Hello Electric Brewers!!! Need some help...please

I am wrapping the my Electric HLT project. I only have 110v, so I am using a 1500W element controlled by a Ranco unit.

But my heating element seems to be rusting???

My overall goal is to prepare my strike water the night before brew day and run my Ranco off a timer that will start heating water a couple of hours before I want to start Mashing. But during my first test of the HLT, I found that after sitting all night in water, the element had a layer of rust on it and had turned the a small portion of the water brown.

I am not talking about the heating probe itself, just the base of the element that is exposed inside the HLT (basically the threads of the element). The "rust" rubbed right off without any effort, but still.....

I have never seen anything "rust" over night....

Any body else experience this?

 

galvanic corrosion?

Do a search in the forum and see if this matches what you are experiences.

 

Yeah that sounds like it. Now, how to prevent?

I cut the hole for the element such that the element threads would screw in to the keg. Not sure how to prevent them from coming into contact.....

....help......

 

Maybe try some teflon tape.

 

conducted some more search of the forum. Looks like the exposed base of the elements needs to be covered with either food grade 1) silicone or 2) high temp paint.

there is also this sacrificial anode option that I need to look into.....

thanks