tri-clover removable element - brewershardware element adapter

[canyonbrewer]

Hi All -

I am converting my current keggles (HLT and BK) to electric. My goal is to have a removable element in each....for ease of cleaning, replacement, etc.

Would the following allow me to do this?

1. 1.5" tri-clover ferrule welded into the keggle

http://www.brewershardware.com/1.5-Tri-Clover-Ferrule-Long.html

2. CAMCO 5500 watt element http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/water-heater-element-02963.jpg

3. all brought together with the element adapter from brewers hardare. http://www.brewershardware.com/TC15F10NPSCOV.html

Wouldn't this allow me to easily remove the element from my kettle anytime?

Does anyone know if that element will fit through the 1.5" tri-clover ferrule?

Can I bend that element to fit around my current pick-up tube?

Thanks!

 

[rosier9]

yep, this should work. I would be cautious bending the element around the pick-up tube...

 

[orangehero]

I'm not sure your element will easily fit through the ferrule.

I would go with this one.

 

[Junkster]

I went with the element mentioned by orangehero, but I used a 2" Tri-Clover long ferrule. I had a 2" T-C blank cap bored out & a stainless steel 1" NPS locknut welded onto it so the element threads in from the outside & enclosed the connections with a 1-1/4" PVC elbow. The 2" opening gives some "slop factor" for element removal if the keggle is in a somewhat confined space like mine is (bolted to the mounting frame).

I think I would modify the diptube if there's a clearance issue rather than bending the element.

 

[aNYbrewery]

I'm putting together the same thing only I bought the 1.5" Tri-clover to female 1" threaded to mount the element with a weatherproof junction box. Save about $50 on the brewers element adapter. If your not trying to save $ their adapters are pretty sweet though!

I read a thread about someone trying to bend an element with some pretty poor results. They kept snapping.

Post pics when you do it!

 

[canyonbrewer]

Thanks brooklyn...

so does your element fit through the ferrule without touching? are you using the wavy or straight element?

for the guys that are using the straight 5500 watt Low Density element...are you using this in the boil kettle? or just HLT? any scorching issues?

Guess i was looking at the Ultra Low Density to avoid as much scorching as possible.

thanks

 

[TheFlyingBeer]

It isn't to hard to solder or braze a triclamp adapter:

Both the 5500W ripple elements and any straight element fit in mine. The short ferrule on the keg wall is pretty crucial for the ripple elements.

Design thread: Triclamp Heater element design

 

[pola0502ds]

Did you ever get the adapter from brewers hardware

 

[canyonbrewer]

ordered it about 3 weeks ago, but it still hasn't shipped. Website told me it would be a 1 week delay. not too happy about it.

 

[pola0502ds]

I haven't got mine yet either and I ordered mine in april.

Derrin from that store is a great guy and means well but the lead times are hard to deal with. Last time i talked to him he was having problems with getting his shipment in through customes

 

[kellzey]

If you are using the brewer's hardware setup... what is your grounding wire attached to?

 

[pola0502ds]

It comes with a grounding lug, inside of it. Dont worry about it

 

[kellzey]

It comes with a grounding lug, inside of it. Dont worry about it

Sweet!

 

[pola0502ds]

I'm warning you now, it's a pain in the butt. It's not a fixed stud. Its a very small nut and bolt with washers. They are so small it's just so hard to apply the wire and remove it. I added a round termial to the wire so that all i do is slide it over the grounding lug and tighten everything down. Thats only half the battle, you have to use a allen wrench on the outside and then a regular wrench on the inside to tighten everything down. It's just a pain.

Plus i remove my element after each brew to clean it and there is no way to remove the element out of that enclosure without removing the stud.

 

[kevink]

Plus i remove my element after each brew to clean it and there is no way to remove the element out of that enclosure without removing the stud.

Why don't you leave the element in the enclosure to clean it? Isn't that the idea behind a tri clamp removable element? If you are unscrewing the element to clean, you don't even need it to be tri clamped.

