4500 Watt Element Without Drilling

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

tphjr

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2013
Messages
69
Reaction score
5
I saw this item pop-up in one of the adds on this site. It looks to me to be a good solution since I screwed up drilling the hole for my 120V setup and had to seal the element with RTV.
http://www.kegkits.com/Merchant2/me...e=W&Product_Code=240V_HEL&Category_Code=EBREW

I already read the long thread about Hargrove and kegkits so no reason to re-hash anything. What I really want to know is does anyone else make something similar I can compare this to? I like the idea but I want to know if there are other options out there.
 
Do you have 240V power? If not, this won't work anyway.

This is basically a heat stick. There are plenty of good build designs on this forum, though I don't know of any high-power versions for sale commercially.
 
I will have 240V available once I move into the garage and I plan to build my own brew controller. But I will probably keep on mashing in my large GOTT cooler – I do single step infusion mashes and batch sparge.

Right now I’m brewing 10 gallon batches on my electric stove top with help from a 120V 1650 Watt element I installed in the side of the el-cheapo Chinese brew pot I bought from Adventures in Homebrewing years ago. I plug the element into the wall then I regulate the boil with the stove once boil is rolling.

But my Wife is tired of me steaming up the cabinets above the stove & now that my Brother in-law decided he likes my beer I’m brewing more than once a month. So it’s time to move to the garage. I bought a nice pot but now I’m wondering if I should drill a hole in the side of my $300+ investment or go with something like this. I’m concerned about putting a hole in my new brewpot because I screwed up the hole in the last one and had to seal in the element with RTV. I punched in a 1” hole then I discovered I needed something larger & opened the hole up with cutters.
 
I will have 240V available once I move into the garage and I plan to build my own brew controller. But I will probably keep on mashing in my large GOTT cooler – I do single step infusion mashes and batch sparge.

Right now I’m brewing 10 gallon batches on my electric stove top with help from a 120V 1650 Watt element I installed in the side of the el-cheapo Chinese brew pot I bought from Adventures in Homebrewing years ago. I plug the element into the wall then I regulate the boil with the stove once boil is rolling.

But my Wife is tired of me steaming up the cabinets above the stove & now that my Brother in-law decided he likes my beer I’m brewing more than once a month. So it’s time to move to the garage. I bought a nice pot but now I’m wondering if I should drill a hole in the side of my $300+ investment or go with something like this. I’m concerned about putting a hole in my new brewpot because I screwed up the hole in the last one and had to seal in the element with RTV. I punched in a 1” hole then I discovered I needed something larger & opened the hole up with cutters.

Oops! :drunk:

If you're worried that you'll make the same mistake again, you can make a heat stick for a lot less than this thing runs. Plus, you know, you'll actually get the thing you pay for, unlike with kegkits.
 
In my world an element is 20 bucks and a drill bit is $10...power cord and plug is a little more...it's your money, any chance you know someone that knows how to drill a hole?
 
For 205 bucks couldn't you just get a used range to put in the garage with your heatstick? Think of the extra cooking space during bbqs!

I didn't think about a used range but the idea won't work because I won't be able to pull the range off to the side when I'm not brewing. Also, I doubt if I'll find a used range with variable temperature settings like the one in my house. Most old ranges only have OFF - LOW - MED - HIGH settings and I am controlling my boil with the range in the house right now because the temperature setting is variable.
 
In that case, learn how to drill a damn hole!

More or less serious. That or just switch to propane if you are in the garage anyways.

I drilled mine with a cheapass harbor freight bit and a cheapass ryobi drill. Lots of tutorials here on hbt...but really it is just stopping and checking to see when the element fits.
 
In that case, learn how to drill a damn hole!

More or less serious. That or just switch to propane if you are in the garage anyways.

I drilled mine with a cheapass harbor freight bit and a cheapass ryobi drill. Lots of tutorials here on hbt...but really it is just stopping and checking to see when the element fits.

