Where to install heating element into kettle?

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rshosted

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I'm gettting ready to install a 55k heating element into my 26 gal morebeer kettle. My question is, where should I install it. Assuming the ball valve is 12 o'clock. I was thinking putting it as low as possible and situated around 7 or 9 o'clock to avoid hitting the dip tube from the ball valve.

I figure others have done this and later thought, 'oh, I should have....' So please I'd love to hear any advice.

And for what it's worth, I'm using a 1.5 inch ss triclamp installation that will be welded.

Thanks,
Ryan
 
Your proposed setup up is what I chose to do, i.e. outlet at 12, element at 9. I also went with the tri clover fitting for the element. My kettle is a keggle if that makes any difference.

Metric

IMG_1436%5B1%5D-M.jpg
 
I installed mine on the 3 or 9 o'clock orientation so that the junction box was between the kettles, I think it gives a cleaner look.

IMG_2775.jpg
 
I also have the 26G kettle from morebeer. I put my element at 3 o'clock, it really doesn't matter where you put it. But be careful about how *high* you put it because a gallon is only about 0.75" in height on these kettles. So if you still want to do 5 gallon batches you'll need to put it under 4" from the base. Also the curve at the bottom will prevent a good seal so you need to make sure the top/bottom of the hole goes no lower than 1" and no higher than 4".

A center about 2 to 2 1/4 inches from the bottom of the inside works well for 5 gallons and over.

Next make sure your locknut has rounded corners. The ones I got from McMaster were not rounded off, the one I got from Bargain Fittings was. The corners hit up against the curvature of the kettle and prevent you from tightening down the nut enough to seal well. I ended up taking a Dremel with a cutoff wheel to mine to round them off.

This is what I mean by rounded:

ImageUploadedByHome Brew1394913378.366675.jpg
 
I guess it depends on your setup. If using multiple pots, if you have two adjacent pots with the left pot at 4 o'clock and the right at 7 o'clock, then you could have interference between them, especially when you consider the connections should be potted and the cords are heavy and do not bent easily. It also depends where your control panel is to be mounted. On a build I just helped a friend with, BIAB, we chose 4 o'clock because his control panel was to be to the right of the stand. Mount it low as possible if doing 5 gallon batches, also if using a triclover ferrule with a ripple element, just because the ferrule slips over the element, does not mean that the element won't hit the side of the pot when snaking it into the ferrule once welded. The larger the diameter of the pot, the lesser the chance of that happening though.
 
Mine is at 5". I wanted to be able spin the element 180* and not hit the bottom and as the boil gets going the thermal draft will bring the hot water up the middle and cold down the sides. So the element is in the center of this cycle. I can't see myself doing 5 gallon batches in a 25 gallon pot. I'm always pushing the limits of my system, never the minimum.
 
I installed mine on the 3 or 9 o'clock orientation so that the junction box was between the kettles, I think it gives a cleaner look.

This is exactly what I did as well:

IMG_5206.jpg


At the end of the day it doesn't really matter, as long as there's room for whatever else you have in the kettle and the element's low enough to always be submerged when it's on.

Kal
 
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