Industrial Immersion Heaters

So I have 2 heaters and a thermostat that I'm thinking could somehow be used in the brewing process. I'm thinking maybe putting them on a timer and having it preheat my mash/brew water so It would be at strike temps first thing on brew morning. Here's what they look like:






Any other ideas on how they could best be used? They are new in box, and have never been used...but are 30+ years old. I still have to test them out, but am wondering how best to use them, if they do work. What do you all thing would be the best use for them? Heating strike/sparge water, keeping the mash warm, you tell me.

Those things look pretty scary - whatever you do, be careful! Are you sure they are new?

Um, 30-year-old equipment that's never been used? How has it been stored? Even without regular usage, machinery tends to corrode due to normal atmospheric exposure. And that stuff looks moderately corroded, even the paddles that I presume get immersed. You wouldn't want your beer tasting like rust, now would you?

Honestly...given how easy it is to fire up a propane burner and get your mash water to strike temp, those things look like more of a hassle than they may be worth. Unless you just want to play with some old industrial equipment. If so, then, by all means...have a blast. And try not to burn down the neighborhood.

Why don't you just go ahead and call 911 first before you fire those babies up.

Jester, do you know the specs/ratings?

If not don't think of using them.

If they are over 1000 watts, I would keep them away from the mash. Heating strike and sparge water is probably your best bet. Verify that they can be immersed before you try them and don't turn them on without a heatsink.

I have the paperwork on them, they are 250v and all the contacts are clean. The paint on the exterior is flaking off, but I'll sand them clean before use. The coils are SOLID copper, so vinegar will take care of the cleanup on them. My dad already looked at them and knows how to wire them up for me, and said all the terminals are in working order and not corroded.

I have spare room in my home breaker box for a separate circuit for them, just wondering how best to use them if they'd serve a useful purpose. If there's no use for them, I'm sure the coils could bring a few $$ just for the copper.

david_42 said:

If they are over 1000 watts, I would keep them away from the mash. Heating strike and sparge water is probably your best bet. Verify that they can be immersed before you try them and don't turn them on without a heatsink.

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On the back of the heating elements there's a bulkhead with a washer(I'd replace it) so the coils can be mounted through the wall of a container and be submerged, while the control box can be outside the container.

Well, I'd mount one each in a keg. One for a water heater and one for the wort boiler.
It's good that they are marked with the temp but you'll need to test how accurate it is.
If it's marked up to 250f then I'd suggest they have been designed for oil or something other than water.

I use an immersion heater for my Water heater for mash and sparge water.
If I had a spare I think I'd try an electric wort kettle.

What were they originally used for?

Those are Chromalox units. I used to work for a division of Chromalox a couple of years ago and I can tell you - those units are old and obsolete! If they're 250v, then they are probably 1000W, but the wattage is the big unknown and most important issue.

I'd be hestitant to use them, but I'd advise contacting Chromalox at 800-443-2640 and speaking to an applications engineer to find out what you really have and what it can and cannot be used for.

No clue what they were originally used for, they were left in the garage of my parent's first house. The previous owner was a chemist and held a few patents for oils/greases through Gulf Oil. He left TONS of stuff in the house.

Little story for you...The house was on 8 acres and has a small building out back where chemicals were stored in glass bottles away from the garage/workshed. My dad said there must have been 30+ 1gal bottles all lined up on 1 wall together. Being cautious, my dad started pouring all of them out. My uncle swung by to take a look at the new house and asked dad what he was pouring out. Dad explained that there were all these bottles of clear liquid that had no smell. My uncle looked, smelled, then tasted the last bottle and sure enough....moonshine. My dad had poured out over 30 gallons of it. My uncle said it was some of the best he'd ever drank and kept it in his private stash.

Think I'll try to rig one up to heat my strike/sparge water. If it works, I'll cut a hole in my keg and install it. Just looking for something to cut down the time needed on brew days. If the water can be ready when I walk into the garage, I'll be set. I still plan on using propane cookers to brew with, just thinking these could be on a timer to help out in the beginning of the session.

Rhoobarb said:

Those are Chromalox units. I used to work for a division of Chromalox a couple of years ago and I can tell you - those units are old and obsolete! If they're 250v, then they are probably 1000W, but the wattage is the big unknown and most important issue.

I'd be hestitant to use them, but I'd advise contacting Chromalox at 800-443-2640 and speaking to an applications engineer to find out what you really have and what it can and cannot be used for.

Click to expand...

I've e-mailed Chromalox twice in the past month and never heard back from them. I included model numbers and asked for exact specs on the heaters. I have a wiring diagram, but not a spec sheet. I'll call today and find out. Thanks

The wattage shouldn't be that important. for 2 reasons.

I presume they'll be powerful enough to heat to boiling if the thermostat is marked to 250°F and controllable enough due to having a 50°F setting.

To try it use an old pail. Look at my brew gear below.

Good idea Orfy. Think I'll cut into an old pail tonight and give it a test run. That'd be a good time and way to calibrate the thermostat too.

Okay but be carefull. do it somewhere safe and don't leave it.
I'd be concerened with the design because of the proximity to the pail wall.
I use mine all the time but with yours I'd only test in the pail and then only use in a keg.

Heat and plastic can cause a fire.
Electricity and water can kill.

Only proceed if you have the skill and knowledge to do it safely.

You're better off calling them and asking for an applications engineer or using their "Chromalox KnowledgeBase" link - they don't respond quickly to emails unless you are a distributor - their customer service in Pittsburgh sucks to begin with and they get far too many emails in a day as it is.

The wattage will be a factor. Watt density will tell you how quickly a heater can transfer heat to a heated surface. Plus, you don't want to get into a high watt density (HWD) situation and overheat the sheath material.

All this may be unlikely to matter in your situation, but better safe than sorry. A good applications engineer can tell you more than I ever could, though!

The wattage is a factor obviously but I wouldn't be too concerned about it if you aren't using it for boiling the wort.

If it takes longer to heat the mash sparge water it's no problem. Just put it on before you start your brew session. I know some people who put it on a timer so it's heated before the get up.