First world problems

[throwoneback]

Live in Cali. For three weeks it’s cold as heck in the middle of the night. (When I brew/kids and wife asleep)
Question; best way to insulate 15 gallon kettle/strike water? With existing equipment.
Presently wrap high heat reflective wrap made for housing. Works but the smell(from glue side) for the first few batches are unpleasant. I’ve also just run a portable heater next to burner.(as wife pointed out,”that’s dumb as ****.”)

 

[mulletmaster]

What is the temperature of this cold you speak of?

 

[BeardedBrews]

With existing equipment.

Blankets and bungee cords?

A fair amount of heat will leave the bottom, so it wouldn't hurt to set the kettle onto something heat resistant and insulating. Air space is also hard to deal with, it will be more stable the more full you are.

For any more detailed advice I think we'd need to know what you're doing in this kettle. BIAB, HLT for HERMS, Sparge Water, etc.

 

[seatazzz]

What is your setup (burner, kettle, etc) that you're losing so much heat during the boil? Unless you're in Alaska the heat from the burner should be sufficient. If you're talking about keeping the heat in your mash tun, the heat reflective wrap stuff should be enough. I use an old windshield sun reflector thingie bungied around my mash tun to help keep the heat in, and also use my old 12 gallon aluminum kettle as a heat exchanger with my IC to keep the temperature stable.

 

[Transamguy77]

I’m also in Cali and I just use 2 comforters and a small blanket I put over the lid, I put one blanket around my keggle and one over the whole thing and hold it all together with bungee cords.

That was the same setup I used when I was brewing in Pa winters which were a tad bit colder.