Full boil / ale pail / heating element

Would love to go full boil for my second batch. I have the UK equivalent of an ale pail primary I've seen a few videos where brewers have installed heating elements into the bottom of the pail and done a full boil straight in the bucket then strained it over into another ferm. Is this safe practice? Surely this would result in plasticy tastes and smells?

I'd be more worried about something being wrong on the element, melting a hole in the plastic pail, and draining wort all over your place. Why not use a kettle for the boil? You can set it up for electric brewing. There are several threads on here about doing it.

I use an Ale Pail to collect my wort out of the MLT. It is a huge gut check every time I do. The plastic becomes very soft and I'm always concerned about a catastrophic failure. Assume the wort is at about 160F after sparging. I wouldn't attempt another 50 degrees unless I was somewhere the spill wouldn't scorch me or couldn't be cleaned up with a hose. I only do this as I currently boil in two smaller pots and need a vessel large enough to collect and mix the first and second runnings. A properly sized BK is allegedly going to be under the tree this year so this practice is about to thankfully stop.

I think it might be possible, after some research if the bucket is good quality polyprop. I was just checking out the different grades of pp off a plastics grading site, the majority all have the word 'kettle' listed in the applicable uses section. I think its really down to thickness. Time for science. Either way, catastrophe or success, ill let you know!

There's a video somewhere on YouTube of someone in Europe that does that exact thing and has been doing it without issue for quite some time. I'll see if I can find it.

I've seen those types of setups come pre assembled as a "complete brew kit" idk who makes them, or if they are still around, but I see them pop up on craigslist every now and then.

Personally, if you're going to go through the trouble to build one yourself, I'd feel a whole lot more comfortable spending another $50 and building it in a converted stainless steel keg. You could even wrap it in insulation and get very efficient heat transfer (no loss through the sides of the kettle).

I could, but that is another $50. I'm trying to maintain a delicate balance between improving the quality of my beer and keeping costs as minimal as possible.

Also, this

around 1:20 are the elements, and around 15:00 is a rolling boil in progress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3iQefnKHvxs

Worth noting.

With cost you kind of end up spending one way or another. If you're brewing extract you pay little for the tools and lots for the ingredients. If you go all grain you pay little for the ingredients and lots for the tools. Most of my batches cost around $25 to $45 for a five gallon batch--depending on how strong I make it--since I brew all grain. However, I occasionally see some new gadget that I want to play with--oops, I meant, "...that I need for improving the quality of my brewing for you dear."