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Author Topic: Jetboil brewpot?  (Read 1915 times)

cornershot

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Jetboil brewpot?
« on: January 24, 2014, 05:56:10 am »
Anyone familiar with a Jetboil backpacking stove? http://www.jetboil.com/products/technology (click on the helios tech brief to download a full explanation)
It uses a "FluxRing" to prevent heat from escaping around the outside of the vessel. Apparently it works like a car radiator in reverse and transfers 80% of the energy to the water where conventional stoves are only 30-40% efficient. I have one of these stoves and can indeed boil the same amount of water much faster than my friends with their wimpy conventional stoves. I gotta imagine this fairly simple technology could be incorporated into a brewpot.

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2014, 07:00:37 am »
You know, I've wondered if this concept makes heat transfer to a keggle a little more efficient. They have a ring on the bottom which would increase metal surface contact with the flame. Unfortunately it's stainless steel which isn't a great conductor.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2014, 07:16:35 am »
I skimmed through an article a while back on the improved heat transfer of kettles with chimes to hold the flame hot gas in and transfer the heat to the rest of the vessel. Of course I thought of keggles as an example.

SS is not a good conductor, but the ability to get the heat from the flame/gas is the biggest resistor in the circuit. Anything that is done to improve that will give better heat transfer. The Jetboil guys did this.
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Offline joe_feist

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2014, 10:51:16 am »
Great question and an interesting idea. I'm familiar with jetboil but don't own one. I wonder if there's a way to add on a "flux ring" type of attachment. Keep us posted if you come up with somthing...
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cornershot

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2014, 11:13:24 am »
Great question and an interesting idea. I'm familiar with jetboil but don't own one. I wonder if there's a way to add on a "flux ring" type of attachment. Keep us posted if you come up with somthing...
I have a welder in the family. I'll see what he thinks about fabbing one. A keggle seems like the obvious candidate for modification. What would be a good conductor for metal that could be welded to SS? Maybe an aluminum pot would be better. I don't know what the FluxRing is made of but Jetboil's pots are aluminum.
Meanwhile I emailed Jetboil and customer service said they'd pass the idea on to R&D and offered to send me some cool, free stickers! If they would actually develop and market a kettle, I'd be first in line to buy it!

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2014, 12:40:36 pm »
I don't think anything but stainless can be welded to stainless. Aluminum is probably the better choice if efficient heat transfer is a concern, since the pot itself will be more conductive to begin with.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2014, 12:44:26 pm »
Since the technology already exists and works well by most all accounts, hopefully we'll see it in homebrew pots sometime soon. It's a great concept.
Jon H.

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2014, 12:48:47 pm »
Although their marketing name hints at fast boils, their goal is really efficient use of fuel. They want the best use of a tiny flame. So the technology exists, but the purpose is not exactly what we want. It may be that our rocket engine burners are so powerful that it won't help at all. Maybe ... I'm thinking out loud here.
Of course, using less propane is cool too.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Jetboil brewpot?
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2014, 12:54:25 pm »
I guess I was thinking in terms of both - maybe not.  It sounds for sure like a more efficient (and economic) use of propane. I envisioned the efficiency translating into the performance as well, but the two may well not be connected.
Jon H.