SZZ 35L double insulated boiler

[StillBill53]

Hi, I have been distilling now for a fews years using gas and I'm thinking of investing in a electric boiler to take advantage of home solar, I have been investigating my options, I'm interested in the SZZ home brew insulated boiler it has an intergrated digital temperature control and timer it is produced for them exclusively. Has anyone used one? I'm looking for a thumbs up or down on this product or a recommendation on similar I want to try my hand at making fruit brandy.
Appreciate any comments or opinions. Cheers StillBill

[Yummyrum]

From me .

It is a wort boiler and for that purpose , the temperature control is great ….. unfortunately …. In distilling we need power control ( not temp control)

The SZZ only has two power settings 2400w or 600w .

Sure , the manufacturer says it can be used as a pot still boiler . But you can also hammer in nails with a spanner .

Look for a Boiler that has Power controller built in .

EDIT: just remembered one that was mentioned a few weeks back .
viewtopic.php?p=7759975#p7759975

[GrumbleStill]

+1 on Yummy’s comments. 2400W is too much power for a unit that size, and 600 isn’t enough.

Having said that, it’s a helluva lot cheaper than an Anvil foundry, Brewzilla or Grainfather that have built in power control, so you may be able to modify it to use with a power controller. There’s quite a few people here (me included) who do that with Digiboils. The T500 or Mangrove jacks boilers don’t have any controls on them, so you can plug them straight into a $50 off the shelf power controller.

Have you considered modifying your propane boiler to take an electric element, or going down the beer keg route? There is a ton of material here to help you out if you decide to do some building.

Good luck with the search.

[Lc 1ace]

Check out Digiboil.

[Salt Must Flow]

I'm kinda with GrumbleStill on this. That boiler alone appears to be $280.00. Now you also need a still, a proper controller and you'll have to modify that boiler just to make it work with a controller. After all that, you're married to a 120V setup which is fine if you want a 120V still. If you ever want to upgrade to 240V then you'll be doing it all over again. A lot of people here have used these little 120V stills and can tell you how well they work. I've never used one. It also depends on what you want to make. If you want to make clean neutral then it's all about the packing and the height of the column to get good performance.

I've picked up 15.5 gal kegs for free, had to pay around $100 or so and I've found them at varying prices in between. A basic variable controller can be made pretty darn cheap. You can make a much better controller for a fraction of the price in comparison to most controllers that are sold. A really good 240V heating element can be had for approx $50-$60. Tri-Clamp ferrules are pretty cheap these days. With basic tools like a drill, angle grinder, a file or a Die Grinder, you can do ANY keg modifications you need. Just take the keg and the parts to a local guy who TIG welds. Welding is not expensive. It's really handy to be able to solder (have a torch, silver solder and flux). Being able to solder will allow you to make a condenser and many other aspects of a still.

[StillBill53]

Hi Guys
Thanks or the reply. Looking at the anvil boiler, the onboard controllers look the same, so that's got the mashing side of things covered. On the distillation side I have an external PID which will control the power, proportionally. I'm not sure if the controller has a bypass function, if it has all good, if not I will have to look at a bypass switch on the larger element. I can't physically get my hands on the unit as it's in a different city and I try to buy local (Australia and New Zealand) so I'm interested in the build quality.
Appreciate the comments, this is a great community. Cheers StillBill

[Salt Must Flow]

Hi Guys
Thanks or the reply. Looking at the anvil boiler, the onboard controllers look the same, so that's got the mashing side of things covered. On the distillation side I have an external PID which will control the power, proportionally. I'm not sure if the controller has a bypass function, if it has all good, if not I will have to look at a bypass switch on the larger element. I can't physically get my hands on the unit as it's in a different city and I try to buy local (Australia and New Zealand) so I'm interested in the build quality.
Appreciate the comments, this is a great community. Cheers StillBill

I'd double check that PID to be sure it has variable power control. PID is only useful for brewing (temp control).

[greggn]

I have been distilling now for a fews years using gas and I'm thinking of investing in a electric boiler to take advantage of home solar, I have been investigating my options, I'm interested in the SZZ home brew insulated boiler

Rather than buy, why not modify your existing boiler to add an electric element and build a basic power controller ?

[Yummyrum]

I'd double check that PID to be sure it has variable power control. PID is only useful for brewing (temp control).

Agree , I’m no PID expert but I’ve seen specs on some that claim power control . The period of on/off must not be more than a second or two at most . IE if 50% power is on 1/2 second , off 1/2 second , thats good .

If its on 20 seconds , off for 20 seconds , you’ll get erratic boiling behaviour .