Tea kettle hack

[Timm3h]

Has anyone hacked apart a electric tea kettle for the elements? In Canada it seems way cheaper to buy 2 120v kettles and hack them apart rather than buying a element.

 

[Revvy]

It's quite common in a lot of parts of the world, Australia, Canada, the UK.. there's a lot of videos on youtube about it. "Gash Slugg" in Australia has some youtube tutorials about it if I recall. A lot of folks even use plastic buckets for it (and watching all the American Armchair "Experts" go apoplectic about it if you dare mention it is quite fun- there are threads on here about it.)

The only issue, and I talked to Gash about it is that in Australia and the UK their home elements are 220, and ours in the US is 110... so we're not sure if 2 tea elements are enough to do the job here. Although we both assume the principle is the same.. if two elements can work there, we don't see why 2 elements made to boil water with 110 wouldn't work.... But I haven't done the electrical math on it.

I haven't gotten around to trying it yet. (I've been contemplating doing an all electric plastic bucket kettle setup for winter indoor brewing for a couple of years now.)

Here's a video on Tea Kettle Plastic brewing, showing what people around the world are doing although American homebrewers are just SURE it can't/shouldn't be done. LOL
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XBeJBStUqI[/ame]

 

[Timm3h]

I was hesitant to use a plastic bucket but if kettles don't melt than those are probably okay as well. I plan on doing a BIAB, it may be tricky trying to fit a large grain bill in there. May need to find a 10 gallon kettle. Unless a cooler will work?

 

[haus88]

Make sure you used gfci, so you don't get electrocuted and make sure you protect the leads so if the corn moves removing the bucket it's not going to short out. I would look into putting some heat shrink on at least