm building an eBIAB system with a 15.5 gallon bayou classic. I was just marking off the positions of the dip tube and the element with the plan to drill and solder tonight then I started to wonder if their relative position matters.

I'm using a 90 degree barb for the dip tube and a 5500 watt element, linked below. My plan was to have the valve facing directly forward with the kettle handles squared off and the element 90 degrees clockwise from it. So the dip tube is the furthest away from the element possible. Does this make sense or is there a benefit to having the element closer to the dip tube in a recirculating eBIAB set up?

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/elbarb.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/elementkit_tcrip_weld.htm

 

[doug293cz]

The benefit comes from positioning both the dip tube and temp probe so that you get good flow across the temp sensor. And, you want the temp sensor tip less than an inch away from the element. This arrangement will minimize the chances of scorching wort due to the element and wort getting too hot locally, before the situation is detected by the temp sensor and controller. A lot of problems with electric brewing are because of time delays between temperature excursions and the controller becoming aware of the excursions.

Brew on

 

[Nemanach]

Interesting. Well, I have the hardware to install the temp probe inline right after the dip tube. I would have preferred it in the kettle but I was reading that after the dip tube was best. The kettle would be nice so I could heat up strike water without running a pump.

Maybe I should order a weld spud and move it to the kettle. 10 o clock with the dip tube at noon may fit your description. It’s only a 1.5” probe so it might not be less than an inch from the element though. It kills me to spend $6 to ship a $6 part though, not so much the money but the principle.

 

[doug293cz]

I believe in the kettle is better. In a tee on the kettle outlet is very often used as it is easy to implement. Easy to implement and optimal performance are seldom the achieved with the same implementation.

Brew on

 

[TheMadKing]

I believe in the kettle is better. In a tee on the kettle outlet is very often used as it is easy to implement. Easy to implement and optimal performance are seldom the achieved with the same implementation.

Brew on

Won't mounting it in the kettle lead to less accurate readings without a pump recirculating the water? On my HLT I mounted it in a tee for that very reason because of the temperature stratification that happens without a recirculation pump.

I mounted it in my boil kettle directly though since I don't care as much about precise temperatures in there.

 

[Nemanach]

I believe in the kettle is better. In a tee on the kettle outlet is very often used as it is easy to implement. Easy to implement and optimal performance are seldom the achieved with the same implementation.

Brew on

I believe the probe will stick into the kettle by an inch so I cut a piece of wire to visualize. The probe would be 2.5” from the element if I place between the outlet and element. Is it worth trying to return the probe to get it closer to the element?

Otherwise if I put the probe by the tip of the element it is about an inch away. It is further from the dip tube though.

 

[doug293cz]

Won't mounting it in the kettle lead to less accurate readings without a pump recirculating the water? On my HLT I mounted it in a tee for that very reason because of the temperature stratification that happens without a recirculation pump.

I mounted it in my boil kettle directly though since I don't care as much about precise temperatures in there.

Yes without recirculation, you will have temp stratification. But without recirc, putting the probe in a tee (with no flow) is really going to be bad.

 

[doug293cz]

I believe the probe will stick into the kettle by an inch so I cut a piece of wire to visualize. The probe would be 2.5” from the element if I place between the outlet and element. Is it worth trying to return the probe to get it closer to the element?

Otherwise if I put the probe by the tip of the element it is about an inch away. It is further from the dip tube though.

Looks like neither of those mounting options would put the probe tip in a high flow area. A longer probe, at less of an offset angle from the pickup tube would get you in a higher flow area.

Brew on