Cooler HLT Project Questions

mer924 · 05-24-2009, 01:54 PM

Hello all!

I am building my 1st all grain rig. I got excelent deals on 2 10 gallon rubermaid coolers (20 for both!) at a going out of business sale! I have my mash and brew pot all set, but I have seen pictures in the past of Cooler HLTs that had an electic heating element w/ a digital temperature readout.

Does anyone have plans or advice for this set up?

Thanks Again!!

The Pol · 05-24-2009, 02:03 PM

Plans will vary depending on what wattage you want to use, what sort of voltage you want to run and how complex you want the control to be.

The biggest GOTCHA is getting the element to seal. The inner wall of the cooler is VERY thin and flexes A LOT when it is under 10 gallons of water and heated to 170F. SO you have to reinforce the area where the element will attach.

Find a way to add about 1/8" of SOLID plastic or PVC support to that area.

My idea was to use a PVC end cap, the flat ones, epoxy that to the bottom of the cooler, to the inner shell. This will provide a stiff "bulkhead" if you will to run the element through and seal to. Now when the cooler is loaded with water, the area aound the element and seal will NOT flex, thus, no leak. Then use a 1" SS straight thread nut from Bargain Brew Fitting Home Page to tighten it in the hole, from the INside of the cooler.

**Whiskey** · 05-24-2009, 02:37 PM

I'm actually dwelling this also. Did my first Ag batch this weekend, and while I enjoy doing the boil on my burner, I detested heating the strike water. Leaning towards a simple 120v setup.

The Pol · 05-24-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiskey

I'm actually dwelling this also. Did my first Ag batch this weekend, and while I enjoy doing the boil on my burner, I detested heating the strike water. Leaning towards a simple 120v setup.

120VAC works really effectively in an HLT.

**bruin_ale** · 05-24-2009, 05:00 PM

Not trying to hijack but, I'm planning my own setup similar to yours but I have a stainless steel HLT. Any reason why I don't go ahead and use the same 5500W element in the HLT as I use in the BK? Seems like the faster heating time is the benefit and no real downside since I don't have the current needed to run both BK and HLT at the same time even if I stepped down to a 120V element.

The Pol · 05-24-2009, 05:03 PM

You can run 5500W in the HLT... I mean, you can run almost ANYTHING in there, so long as it remains submerged. The only vessel I can think of that there is any need for concern about the element size is the BK... 3900W keeps a nice vigorous boil going in 7+ gallons of wort, anything less and it will get anemic.

**bruin_ale** · 05-24-2009, 05:15 PM

Thanks, I'm going with the 5500W for the BK because I do 10 gallon batches sometimes. The HLT will have as much as 15 gal of water in it, so I think the bigger element will be a time saver.

Actually, will the 5500W bring 12 gallons to a boil?

The Pol · 05-24-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruin_ale

Thanks, I'm going with the 5500W for the BK because I do 10 gallon batches sometimes. The HLT will have as much as 15 gal of water in it, so I think the bigger element will be a time saver.

Actually, will the 5500W bring 12 gallons to a boil?

Ahhh, yes... as far as I know

hammacks · 05-24-2009, 05:48 PM

Just from my own experience - which is much less than Pol's, my 2000watt 120volt heatstick vigorously boils 6.5 gallons. This is with insulation around the sides and bottom. Now the time it takes to heat up is a little long.

The Pol · 05-24-2009, 07:36 PM

I have to admit, I have turned down my 5500W element to about 60% and the boil got pretty anemic... it wasnt what I would call vigorous. Now, I am boiling in an un-insulated keg, BUT there has been a lot of talk about where heat is lost and how many watts is needed to adequately boil a certain volume in a specific container.

Basically the math supported what I had found on my rig. I can keep a good boil at 60% with 7.5 gallons in the keggle, I can keep a vigorous boil with 70% power. This equates to 3300-3850W of power. I can reach a boil from sparge temps (155F in the kettle) in 15 minutes with 5500W and a volume of 8 gallons.

I have never tried to turn it down to 36%, or 2000W, but I would not hold much hope for what I am accustomed to calling a vigorous boil. I always boil off 1.5 gallons/hour.

I have also had others tell me that thier 2000W heat sticks would not suffice for a 7+ gallon boil, again substantiated by the math and my own personal experience.

When boiling, I would not set out to use less than 4000W, unless I tested it FIRST.