Let's say that you found a 40-gallon jacketed steam kettle

[raketemensch]

One of these:

https://my.vulcanfeg.com/resourcecenter ... F31675.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

How would you use it? Weaknesses seem to be that it doesn't produce its own steam, and that it's only 120v. Since the steam must be supplied elsewhere, I'm not 100% certain what the power is used for?

[OtisT]

One of these:

https://my.vulcanfeg.com/resourcecenter ... F31675.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

How would you use it? Weaknesses seem to be that it doesn't produce its own steam, and that it's only 120v. Since the steam must be supplied elsewhere, I'm not 100% certain what the power is used for?

Maybe the power is to run the hydraulics? Just a guess.

[Single Malt Yinzer]

What he said. ^

Hydraulic power tilt locks into any position set by operator. Kettle tilts 90° to empty into the stainless steel food receiving pan support.

I bet you could put a column on the lid & flour seal the lid to make a boiler out of it. Just need a bunch of steam to power it.

[cede]

120V is for the controls.
A steam generator is not cheap and it must be a big one for this kettle !

[HDNB]

of course we would discuss this as a very nice mash kettle, since it's a bit big to consider as a hobby still kettle...that would be a lock.

wouldn't take much steam to run, but i'd be leery of going over 15PSI. 30,000Btu would be tons, boiling 40gal. in 100mins.

[acfixer69]

of course we would discuss this as a very nice mash kettle, since it's a bit big to consider as a hobby still kettle...that would be a lock.

wouldn't take much steam to run, but i'd be leery of going over 15PSI. 30,000Btu would be tons, boiling 40gal. in 100mins.

Just circulate some warm water thru it with a small heated storage tank and therm operated pump.

[HDNB]

of course we would discuss this as a very nice mash kettle, since it's a bit big to consider as a hobby still kettle...that would be a lock.

wouldn't take much steam to run, but i'd be leery of going over 15PSI. 30,000Btu would be tons, boiling 40gal. in 100mins.

Just circulate some warm water thru it with a small heated storage tank and therm operated pump.

thas a good idea, if you could find a pump that could handle boiling water. hit the cook temp, wait 90 mins on enzymes and switch to cold water down to mash temp, wait 90 mins on conversion and then more cold water to pitching. take out all that waiting around for cooling.

[acfixer69]

of course we would discuss this as a very nice mash kettle, since it's a bit big to consider as a hobby still kettle...that would be a lock.

wouldn't take much steam to run, but i'd be leery of going over 15PSI. 30,000Btu would be tons, boiling 40gal. in 100mins.

Just circulate some warm water thru it with a small heated storage tank and therm operated pump.

thas a good idea, if you could find a pump that could handle boiling water. hit the cook temp, wait 90 mins on enzymes and switch to cold water down to mash temp, wait 90 mins on conversion and then more cold water to pitching. take out all that waiting around for cooling.

I was going fermenter not masher still cold here.

[zapata]

I have a steam kettle. It's not a tippy model, and it has it's own electric elements though.
They work for anything hobby related, mashing, fermenting, boiling (if it were smaller) or all in one (again, if it were smaller). All in one in a steam kettle is life changing for grains. Mash. Cool. Pitch. Strip. Dump. Repeat. No straining, no intermediate cleaning, no transfers so no drips or spills etc. If only that thing were 10 gallons smaller, sigh.

You don't need much pressure, 10-15 psi would probably do for most tasks. Mine can handle more, but I never run it up that high. I use the original thermostat as a high limit switch set to 250*F (=15 psi), heating up under full power it never trips, then I switch to SRV at an appropriate setting and again the high limit is never reached. I imagine you could add on a salvaged steam generator, but I'd look at turning it into a bain marie style. Is there anywhere you can just add an element to the jacket and fill with glycol/oil/whatever? Sealing the lid requires a bit of thought, but many options exists, flour paste being the simplest (and least desireable). Column mounting is as easy as it is on anything, but I'm considering making mine offset.

