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**stlbeer** · 06-29-2012, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thargrav

Wurt is not that acidic which is why you can use copper and brass fittings in brewpots. Beer gets more acidic as it ferments and the acidity shows on the inside of any brass fittings, like brass faucets you may have installed in your kegerator. And BTW, modern brass is a alloy of copper and zinc. The anodes are zinc, not magnesium. Magnesium would react violently with water.

Interesting that in the first post of this entry http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/element-rust-no-more-235704/, the magnesium anode is not reacting violently with the water. I think you're misinformed regarding the reactivity of solid magnesium in water. http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/water/magnesium/magnesium-and-water.htm

Perhaps you are thinking about sodium or potassium?

http://www2.uni-siegen.de/~pci/versuche/pics/natrium3.jpg

thargrav · 06-29-2012, 03:28 PM

I probably was thinking of sodium. But I've changed enough anodes in commercial water heaters to know they are made out of zinc. So was what was left of the anode in my last water heater that died.

**AnOldUR** · 06-29-2012, 03:35 PM

The debate over the saftey of the zinc plating goes on, but I figured "better safe than sorry."

The link I posted above suggested soaking in an acid solution, so I thought I'd try Star San. I let the entire 120V/1650W Emerson element soak for a few hours in gallon bucket of some old Star San that was getting pretty cloudy. That turned it from a shiny chrome finish to a flat black. After that, all it took was some light polishing with Scotch-Brite to clean it up to bright copper.

Here are a couple of shots from before and after polishing. Might not mean anything, but it was easy and I'll feel a little safer using the element now.

**tre9er** · 06-29-2012, 03:38 PM

Nice. Mine looks like the first pic. When it came it looked like chrome. It's boiled wort twice now and prior to that water a few times. I've yet to taste either batch, but I wonder if anyone has done the math to figure out how much zinc would be in the beer and whether it constitutes dangerous? We take Zinc supplements at times, yes?

**gnatp2** · 06-29-2012, 04:15 PM

Why have 2 smaller elements instead of one 5500W ultra low density element?

Nate

**AnOldUR** · 06-29-2012, 04:55 PM

Some people don't have access to a 240V line, but can use two different 120V circuits.

**gnatp2** · 06-29-2012, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOldUR

Some people don't have access to a 240V line, but can use two different 120V circuits.

Ah!. Makes sense. Thks

**Bobby_M** · 06-29-2012, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thargrav

I probably was thinking of sodium. But I've changed enough anodes in commercial water heaters to know they are made out of zinc. So was what was left of the anode in my last water heater that died.

Magnesium anodes are the most popular. Aluminum, some with up to ten percent zinc content, are used in areas of hard water. No such thing as pure zinc rods.

**AnOldUR** · 06-29-2012, 05:35 PM

A note on the Camco 02853 elements that started this thread:

I did some testing on the elements that I have. The resistance of the Camco 02853 was 10.2 ohms. But according to their specs it works out that it should be 9.6 ohms. What that means is that at 120V it actually puts out just over 1400 watts (not the 1500W listed.) And as to their claim that it's low watt density. Doing the math it comes out somewhere around 125 watts/sq in. That puts it much closer to a HWD element than to a LWD, and nowhere near the ULWD they call it.

By comparison, the Emerson 1650W element that has also been discussed here works out to around 50 watts/sq in. That actually puts it in the range of an ULWD element. Also, my meter read 8.7 ohms, which is exactly where it should for the voltage and watts listed in thier specs.

The thing to take away from this is to not trust anything that Camco says or prints about their elements. Check for yourself before installing.

**ChuckO** · 06-29-2012, 07:15 PM

Here's a good reference on sacrificial annodes, Bobby_M is right, not made of zinc.

http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/Longevity/water-heater-anodes.html

My water is slightly acidic (6.8 pH) and will pit a zinc diecasting in a couple of weeks. Leaves a very ugly surface.