Plastic Boil Kettle

[DanielJint]

Hello there, i am looking to buy a new boil kettle. And i stumbled upon THIS 2000w Plastic bielmeier.

Would this work to BIAB then boil in? What's better about stainless steel in this case?

And what is the difference between THIS Wort Kettle and THIS ONE not made for the same thing but is cheaper?

I have a very small kettle atm so i have to brew multiple times to get a decent size batch. But buying a Patina as well as a heat-source is to much for me right now.

It's a very cheap solution, so will it work?

 

[HumulusHead]

Me myself, I would just be worried about boiling in a plastic container.

That being said, I have not seen anything like this and would like to hear how it goes if you use any of them!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[DanielJint]

Hmm i've seen people make DIY kettles out of plastic before, and using it to boil their wort. I can't see any problem with this, and since these ones are so cheap. I think i'm going to try it out.

But i really don't understand the difference between the 3.

 

[Devilsnight]

I wonder if 2000w is enough to get a boil? I'd also wonder what the temp. range is. I have no idea. What kind of volume are you planing to boil in it?

 

[Tutsbrew]

Glocks are uber-dependable, reliable and long term tough along with being very nicely corrosion restistant due to the high-tech 'polymer' material making up the frame, but I'm not sure I'd trust ANY polymer as a "plastic boil kettle"!

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

I think among UK and Aussie brewers plastic electric boil kettles are pretty standard. Which ever you chose make sure they are certified food safe, which means they can safely handle food at temperature without imparting anything nasty. There are certainly plastics that can do this, polysulfone for instance, but if it were me I'd be very cautious.

Have you looked into putting a heating element in a large metal pot yourself?

 

[DanielJint]

I think among UK and Aussie brewers plastic electric boil kettles are pretty standard. Which ever you chose make sure they are certified food safe, which means they can safely handle food at temperature without imparting anything nasty. There are certainly plastics that can do this, polysulfone for instance, but if it were me I'd be very cautious.

Have you looked into putting a heating element in a large metal pot yourself?

Thanks for the info, unfortunately the website doesn't specify exactly what plastic they use but i will do some more research. Buying a large metal pot is not really an option for me unless i find a really cheap one as well as a really cheap heat-source. Pots are really expensive here, and it's cheaper for me just buying a bielmeier brewing system in that case.

I wonder if THIS could manage to keep a good boil.

 

[DanielJint]

Update: The plastic kettle is made from Polypropylene (DOMO 1040RC) and is safe to boil in. And after doing more research it seems that it's a very popular tool for homebrewers in Europe. And since it's only about 90 dollars it's a great option!

Here's some pictures:

 

[wbarber69]

Pretty cool. I know pots are expensive. Which is why a lot of us use old kegs that we "find" out in the wild to make boil pots from. Except for the element I built my first pot for just under $100usd.

 

[DanielJint]

That sounds nice, unfortunately i don't live in a rural area so all i have access to is expensive shops. So i have to rely on internet-shopping.

I put an order on the plastic one! Will report back how it goes for anyone that's curious!

 

[Devilsnight]

Interested to hear. Let us know the volume/how much water can be boiled in that,etc.

 

[tonytwist]

have you seen

 

[fartinmartin]

I use a bucket like the one above with two heat sticks lowered onto the brew from the top. Once boiling I turn one element off, works great!
About four gallons of wort.
I didn't fancy drilling the bucket, afraid of local stress flaws, so lowering the elements in from the top keeps the buckets integrity.
The plastic is not as stiff after an hour boil.
Providing that the risks are acknowledged and thought about it can be done ok.

 

[DanielJint]

It's an awesome way to save a lot of money. But after doing some research, make sure that the plastic you're using is safe to boil in.

I will update when i receive my boiler!

 

[fartinmartin]

The dishwasher safe symbol on the bottom of my buckets says it all for me, it indicates it can take the temperature.

 

[ross_daly]

The dishwasher safe symbol on the bottom of my buckets says it all for me, it indicates it can take the temperature.

All that symbol means is that it won't deform under typical dishwasher temps. It doesn't say that it won't deform when filled with 5+ gallons of boiling liquid, and it also doesn't say that it won't emit anything toxic when heated that hot.

Don't falsely believe that dishwasher safe = safe for your intended purposes. It could still be safe, but not because of the symbol.

 

[DanielJint]

Quick update: I have done 2 BIABs with this setup now and i have produced 5 gallon batches without any problems. The kettle boils 7 gallons of cold water in about 40 min or so and you can maintain a good boil easily. I have no complains other than it is quite a hassle cleaning this after use as some wort tend to stick to the heatpiping. Other than that all is well! Really cheap alternative to a large metal kettle and i would recommend anyone to try this.

Things to think about is as mentioned multiple times in this thread: Make sure the plastic you´re using is safe!!!

If you have any questions go ahead and ask!!

// Dan

 

[Ninoid]

Do you still use a plastic boiling pot? How much beer did you boil in without getting deformed?

I use plastic pot with electric heater of 2000W for mash and work without any problems for six batches. But no boiling in it.

 

[Apimyces]

What about upping the scale a bit? Plastic 1hL fermenters are much cheaper than stainless steel ones. Easier to drill in, too. could stick a few electric elements in there, at least one 5500w one.

Which plastics would be safe to boil in?

 

[z-bob]

I don't boil wort in a plastic kettle, but I do use a 5 gallon plastic bucket for a HLT. It has a 5500W heating element installed and will boil 4 gallons of water faster than I'm generally ready for it. (5 or 10 minutes, while I'm busy setting up everything else)

 

[Ninoid]

Update.

I boil few batches in my plastic pot and work OK. Not any deformation.