Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi all

I am picking up a 50 liter stainless mash kettle and i am looking at heat source alternatives, i originally was going to tap a hole and mount a 2000 watt heating element but i suppose i could use a heat plate or gas burner.

What do you guys suggest?

Dual 2200 watt elements take me about 50 to 60 minutes to heat up in a 50l keg. Thats uninsulated.

Dave, as orcy says, two elements are the go. A single 2kw element in a 50lit boiler will take you FOREVER to heat up, maybe 1.5hrs. I run an extra 3.5kw element in my T500 (30lit)
boiler and it takes (with the combined 2k std element and the 3.5kw) around 30/40 min to get to boil. I then drop off the 2kw and power control with the 3.5kw.
Fleabay...cheap,,, For an extra 15 bucks you will not look back.

Is it just for boiling water in a 3v system? Or are you mashing in it?

I use a 3000W heater, takes me spot on 1 hr to heat up 40L. Before I upgraded my shed power to 15A I was able to run it no problem if I turned everything else off - including the beer fridge :handgestures-thumbdown:

davesims wrote:Hi all

I am picking up a 50 liter stainless mash kettle and i am looking at heat source alternatives, i originally was going to tap a hole and mount a 2000 watt heating element but i suppose i could use a heat plate or gas burner.

What do you guys suggest?

Mashing with elements in the mash tun is a pain in the ass

He calls it a mash kettle so maybe he is setting up a 3 vessel system..

If you are indeed referring to a hot liquor tank (hlt) then the advantage to having electric elements is that you can set it up on a timer so that when you get to the shed the water is already hot.
Gas is great for the boil kettle.
I don't heat my mash tun, just insulate the bejeesus to it.

Hello all sorry for the late reply

I have called this a mash kettle as thats what it was advertised as, i will be using it to heat water for washes, at times boiling bran for Fast ferment vodka washes and general boiling duties i suppose

davesims wrote:Hello all sorry for the late reply

I have called this a mash kettle as thats what it was advertised as, i will be using it to heat water for washes, at times boiling bran for Fast ferment vodka washes and general boiling duties i suppose

Hope that did not sound arrogant, it was not intended that way

I use a 4ring burner on mine, heats up 45l in about 50min. Can get faster heat up times with hp reg.

davesims wrote:

davesims wrote:Hello all sorry for the late reply

I have called this a mash kettle as thats what it was advertised as, i will be using it to heat water for washes, at times boiling bran for Fast ferment vodka washes and general boiling duties i suppose

Hope that did not sound arrogant, it was not intended that way

Nope all good its called a" hot liqueur tank" :handgestures-thumbupleft:

davesims wrote:

davesims wrote:Hello all sorry for the late reply

I have called this a mash kettle as thats what it was advertised as, i will be using it to heat water for washes, at times boiling bran for Fast ferment vodka washes and general boiling duties i suppose

Hope that did not sound arrogant, it was not intended that way

no offence was taken, the advertiser don't know shit from clay

bluc wrote:

davesims wrote:

davesims wrote:Hello all sorry for the late reply

I have called this a mash kettle as thats what it was advertised as, i will be using it to heat water for washes, at times boiling bran for Fast ferment vodka washes and general boiling duties i suppose

Hope that did not sound arrogant, it was not intended that way

Nope all good its called a" hot liqueur tank" :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Ha ha *"liquor"

Oops :laughing-rolling:

bluc wrote:Oops :laughing-rolling:

lol

If you are talking beer terminology, you have a hot liqueur tank, a mash tun, and a kettle. But the hlt and kettle are essentially interchangeable. The mash tun doesnt have an element. Either way, the type of elements or hest sources entitelyl depends on how long you have to sit arount waiting for shit to heat up. Most times given here are for 8 to 14 percent washes. Water takes longer since it has to get to a higher temp to boil

Unless it is a rims or herms than it has an external element and the grain bed acts as a filter to keep solids off the element..

Hello all.
First post for me, hoping to tag onto the end of this thread to answer a similar question.
I have a 30L fermenting tank. I've added a zippered on waterski wet suit as an insulator.
I also have a glass encased tubular heating element that hangs sealed from the lid into the mash. Is this an element useful for a mash destined for a clean spirit?
Cheers

Welcome aboard boxer boy. Why don’t you drop into the welcome centre and tell us what you are hoping to produce and what equipment you have mate