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Hey fellas, I recently obtained a 15.5gal keg with a 2000 watt element and a variac controller. It also has a 3"hillbilly potstill head. I had hoped to use it as a stripper but man she's slowwww... She took about 3hr till the first drip...
I do like the control that the variac seems to give, but damn, getting her there is way too long.

I'm thinking of helping her heat up with a burner, then switching to electric only.

Thoughts???

Wacabi, hello, I've got the MK5500W controller. I'm sure if you went to a 220 element and componets it will work MUCH better, sell the 2000W or put on a pony keg. The MK5500W don't play around AT ALL you can BOIL 15 gallons of water in December with it in about 1 hr

Yea, I know about MK's controllers, I'm sure they rock... but I don't have my shop wired with 220. When I wired it, I did leave 2 circuits open to add 220, but as for now its not setup.

I'm hoping to figure out a way to heat her up faster with what I've got. And I do like the control of the variac. I already use propane for my other keg. I'm just a little leary about a burner near the wires connecting to the element. Maybe I could make a heat shroud to protect them or insulate them.

I'm pretty sure you'll melt the element body (on the outside) if you put the propane to it.
You didn't say whether your element was 115 or 230V but if the variac can handle 230V, I'd spend 25 bucks and install a 5500 watt ULWD element, it's pretty cool to be stillin in silence.

you could also have another element installed just for heat-up.

...maybe you could fashion a heat shield for the element and wires ...

That can definitely be done, I welded my triclamp in a spot on the keg where the rim was solid (or without the handles) do the heat won't run up the sides too bad. BUT, I'm sure you can figure out a way with high temp insulation or something (maybe header wrap) good luck buddy

Yea, shield and header wrap,... think ill give it a try...

You are better off if you can do what NC suggested and add another element. Even at 110V you could run one full out and your controller on the other.

For insulation use ceramic fiber insulation. It will be available at any place that sells pottery kilns or wood stoves. Space shuttle shit.

You can lay a ½” thick piece on your hand and put a cutting torch to it without feeling any heat. Serious cool stuff. I use a ton of it in my shop. Google fiber Frax or ceramic fiber.
MR

wacabi1 wrote:Hey fellas, I recently obtained a 15.5gal keg with a 2000 watt element and a variac controller. It also has a 3"hillbilly potstill head. I had hoped to use it as a stripper but man she's slowwww... She took about 3hr till the first drip...
I do like the control that the variac seems to give, but damn, getting her there is way too long.

I'm thinking of helping her heat up with a burner, then switching to electric only.

Thoughts???

3 hours? Thats doesn't seem right? It only takes me 1.5 hrs with 2700w. Have you tried it without the variac? Just the element full on?

I would add a second element with no controller. Unplug it when your up to temp. You will need a second circuit for it.

No Mr P, I haven't tried it without the variac. I will though, probably this weekend... It would be nice to add another element but I don't have the local resources available that I can trust to do the welding for me. And yea, I've read the post about the no welding method, but that seems like Jerry rigging to me.
Hell, if nothing else, I'll sell the variac, put a plug in the port, and have two propane burners going at once...
I wanted the pot still head to strip fast, then recycle into my cm. If I run both at the same time, I figure I can cut my time in about half...

it would be cheaper to wire the garage for 220 if the variac will handle 220. You could add a 220 plug for under 50 bucks. ecspecially if your cicuit box is close by. All you need is a 30 AMP circuit some 10 guage wire, an Electrical box and a plug.

Insulating the keg will help a ton! If you have a table saw, or a friend with one, buy a sheet of 1" or 1-1/2" solid foam insulation(the blue stuff is what I used); cut it into 1-1/2" wide strips, with the blade angled at about 5 or 10 degrees(it's been a while, and i forget what angle it worked out to, so experiment a bit), so that the strips all butt against each other, kind of like the staves of a barrel. Once you think you have enough strips cut, lay them out on the floor, and tape them together with masking tape, flip it over, then place the keg on it. Now, pull the trips around the keg, and take a few out, or add a few, and trim-up the final one for a snug fit until you have a perfectly insulated keg! Stand-up the keg, and give it a few good wraps with duct tape for good measure. it'll last for years, if not decades, will cost you under $15, and your boil-up times as well as energy required to run, will drop immensely.

You should also look to either go to 220, or add another 110v element, but just insulating should get you close to or under 2 hours for boilup.

What size cable do you have running to your shed? Odds are good that you can simply move it to a 220 breaker in your panel, with a small "sub panel" at the other end(in your shed), where you can split it back to to a couple of 110v circuits, and/or a single 220v circuit, or both if the cable is large enough to handle the combined draw.