Round Or small 1800w induction burner

[DTrain24]

i have a 13gallon keggle that is an old keg with the top cut off. The base has a diameter of 14 inches, with a 2 inch rise to a rounded bottom.

Is there any 1800w 120v induction burners that could fit this? Most I have seen are 14x11 inches which would not fit. Square peg round hole. There are round ones on aliexpress that may work, but they are 230v or 220v which i do not want.

So it is either find one that can fit, or I would have to get a new brew pot.

Below is a picture of the bottom I am trying to work with.

 

[Dancy]

I have shopped EXTENSIVELY for 1800W induction burners and use one for my 8 gallon Bayou Classic and it is about 12" in diameter, overlapping my burners by about an inch all the way around. I haven't seen 1800W units with significantly bigger burner areas. I can bring 6.5 gallons to a reasonable boil but that really is the max. So your keggle I would say is too big, probably too heavy and, given the capacity of your vessel, I assume you want to do a larger volume of liquid than I am doing and that is simply more than a 1800W unit can handle. Also, the bottom of your vessel needs to be flat, no lip to it. Also, I need to use Reflectix insulation if I want a good boil.

 

[IslandLizard]

There are some curves here to negotiate.

How could you heat/boil 12-15 gallons of wort with only 1800W of power? Even 6 gallons maybe pushing it. There's a lot of heat loss with that big heavy keggle.

Do you know if the stainless used for the keg is induction capable?
Does a magnet stick to it? That's the first test. If it doesn't stick you need to try to see if it works, it's 50/50.

The heating/induction zone of the kettle needs to be fairly close to the induction unit's surface, within 1/4" probably for it to work. That flat area in the middle should work but may not be large/wide enough. The "hot zone" area in my kettle is about 6" in diameter using an Avantco IC3500. I always get a little gluelike stickiness there, that's how I know.

That keggle is pretty heavy, even when empty. Then you're adding 5-15 gallons of water/wort to it. Maybe best to let the keggle stand on the bottom skirt, then spring load the burner from underneath so it pushes against the flat disk. Your controls will be hidden, though.

 

[DTrain24]

Thanks for the help. I would be only trying 5 gallons. But it seems like i will be needing a new boiling pot like the bayou. Which will be fine in the long run I just wanted to try and make this keggle work if I could.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for the help. I would be only trying 5 gallons. But it seems like i will be needing a new boiling pot like the bayou. Which will be fine in the long run I just wanted to try and make this keggle work if I could.

Yeah, for 5 gallon batches a 15 gallon keggle can be a bit unwieldy. Heating with other than a gas burner can be a challenge.
But you could stick an electric element in it. 5500W 240V ULWD element and control it with a simple manual regulator.

A few pointers:

• For 5 gallon all grain batches get a 10 gallon kettle. I have an 8 gallon and it's a bit tight with 7 gallons of wort in it, <1.5" from the rim.
• For 5 gallon full volume BIAB, look into using a 15 gallon kettle, though. Unless you sparge, separately.
• Induction is a wonderful heating source. Very doable with 1800W for 5 gallon batches, even more so when supplemented with a 1000-1500W heat stick to help getting to strike temps and to a boil after the mash. 3500W (240V) makes it an all in one dream come true.
• It took me a good half day to put the 240V circuit in the kitchen. Most time was spent putting the dishwasher, cabinet and countertop back in place. Now I wish I had put 2 of those 240V circuits in at the same time. For 2 induction plates!
• When using induction, tri-ply bottoms help prevent scorching.