Element question

My heating element came with a rubber washer, but looking at Kals drawings it appears that the stock heating element washer isn't used. Just eye balling it, with the washer it looks like there won't be enough thread for the locknut inside the kettle.

I'm in the home stretch now. My controller is done except for soldering the probe wires. Barring any surprises my heating element should be installed tomorrow. So I plan to do my test boils on Friday, and then brew on Saturday.

I used the washer when I built my boil kettle. It hasn't leaked for 2 years.

a lot of guys ditch the black rubber gasket and just use the locknut and silicon o-ring because they can't get the threads to grab with the washer on there.

I ditched my black washer because I boiled it in a cup of water, cooled it, then tasted the water. It tasted like rubberized ass...

Walker said:

a lot of guys ditch the black rubber gasket and just use the locknut and silicon o-ring because they can't get the threads to grab with the washer on there.

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yep, thats exactly what I did. the silicon o-ring can be had at bargain fittings.

sonex said:

yep, thats exactly what I did. the silicon o-ring can be had at bargain fittings.

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If anyone needs one of these o-rings I have plenty. I ordered a pack of 25 from oringsandmore.com. Cheaper than one from bargainfittings

acefaser said:

If anyone needs one of these o-rings I have plenty. I ordered a pack of 25 from oringsandmore.com. Cheaper than one from bargainfittings

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What is the size number of the o-ring? I bought a couple from another vendor, but for the prices on oringsandmore I wouldn't mind having 24 spares!

They are #217. If you have the camloc quick disconnects order the #210 also to replace the black rubber ones. Had them shipped to my house for $11 total!

wyzazz said:

I ditched my black washer because I boiled it in a cup of water, cooled it, then tasted the water. It tasted like rubberized ass...

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How much of your wort is really touching that washer tho? Not to say you're wrong, I just wonder for my self. I have welded on couplers for my elements, and physically, to me, it seems like very little of the rubber would be exposed. Also it should be about the same with the lock nut, assuming the washer is on the outside of the kettle.

wh4tig0t said:

How much of your wort is really touching that washer tho? Not to say you're wrong, I just wonder for my self. I have welded on couplers for my elements, and physically, to me, it seems like very little of the rubber would be exposed. Also it should be about the same with the lock nut, assuming the washer is on the outside of the kettle.

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Oh, there isn't much touching the wort at all I'll certainly agree with that. But if I were making a really light pilsner for example, and I get this nagging off-flavor that I just can't pin down and I trace it back to the element, I think I'd be pretty pissed at myself for not replacing it.