Need Advice on Jacketed Steam Kettle/System

[comradeSalo]

Hello fellow homebrewers,
I've been homebrewing with a basic cooler/15g pot/propane burner setup for the last 7 years and looking to step up my game. My primary interest has been in getting one of the new "uni-tank" systems that have been hitting the market in the last couple of year. One of the most interesting and versatile offerings I found is across the pond (in Russia). Before I pull the trigger on ordering I wanted to get some opinion on the value and usefulness of this thing.

It's a jacketed steam fired kettle. Which has a large appeal to me and scares me at the same time. I haven't seen any other consumer-grade systems use this heating system in US. Is there a reason. It seems like it's highly efficient and also allows to use the same jacket for cooling. The kettle is offered in 40, 60, 80 and 100 L variations and has a bunch of ports and expansion abilities. It can also be used as still (outside the scope of this forum, but added value to me).
The top slanted port is for a mixing paddle which can be motorized or manual. The build in controller is programmable for step mashing. It can comes with 3kw or 6kw options. I've watched a couple of lengthy youtube videos of the operation, so i'm sure it's a real product

My question is can you poke holes in this system vs other systems in the $1000-2000 price range.

thanks

 

[Dcpcooks]

How are you going to generate the steam? Mini boiler?

 

[comradeSalo]

How are you going to generate the steam? Mini boiler?

the steam is generated inside the jacket by the electrical element, it a self contained system and all build in. The guage with the tube at the top is the pressure guage for the steam and a release valve.

 

[ancientmariner52]

Interesting idea.

1. Does it meet US or European safety standards for pressure vessels? Steam can be very dangerous.

2. I know nothing about Russian pipe fittings. Will you be able to repair or modify with parts available here?

3. Same concern in electric and electronic area?

 

[comradeSalo]

Interesting idea.

1. Does it meet US or European safety standards for pressure vessels? Steam can be very dangerous.

No idea, need to check on this.

2. I know nothing about Russian pipe fittings. Will you be able to repair or modify with parts available here?

Russian homebrewing draws heavily on US homebrewing, so most standards are similar. All the tri-clamp flanges on this thing are standard us sizes. Example top opening on the cover is 4 inches.

3. Same concern in electric and electronic area?

This was a major concern for me, so i consulted with my electrical engineer friend.
Russian electrical standard is 220v 50hz. So i'd have to get a 240v line (which is something i'd have to do for any electrical setup anyway). The 60hz in US vs 50hz in russian shouldn't be an issue on the control unit, but it will make the mixing motor spin faster, which is a pretty small issue.


great points though, thanks for your input

 

[BrunDog]

Link?

 

[madscientist451]

You don't need to send $2,000 to Russia in order to make some wort on the homebrew level.
Even if you were going to open a nano brewery and run it all the time, I wouldn't choose that thing, too many potential problems. Keep it simple. You don't need a steam jacketed kettle.
If you really want to spent the money and "step up your game" get an upright freezer, a conical fermenter, and focus on doing closed transfers.
If you already have those things, or something similar, and want a fancier brewing
system than your current burner/pot and cooler, check out Colorado Brewing Systems
and what they have to offer. Designed in the USA, assembled in the USA, (who knows where the parts are from?) and if you have problems, you don't have to learn Russian.
There are several other companies with product lines similar to CBS, so I guess you could infer that the design/process works.

 

[comradeSalo]

Link?

Here is the link to the one i originally posted:
http://domperegon.com/catalog/parovodyanye-kotly-pivo/parovodyanye-kotly-serii-flagman/

Although, since i have found higher quality ones:

https://www.doctorguber.ru/pivovare...otly/parovodyanoy-isparitelnyy-kub-50-litrov/

and

http://www.dolya-angelov.ru/product/pvk-80-dolya-angelov/

 

[ancientmariner52]

ComradeSalo, I'm going to take a wild guess here. You do read and speak Russian?

I do not, so all I can do is look at the pictures. I see no flaws in the build quality, and the parts I could recognize appear to be compatible with US components. I would like to know about steam-side safety, but that would be in the text, which I can't read.

If you do purchase one of these, please let us know how it works for you. Good luck!

 

[BrunDog]

Da... I would be careful sending my cold cash to Russia!

 

[hammis]

I don't understand how the boiler jacket works. The water you add will be heated and turn into steam. This steam will transfer heat to the inside of your kettle. Some of the steam will collapse into condensate which in turn would be reheated to steam. The rest of the steam in the closed system might gain a bit more heat from the element, but likely not. Does more water get added? How is this done safely? cold water plus hot steam is scary. Every boiler I have worked with, uses a heat source to heat water to make steam. More water is constantly added as the steam is used by a kettle or other equipment. The condensate feed back to a feed water tank for the boiler. Help me understand