Started the electric keggle.

[Addicted]

I started building the electric keggle tonight.I did not want to pat for weldless fittings so i yhink i came up with an installation solution.I bought the elements and cut holes with a hole saw,but the sizes do not match perfectly so i had to take some material off with a carbide burr grinder.My plan is to use the existing seals to seal the element agains the keggle.I found some copper pipe adapters i thought would work as nuts but they jammed on the element,i almost ruined an element in the precess.

I found that brass couplers seem to work better as nuts but i have to buy some tomorrow,then i can test the fit.with any luck they will not leak.

 

[The Pol]

That is exactly how most people install them. A SS half coupler will thread on pretty well, as do the SS LockNuts.

 

[Addicted]

Really,i searched and did not find any threads on it.Wish i had.

 

[Addicted]

Where can i get the stainless lock nuts?

 

[Retrofit]

I haven't built my E=keg yet, but I do use a heatstick. I read that if heat stick's 'cross' that plasma can move between them and essentially scorch your brew. Now I had my heat stick in the keg once and my entire keg began to 'sing'. The heatstick was pointing at my temp gauge. Not touching it, but almost. I moved it, and the humming 'note' went away. So I believe in this plasma business. I bring all of this up because I wonder if your heatsinks are going to 'sing' (arc plasma between them) given the angles you are installing them at.

I'm not saying I'm right. I'm just asking if it's a problem.

chuck

 

[Addicted]

I wondered about them being close too,i plan to try and give them a slight bend away from each other.

 

[Retrofit]

I think that would work. When my keg 'sung' at first I was looking around the room thinking, "what the hell is that?" Then I just tapped the heat stick and it went away. I think if you have this issue, hearing a steady single note, you've got plasma moving between your sticks and I think your right. A quick bent will fix it. All I can contribute this conversation because your build is a head of mine. Still learing and plotting my e-brew machine.

Chuck

 

[HarkinBanks]

The elements radiate heat up from the opposite side of the little flat part on the end. It is best to face them up in a kettle. What's done is done, but it is usually best to put them at least 90 degrees apart from each other if you have the room in the bottom of the vessel to disperse the heat more evenly.

 

[The Pol]

I have a couple electric kettle builds here on HBT and an article on converting to electricity over at www.brewersfriend.com

You can step drill the hole for a cleaner hole. 1.25" or so will do. You can get the SS lock nuts at BargainFittings.com, I have also used SS half couplers from MurrayEquipment.com with great results too.

 

[CodeRage]

Plasma? Like the 4th state of matter plasma?
If it was plasma, you would see it as it gets pretty bright.

What you are hearing is the inertial cavitation small steam bubbles collapsing once they move away from the element into the cooler liquid. The reason why you hear more when the elements are close together is because it is heating a smaller amount of water up faster/hotter because of the small volume between the two. It's louder because there are more bubbles being made.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I read that if heat stick's 'cross' that plasma can move between them and essentially scorch your brew. Now I had my heat stick in the keg once and my entire keg began to 'sing'. The heatstick was pointing at my temp gauge. Not touching it, but almost. I moved it, and the humming 'note' went away. So I believe in this plasma business. I bring all of this up because I wonder if your heatsinks are going to 'sing' (arc plasma between them) given the angles you are installing them at.

What you are referring to was added by the Cedarcreek guy on his tutorial on heatsticks...he added this as a joke. The point he was trying to make was to be very careful with using the sticks.

Sorry, but you got riddled.

 

[zGrubermeister]

I picked up a 1" conduit steel coupler lock-nut at Home Depot the other day for <$2.00. I too had thought about going the copper reducer route but for $10 bucks I decided there must be a cheaper way to go.

 

[The Pol]

I sourced some 1" SS couplers for about $2 each as well for mounting the elements. MurrayEquipment.com

Plasma, that is funny

 

[Retrofit]

What you are referring to was added by the Cedarcreek guy on his tutorial on heatsticks...he added this as a joke. The point he was trying to make was to be very careful with using the sticks.

Sorry, but you got riddled.

Fair enough, but I know the difference between the sound my heat stick makes and the sound of my keg 'singing'. I'm not making this up, but my keg made a single note, like when you roll your finger over the top of a wine glass and hear one note. I was looking around my garage thinking, "What the hell is that?" I swear my keg was 'singing'.

I moved my heat stick and it stopped. It was the angle I had it compared to my temperature gauge. I can probably make it happen again. This isn't the sound of steam bubbles, which I'm familiar with. What did I hear?

 

[zGrubermeister]

There must be a Siren in your keg, nice.

One of these >

Not one of these >

 

[CodeRage]

Fair enough, but I know the difference between the sound my heat stick makes and the sound of my keg 'singing'. I'm not making this up, but my keg made a single note, like when you roll your finger over the top of a wine glass and hear one note. I was looking around my garage thinking, "What the hell is that?" I swear my keg was 'singing'.

I moved my heat stick and it stopped. It was the angle I had it compared to my temperature gauge. I can probably make it happen again. This isn't the sound of steam bubbles, which I'm familiar with. What did I hear?

It may have been the temperature gauge probe resonating from the the itty-bitty shock waves cause by the steam cavitating. Looks like you found a new instrument

 

[wilserbrewer]

I picked up a 1" conduit steel coupler lock-nut at Home Depot the other day for <$2.00.

Careful Gruber, you don't want want regular zinc plated steel. I believe elec. conduit is just mild steel, no? Or it could be cast? white metal?? zinc die cast? aluminum?

 

[The Pol]

Careful Gruber, you don't want want regular zinc plated steel. I believe elec. conduit is just mild steel, no? Or it could be cast? white metal?? zinc die cast? aluminum?

Yah, you can get SS for $2.75

 

[Addicted]

I ended up just getting the conduit lock nuts,I'm impatient.They said they were just steel on the package but I'm going to heat them red just in case there is any coating.

 

[Retrofit]

Thanks for the joke and the answer. Next time I brew maybe I'll record it and post it so you guys can hear my keg 'sing'. Brewing and making music. Never thought I was the music type.

Chuck

 

[Addicted]

Ok,It's finished mostly.I did a test boil with seven gallons tonight.In 65 minutes i went from 110 degrees to a boil,not a hard boil but i think good.In one hour i boiled down to about 5 1/4 gallons.Does that sound under powered to you?I'm not sure if I'm happy with it yet.

 

[The Pol]

Ok,It's finished mostly.I did a test boil with seven gallons tonight.In 65 minutes i went from 110 degrees to a boil,not a hard boil but i think good.In one hour i boiled down to about 5 1/4 gallons.Does that sound under powered to you?I'm not sure if I'm happy with it yet.

That is a respectable boil off, but that is a LONG time to get to a boil from 110F

That is only equal to about 1800W of power, what size elements do you have?

 

[Addicted]

I have two 110v 2000w elements both ran all out the whole time.

EDIT,Mistake it took 55 minutes to boil from 110,I'm an idiot...HaHa.

 

[Retrofit]

2 2000W 120V elements, 110F to Boil (7G) in 55 min. Is this common/average?

Without changing anything in my house I could run 3) 2000W 120V elements to get my unbuilt e-vessel to boil. Would that work or should I get a 240V circuit added to my home? I don't want to change topic or steal the thread, I'm just curious if I can work the limits of my existing breaker box or if my build should begin with a bigger breaker box in my home.

 

[HarkinBanks]

How many gallons? Did you cover the pot? Is it insulated? If you didn't cover it, you should until you reach a full boil. If it isn't insulated with duct reflectix-type material, it should be.