[weazletoe]

I'm sitting here at my bar looking at my indoor electric turkey fryer when it hits me..........All that element is, is a 110v heat stick. It'll bring 3 gal of oil to 400* in about an hour. So why shouldn't it bring 8 gal of strike water to 165 or so in that same hour? Who here uses a 110v heat stick to heat strike water? What size element are you using, and what kind of times and temps are you getting? Thanks!

[euge]

I have three made from 1500 watt 115v water heater elements. Don't use them much anymore. But my plan is to go partially electric soon.

There is a way to build them watertight without using sealant but to do it again I will go through the kettle wall. 

[weazletoe]

Yeah, I would like to install mine right in my HLT. Sure would make life easier.

[bluesman]

I do know some brewers using heat sticks to supplement their gas fired burners. I was considering the use of one in my HLT for preheating the water.

[tom]

I use a "bucket heater" to heat my MT and HLT overnight.  They are controlled by a RANCO thermostat so they are ready to go in the morning.  (There is some heat stratification so I recirculate the water before mashing in.)

[Mark G]

I use a "bucket heater" to heat my MT and HLT overnight.  They are controlled by a RANCO thermostat so they are ready to go in the morning.  (There is some heat stratification so I recirculate the water before mashing in.)

This is basically what I do too, but I use a  timer. For approximately 10 gallons of water, it takes 3-4 hours to go from 60F to 170F.

[fightdman]

I use a "bucket heater" to heat my MT and HLT overnight.  They are controlled by a RANCO thermostat so they are ready to go in the morning.  (There is some heat stratification so I recirculate the water before mashing in.)

This is basically what I do too, but I use a  timer. For approximately 10 gallons of water, it takes 3-4 hours to go from 60F to 170F.

I do exactly the same thing on my 15gal system.  My HLT has a stirrer that solves the stratification problem.

[another1]

I have 2 X 2000W elements in my 15gal Keggle, and it brings water to 150 degrees in 35mins

[tom]

I use a "bucket heater" to heat my MT and HLT overnight.  They are controlled by a RANCO thermostat so they are ready to go in the morning.  (There is some heat stratification so I recirculate the water before mashing in.)

This is basically what I do too, but I use a  timer. For approximately 10 gallons of water, it takes 3-4 hours to go from 60F to 170F.

I do exactly the same thing on my 15gal system.  My HLT has a stirrer that solves the stratification problem.

How did you make the stirrer?
TIA, Tom

[fightdman]

I use a "bucket heater" to heat my MT and HLT overnight.  They are controlled by a RANCO thermostat so they are ready to go in the morning.  (There is some heat stratification so I recirculate the water before mashing in.)

This is basically what I do too, but I use a  timer. For approximately 10 gallons of water, it takes 3-4 hours to go from 60F to 170F.

I do exactly the same thing on my 15gal system.  My HLT has a stirrer that solves the stratification problem.

How did you make the stirrer?
TIA, Tom

I have a motor mounted on the lid of my HLT that is connected to this SS paint stirrer:

It's on a temp controller that is daisy-chained to the HLT control.  So, it only runs if the water temp is over 150F AND the HLT bucket heater is heating as well.  That way it does not run all the time during the run-up to strike temp.  My water is ready to go within 1 degree F when I walk into the brewhouse.  That's nice when I come home from my day job and want to start brewing pronto.

[tom]

Sweet.  What kind of motor? 

[bo]

Why not spend your money on a pump to whirlpool and solve other problems along the way?

[tom]

I've got pumps.  Maybe I could set it up with a timer to start whirlpooling in the morning.

[hopfenundmalz]

I've got pumps.  Maybe I could set it up with a timer to start whirlpooling in the morning.

That is what I do with the bucket heater, recirculate with the pump.  You can also insulate your tun/HLT to make it get to temp a little faster.  It is a wonderful thing to go to the brew system first thing in the morning and mash in with the grains crushed the night before.

Edit - I heat the mash tun.  The bucket heater is then put in the HLT when we mash in, and that helps get the sparge water up to temp.  Saves on some propane.