what kettle/boiler on a budget?

[Ben711200]

A new element is £60ish from nisbets, or £49 from eBay, but what I can't help but notice is that it's really quite small at 4.5" diameter, a quick look to the bottom of my generic Tesco kettle confirmed it had a 3kw 4.5" diameter concealed element. You can see where this is going, yeah? I will report back with my findings, especially if it means a cheap source of Buffalo elements!

False alarm.

Battled the 'tamper proof' screws to have a look. No good. The element itself appears to be bonded on with some sort of high temp cement to the base of the kettle. No useful pop-out concealed elements to see here so I guess I'll be buying a full price one come payday.

[clootie]

Why not stovetop?



£65 from http://www.brewuk.co.uk. 32 litres so big enough to do a 21 litre batch (I've done this size quite a few times). You could probably do a 23litre batch in here if you save some liquor back until after the mash, although I've never risked doing the full amount plus grain bill

no electrickery to cut out or elements to clean.
Comes complete with stainless steel gauze hop filter.

Does anyone know if this will work on an induction hob?

Thanks

[CJR]

Being Stainless Steel it should work.

[john_drummer]

don't know, I'm on gas.

BTW, 20 mins to get from tap temperature to strike temp.
about 45mins to get to boiling but I did turn the gas off while I had something to eat

[clootie]

Being Stainless Steel it should work.

Thanks, I thought so, but never sure. Wish I hadn't bought a bloody induction hob now.....

[CJR]

I'll stick with gas, or possibly electric.

[jmc]

A new element is £60ish from nisbets, or £49 from eBay, but what I can't help but notice is that it's really quite small at 4.5" diameter, a quick look to the bottom of my generic Tesco kettle confirmed it had a 3kw 4.5" diameter concealed element. You can see where this is going, yeah? I will report back with my findings, especially if it means a cheap source of Buffalo elements!

False alarm.

Battled the 'tamper proof' screws to have a look. No good. The element itself appears to be bonded on with some sort of high temp cement to the base of the kettle. No useful pop-out concealed elements to see here so I guess I'll be buying a full price one come payday.

I'd recommend you check the diameter of your element as I had a old version of a 27 Buffalo boiler (3Kw. Model J520. ) and my 3Kw element had a different diameter to the one on nesbits / eBay and I had to send it back and scrap the boiler.

You'll probably be OK as you have a 40L boiler but I'd check just in case.

[Cozzyb]

Not sure if it has been recommended but here is what I did.

Started with one big 15ltr steel pot (cost about £20) you could get a bigger one for 5 gallon batches. And you mash and boil with the one pot. Then if you want to up your efforts you can buy a cheap plastic boiler from Homebrewshop for £60, this is good if your hob can't handle the boil i.e. like mine.

[Ben711200]

A new element is £60ish from nisbets, or £49 from eBay, but what I can't help but notice is that it's really quite small at 4.5" diameter, a quick look to the bottom of my generic Tesco kettle confirmed it had a 3kw 4.5" diameter concealed element. You can see where this is going, yeah? I will report back with my findings, especially if it means a cheap source of Buffalo elements!

False alarm.

Battled the 'tamper proof' screws to have a look. No good. The element itself appears to be bonded on with some sort of high temp cement to the base of the kettle. No useful pop-out concealed elements to see here so I guess I'll be buying a full price one come payday.

I'd recommend you check the diameter of your element as I had a old version of a 27 Buffalo boiler (3Kw. Model J520. ) and my 3Kw element had a different diameter to the one on nesbits / eBay and I had to send it back and scrap the boiler.

You'll probably be OK as you have a 40L boiler but I'd check just in case.

Just to bring this to conclusion.. I had the exact same problem. The ebay seller told me he had one other person about a year previous with the same problem. You could well be that person.

Element sent back, Buffalo boiler shoved in the attic until I figure out if it has any other practical use (maybe a grain bin?) and negative feedback left for the eBay boiler seller for a variety of reasons (capacity not as advertised, visible damage to element not described, poor communication, inability to answer front door leading to two trips to collect...).

After pricing up the options, I went stove top and bought a 32 litre one from BrewUK. By the time I factored in the additional expense of modifying the Buffalo to be able to make it work, or compiling all the bits myself to make a stovetop one, a ready made 32 litre pan with the ball valve, stainless bulkhead thing, and hop filter seemed by far the easiest option!

Works a treat, too

[jmc]

......

I'd recommend you check the diameter of your element as I had a old version of a 27 Buffalo boiler (3Kw. Model J520. ) and my 3Kw element had a different diameter to the one on nesbits / eBay and I had to send it back and scrap the boiler.

You'll probably be OK as you have a 40L boiler but I'd check just in case.

Just to bring this to conclusion.. I had the exact same problem. The ebay seller told me he had one other person about a year previous with the same problem. You could well be that person.

Element sent back, Buffalo boiler shoved in the attic until I figure out if it has any other practical use (maybe a grain bin?) and negative feedback left for the eBay boiler seller for a variety of reasons (capacity not as advertised, visible damage to element not described, poor communication, inability to answer front door leading to two trips to collect...).

After pricing up the options, I went stove top and bought a 32 litre one from BrewUK. By the time I factored in the additional expense of modifying the Buffalo to be able to make it work, or compiling all the bits myself to make a stovetop one, a ready made 32 litre pan with the ball valve, stainless bulkhead thing, and hop filter seemed by far the easiest option!

Works a treat, too

Sorry to hear you had same problem with element, but glad you've got a solution to brewing with the stove/top boiler.

For the Buffalo, as long as damaged-element hasn't caused a leak you may be able to fit a different element in the base to use it as a second boiler or HLT.

Unfortunately by old element wont seal now but I was thinking of buying a special annular ss plate to fit element hole

and buying a burco element to fit in smaller hole.

My Buffalo is still in the attic in case I want to resurect this plan.