Anyone use a Bucket heater?

[claykrys]

I picked this up on clearance at the farm supply store hoping I could use it for distilling. Has anyone tried one of these? It says it heats to over 180f

[WERAT]

claykrys,

These heaters are normally used for water buckets that are outside in a cold area. Most of these do not have a thermostat and heat all the time. 180f would kill off your yeast.

[Saltbush Bill]

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ wrong answer. He wants to distill with it not ferment.....I think

[WERAT]

OK, so I put on my glasses and read the post again. MY BAD.. Sucks getting old...

It may work for distilling if you have a way of sealing it in your pot.

[rad14701]

Not sure how you'd ever seal it into your boiler... And ~40 is a lot of money to pay for 1000W of heat compared to $10 for 1500W at Home Depot or Lowes... I'd have to give it a thumbs down...

• Bucket Heater 1000 watts
• Designed to safely and rapidly heat water
• Will boil water in a 5 gallon bucket
• Features a safety device which is designed to virtually eliminate any fire danger in the event the water boils dry, or the heater is run outside the water container and in contact with combustible materials
• Each unit comes with an attractive stainless steel guard
• UL listed

[Hellnoh2o]

I have one that I use for prepping my wash ( heating water and stirring in ingredients) keeps me off the wife's stove and out of trouble

[shadylane]

I picked this up on clearance at the farm supply store hoping I could use it for distilling. Has anyone tried one of these? It says it heats to over 180f

A search for bucket heaters brings up a bunch of different items.
Could you post a link or give a better description.

Edited: Just realized I'm asking the OP a question on a 2-1/2 year old post

[+Stillborn+]

Howdy!
I just ran across these bucket heaters too. There are many sizes and power outputs on Amazon. Some run up to 300 degrees F! I have a 6 gallon copper pot still and I like the idea that it wraps around the OUTSIDE of the pot. No scorching.
Has anyone run one of these? I may be a guinea pig on this and give it a shot. If it doesn't work for distilling at least it would make a good setup for mashing in.
Thoughts?

[jonnys_spirit]

How many watts? Does it use a thermostat or a power controller?

I run my 2.5 gallon still with a 1500W hotplate and the 16g boiler with a 5500W heating element. Both use a power controller, not a thermostat which allows a constant power throughout the run - no surges. Heatup can be about 45min depending on what’s in the boiler.

Post a link

Cheers,
j