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wyzazz · 01-28-2013, 01:14 PM

If you are recirculating and firing the element (say using a PID) to maintain temps then why are you worried about retaining heat? Your PID and Element will keep the heat where it needs to be.

Chris7687 · 01-28-2013, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyzazz

If you are recirculating and firing the element (say using a PID) to maintain temps then why are you worried about retaining heat? Your PID and Element will keep the heat where it needs to be.

Don't want the heat escaping to fast, which would force the element to keep kicking and and off. Feel like that is just going to cause something to fail with the repeatative on/off.

wyzazz · 01-28-2013, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris7687

Don't want the heat escaping to fast, which would force the element to keep kicking and and off. Feel like that is just going to cause something to fail with the repeatative on/off.

If that was the case (An SSR Failing due to rapid on/off switching) then setting my Auber PID to 70% when I boil would be burning up SSR's and Elements. That however, is not the case.

The overall efficiency (not brewhouse/mashing efficiency) of how much heat/power your system uses may be better if you eliminiate that gap somehow, but it is by no means a showstopper. JMO

**weirdboy** · 01-28-2013, 01:47 PM

My guess is that even without the feet, the basket sitting on the element won't let you put the lid on there. Otherwise, your feet have way too much clearance, and you can cut them down/off. Given your requirements, why don't you get a shorter basket, or shorten the one you have by a couple inches?

That said, I totally agree that you are way over-thinking this issue with the element cycling on/off too much.

kh54s10 · 01-28-2013, 01:55 PM

Either get some sheet metal and make a collar for the pot or trim down the basket by about an inch.

johns · 01-28-2013, 02:26 PM

This pot should have 3.75 inches of clearance from the basket to the kettle. This is more than enough to install an element, sight, and ball-valve. Having said that, I think the problem lies in the basket sitting on one of these items due to pour installation, or that the custom made feet are too long for the pot. Having custom made feet is an easy fix, a misplaced element or valve is not. From the picture it looks like there should be enough clearance, but without a close up its hard to tell.

Chris7687 · 01-28-2013, 02:42 PM

Looks like I will just try and chop a few inches off the top of the basket.

johns- there is no clearance from basket to kettle. This is a 82 quart Bayou Classic Kettle and a boil basket, I do have a 44 quart Bayou Classic kettle as well which has a steam basket that has the gap between bottom of kettle and basket.

johns · 01-28-2013, 11:10 PM

cris
I would not cut off the top of the basket, because it may become week and could break after some time. Just curious, is this one you bought? Because it does not look like it. In the reviews, one person wrote, "The stockpot measures 13-½ by 17-¼ inches tall.
Steam and Boil Basket measures 12-¼ by 12-¼ tall and sits 3 inches off the bottom of the pot.". 3 inches should be enough for the heat stick, and ball valve.

://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FTYKGQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

Chris7687 · 01-31-2013, 01:17 PM

Johns - sorry, not to sound like a prick but you seem to be insulting my intelligence. If the stock pot had the 3 inch gap at the bottom I would have not started a thread to trouble shoot this problem. The measurements you have provided, which you received from the first customer review from Amazon, are not for the 82 quart kettle. The 82 qt kettle measurements are 19.75" wide x 17.5" tall. The basket is 18.5" wide x 15.75" tall. Giving me roughly 1.75" of clearance, which really isn't the case. With the legs removed from the basket and it sitting flush on the ball valve, which is as low as it could possibly be installed, there is still about .75" that is sticking up. I really don't want to cut the basket, but don't have any other options at this point. Don't know anyone that can weld a SS collar for me.

johns · 01-31-2013, 04:02 PM

Sorry Chris, I did not mean to be insulting, I was just interested in your predicament simply because I was thinking about buying one for myself. The confusion (for me) stems from Bayou Classic and understanding that their pots are not engineered the same for all their pots. All Bayou Classic steamers and pots are NOT the same. I just didn’t understand this at first.

I have also posted a new thread which deals with this question indirectly, because I would like to know which (80 quart or larger), pot is the best for this.

To my way of thinking Bayou should sell their pots with this type of steamer insert http://bayouclassicdepot.com/1982-bayou-classic-steamer-basket.htm, instead of having boiler or steamer baskets that sit flush with the bottom of the pot.

I will continue to watch this, and my other thread to see what ideas come from it, but now I am thinking about one of two options, and they are http://www.kitchenfantasy.com/shopping_cart/stockpots.html, (75 quart), because I like the heavier gage. It’s a bit pricier, but for this reason and the fact that it comes with a steamer insert, similar to a false bottom, it could be a good buy for me. The downside is price, and its not the volume I am looking for in a big pot with a steamer,

Another alternative would be to just go ahead and buy the 65 quart Bayou stockpot with the basket for about 150. The bad thing about this is that I would not be able to make bigger beers in 10 gallon batches. Maybe, I will have to be satisfied in this until I move up to the next step in a 3V system for making the bigger beers. I know understand that the 65 quart Bayou has a lip that holds the basket above the bottom of the kettle which if going electric (for me) is nice because I would have enough room for the heat stick. The downside is volume.