Julien
Member
Hi all,
Is it possible and safe to use a grill heating element (designed to work in free air until red-hot) to heat water ?
Long version with context :
I built a 20l/5G electric brewing kettle about 1.5 year ago and it has known it's highs and lows. It is heated with a small 2000W element taken from a budget tea kettle and I do BIAB (with sort of a false bottom to ease the water circulation and a cage around the element to protect the bag).
Its main flows is that heat does not always circulate very well especially with higher gravity brews : it seems that an overheat pouch builds up around the element, leading to scorching it.
Last time boiling occurred around the element while the temperature of the mash's bulk was still 3°C (about 5.5°F) colder than expected (147°F instead of 152°F) and the PID tried to fix that. Eventually the element's security melted during the mash out heating and I had to use my former kettle for the boiling.
While I thinking to replace this element by a low power density element which it is more expensive of course, my family in law was getting rid of an old raclette grill despite the 1300W element was still properly working.
My first idea was to set this element (obviously low power density, it is a 30cm/1ft diameter circle) in the kettle, to use only it to maintain and adjust the mashing temperature and both elements (1300W + 2000W) to reach strike temperature and boiling (and probably only one of the two to maintain the boiling).
Nevertheless there's one thing I'm worried about : the element was used in a raclette grill and supposedly heated until red-hot (900-1100°F) and then reached its nominal resistance and power and that temperature. Since it will be drenched in water, it's temperature will be kept at 212°F or less, where its resistance will be lower and I'm afraid it might harm the element.
So eventually comes my question : does any of you has experience, advice or recommendation about repurposing a heating element designed to be used in free air ?
Thanks in advance,
Julien
Is it possible and safe to use a grill heating element (designed to work in free air until red-hot) to heat water ?
Long version with context :
I built a 20l/5G electric brewing kettle about 1.5 year ago and it has known it's highs and lows. It is heated with a small 2000W element taken from a budget tea kettle and I do BIAB (with sort of a false bottom to ease the water circulation and a cage around the element to protect the bag).
Its main flows is that heat does not always circulate very well especially with higher gravity brews : it seems that an overheat pouch builds up around the element, leading to scorching it.
Last time boiling occurred around the element while the temperature of the mash's bulk was still 3°C (about 5.5°F) colder than expected (147°F instead of 152°F) and the PID tried to fix that. Eventually the element's security melted during the mash out heating and I had to use my former kettle for the boiling.
While I thinking to replace this element by a low power density element which it is more expensive of course, my family in law was getting rid of an old raclette grill despite the 1300W element was still properly working.
My first idea was to set this element (obviously low power density, it is a 30cm/1ft diameter circle) in the kettle, to use only it to maintain and adjust the mashing temperature and both elements (1300W + 2000W) to reach strike temperature and boiling (and probably only one of the two to maintain the boiling).
Nevertheless there's one thing I'm worried about : the element was used in a raclette grill and supposedly heated until red-hot (900-1100°F) and then reached its nominal resistance and power and that temperature. Since it will be drenched in water, it's temperature will be kept at 212°F or less, where its resistance will be lower and I'm afraid it might harm the element.
So eventually comes my question : does any of you has experience, advice or recommendation about repurposing a heating element designed to be used in free air ?
Thanks in advance,
Julien
Last edited:
