Removable element, How important is it??

How many people wish the could remove there heating element more easily for cleaning? Is it really that important? I am trying to decided if I want to do a build with tri-clover setup from brewhardware.com so the element can come out easily or just go with a normal screw in setup

If you could do it over which way would you go?

 

if you have the cash, i'd go with the tri clamp...
i rarely remove mine, but if i could more often i would in a heart beat if i needed to deep clean them...
as it sits now, i take my system apart every few months and just soak everything in oxyclean overnight

 

Without a doubt, TC. Would never entertain any other option. Remove element and clean it as well as the BK without worrying about getting anything wet.

 

I've had both and it is well worth the extra $ and work for the tri clovers.

 

Thanks the answers that!!

 

Yes buy one. Wait, what? Actually one of my favorite parts of having the TC port on my kettle is that I can remove the element and put a blank cover back in place for the cases where I want to put the pot on a propane burner (brew gatherings at non electrified places for example).

 

I have a fixed element in my HLT and no regrets.

However, the element on the BK is removable and I would not have it any other way.

Nothing to clean on the HLT, but having the element out of the way during cleanup of the BK is a must.

 

Ive never had issues cleaning with the element there, but my cords are removable.

 

I've never removed my element from the BK. FWIW it plays double duty as the HLT. Little inconvenient at the end of the day to clean in place, but I manage.

 

Y'all are OCD. Boiling cleans it, so does cleaning, so does PBW. What a PITA to remove the elememt every time.

 

Well that's kind of the point. It's a major pain to remove the element if it's installed with the threads or using a locknut and gasket. With a TC connection, it takes less than 10 seconds to remove and reinstall it. You could argue that it actually saves time because I know when I try to clean my element in place, I have to use a mix of brushes to get underneath and in between. When I remove the element, I tend to just use a 3M scrubby pad.

 

I usually loop a soft cloth underneath the element, then left side up, right side up. Similar to how I towel my back. Doesn't take me long at all. Sure, I might miss a bit of whatever baked onto it. It's preboil! And I highly doubt even a full element of sticky would make that much difference in the next 10g batch to go in the kettle. At that point it's more that you don't want to insulate the element and cause issues.

 

exactly - as it sits i have to use my HLT which is kinda crappy if i go to brew gatherings and such

 

Most def a TC. Makes cleanup a breeze.

 

I clean my bk element after every brew. TC makes this very easy as I don't have to climb into a 20 gallon kettle to get to the element.

 

5500 watt in a one vessel setup.Wipe it down with a sponge,Takes about no time at all.Seems like a non issue

 

What do you guys do about the base of the element that rusts like crazy? Just wipe it dry after every batch? Here in Houston it will rust at the drop of a hat......

 

Spend $40 and replace it with a 100% stainless element

 

Wipe where the element meets the mount with 100% silicone prior to first use.

 

The silicone trick worked for me but only 4 batches. After that, water found its way under the silicone and rusted the whole thing in 2 weeks. This is one of those situations where I see people still buying Camco elements on Amazon and I just shake my head.

 

Bobby, when I upgrade my elements I will use the SS ones you sell. However I have about 7 months and many batches on my Camco with no sign of rust. Mine are all TC mounted on your setups and I remove and clean after each brew. So don't shake your head on my part. Humidity is not a problem up here BTW.

As far as the original post, I shake my head at those that don't have removable elements.

 

Use high temp silicone to seal the base. However, now that a few vendors have put up the money to fab all stainless elements, buy those and eliminate the hassle. Those are definitely on my to buy list, after my current project is complete.

 

My current setup uses electric for a HERMS setup, and propane for boiling. Since it's only a temporary setup (and it's only water), I used a cheap HWD element in the HLT. It's starting to rust, but if I decide I need to replace it, it's only a $10 part.

I'm designing my "big boy" system now, and it will definitely feature stainless elements AND a TC connection for easy removal. As someone said, I love the ability to throw a cap on and use it for propane, or for cleaning.