You are probably right. Last time I followed some online instructions and I used a 1" punch and discovered the hole was too small. Then I really messed up the stainless steel trying to cut the hole larger by hand. Apparantly they were using a 1" conduit punch and that punch makes a hole larger than 1".

I did some reading online - some say to use a 1" punch, some say to use a 1-1/4" punch and some say to use a 1-3/8" punch to cut the hole. Which size do I really need to do it right?
 
There are basically two types of punches; Chassis and Conduit. The Chassis punches will create a hole that matches the listed size of the punch. Conduit punches allow for the thickness of a conduit connector to be attached. If you measure the thread diameter of the fitting you are trying to use, and buy the next size up Chassis punch you will be good to go. For example. If the 1" threads of a heating element measure 1 1/8" across the outside of the threads, buy a 1 1/4" chassis punch and it will fit. different kinds of fittings may list as either the inside diameter or the outside diameter. When your not sure, measure.
 
There are basically two types of punches; Chassis and Conduit. The Chassis punches will create a hole that matches the listed size of the punch. Conduit punches allow for the thickness of a conduit connector to be attached. If you measure the thread diameter of the fitting you are trying to use, and buy the next size up Chassis punch you will be good to go. For example. If the 1" threads of a heating element measure 1 1/8" across the outside of the threads, buy a 1 1/4" chassis punch and it will fit. different kinds of fittings may list as either the inside diameter or the outside diameter. When your not sure, measure.

Thanks, I'll look at what Lowes and Home Depot has for sale.
 
THIS: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-96275.html is what I used for my element and 1/2" holes in my BK and HLT.

Go slow, and use some oil (I just used vegetable oil) and you'll get a very nice, deburred hole. I had to pound out a little divot with a nail punch to get started/keep the tip from wandering but after that it worked great. I have One element hole and four more for 1/2" connections.

I'm not near a Harbor Freight and I would rather not order from them on-line because I've heard a lot of horror stories about the stuff they sell. But there is a Lowes between work and my house. I stopped by and asked about a step bit that would drill at least a 1-1/4" hole and the guy in electrical showed me one of these.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_158038-7206...l=1&currentURL=?Ntt=step+drill+bit&facetInfo=

The bit is $55.97 plus tax and I doubt that I will ever use the bit for anything else. But at least it looks like it will do the job! I'll buy the bit this Friday.
 
Well FWIW I have read many stories of people using the HF drill bits without issue and saving cash. But as I said earlier, it's your money, buy the best if so inclined. Cheers
 
Well FWIW I have read many stories of people using the HF drill bits without issue and saving cash. But as I said earlier, it's your money, buy the best if so inclined. Cheers

It's not about having the best and I would love to try the HF bit first. But I can't buy either one until payday and if I buy the HF bit I have to wait until it comes in one day next week. I can work on the pot this weekend with the bit from Lowes.
 
Wife has plans this weekend and it looks like I won't get to my pot until later anyways. So I decided to check on this kit and they are out of stock. Maybe I'll try the HF ones since I have time now. Or maybe these guys will have stock again by tomorrow.
 
I have a bare bones system like this in prototype development (you add the element of choice), but I'm putting a lot of time into making it not look like a garage sale assembly of parts.

Bobby - are you talking about just a heat stick or a build your own electric brew rig?
 
I'm talking about a heat stick kit that wouldn't be based on a bunch of kitchen sink plumbing parts or off the shelf triclover parts.

Pardon the cliche, but now we're talkin...hopefully less money than the triclover option, which is nice, but overly complicated IMHO and spendy. Love to see the prototype, but I bet Bobby is hush till he is satisfied with the design, a real A type guy who is not gonna release a cobbled together POC.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Sorry, that's the one I thought looked like a collection of garage sale junk. I generally reserve criticisms of competitors products but in this case, the guy is a crook anyway so I don't care.