 

[pola0502ds]

Because i get rust on the face of my element. There is no way to prevent the face from rusting so if i don't clean it after each use the rust will get really bad. The rust forms on the face and into the threads. To clean the threads I need to remove.

If anyone knows of a element that won't rust, please let me know.

 

[kellzey]

Can you show a pic installed, and of the wiring installed?

 

[kevink]

Because i get rust on the face of my element. There is no way to prevent the face from rusting so if i don't clean it after each use the rust will get really bad. The rust forms on the face and into the threads. To clean the threads I need to remove.

If anyone knows of a element that won't rust, please let me know.

Damn. I was hoping that wasn't why you were removing it. I leak tested my keggle overnight with the element in and the base rusted. It even stained the inside of my keggle under the element hole.

I know that some people smear food grade silicone sealer all over the base of the element. I'm not too crazy about doing that, but it might work if you also smear it into the threads to prevent water from getting between the element threads and the nut threads.

Another option is a sacrificial anode, but I don't know how well they work.

 

[pola0502ds]

For a Rims tube you can't use a anode unless someone has come up with a way for mounting it. I have read about so many people doing so many things to stop the rust from happening and silicone doesn't work that well either. plus, I wouldn't expose my wort to it.

I don't know why they just can make the face stainless.

Kellzey, no I can't post a pic because like i said i take my apart after each brew day to clean it and i don't assemble it again until I brew. I will brew again August 28th. If I remember I will do that for you.

 

[orangehero]

Silicone works great. Get the clear food-safe kind. I sealed the threads and the face of the element in the fitting.

 

[TheFlyingBeer]

Silicone works great. Get the clear food-safe kind. I sealed the threads and the face of the element in the fitting.

+1 for sealing with silicone. I use silicone gaskets and tubing so I didn't really see any reason to not use it on the element as well. Just let it cure for the full period (2+ days for mine) before use.

 

[pola0502ds]

+1 for sealing with silicone. I use silicone gaskets and tubing so I didn't really see any reason to not use it on the element as well. Just let it cure for the full period (2+ days for mine) before use.

I use silicone o rings on mine too but they are high temp o rings. The people that used silicone to face the element said the stuff they found wasn't rated so high. maybe they have something new.

Do you know what the temp rating is and what the brand name is?

 

[TheFlyingBeer]

DAP 08641 Silicone 100% Silicone

I was just very careful to not spread much onto the base of the actual element. My thinking on this is as long as the element is submerged it should not exceed the temp limits of the silicone as the heat will be transferred to the water.

I have only sealed up one element and it works well so far. The next time I do this I was planning thinning the caulking so it would flow easier or choosing another type.

 

[jcwalsh]

 

[kellzey]

Nice... I am soooo close to pulling the trigger. I'm doing a Keggle conversion following a lot of Kal's plans, and other then welding the ferrule, this seems like an elegant option.

I'm not using tri clamps anywhere else, but it shouldn't matter.

 

[Layne]

Man, if there was a weldless solution for the kettle ferrule, that would be perfect!

 

[pola0502ds]

Nice... I am soooo close to pulling the trigger. I'm doing a Keggle conversion following a lot of Kal's plans, and other then welding the ferrule, this seems like an elegant option.

I'm not using tri clamps anywhere else, but it shouldn't matter.

Trust me buddy, you will be so happy you did this. Even if you don't remove it that often or whatever, you will be so happy when you did.

 

[jcwalsh]

Man, if there was a weldless solution for the kettle ferrule, that would be perfect!

Now that I know what it takes to weld a fitting in I wish I had not spent all the money I did on weldless fittings. The guy that welded the ferrules on at work would not even let me give him $20.

 

[Layne]

Hmmm.
Maybe when I redo somethings on the rig....

 

[kellzey]

Does anyone know if this will work with the wavy Camco element if you use the really short weld-on ferrule...

http://www.brewershardware.com/1.5-Tri-Clover-Ferrule-Short.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000BPG4LI