rusting element

[fumbles]

This is what I used
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BPG4LI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

and this is what happened after cooking just water after 3 hours
http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i457/Dr_fumbles/P4210678.jpg

I followed Kal's example on his site for making and installing elements. Have others had this problem?

 

[iijakii]

There's a zinc anode or something you can get and install in your kettle to prevent that. What's weird is some people have rust issues, some don't. Sorry can't find the thread right now, but search for it.

edit: magnesium, whatever. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/element-rust-no-more-235704/

 

[fumbles]

where, I am the water is very soft, almost no traces of magnesium or calcium. So I guess your water acts as an sacrificial anode and protects the element. Do you have very hard water?

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[trigger]

The trace metals in the water will not act as a sacrificial annode. They are dissolved ionic species and not what you need to form a galvanic cell.

I also have very soft water, and I have never had orange rust. I get a little bit of black buildup on the element face and a small amount of pitting, but that's after a year of brewing a lot of beer, and only in my kettle. The element in my rims has just a faint trace of corrosion. I don't use a sacrificial anode in either vessel.

There is definitely some redox chemistry going on, but I'm too burned out on my thermo homework right now to give it much thought. My gut reaction, however, is to think that it is a manufacturing difference that is responsable for the varying rust levels. Differences in the surface chemistry are more likely the culprit than water chemistry.

 

[tre9er]

You may need the magnesium annode (linked in post 2). It seems to be the best thing going. Others have rubbed olive oil on the base of the element immediately after cleaning it and had some luck. Still others have had the rust slow/stop after the first brew or two.

 

[fumbles]

I tried a magnesium anode; it didn't work. I had to replace the element. It is now sealed with a low viscosity silicone. No issues thus far.

 

[Roadie]

I got the element from Brewmation.com where even the base is stainless and have not experienced any rust issues. Cost is higher but one less problem to deal with.

 

[augiedoggy]

I bought one with a brass base for $18 shipped for my hlt...hasnt arrived yet.

 

[ryane]

Why not just use a bit of silicone to cover the base? Ive done this and it seems to work well, Im hoping/guessing that there is a cold section on the element near the base though

 

[bu_gee]

Out of curiosity, is the chassis of your rig grounded properly?

 

[helibrewer]

This is what I used
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BPG4LI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

and this is what happened after cooking just water after 3 hours
http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i457/Dr_fumbles/P4210678.jpg

I followed Kal's example on his site for making and installing elements. Have others had this problem?

Here's one from Southern Boys Distilling....all stainless and 2 sets of threads.
http://www.southernboystills.com/#!product/prd15/2174320705/100%-stainless-steel-heating-element

 

[jpalarchio]

Here's one from Southern Boys Distilling....all stainless and 2 sets of threads.

http://www.southernboystills.com/#!product/prd15/2174320705/100%-stainless-steel-heating-element

Only 2500w @ 220v.

 

[augiedoggy]

Only 2500w @ 220v.

yup I already looked at that one.... they were selling them as 5000w before a someone actually bought one from here and measured its resistance... Anyway they now advertise the correct power rating on them there.

I wonder how many people bought them advertised under false ratings and are trying to boil 5-10 gallons with them right now... I know it will work for 5 gallon but it will sure take a while

 

[augiedoggy]

I just received one of these for my HLT yesterday looks to be perfect for that application with a brass element base. cant beat the price either.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200909059093?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[fumbles]

Out of curiosity, is the chassis of your rig grounded properly?

The element is wired from the control panel to the element. The ground from that line is connected to the ground on the element box. The control panel (including those lines) are grounded back to the source. the brew kettles are on a galvanized steel rack on concrete.

I know some precision instruments companies say not to have multiple grounding locations, because small fluctuations in the potential from point to another point. (spontaneous potential) Is that what you are thinking? Should the gcfi trip my system if I was making the ground a live circuit from my brewery wiring?

 

[bu_gee]

The element is wired from the control panel to the element. The ground from that line is connected to the ground on the element box. The control panel (including those lines) are grounded back to the source. the brew kettles are on a galvanized steel rack on concrete.

I know some precision instruments companies say not to have multiple grounding locations, because small fluctuations in the potential from point to another point. (spontaneous potential) Is that what you are thinking? Should the gcfi trip my system if I was making the ground a live circuit from my brewery wiring?

Yeah. The rate of development seems more like a galvanic reaction than something just rusting at a natural rate. You can tell if it is galvanic because little bubbles will form on the area that is rusting. That is oxygen electrolyzing out of the water and will usually happen with a relatively small DC bias which can be hard to track down. I'd try to make all of the grounds common. Ideally, you're just trying to bring everything to the same DC potential. If energy does flow through the ground and trips your GFCI, then you may have a bigger problem than just some rusting.

The other thing that I can think of is that certain metals will cause that sort of thing to happen. Do you have any copper in the system even the size of a penny or small brad? That can cause some rusting. I don't know if galvanized racks can cause that, but it might be worth trying putting stuff directly on the concrete as a test.

 

[pizza_man]

The element is wired from the control panel to the element. The ground from that line is connected to the ground on the element box. The control panel (including those lines) are grounded back to the source. the brew kettles are on a galvanized steel rack on concrete.

I know some precision instruments companies say not to have multiple grounding locations, because small fluctuations in the potential from point to another point. (spontaneous potential) Is that what you are thinking? Should the gcfi trip my system if I was making the ground a live circuit from my brewery wiring?

I believe they are referring to the fact that ground loops can cause measurement errors. And those errors can be huge with a thermocouple or RTD because of the small voltages the sensors put out. The easy solution is to ground everything through your control panel only, that way you can't have a ground loop.

 

[jeffmeh]

The kettles themselves should be attached to the common ground as well, if they are not already. If the element is mounted to accomplish this, then that works.