Whatcha got under those electric pots?

[Beer:30]

For all you electric brewers out there: I’m looking to set my pots up on a SS table and don’t want it to become a heat sink. Pots are about 20” diameter. I’m thinking cork will get brittle. Silicone? I’m look for an affordable option. Preferably a single piece for each pot. What do you all use, what thickness, and where’d you buy from. Thanks!

 

[Drumminguy81]

I use silicon drying mats they are cheap, come in various sizes, and work great. There ar tons of options on amazon. Or ssbrewtech sells some that look a little fancier..

 

[golfindia]

Stainless is a poor heat conductor.

Putting something under the pot just means more things to get sticky and wash.

 

[passedpawn]

Stainless is a poor heat conductor.

Depends on what you consider poor. While it's not as conductive as many other metals like copper, SS still conducts heat well. Touch the outside of your boilpot and see if it feels hot. That's heat conduction Most people would consider air and plastic and wood to be poor conductors - SS conducts 100's times better than those.

I use keggles, and they have very little contact at the bottom (only the thin ring of the bottom rolled rim). But if I used a flat-bottomed pot on a metal table, I'd (somehow) add some ridges to the SS table to ensure that it was mostly air under the pot. I agree with your comment about eliminating more stuff to clean - I am a serial boil-over-er.

 

[GrumpyWally]

I use the biggest cork pads I could find on Amazon under 20 G Blichmann kettles.

 

[augiedoggy]

I use a piece of floor underlayment... not pretty but a great insulator plus I built a raised drip edge around it so in the off chance I ever get some sort of boilover or spill it stays contained.. if looks were a concern I would just buy a pack of self adhesive felt chair/furniture slides and stick them to the table where the kettles are going to sit..

 

[sicktght311]

I had square cork mats for a while but any spill would soak into them and they they'd stick to my stainless table and i'd be pulling chunks of cork off. I would love to find an inexpensive circular (12") silicone mat but i have yet to find one inexpensive. So for now i'm using 4x 6" round mats in a square pattern and then i put my kettle on top of that.

 

[30Bones]

Pots on the stainless table didn't conduct any noticeable heat to the table top itself.

 

[SEndorf]

I bought one of these mats from Menards and cut to fit under all three kettles. Works well.

 

[mongoose33]

Mine sits on 2x6s. My "brewstand" is a wooden bench made of lumber, and that wood never gets hot, at least, it's very good at not transmitting heat.

If you want something to set your kettle on, some form of a wooden "trivet" would work very well.

 

[passedpawn]

My brewstand. Not ideal wrt heat insulation when there is a stream running through it

(test your GFCI's electric brewers!)

 

[SEndorf]

My brewstand. Not ideal wrt heat insulation when there is a stream running through it

(test your GFCI's electric brewers!)

Your brew system is completely overcast by the covered greenhouse / swimming pool.
Your comment, "not ideal" is rather funny. I'd take this environment any day! GFCI be dammed! LOL

 

[Cato1507]

For all you electric brewers out there: I’m looking to set my pots up on a SS table and don’t want it to become a heat sink. Pots are about 20” diameter. I’m thinking cork will get brittle. Silicone? I’m look for an affordable option. Preferably a single piece for each pot. What do you all use, what thickness, and where’d you buy from. Thanks!

I just ordered a silicon pad from SS Brewtech. They sell a 10 gal size and 20 gal size. I bought the 20 gal size just to have extra under my 10 gal kettle.

 

[sicktght311]

I love the SS Brewtech Silicone Mats, but not for almost $20 a piece, when i need 3 for my Herms system

 

[applescrap]

I had a floor that was rubber or foam and i use a square under the kettle. Cardboard would work?

 

[sicktght311]

I had a floor that was rubber or foam and i use a square under the kettle. Cardboard would work?

That actually sounds perfect. I have a whole bunch of leftover 2x2 anti-fatigue flooring tiles i could cut up. Doing that this weekend!

 

[applescrap]

Yeah, thats it, anti fatigue floor. I happen to know they cut well (didnt think of that, doh) because we did a whole room of it and I had to trim it. It was a work out room. It will stick to the kettle with spilt wort but comes right off. Easy to clean and store. And if you have some is a great solution, cheers.

That actually sounds perfect. I have a whole bunch of leftover 2x2 anti-fatigue flooring tiles i could cut up. Doing that this weekend!