Heating Element too high in Keggle - Suggestions?

[Sash]

I bought a keggle from someone in our brew club. It works great but the element is set too high for 5 Gallon batches. I'm afraid as the wort is boiled off it will leave the element exposed. (which would be bad)

My initial idea was to drop something (a rock, brick etc...) in the keggle so the 5 Gallon volume would be higher and the water/wort would cover the element.

What should I put in ? Do you have any other ideas?

Thanks in Advance!

 

[BBBF]

Make a huge immersion chiller?

 

[Bartp]

or simply drill a new hole thats lower and move it.

have someone weld a patch in the kettle or get a 1" Stainless plug. About $8 on amazon. Use a silicone o-ring and a 1 inch NPT lock nut just like the one on the element.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XEKR3O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[jeffmeh]

You can likely get a lot of glass marbles for little money. They won't likely be certified "food safe," but if you are concerned about it, you could seal them in plastic bags.

 

[mux]

Brew more than five gallons! 2 birds one stone.

 

[Bsquared]

I'd go with moving the element too, you can always use the upper port for a whirlpool inlet port someday too.
putting stuff into your boil kettle is probably not a good idea, it's just one more thing to worry about at the end of the day, and one more thing to clean.

 

[kal]

You can likely get a lot of glass marbles for little money. They won't likely be certified "food safe," but if you are concerned about it, you could seal them in plastic bags.

IMHO, I wouldn't boil plastic bags. That may be almost as bad as boiling possibly lead-laced decorative marbles. The plastic would also melt if it touched the element.

Kal

 

[Sash]

Looking into the marble idea further, I was able to find these...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-50PCS-6...gs-/370632829994?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:CA:3160

Stainless steel ball bearing 6mm x50 pieces for 2$.

I was going to buy a few lots, wash them out with powdered brewery wash and some starsan. It should raise the wort level in the keggle.

I wonder if the marbles are going to be oily. Also, would SS be food safe?

 

[BBBF]

http://morewinemaking.com/products/glass-marbles-topping-3-lbs.html

 

[srice]

Looking into the marble idea further, I was able to find these...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-50PCS-6...gs-/370632829994?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:CA:3160

Stainless steel ball bearing 6mm x50 pieces for 2$.

I was going to buy a few lots, wash them out with powdered brewery wash and some starsan. It should raise the wort level in the keggle.

I wonder if the marbles are going to be oily. Also, would SS be food safe?

A 6mm ball bearing has a volume of 0.113cc or 0.113 ml. A gallon is 3785ml or about 33,500 6mm ball bearings. $670 will get you a gallon of displacement.

 

[kal]

How high is the element? In other words, how much liquid do you have to have in the kettle to cover it completely.

The reason I ask is because the best solution may be the simplest and cheapest: Just brew a bit more beer to make sure it's covered. You can then toss this extra wort if you don't want it.

It'll only cost a little to do this per batch and it doesn't require you to clean thousands upon thousands of ball bearings, marbles, or similar.

Kal

 

[Sash]

Sometimes the best choice is the easiest.

I think this is the great beer gods telling me to double down and brew 10 gallon batches.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions!

 

[mux]

Sometimes the best choice is the easiest.

I think this is the great beer gods telling me to double down and brew 10 gallon batches.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions!

I knew you'd come around- congrats on your progress.

 

[jeffmeh]

IMHO, I wouldn't boil plastic bags. That may be almost as bad as boiling possibly lead-laced decorative marbles. The plastic would also melt if it touched the element.

Kal

There are plastic bags that are certified to be safe for boiling, as well as silicon bags. I would not be concerned about leaching with them, but I would be concerned about them touching the element.

There are also lead-free marbles, but it's not clear that they are free of everything else one might be concerned about.

 

[AlphaWolf-Brewery]

How high is the element? In other words, how much liquid do you have to have in the kettle to cover it completely.

The reason I ask is because the best solution may be the simplest and cheapest: Just brew a bit more beer to make sure it's covered. You can then toss this extra wort if you don't want it.

It'll only cost a little to do this per batch and it doesn't require you to clean thousands upon thousands of ball bearings, marbles, or similar.

Kal

Or take the extra wort you end up with and pressure can it to use for yeast starters, yeast slants etc...

 

[bullywee]

Brew more! or move the element and plug the old hole.