The triclover based designs are the best you can do right now but I do think it forces an over-built and clumsy end product. There are too many connections, gaskets, and clamps required. Let's just say what I'm working on is going to be purpose built with tubing diameters that are compact. The price will be lower than what you can build with TC parts. It will not require JB weld or silicone sealant.
 
Sorry, that's the one I thought looked like a collection of garage sale junk. I generally reserve criticisms of competitors products but in this case, the guy is a crook anyway so I don't care.

The triclover based designs are the best you can do right now but I do think it forces an over-built and clumsy end product. There are too many connections, gaskets, and clamps required. Let's just say what I'm working on is going to be purpose built with tubing diameters that are compact. The price will be lower than what you can build with TC parts. It will not require JB weld or silicone sealant.

When will your's be done? I just ordered a step drill set from Amazon and may hold off drilling my new pot if it's soon and reasonable. I'm looking for something that's 240V and 4500 or 5500 watts, 4500 should be fine for me.
 
tphjr said:
I'm not near a Harbor Freight and I would rather not order from them on-line because I've heard a lot of horror stories about the stuff they sell.

Just a quick aside comment. Don't be too quick to knock Harbour Freight. For certain things they are great! Sand paper, rip saw blades, drill bits, ect.... I've saved a ton and the products have been just great! I've known folks who have used some of the air tools too and no problems. Now mind you they're not pros so it's low frequency usage.

And with the pretty decent warranty they offer, it's worth a shot!
 
Just a quick aside comment. Don't be too quick to knock Harbour Freight. For certain things they are great! Sand paper, rip saw blades, drill bits, ect.... I've saved a ton and the products have been just great! I've known folks who have used some of the air tools too and no problems. Now mind you they're not pros so it's low frequency usage.

And with the pretty decent warranty they offer, it's worth a shot!

I have the Harbor Freight step bits. Went right through an aluminum kettle without a problem. I am sure they would work for stainless also, but I would agree that it would probably crap out pretty quickly if you tried to use it every day.

I also use one of their variable speed drills to drive my corona mill.
 
I have the Harbor Freight step bits. Went right through an aluminum kettle without a problem. I am sure they would work for stainless also, but I would agree that it would probably crap out pretty quickly if you tried to use it every day.

I also use one of their variable speed drills to drive my corona mill.

I used a single harbor freight step bit to drill 4 holes in stainless - 2 in each of my brew kettles. It shows some signs of wear, but I think It has some more life in it.
 
In case someone missed it from the other thread, Tom Hargrave of kegkits.com notoriety created the tphjr username here as a shill account to promote kegkits.com knowing that his real identity is already tarnished due to very unsavory business practices in the past. Given that past, I'm not surprised at what was going on, but I thought it important for people to realize what they'd be getting themselves into by doing business at the links posted here (against forum rules at that).
 
I'm talking about a heat stick kit that wouldn't be based on a bunch of kitchen sink plumbing parts or off the shelf triclover parts.

Bobby,
I would be very interested in something like this. I wish something could be fashioned that would resemble a large version of those little single cup heaters that one would put into a coffee cup - possibly based upon an ULWD element that is somehow divorced from the threaded water heater mount.

Please keep us posted.
Keith
 
kzimmer0817 said:
Bobby,
I would be very interested in something like this. I wish something could be fashioned that would resemble a large version of those little single cup heaters that one would put into a coffee cup - possibly based upon an ULWD element that is somehow divorced from the threaded water heater mount.

Please keep us posted.
Keith

I actually started a thread on something I found just like that! Without repeating it all, they are 2000 watt pot boilers from Ukraine. They look just like the little cup ones but are a little over 12" long I think. I'm heading there in July and am going to give them a whirl.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/so-whaddaya-think-2000-watt-pot-boiler-403135/

image-3450506748.jpg
 
Bobby_M said:
In case someone missed it from the other thread, Tom Hargrave of kegkits.com notoriety created the tphjr username here as a shill account to promote kegkits.com

Interesting, in my thread mentioned above, that user also linked kegkits products
 
Back
Top