Depending on where and how one found this deal, honestly though I might pass on it. Or pick it up and flip it or even scrap it if it's a stellar deal. Many schools/prisons/military bases etc sell steam kettles from 5 gallon to 40 gallon via their surplus channels fairly often and since they are ridiculously heavy you can get good deals on them when they pop up near you. Unlike say a truck where you're bidding against every hustler and tradesman in the country, the competition is weak and limited to locals who probably just want it for scrap value. A self contained gas or electric one would be my preference. Strong preference for a self contained gas one if you have natural gas because you'll likely have to futz with the elements on an electric one, most are 480v 3 phase and they will be ridiculously under powered if run on 240v single phase. Not hard to figure out how to replace with 240v elements, but it likely won't be with official replacement parts, those things are hundreds to thousand per element, IF they even made a single phase element for it at all.

But then again, hydraulic powered tipping, how freaking cool would that be on a mash tun? Super freaking cool, that's how cool.

[raketemensch]

Hmmmm... All kinds of stuff to think about. Just having a 40-gallon stainless fermenter would be sweet, I’ve put my paint stirrer through the sides of 2 garbage cans now.

Since it has its own pressure release, couldn’t I use a keg as a steam generator?

[zapata]

I've heard a general rule that a pressure release is not to be used as a regulator (or whatever you call a thing that controls pressure). A release is a secondary safety.

Example, my jacket has a physical pressure release valve, similar to what is on domestic water heaters. But it also has a control via thermostat. The control dial sets the pressure, the release only backs it up if it fails. Or thats the way it originally worked, since I had to redo some wiring and elements anyway, now the voltage controller is the primary control (eliminates cycling of the thermostat), the thermostat is a second safety, and the pressure release is a third safety.

Can you rig something? A keg steam generator with some pressure/power controller so the ORC is just a secondary safety? Above my pay grade. But I think pressure boiler fabrication is regulated to licensed tradesmen and inspected work in many places. Presumably because a lot of people have gotten hurt. I'd be super careful. Of course there was a time I wouldnt have trusted myself to build and run an electric still, so maybe its just a new skill set you want to add to the hobby, but just like explosive gasses and high voltage, pressure is no joke.

[HDNB]

Hmmmm... All kinds of stuff to think about. Just having a 40-gallon stainless fermenter would be sweet, I’ve put my paint stirrer through the sides of 2 garbage cans now.

Since it has its own pressure release, couldn’t I use a keg as a steam generator?

dunno what a keg is rated at for pressure. you'd be better off with a very small residential boiler. when you do a steam system under pressure, you need a pressure switch to turn off the heat, a valve to control the feed of steam to the vessel, a vacuum break, a condensate trap with a return to a holding tank and then a pump that can return the condensate back to the boiler at a slightly higher pressure through 2 check valves

15 psi pressure controlled boiler>>>valve>>>vacuum breaker on steam jacket vessel>>>condensate trap>>>reservoir>>>>20psi pump>>>check>>>check>>>boiler input

[Swedish Pride]

I have to agree with others, looks the tits for a mashtun.
Steam, drain, strainer... it's like all your Christmases came at once

[raketemensch]

Meh, in the last minutes of the auction (I was waiting to snipe) it jumped tp 3x my budget.

Now I have something to watch out for, tho.

[still_stirrin]

Meh, in the last minutes of the auction (I was waiting to snipe) it jumped tp 3x my budget...

I can't imagine anyone doing that, especially since you announced it on HD. None of us would sit and "sharp shoot" at a prize like that, now would we?

As a side note, I had a potato boiler (40 gallon) that I toted around for a few years. It was big and heavy. I didn't have a steam source, so I could not exploit it for a mash tun or kettle. I was brewing a lot at the local brewpub at the time, so I was on a sabbatical from my home brewing efforts. Since the boiler was so heavy and filling up my garage, I sold it for $25USD to another brewer in our club. He had a great outbuilding to utilize it in. He also had a steam generator to fire it with. Powered with 15 psia steam (250*F), it would bring a kettle to a full boil in about 45 minutes.
ss

[zapata]

BUMMER!
But yeah, keep your eye out, you may end up with one you are happier with in the end. Possible good news is that maybe there is now less local competition for the next auction that pops up in your area? Hopefully it doesn't mean there is an active auction sniper that does regular trade hustling these things back into the restaurant/cafeteria trade.